iParts use same drawing for Multiple Part Numbers

[rich.mikulec]

I have an iPart that has unique members for each p/n (over 100) that is used. However, there are really only (4) models that are used. Only the description is different, which is made up by the p/n. (there are internal differences that do not affect the model). Is there a method for each P/N to reference the same drawing so that I do not have to create a drawing for each of the p/ns.

For example:

Model-A-

   can have p/ns 1-25

Model-B-

  26-50

Model-C-

 51-75

Model-D-

76-100

I tried making Members, Model-A-, Model-B-, Model-C-,Model-D-, but that posted "Unique" warnings.

I really only what to have (4) base drawings where the individual p/ns point to that drawing. Not (100) individual drawings.

On the Model-A-, etc drawing, I plan to have a table that shows all the p/ns that it covers.

I tried making Model-A-, etc their own member / pn, but I do not want the user able to select that as an option when using.

Suggestions?

[Frederick_Law]

Probably just have iPart for Model A-D.

Manually type table in drawing.

[rich.mikulec]

Need to maintain the P/N information in the assembly where it is being used.

Designers only know the P/N (and need to select based on P/N), not the model information.

[Frederick_Law]

Reread what you want.

You don't want pn in ipart but want pn in ipart.

Don't do Model A-D.

Do pn 1-100 with description.

Just copy and paste in the table.

pn 1-25 will be same model etc.

[rich.mikulec]

Thank you for your review and comments.

I went a reread my original post and sorry that it is not as clear as should be.

1) Yes, I do want individual parts for each part number.

This is so that when it is inserted into the assembly the p/n shows correctly.

2) I do not want to create a drawing for every part in the table.

There are only (4) versions of the actual part and would like to only control those (4) drawings.

I do want every part to point to the appropriate drawing. I believe this is based on what is in the Member column.

3) Once inserted into the assy, would like to be able to RMB and open drawing from the tree. (in my case Open from Vault)

Below is an spread sheet for the iPart.

  - I added the column at the right to show how I would like to have the drawings setup.

Member	Part Number [Project]	Description [Project]	Model-A-	Model-B-	Model-C-	Model-D-		Would Point To Drawing If I create every one.		What I would like to point to
Part1	Part1	Part1	Compute	Suppress	Suppress	Suppress		Part1		MOD-A-
Part2	Part2	Part2	Compute	Suppress	Suppress	Suppress		Part2		MOD-A-
Part3	Part3	Part3	Compute	Suppress	Suppress	Suppress		Part3		MOD-A-
Part4	Part4	Part4	Compute	Suppress	Suppress	Suppress		Part4		MOD-A-
Part5	Part5	Part5	Compute	Suppress	Suppress	Suppress		Part5		MOD-A-
Part6	Part6	Part6	Compute	Suppress	Suppress	Suppress		Part6		MOD-A-
Part7	Part7	Part7	Compute	Suppress	Suppress	Suppress		Part7		MOD-A-
Part8	Part8	Part8	Compute	Suppress	Suppress	Suppress		Part8		MOD-A-
Part9	Part9	Part9	Compute	Suppress	Suppress	Suppress		Part9		MOD-A-
Part10	Part10	Part10	Compute	Suppress	Suppress	Suppress		Part10		MOD-A-
Part11	Part11	Part11	Compute	Suppress	Suppress	Suppress		Part11		MOD-A-
Part12	Part12	Part12	Suppress	Compute	Suppress	Suppress		Part12		MOD-B-
Part13	Part13	Part13	Suppress	Compute	Suppress	Suppress		Part13		MOD-B-
Part14	Part14	Part14	Suppress	Compute	Suppress	Suppress		Part14		MOD-B-
Part15	Part15	Part15	Suppress	Compute	Suppress	Suppress		Part15		MOD-B-
Part16	Part16	Part16	Suppress	Compute	Suppress	Suppress		Part16		MOD-B-
Part17	Part17	Part17	Suppress	Suppress	Compute	Suppress		Part17		MOD-C-
Part18	Part18	Part18	Suppress	Suppress	Compute	Suppress		Part18		MOD-C-
Part19	Part19	Part19	Suppress	Suppress	Compute	Suppress		Part19		MOD-C-
Part20	Part20	Part20	Suppress	Suppress	Suppress	Compute		Part20		MOD-D-
Part21	Part21	Part21	Suppress	Suppress	Suppress	Compute		Part21		MOD-D-
Part22	Part22	Part22	Suppress	Suppress	Suppress	Compute		Part22		MOD-D-
Part23	Part23	Part23	Suppress	Suppress	Suppress	Compute		Part23		MOD-D-
Part24	Part24	Part24	Suppress	Suppress	Suppress	Compute		Part24		MOD-D-
								Only wan to create these drawings
MOD-A-	MOD-A-	MOD-A-	Compute	Suppress	Suppress	Suppress		MOD-A-		MOD-A-
MOD-B-	MOD-B-	MOD-B-	Suppress	Compute	Suppress	Suppress		MOD-B-		MOD-B-
MOD-C-	MOD-C-	MOD-C-	Suppress	Suppress	Compute	Suppress		MOD-C-		MOD-C-
MOD-D-	MOD-D-	MOD-D-	Suppress	Suppress	Suppress	Compute		MOD-D-		MOD-D-

I tried changing the Member column to be the MOD-A-, MOD-B-, MOD-C, MOD-D for the appropriate parts, but that posts a "Unique" warning.

Member	Part Number [Project]	Description [Project]	Model-A-	Model-B-	Model-C-	Model-D-
MOD-A-	Part1	Part1	Compute	Suppress	Suppress	Suppress
MOD-A-	Part2	Part2	Compute	Suppress	Suppress	Suppress
MOD-A-	Part3	Part3	Compute	Suppress	Suppress	Suppress
MOD-A-	Part4	Part4	Compute	Suppress	Suppress	Suppress
MOD-A-	Part5	Part5	Compute	Suppress	Suppress	Suppress
MOD-A-	Part6	Part6	Compute	Suppress	Suppress	Suppress
MOD-A-	Part7	Part7	Compute	Suppress	Suppress	Suppress
MOD-A-	Part8	Part8	Compute	Suppress	Suppress	Suppress
MOD-A-	Part9	Part9	Compute	Suppress	Suppress	Suppress
MOD-A-	Part10	Part10	Compute	Suppress	Suppress	Suppress
MOD-A-	Part11	Part11	Compute	Suppress	Suppress	Suppress
MOD-B-	Part12	Part12	Suppress	Compute	Suppress	Suppress
MOD-B-	Part13	Part13	Suppress	Compute	Suppress	Suppress
MOD-B-	Part14	Part14	Suppress	Compute	Suppress	Suppress
MOD-B-	Part15	Part15	Suppress	Compute	Suppress	Suppress
MOD-B-	Part16	Part16	Suppress	Compute	Suppress	Suppress
MOD-C-	Part17	Part17	Suppress	Suppress	Compute	Suppress
MOD-C-	Part18	Part18	Suppress	Suppress	Compute	Suppress
MOD-C-	Part19	Part19	Suppress	Suppress	Compute	Suppress
MOD-D-	Part20	Part20	Suppress	Suppress	Suppress	Compute
MOD-D-	Part21	Part21	Suppress	Suppress	Suppress	Compute
MOD-D-	Part22	Part22	Suppress	Suppress	Suppress	Compute
MOD-D-	Part23	Part23	Suppress	Suppress	Suppress	Compute
MOD-D-	Part24	Part24	Suppress	Suppress	Suppress	Compute
MOD-A-	MOD-A-	MOD-A-	Compute	Suppress	Suppress	Suppress
MOD-B-	MOD-B-	MOD-B-	Suppress	Compute	Suppress	Suppress
MOD-C-	MOD-C-	MOD-C-	Suppress	Suppress	Compute	Suppress
MOD-D-	MOD-D-	MOD-D-	Suppress	Suppress	Suppress	Compute

Maybe it is OK to have this warning?

I hope that makes some sense.

[swalton · Accepted solution]

A possible workflow:

1. Create the iPart with all 100 members.
2. Make sure the Member, Part Number, and Description columns are unique for each row
3. Generate each member on disk
4. Create the 4 different drawing files and document each member as normal
5. Use the General Table command to add the iPart Member info to each drawing
   1. https://help.autodesk.com/view/INVNTOR/2022/ENU/?guid=GUID-474DC835-1011-473A-BF1A-E1B1619091FC
6. Hide the rows that don't apply in each drawing

That should produce a basic print for each of the four primary variations with a table showing the other possible variations.

I don't think the Right Mouse Button shortcuts to open a drawing will work, and I'm not sure what will happen if you use Vault.

[Frederick_Law · Accepted solution]

iPart

Member cannot have same name.

Since you need all the parts in assembly, you need part1 to part24 in iPart.

Each will have a file and it's required to be insert into assembly.

Drawing you can cheat with Vault, since Vault remember drawing and part link even if filename is different.

So insert all Model A parts in same drawing.  Only one with view inside sheet border.  All other with view outside border.

You'll need to cheat titleblock part number and description.  Use drawing pn and desp instead of Model.

Or add Model A, Model B, Model, C, Model D in iPart.  Tell other not to use them in assembly.

Put them at end of the list.

Pick Model A, B, C, D in drawing.

Another way

4 files: Model A, Model B, Model C, Model D.

Each with parts inside.

Making changes that affect all 4 become tedious.

Model State

One file contain everything.

[rich.mikulec]

That is what I ended up doing. Taking some comments from pineapple, utilizing the Table seemed to work.

I added (4) unique members to my iPart, placed them a the bottom of the list. One for each Model and used those as the creation of the drawing(s). The user could select them, but that is the only way i have it working so far.

The missing link being that the RMB does not work as there is no drawing linked to the specific member part.

Following that workflow, there is a disconnect in the files. How can I get the user to know that they need to go to that separate drawing file. Or reverse, how many assemblies use that drawing?

[Frederick_Law]

LOL

You want your cake and eat it too.

Vault can't trace assembly to drawing.

Assembly to part, yes.

Drawing Where Used will only show parts in the drawing.

Not gonna show assemblies.

Unless you put each assembly in the drawing also.

Someone could use iLogic or addin to do the count.

If you want to count how many Model A, B, C, D is used, that's possible.

4 files, A, B, C, D

iPart inside.

[rich.mikulec]

Ha. But of course.

That being said, to get the link from the member to the "family" (A,B,C,D) drawing, I'm thinking of utilizing the iProperty "Stock Number". That is the only way I think I can get some kind of cross reference. Not a physical link, but a path of crumbs.

This looks to the be path (others can chime in). I am going to do some testing and will advise.

[James_Willo]

Maybe not what you're looking for, but have you thought about Instance Properties?

You could have like 4 models with matching drawings and then just use the instance property in the assembly to select a part number for each. 
You can't use the standard iProperty, you'd have to make a custom one called Part_Number or something like that. 

Edit: The issue with this method is that you would have to type the part numbers in, they wouldn't be available from a drop down or anything pre-entered. 

[rich.mikulec]

Follow up to previous suggestions.

I ended up with a hybrid solution.

1) Made a Content Center part that has all of the configurations needed, but does not require "Generate" file that the iPart requires. This has the additional benefit that the user can work their way thru multiple keys that will create the correct part number then the file is then automatically created.

* As part of the part Properties, I utilized the Stock Number to identify the base size MOD-A,B,C...

The down side is that I cannot RMB to the drawing from the Content Center part from the assembly. This is a disconnect, but using the Stock Number one can go and locate the drawing based on the iPart created below.

2) I also created an iPart of just the MOD-A,B,C,D parts and as suggested, included a table showing what can be build with that model.
* This allowed me to create the small number of (4) drawings (1) each for the "Generated" parts

By referencing the Stock Number in the CC part, one can get to this drawing.

Benefit of the iPart is that this still can be used to insert into assemblies.Using this method user could RMB to the drawing.

Downside: Onne would not have the exact part number to order.

Credit to both pinapple and swalton for their input.

[Frederick_Law]

You can use CC part to make 4 drawings.  Just "fix" part number/name in titleblock.