Content Center IDCL files not displaying in project

[Anonymous]

So my company wanted to make some changes to it's Custom Content Center library. Specifically update all the Structural members (Channels, Wide flanges, etc) from the exact decimal values contained in the original ANSI Content center file that comes "out of the box" to the rounded fractional values listed in the AISC steel construction manual. Keep in mind, that all structural members have already been copied using the "save as" method from the out of the box ANSI content center to our own Custom Content Center library prior to this change.

As to not mess with our "in production" Custom Content Center library file, I took our existing Custom Content Library (IDCL file) and copied it and pasted it to a new folder location on our server through Windows Explorer. I immediately renamed the IDCL file to a different file name (using windows explorer) after pasting it to the new location. I started inventor, changed my content center file location in the application options to the new Content Center Library file location on our server. Created a new project file and was able to see the newly copied Content center file but it had the same library name as the current in production use library. So, I went to the properties of the library and gave it a new library name matching the file name of the IDCL file. At this point I have two Custom Content Center IDCL files. One in a different folder location than the other, the IDCL file names do not match each other and neither do the library names but the content contained in each library is exactly the same.

We begin to make our edits to each structural member by modifying the numbers contained in the family table. Once the edits are complete for a family, we rename the family to something different than the original family name to keep track of which families have been edited and which haven't. We complete this process for all structural families in the new library.

Once complete, we then copy and paste the newly modified library with a different IDCL file name and a completely different Library name back to our original Custom Content Center File location through windows explorer. Making sure the Content Center file location is correct in the application options, when we try to include the new library in any project file content library selection, but it seems as though Inventor either sees the old one and not the new or vise versa. It varies between users.

The idea was to see two custom content center libraries in the same location then we could go to each family of the new custom content center library perform a "save copy as" and merge them back to the old content center library. But this is not possible because Inventor is not allowing us to include or see two separate custom content libraries in one project file. It just doesn't see both, only one or the other, but never both. I'm not sure if this is because the file was just copied, pasted, and renamed through windows explorer?

Has anyone ever ran into this and know a workaround to get this working? We don't use vault and we need a way to save the families from the new custom content center library to new families in the old content center file. I thought with different IDCL file names and different Library names inventor would treat them as two different libraries, but this doesn't seem to be the case. Anyone, your help is most appreciated. We spent a lot of man hours making these changes and we need to get this new content transferred back to the original custom content center library. Thank you for your time!

[gregory_nickol]

If I am understanding correctly, you made an exact duplicate file, then renamed it, then made your changes. Is there any particular reason you can't save the "old" IDCL to a backup location and overwrite the production copy with the new one with all the necessary changes already included?

I have encountered the issue you're talking about myself before and never really figured out why inventor wasn't showing me both libraries, leading me  to using the method described above.

[Anonymous]

Gregory,

Thank you for your quick reply. The company wants to have the option to use either the decimal or fractional version of the members. And the new modified content center library only contains the fractional version of the structural members. So you see, we have only the decimal versions contained in the old content center library, and the fractional versions contained in the new modified content center library. Now we are trying to get the fractional members back into the old content center library along with their decimal counter parts. Normally, I would've just selected the original decimal structural members did a "save copy as" changed the values in the family table. But, I didn't want users using a family that was only half complete and didn't contain the correct numbers in the family table. So I separated them as to eliminate confusion.

[SBix26]

The problem is that the duplicate library has the same "display name" as the original, and that is what must be changed.  In the Project dialog, click on the Configure Content Center Libraries button, which shows the list of selected and available libraries in your designated location.  Right click on the library whose name you wish to change and select Library Properties... (or select the library and click the Library Properties... tool).  See below:

The difficulty is that the available list shows only the display names, not the file names, so you may have to temporarily move the original .idcl file away from that location in order to rename the copy.

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Sam B
Inventor Pro 2022.1 | Windows 10 Home 20H2
LinkedIn

[gcoombridge · Accepted solution]

@Anonymous Inventor likely uses an internal ID for the libraries that you have not changed (and probably can't). Create a brand new library on the projects\configure content center dialogue box and save copy as all of the families to this library. Tedious I know...

[Anonymous]

As I stated in my original post, prior to even starting the edits, I noticed the display name was exactly the same as the old custom content center and I immediately changed it to eliminate confusion between the new and old library files. So, I don't believe this is the cause of the problem. But, thank you for your response.

[Anonymous]

This seems to be a reasonable resolution to the problem. With different IDCL file names and different library display names and inventor still can't distinguish between the two different libraries, there must be something going on in the background that we can't see or have no control over. It would be nice for an Autodesk official to weigh in on this topic and confirm or not.

But, I will make a new library start copying one or two of the fractional versions to the newly created Library bring it back in to the original custom library location and see if I'm able to see both libraries and start transferring between the two.

[Anonymous]

I was able to run a quick test with the "C" Channels & the "MC" channels. Your suggestion is the solution to the problem. Not the most elegant as it requires extra work than expected, but it will get us to our expected end result. Thank you for your response and time!