Does Inventor Have Anything Like PTC's creo Mapkeys?

[ethan_howardMMXXV]

Creating a Mapkey in creo means creating a shortcut for a particular task/routine tasks (such as exporting a PDF, exporting to any other formats, half-sections to x, y, or z planes...etc). It can record a process by performing clicks and can save it as a shortcut. This shortcut can be saved permanently by saving into a config.pro. Now I have a button that I can click and/or keyboard strokes for these "no-brainer" tasks.

[CGBenner · Accepted solution]

@ethan_howardMMXXV 

Hello and welcome!  Are you looking for something like this?  The article is old but it's basically done the same way still today.

[mbystry · Accepted solution]

Not that I'm aware of, however, I do something similar to this to automate Inventor tasks. I will write simple VB scripts to "sendkeys" to Inventor. This actually works with any Windows application.

Notepad sample: Save below as sendkeys.vbs

'VBScript Example
Set WshShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")

WshShell.Run "%windir%\notepad.exe"
WshShell.AppActivate "Notepad"

WScript.Sleep 2000
WshShell.SendKeys "Hello World!"
WshShell.SendKeys "{ENTER}"

wscript.quit

[Ray_Feiler · Accepted solution]

Creating Add-Ins for Inventor | Autodesk University

[ethan_howardMMXXV]

This is helpful and reminds me of AutoCAD's pgp file. This in combination with @Ray_Feiler suggested class might do the trick for now. Thanks! 

[ethan_howardMMXXV]

Appreciate the answer @mbystry ! I do not have the experience in writing script files so it's not helpful for me but this may be helpful for others so I will "Accept Solution".

[ethan_howardMMXXV]

@Ray_Feiler thank you for the lead.

[ethan_howardMMXXV]

The answer is not as straight forward as mapkeys in creo but it appears you can get there from here.

[A.Acheson]

@ethan_howardMMXXV 

Have you considered ilogic/VBA rules which are button controlled and can be mapped to keyboard shortcuts. There isn’t, a VBA/ macro recorder functionality unfortunately but most of the rules I collected from the helpful people on the customization forum.

The time saving is huge especially on manually tasks.I personally use a toolbox style form with my commonly used rules for PDF creation,part constraining, iproperty imports etc, sheetmetal rule changing, workplanes off, iproperties import, BOM export etc.

They aren’t keyboard linked mainly because I never operated like that but they could be or could be installed  in the ribbon tab as buttons. 

Some of the rule scripts can be as simple as just a direct copy and paste to notepad  or external rule editor and your done. 

[b.mccarthy]

Very nice! I have been looking for something like this. Care to share your files?

[ethan_howardMMXXV]

@A.Acheson I have not considered this. I am new to Inventor and programming such as you described. creo makes the programming of such items very easy. Most Pro/E users know how to create a mapkey (macro). I wouldn't even know where to begin.

I will add this as an "accepted solution".

Thank you,

-Ethan

[mbystry]

Understood. Using send keys in VB scripts is super simple. It just requires you to record whatever hotkeys brings up command. For instance, Alt F opens the file dialog, T selects the Export option, T selects the PDF option. Put all of that down in your favorite text editor and save the file as something.vbs and run it with a drawing already opened in Inventor. Voila! A very clunky way to automate tasks. 😉

'VBScript Example - Export DWG as PDF
Set WshShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")

WshShell.AppActivate "Autodesk Inventor Professional"

WScript.Sleep 2000
WshShell.SendKeys "%F"
WshShell.SendKeys "t"
WshShell.SendKeys "P"

wscript.quit

[A.Acheson]

@b.mccarthy 

Sure any ones in particular?, it is just a lot of purging of unnecessary info would need to take place. 

I found this was a great kickstart to batch printing found here. https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/inventor-forum/any-way-to-automatically-update-all-related-drawings/t... 

I have added print to pdf to the drawing now attached.

The external rule attached to import iProperties is the first rule I started with last year, I was a complete novice to coding and still am!! really. You just need to copy and paste to the external rule location, or even use it as an internal rule first to see how it functions. You only need to change the file path and create an excel file with the information you want to import. 

[b.mccarthy]

Thank you, Alan.

The two you attached are nice (clever border!), but I was actually wondering about those displayed in the screenshots in message 9. Can those be shared? No worries, if not!

[A.Acheson]

@b.mccarthy 

Unfortunately they aren't all in a shareable state at the moment, and would take some processing to get them out. If there is specific ones you wanted I can just share the links to the original source that way there is less duplication occurring.  

[b.mccarthy]

If it was a simple export procedure, then yes, otherwise no. I would not want you to go to any trouble.

Thank you!