Frame Generator

[MikeKovacik4928]

I have never used Frame Generator before.

I have now taken over where there are lots of existing drawings that have used frame generator.

I am not really liking frame generator, for various reasons.

it makes the BOM very awkward to use is the main one.

Even though frame generator does make the creation of the frames easier in terms of the joining and notching of members, it seems to make the use of the BOM very awkward.

What does everbody else think and what do they do

Mike Kovacik

Inventor 2018

South Africa

[YannickEnrico]

I like frame generator, but I agree, unless handled properly, it can create some trouble.

A: I never run with "Enable Row Merge on Part Number Match"
That way any lengths that might be referenced the same do not cause interferance.

B: I always reference file name instead of part number on parts lists and Balloons. That helps me, anyway, quickly knowing whether it's a part or assembly I'm dealing with.

C: Learn the distinction between the BOM properties of quantities. There's a help topic here
https://help.autodesk.com/view/INVNTOR/2022/ENU/?guid=GUID-37BA8DB6-E39C-4C96-AAF1-E7B342F20D0E

[CGBenner]

@MikeKovacik4928 @YannickEnrico 

From my past experience, I would agree that FG does present some challenges with BOM.  It does take some planning, and then some "up front" work in your Content Center, to get the tables to show exactly what you want shown in the BOM.  Once that work is done, it does get a little easier... until you add new profiles that is.  😁

One tip I can share in regard to the parts list showing both Part Number and Length while still merged by Part Number, is from this old blog post of mine (ten years ago?!?!)  It still works today.  Try it out on some test parts and see if you like how it works.  Keep the questions coming.  A lot of folks in this forum have come up with good BOM tricks for Frame Generator over the years.  Hopefully we can make it less painful for you.

[Mario.VanWiechen]

The biggest problem with Frame Generator and BOM is caused by Autodesk when they create the default templates. They use " Quantity ", if " ITEM QTY " was used a lot of the problems would go away.

Quantity for FG parts refers to the length of the parts, Item Qty refers to the actual number of parts especially relevent for reused parts

Change your BOM to " ITEM QTY " 

[jtylerbc]

I have essentially no problems with FG and BOM, despite my company using FG all the time.  However, that is only after doing the planning and preparation that @CGBenner mentioned.  Out of the box, Inventor's BOM treatment of structural members was pretty far from what we wanted.

It takes some effort to get it set up properly initially.  Once you do, it's a huge time saver.  At my company, we barely need to touch our drawing parts lists for FG or other steel fabrications at this point.  It is almost entirely automated.

I suspect that one of the big issues for you is probably the QTY vs ITEM QTY issue that has already been mentioned.  But we don't know what you intend your list to look like, so the best we can do is guess.  Give some more specific issues, and we can probably help work through them.