Custom Content Center - Editing features after publishing

[benedictsweet]

Good morning, good afternoon and good evening.

Situation: I'm currently starting to get to grips with the Content Center in inventor (linked with our Autodesk Vault). I'm currently starting to use a custom content center to store fixtures that we use for a library of standard assemblies, from which we copy-design for our various projects.

Problem: Once content center parts have been used in these assemblies, I would like the ability to make edits to the parts published (more than parameters and iProperites, I want the ability to alter and add features). How do I alter the part files of these published parts once in the custom content center?

Thank you for reading, and hope you're well wherever you are,

[CGBenner]

@benedictsweet 

Hello!  Once you have published whatever these fixtures are to your Content Library, the only way I can think of to be able to make each instance unique is on how you place them into your designs.  You are given two options when you Place from Content Center; As Standard and As Custom.

If you place As Standard, the component instance is linked to the information in the Family Table, and can't be modified independently.  If you place As Custom, Inventor will place a COPY of the component, and prompt you to save it as independent, giving you the chance to give it a unique name and save location.  This also makes the component editable, since it is no longer tied to the Family Table data.

An example of how I have used this in the past was when we used the CC to store generic equipment such as pumps and heat exchangers.  We placed them As Custom and then tweaked the dimensions as needed to match a specific design need.

I hope this helps!

[dave.cutting]

If you want you modifications to be part of your custom content centre going forward, you will have to replace the family template for that particular part in you custom content centre.

A word of warnig, it might not allow you to update the template if you're adding quite a lot of additional features to the part.

[SBix26]

Based on my experience (I don't work for Autodesk, so I have no inside knowledge!):

• The difference between CC components placed "as standard" and "as custom" is simply where they are saved.  "As standard" places them into the folder designated by the active project for CC parts, and that folder is considered by Inventor to be a library folder and therefore not editable.  "As custom" allows the user to choose the location.  The part file placed in either scenario is simply a copy of the CC template file with all the parameters and properties from the table applied to it.  The part file can be edited in either case so long as Inventor doesn't think it's in a library location (=uneditable).  If you move the "as standard" file to a different folder, or activate a different project that doesn't consider the part's folder to be a library folder, it is editable just as a part placed "as custom".
• Adding to what @dave.cutting wrote, you can replace the family template by placing a part from that family, editing it as desired, then using Replace Template and finding the file you just edited.

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Sam B

Inventor Pro 2025.2.1 | Windows 11 Home 24H2

[CGBenner]

@benedictsweet 

Hello again. Did the information provided answer your question? If so, please use Accept Solution so that others may find this in the future. Thank you very much!

[benedictsweet · Accepted solution]

Hi Dave,

Thank you for your advice. I found these two resources which ended up being the solution to my problem:

https://www.autodesk.com/support/technical/article/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/Replacing-Family-T...

https://www.autodesk.com/support/technical/article/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/How-to-refresh-Sta...