Inventor Content Library and adding more content

[drewEEY3K]

Good morning, long time user but first time with a question.

Looking for some help on the content center. As many people stated the content center does not have normal OD tubing and just has pipe. I need to add some normal tubing to the content center. I have gotten as far as making a new library that is read/write capable and "copied" the ANSI PIPE library to make a new tube library. I was able to change all of the designations to match what I need to show the tubing vs pipe. I can use it in assemblies and on the frame generator. Everything comes out great and works fine except when it comes to putting out the BOM. My BOM now clumps the lengths of same size tube into one line on the BOM and under description it says "copy of ANSI PIPE". Trying to figure out what I'm missing on the new library and what else I need to change/add so the BOM recognizes everything properly.

I was also able to just add lines to the ANSI PIPE library and that works fine and also transfers to the BOM. But it still shows info for the PIPE that obviously doesn't look right if I'm trying to say its tubing. I can use this way for now and just edit the BOM text, but that will get tiresome after a while since all our company uses is tubing.

Just looking for a little extra help to finish of my dilemma. Thank you in advance.

[blandb]

Click on a column and then choose insert column, type in the name of the column such as "description" then at the bottom of the column choose map to description.

[drewEEY3K]

BlandB,

I was more on the length and making each part an individual item. The "Length" column in the content center is there and set up, but my BOM was combining all the tubing that was the same on to one line on the BOM and then under length it would say "varies".  

I started a new drawing and now it isnt doing it anymore. Its working properly now. Now I'm a little worried because Im not sure how it started working properly. ha ha

 

 

[blandb]

Depending on the part number, if multiple parts have the same part number the parts list will roll them all up, so if you have 2 items with the same part number but different lengths you will get a varies in the length column. Same if you have the same part number and then you have different descriptions, you will get a varies in the description column.

[drewEEY3K]

BlandB, I thought it was fixed but its doing exactly what you said. I have two separate assemblies where I use the added "PIPE" family members and that works fine. I also have the added "TUBE", copy of the pipe, where I copied the library and just changed the sizes. It looks like they create a unique part number in both even in the properties. But the "TUBE" BOM still shows the varies in length column. The 5/8 tube came out fine and its written out exactly the same way that I did the 1.5" tube.

Above is the BOM with new "TUBE" library. Copy of "PIPE".

 Above is the added line items to the "PIPE" library. Comes out fine but says ANSI.

 

  Above is the added tube to the "pipe" library

Above is the new library which is a copy of the pipe and I just changed the sizes and changed ANSI to ASTM. I didnt change any other preferences or labels, etc.

[drewEEY3K]

BlandB, I thought it was fixed but its doing exactly what you said. I have two separate assemblies where I use the added "PIPE" family members and that works fine. I also have the added "TUBE", copy of the pipe, where I copied the library and just changed the sizes. It looks like they create a unique part number in both even in the properties. But the "TUBE" BOM still shows the varies in length column. 

[blandb]

Looking at your picture it appears that you have 4 parts inserted with the same part number but different lengths? Where the second image has different part numbers because the length is in there. IF you go to your family table and check the part number column, you will probably see "ANSI" in there. if you right click on the column header, alter the column expression to remove "ANSI".

[James_Willo]

Hi, as mentioned above, I believe your part numbers are not unique so they are getting grouped. 

The second image you show is the browser, this is showing DISPLAY name and not necessarily the part number. 
Get the iProperties and check them side by side to be sure. 

There's also two options that control this display name

[drewEEY3K]

James,

The part numbers do end up being the same when I look at the individual properties for each frame member if I use my new TUBE library. I don't understand why though. My file naming is set as default. That works with the normal ANSI pipe library and all of the other content center libraries. My new "TUBE" library is just a copy of the ANSI one but the sizes are the only thing I changed and removed the word ANSI. If the library is just a copy of another library, I would think it would work the same. It also works fine when I add lines to the existing ANSI library. I can always just finish that off and add all of my tubing sizes to the ANSI library, but I'm just trying to understand why the copied library wouldn't read properly with the BOM when all I did was change the size property.

[James_Willo]

Check your CC table to see how it's generated. But yes, making a copy you would expect it would work the same. 

Part Number

I think the file name column is only used for placing, if you use FG it creates a file name from this

[blandb]

Check the family properties column in the family table for part number column. What do you see?