Is there a way to get the Parts list to read from the LOD shown in the view?

[JBEDsol]

So here's my situation, I have a ship where we have several different systems and arrangements of components in a tight space.  So we have an arrangement of the major items (engines, tanks, etc.).  I may have 2 or three systems that need to connect to one component.  So the way I've organized the model is to have one arrangement.iam.  Then have each system assy ie wastewater.iam add arrangement.iam.  I have LOD's on arrangement.iam for each system.  So arrangement.iam (LOD wastewater) has just those components that apply to wastewater.iam.  Make my drawing for wastewater.iam I just load the LOD of arrangement.iam that shows what I need.  This works perfectly for my drawings. 

Problem comes when I need to add a Parts List.  Now I have hundreds, sometimes thousands, of parts showing up that aren't in the drawing that I have to hide over and over again. 

I would assume this is a simple thing to do.  If I don't want parts loaded in a model, why would I want them in a parts list?  All I seem to find is that it only loads the master LOD. 

[Mark.Lancaster]

@JBEDsol

Level of Details (LOD) is not a BOM management tool.  It was designed years ago for performance loading.   You would have to create view representations and use view reps filtering in your BOM.

[mcgyvr]

To go along with what Mark wrote you can just right click on the LOD and select Copy to view rep then use that view rep in your drawing with the view rep parts list filter. 

As stated LOD is a memory management tool and they never intended you to use it in the way you are.

I believe that LOD is going to just go away in the future.. 

I'd suggest you use view reps going forward. 

You could also just use something like the ballooned parts filter or other filters on the parts list..

[JBEDsol]

Why would LODs go away? Do view reps handle the memory management now too? I personally find a host of reasons to have noth.  I may want the same LOD in 3 different view styles.  Now i need 3x the view reps?

I use lods mostly cause the view reps give me grief with every slight change. Constant  "Do you want to remove associativity" crap.  

[Mark.Lancaster · Accepted solution]

@JBEDsol

LODs is old memory management technology..   LOD is slowly being replaced with Express Mode.  Express mode was introduced in Inventor 2014 but didn't really catch on.   Changes in Inventor 2015 and newer version  makes Express mode more efficient but its not fully there yet.  Also other things have changed over the recent years in coding so LOD may slowly die out in the coming years but we don't know until it happens.

[johnsonshiue · Accepted solution]

Hi Guys,

It is true LOD was designed to be a memory management, which enable 32-bit Inventor to design larger assemblies. One clarification though, LOD is not going away (at least I have not heard it). But, I can understand why some users are leveraging it for configuration purposes.

Like Brian mentioned here, you can copy a given LOD to Design View Rep. Then create drawing views associated with the Design View Rep. Lastly create the partslist based on the view with Design View Rep filter turned on.

Many thanks!

[JBEDsol]

I've never used express mode.  I'll look into it.  Right now it gives me lots of grief, I just shut it off.  I keep seeing a model without components and wondering what happened, then I see that it's in express mode.