Inventor 2022 Content Center Item Sorting Problem

[chrishutchinson6848]

When I place a item such as a hex nut from the Content Center the list of nuts isn't sorted correctly.  See the attached screen shot that shows a 3/8" hex nut after the 3" hex nut NOT at the top of list after 1/4".  After you see the problem the size needed can be found but can't Content Center list the parts in the correct order?

Thanks,

Chris Hutchinson

Duke Energy

Charlotte, NC

[gcoombridge]

Not the case in 2021... Maybe a bug?

[JohnKHouston]

Same problem here, it doesn't happen with all of the items just some of them.

[tdswanson]

Same here.  Following.

[johnsonshiue]

Hi Folks,

This looks wrong to me. I cannot explain it except for the bad table data. Let me work with the project team and see if this is known.

Many thanks!

[tdswanson]

"Bad table data" doesn't seem like it would work in v2020 and then not work in v2021.  Am I wrong?

[corym]

I am seeing the same thing in 2022 here. It was fine in 2021. It seems to be doing a numerical sort in the insert tool...

[chenj]

Have you tried sorting as shown in the figure below.

[SharkDesign]

---

@gcoombridge wrote:

Not the case in 2021... Maybe a bug?

---

@gcoombridge you missed the chance to say 'nut' the case in 2021. 😂

[JohnKHouston]

I can't accept this as the solution because I'm not the OP but this is the correct way to fix the sorting issue that I've encountered.

It seems the developers that work on the content center allowed additional sorting options. Unfortunately it seems to be deployed poorly. There should have been a standard format already applied, such as suggested by your post. It's not an issue to update every system in our shop here, we only have four designers, but I can't imagine how difficult it would be to correct design departments with hundreds of users.

@johnsonshiue could you perhaps speak with the developers about adding a standard filter and then users can customize as they need?

Thank you, chenj, for pointing out how to fix the sort issue!

[corym]

That only seems to sort the table view - am I wrong?

The select view is where the issue lies (see screenshot) this used to sort based on size (2021 and previous) now it is sorted numerically in 2022.

[JohnKHouston]

Yeah, unfortunately you're correct. It seems that the table sort is only a temporary filter. Once you change the tab it looses the sort.

I also went into the Content Center editor and looked for a sort option when I was editing the family table. There is a sort option but it doesn't look like it has any impact on the place dialog box sort.

Back to square one...

[scott_ainsworth]

We have noticed the same problem.  We upgraded from 2020 to 2022.  We made no changes to the content center other that upgrading it on the vault server.

Here is how 2020 presents the fasteners:

Here is what we get in 2022:

Its fairly clear something was changed on how it decides to sort

[johnsonshiue]

Hi Folks,

I believe this is a bug. The sorting in 2022 is based on alphabetical order as opposed to actual numerical order. It has been reported as INVGEN-58801.

Many thanks!

[cadman777]

Hey Johnson,

This happens to me in 2010.

I got sick and tired of it so I made my own solution to the problem.

The problem is, Inventor reads the FamilyTable columns in alpha-numeric order, just like an assembly BOM.

So 1, 10, 100, 1000 (and all numbers in between), appear before 2, 20, 200, 200, (and all numbers in between), etc.

Here's my fix:

I spent a few hours opening up the FamilyTable for each 'offending' C/C part.

To each I added a SORT column.

Then I sorted the FamilyTable according to the SORT column, and saved the FamilyTable.

That solved it for me.

The key is in pick the correct Parameter/iProperty that will sort the column.

Also, sometimes you have to make extra columns that you combine into the SORT column as an Expression.

For example, for 'diameter', 'thickness' or whatever, I made a related column for DECIMAL values that mirror their FRACTIONAL representation and preceded the decimal with a 0. Examples: 0.125 for 1/8", 0.1875 for 3/16", 0.250 for 1/4", etc.

[miechh]

Hi cadman777,

I'm curious. Could you please elaborate on your 'solution'? What do you put in the SORT column?

[cadman777]

Sorry for the delay, been busy.

Here's an example of my SORT column plus related columns in the FamilyTable (FT) for Beams:

After you setup the FT, you click on the SORT column and then ACCEPT the changes to fix the order of the FamilyTable based on the SORT column. Then go check it in Inventor's C/C. The items should be sorted.

I got tired of having 3 different FT's for Beams, so I combined them all into one table. Same with all the other Structural shapes. Angles was a big deal for me, b/c changing an equal leg angle to unequal leg angle in a model really hindered my work-flow. So I combined all angles into one FT. That's what caused me to learn how to sort the FT so they were easy to read and pick from the CC list. Sometimes you don't have to create your own custom SORT column, b/c you may be able to sort with what's already there. But if not, then you make your own columns from which you can make your EXPRESSION in the FT column PROPERTIES.

[JohnKHouston]

Hi Chris,

This is a good way to re-sort the family table but doesn't address the problem of the sort order in the dialog box when you place a content center part. The place dialog box doesn't get it's sort order from the family table. It looks like it uses a general sort order that's used for all databases and sorts numerical and then alphabetic.

There's no way that we're able to modify the sort order of the place dialog box, at this time. Hopefully a fix is provided to correct the sort order.

Thanks,

John

[cadman777]

Hi John,

Thanx for your input.

It works for me in IV2010.

I wonder why it doesn't work in newer versions of IV?

[scott_ainsworth]

We upgraded from 2020 to 2022 this last fall.  They changed the way it sorts for some reason.  The sort order was what you would expect in 2020.  But now it is sorts incorrectly.  Hopefully they can change it back.