Custom Content Center Errors in 2017

[skylinejeff]

OK, so I just finished my upgrade to Inv 2017, and have spent the good part of the day reconfiguring my content center and libraries to make sure I'm pointing in the right place for everything.

I also decided that now was a good time to create a few more custom content center families that are linked to parent families.  The intent was really just to allow me to create some custom columns that are mapped to fields in the assembly files so our BOM lists print out the way our purchasing guy likes to see them.

So I copied a few families, and now I'm in a cluster.  I honestly don't get what's going on here, and I've searched and found similar problems on this forum but not exactly what I'm experiencing.

Example:  

• I copied the ANSI/AFBMA TS19.2 family to a custom family.  Direct copy, maintained link.  Didn't rename or change anything yet.  Went into the family table, re-mapped the "Size Designation" column to the "Inventor Property Project.PartNumber"
• Hit "Apply"...I get a "Duplicate File name" error.  Huh?
• OK, so I open the table in excel to check it out, format the filename column to show duplicates.  Whadya know, there's 3 duplicates.  I delete them in the excel sheet, hit "Save" and exit.
• "Duplicate File Name" error.  WTF?
• Re-open excel, do the same exercise...lo and behold, for whatever reason an extra row has been added to the bottom of the table that duplicates a part from somewhere in the middle.  Huh?  I delete that row in excel, hit save, and exit.
• "Duplicate File Name"  
• Re-open excel...sure enough another row has been created at the very bottom, again a duplicate of some random middle row.  I'm going to outsmart it this time, I save without exiting, and delete the row through the content center editor table.  Hit apply.
• "Duplicate File Name"
• Re-enter excel, do the whole custom format thing again, and this time there is a row somewhere in the middle that's duplicated.

So as far as I can tell, somewhere along the way the content center editor just decides to copy rows for no good reason.

Any insight?

BTW, I just installed all Inv 2017 updates.  Running Win 8 64.  Excel 2013.

[Mark.Lancaster]

@skylinejeff

Using your workflow..  I found more than 3 duplicates in that given family table.  In addition I never use excel to modify family tables..  I always use content center editor.   Anyhow there's always been family table issues for as long as I can remember.  Some get fixed in new releases and then others get broken in other releases. 

You can document which ones you find that are a duplicate and log a support case with Autodesk.  But it wouldn't be resolved unto Inventor 2018.

[skylinejeff]

Thanks Mark. You're correct, there are actually more than three duplicates in that family. However, my biggest frustration is that even AFTER I delete the duplicates, somewhere excel is re-duplicating a single part and adding it to the bottom row after I save and exit the file.

I did have some success re-doing the entire workflow from scratch (i.e. deleted the custom family, then started the copy process again). But this time, I used the "Save Copy As..." option instead of the "Copy To..." option. This allows me to delete the rogue "extra" part at the end of the table from within content center, but then my error becomes "Invalid empty cells...will make family sick" error. Although there are no actual empty cells anywhere.

What a mess.

😞

[skylinejeff]

Update:

I'm pretty sure content center editor is completely broken in 2017.

I copied a family of washers to our own library, using the "save copy as..." and altered the family name and folder information by using a "-SKY" modifier, and allowed the default file naming mapped to the new family folder.

When I opened ccenter editor, I added a column called "USS SAE" (Our purchasing people like seeing whether the plain flat washers are USS or SAE since they have a hard time with the type A/B designations and categories).  I clicked the column to sort by Type A or B, then opened in excel to insert "USS" for all type A wide series, and "SAE" for all type A narrow series.

Exit excel, and after thinking for a while, my table is updated with the USS / SAE.  But the filenames are ALL SCREWED  UP.  WTF?  I go back and verify that the file naming expression is correct...it is.  But the file names are wrong.  How the heck can this even happen?  The {size} designator is correct, but the filename somehow concatenates something completely wrong!

I've exited without saving (hit cancel) then went back into the family table, but no luck.  File names are permanently boned.

I'm struggling here...any advice would be helpful.

Jeff

[bob_holland · Accepted solution]

@skylinejeff

@Mark.Lancaster

I believe that this is part the same issue that our development staff are already working to resolve.

We have a tracking web page for the issue at:

http://knowledge.autodesk.com/article/Users-report-that-in-adding-values-in-custom-CC-library-fills...

Thank you for your patience while we work to resolve this.

[skylinejeff]

Thanks for the update, Bob.  This is a huge problem that is costing us a lot of time trying to get through.

We're at the point where we can't even add a row to a family without the family getting messed up.  I tried adding a custom bearing set to taper roller bearings.  Copied an existing bearing set (52387 52637) and tried to create a new (52387 52618).  As soon as I edit any cell in the new row, Content Center rearranges the rows of the family and starts assigning the values to the wrong bearing.  Edit another cell, rearranges again.  This isn't just for custom columns either.  It's for definition columns as well.  It's like the family re-sorts every time I click and edit a cell, but doesn't sort the new value along with it.

So am I to understand that all custom content is literally broken until 2018?

Jeff

[Jessica.Lamb]

I am having a similar issue right now. I have copied an existing family (save as). I only needed 7 of the rows. When i edit a single cell it changes. Luckily i was changing the whole column. After i completed the column they were all correct again. You are confirming my fear that if i save half way thru i am screwed. I have added 3 screenshots of the process before, during, and after.

Another portion of my current issue is that my concatenated / expression columns are not staying that way. Expression columns show up as blue text in the cell unless you override the text. When you override the text they turn black. This is making things not have various lengths because my length column is now a number rather than a range. It appears in your photos above that your expression columns are also black.

If this is not addressed until 2018... its gonna be a long year. 

[Mark.Lancaster]

@Jessica.Lamb

This statement "Expression columns show up as blue text in the cell unless you override the text. When you override the text they turn black. This is making things not have various lengths because my length column is now a number rather than a range. It appears in your photos above that your expression columns are also black."

Are you simply stating if you override a cell that has a blue variable (under control of the column express) it will turn black or are you stating this is an issue?  If the latter this is normal behavior and it can be change back (controlled by the formula) by highlighting the cell value and deleting it.

[Jessica.Lamb]

@Mark.Lancaster

The first way. However that is part of my issue. I have columns that are expression columns that i have not overrode and they are black (not blue as they should be).  This is making them act as text. Therefore my length column that is defined upon insert, within a range, is acting as if it just text and not an expression.  This field is a part of my part number. So it is making 1 part number for any length that you define upon insert. 

My coworker @FRPCAD posted more about it in the thread below:

http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/inventor-forum/family-table-expressions-not-working/m-p/6602703/highli...

As i was having this issue i noticed the one referenced in this thread.

[skylinejeff]

Yes, that's another MAJOR problem that renders content center 100% broken...

After editing a family, ALL of my "expression" columns which should be evaluating to a certain value based on other inputs are rendered in BLACK and will NOT update to the correct expression.  I touched on this in one of my earlier posts in this thread.

I've double-checked, and the columns are all marked as expression columns with a valid expression listed in the column properties, but Content Center will not evaluate the expressions correctly and just seems to deposit random values into these columns as it sees fit.  And then renders the text black, indicating that it has not evaluated an expression and has instead overwritten the value.

I just spent 3 hours creating a custom hex nut family from scratch, based on the IFI Prevailing-torque family.  I thought maybe it had something to do with being linked to a parent family, so I immediately suppressed the link before I changed any columns or values.  I added two columns and edited their values to the appropriate expressions.  Made no other changes.  The family table appeared to be 100% correct when I hit "Apply" and exited the family editor.  Expression values were rendered blue, and they were evaluating correctly.

But...

As soon as I inserted one of the parts, it was obvious that it was all $#&%#$^%& up.  I went back into content center editor and brought up the family I had just created...EVERY ROW was now incorrect, columns are no longer evaluating expressions, size designations are not matching thread designations...the entire thing is screwed.

This is seriously a MAJOR flaw in the code somewhere, and if it doesn't get addressed I might have to force our organization to abandon Autodesk and move to SolidWorks.  I don't want to, but if there is no way to create custom content (and that's not an exaggeration...there currently is NOT a way to create custom content in 2017) then we are up **** creek big time.

PLEASE, Autodesk...PLEASE fix this in a hotfix or something.

PLEASE

PLEASE

[creggo]

Something indeed is very wrong with family tables.

I really wish first and foremost sorting was fixed and saved as per last edited. (Why even have a sorting function with 3 stages if we cant save?!)

Notice in the first image BS4518 o-rings actually has a saved custom sort range which appears to be by 'Cross Section Dia' then by 'Inisde Dia'. Very practical and shows up like this in the placement window when placing from the content center. However, after adding a few custom properties you loose all sorting, becomes a mess.

Then we encounter the cell value problem. I lost a days work carefully filling in properties for a custom oring range in excel, only to find the entire thing becoming a big mess of non sensible sorting and mixed up part numbers / filenames. The rows corrupting and changing values, almost acting like some kind of lookup function, I can only understand this to be a bug.

Standard o-ring library from the content center:

Save as copy of the same library for testing:

Added a custom column via excel, expressions are changed to black text:

Trying to apply/save changes, unique file name problem error occurs, did not change any filenames, only added column:

Added a new row at the top, sorting is now messed up for no reason:

Changed the designation value in row 2 and the whole row changes, cant figure out what its doing:

I have sent numerous error reports as I encounter frequent crashing when editing the tables.

Really hope a fix is in the works.

Cheers,

[skylinejeff]

Creggo, you are experiencing exactly what I am.

I seriously can't believe that this isn't one of the most active threads on the forum. Doesn't pretty much everyone end up creting some sort of custom content after a year or so of using Inventor?

Are we really the only ones having these problems?

There was a reply from an Autodesk rep earlier in the thread, but it doesn't acknowledge the problems that CCenter actually has, only a tangential issue.

Can we agree that all custom content is 100% broken and unusable?  Has anyone found an effective way to create a custom database outside of Autodesk's software using xml?

[creggo]

Yes I expected more content center related topics to appear.

We only recently updated to 2017 (from 2015) after the service pack launch, needless to say seems taking the safe approach of waiting for the service pack was not worthwhile  Might get the IT guys to try a clean install on another machine.

No ideas for work arounds, trying to get away with bare minimal editing just now, no sorting or excel editing, varied success though... and incredible tedious.

Related articles, how to upvote them? 

Inventor-crashes-while-editing-table-on-Content-Center.html

content-center-Family-table-cannot-be-sorted.html

Users-report-that-in-adding-values-in-custom-CC-library-fills-in-wrong-row.html

[rui_wang · Accepted solution]

Hi guys, 

As I saw, you have used sort function in the content center editor dialog, right? 

We had a issue for this function recent and it has been fixed in later Inventor 2017 R3 release. Could you please try this again when you get it?

And could you please do NOT use any sort functions in content center editor dialog and try again with your workflows? If you have any more questions, please feel free to let me know. Thanks a lot.

Thanks,

-Rui

[skylinejeff]

Thank you Rui. When you say "Used the sort Function" are you simply referring to clicking the column header in the Content Center Editor (which results in a sorting of the table by that column's values) or is there a separate "Sort" function that I'm not aware of?

If it's the former, it's really difficult to navigate through CCenter without "accidentally" sorting by selecting a header. After using Excel in my other work duties so much, it's a habit to select the column header when I want to move the focus to any cell in that column.

In any case, the act of adding a row to the table automatically forces a "Soft Sort", doesn't it? At least for all trailing rows when the xml table is updated through the xml code? So for your request, are you also requesting that we not attempt to add any rows?

I can give it a try this afternoon. Thanks for responding!

Jeff

[rui_wang]

Hi Jeff,

Yes, you are right,  "Used the sort Function" means "clicking the column header in the Content Center Editor". Now, the issue for "sort function" is bug for content and it has been fixed in later Inventor 2017 R3 release.

My suggestion is that make sure  the issue which you met has same root cause with. If no, we need more investigation on the issue. 

Thanks,

-Rui

[Jessica.Lamb]

The issue I was having was not caused by sorting. While testing get to narrow down I issue for a possible work around during I copied an existing family on the content center. My original family had some of the part numbers that were a special and not just created using the expression that was set for the column. I deleted that text and let the expression fill in the cell. Safed the family. All was well. So it appeared. When I tried to insert one of the parts from that family the length column was not included in the file name. (It was on my table) when I look back at my table all the cells text are black and not coming from the expressions.

[rui_wang]

Thanks Jeff for the details information. Could you please recording the issue and send it to me?  Here is software for recording screen. Thanks in advance. 

My email is, rui.wang@autodesk.com. 

Thanks,

-Rui

[creggo]

I made a screencast on Friday just messing around.

1:27 Unique name error.

3:00 Renaming designations to unique names.

5:10 Changing properties via excel, expressions text turned black.

5:35 Style conflict, not updated template file yet to 2017 standards. Not sure if this has ad adverse effect on anything but would think not?

6:30 Changing cell values, rows adjusting strangely.

[Jessica.Lamb · Accepted solution]

The update is out now. I updated this morning. The issues that i was having appear to be fixed. Update if you can.