BOM and Model States

[Ivan_Sinicyn]

If you open any Model State from the bill of materials, it always opens [Primary]. Is this a bug, a flaw, or is it designed that way?

[kacper.suchomski]

Hi

Look this:

https://help.autodesk.com/view/INVNTOR/2023/ENU/?guid=GUID-C0084FE2-066F-432F-8E67-D4F9ECDD210D

[Ivan_Sinicyn]

I didn't understand what I was supposed to read there?

I'll try with the description in the screenshots:

 

No matter which state of the model you click on, only the [Primary] always opens.

[kacper.suchomski]

Check structured and only parts.

[Ivan_Sinicyn]

The Same.

[johnsonshiue]

Hi! This Primary BOM delegation behavior should only happen with migrated LODs. 1) The iam file was created in 2021 and earlier with LODs. 2) It was created from an iam file with predefined LODs (in 2021 and earlier).

If either applies, I need to see the files. It could be a bug. Please share the files in zip here. I would like to understand the behavior better.

Many thanks!

[Ivan_Sinicyn]

The files were created 20 minutes before the post was created. Inventor version 2023.2.1
The .iam templates are original. The problem is not with the templates, my colleagues confirm that their Inventor behavior is exactly the same. If you try to open a part with the required model state in the drawings from the parts list, there is no problem, but from the bill of materials it always opens [Primary].

I have attached the archive.

[johnsonshiue]

Hi Ivan,

Many thanks for sharing the files! I guess you are not used to Inventor's BOM. You are hoping that the individual body pieces within a part are counted by BOM. That is no how Inventor BOM works. It is a Part Number (PN) based BOM. The items are counted by based on PN, not by geometry. As long as the PNs are the same, their quantity will tally up. It does not matter how the geometry looks like.

In your case, the part actually needs to be a subassembly. The angled pieces need to be individual parts.

There is an unintuitive way to get what you want within the part similar to Frame Generator members. But, I would not suggest it. It can be even more confusing considering you are relatively new to Inventor BOM workflows.

Many thanks!

[Ivan_Sinicyn]

It seems to me that we are talking about different things. I don't need to count individual parts of solids. I specifically created visually different states of the model so that I could show that the link from the bill of materials does not open the model state that I click on. I click to open the third or second state of the model, but it always opens [Primary].

[johnsonshiue]

Hi Ivan,

I am sorry I misunderstood the request. This is about opening the Model State file from the BOM table. Indeed, it does open with Primary only. It would be nicer if it can open in the active Model State per row. Let met work with the project team to see if this can be done.

Many thanks!

[johnsonshiue]

Hi Ivan,

Just to provide some update on this issue, I did work with the project team to understand the behavior better. There is a technical limitation here unfortunately. You may see the limitation easily. In the assembly, simply right-click to open each part. You will see the open part keeps switching Model State, as opposed to each part is open in a different Model State in a different window.

When the Model State is consumed in an assembly or a drawing, each Model State can be represented independently. But, within the part (or assembly) itself, only one Model State can be active at a time.

Certainly, it is possible to enhance it by allowing such workflow. But, it is not as straight forward as I anticipated originally.

Many thanks!

[Ivan_Sinicyn]

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@johnsonshiue wrote:

 In the assembly, simply right-click to open each part. You will see the open part keeps switching Model State, as opposed to each part is open in a different Model State in a different window.

When the Model State is consumed in an assembly or a drawing, each Model State can be represented independently. But, within the part (or assembly) itself, only one Model State can be active at a time.

That's what I'm talking about! I can open the part in the assembly with the model state I want from the browser. The part file opens in another window and automatically switches the model state I selected, even if the part file has already been opened before with a different model state and I can start editing right away. But this doesn't happen when I select a part from the bill of materials. Whichever model state I choose from the bill of materials, only [Primary] always opens. But logically the part should open and switch to the selected model state automatically. I don't need several windows of the same part with different model states to be open at the same time, I'm trying to explain that the behavior of the program is different for the same tasks.

I apologize if I am not explaining well and repeating a lot.

[johnsonshiue]

Hi Ivan,

Please refrain from apologizing! You did not do anything wrong. It is Inventor that has unintuitive and inconsistent behaviors at times. I merely tried to explain why it did not work desirably. There is technical limitation here unfortunately.

Many thanks!

[e_frissell]

@johnsonshiue I might be having something very similar - I created a new assembly a few hours ago utilizing some model states to show co-workers how we can better utilize model states however when creating a drawing I'm given a BOM delegation error and only allowed to use the primary model state.  Currently using Inv 2024 and the drawing template has been migrated over.  Any thoughts?

[johnsonshiue]

Hi! Your issue sounds like a different one than the OP. Please feel free to start a new thread and share the files in zip here or send it to me directly johnson.shiue@autodesk.com. I would like to understand the migrated Model States drawing issue better.

Many thanks!