Library Confusion

[Anonymous]

Good Morning,

I was wondering if someone could help me understand the library layout and structure with Inventor and Vault.

I made a file parameters.xls that drives the parameters for an assembly (simply by linking to the parameter excel file). I placed that XLS file on the company server so everyone could get to it. I added the path to that folder as a library path in my project (so I would stop getting the warning about the XLS not being in my project). It made me map that path to a Vault library so I made a Vault library (at the root level) and mapped it. Now that XLS spreadsheet is located in the Vault. It appears I can make changes to that spreadsheet (once checked out) and they change the model.

My question is, what is the purpose now of the spreadsheet located on the server? Can I safely delete it? 

I don't understand now why in the project file, I have the server path as a library when the model doesn't appear to be referencing that XLS any more?

Same goes for my material libraries, images in the title block (linked), etc.

Thanks!

[cbenner]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Good Morning,

I was wondering if someone could help me understand the library layout and structure with Inventor and Vault.

I made a file parameters.xls that drives the parameters for an assembly (simply by linking to the parameter excel file). I placed that XLS file on the company server so everyone could get to it. I added the path to that folder as a library path in my project (so I would stop getting the warning about the XLS not being in my project). It made me map that path to a Vault library so I made a Vault library (at the root level) and mapped it. Now that XLS spreadsheet is located in the Vault. It appears I can make changes to that spreadsheet (once checked out) and they change the model.

My question is, what is the purpose now of the spreadsheet located on the server? Can I safely delete it? 

I don't understand now why in the project file, I have the server path as a library when the model doesn't appear to be referencing that XLS any more?

Same goes for my material libraries, images in the title block (linked), etc.

Thanks!

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Is your project file located locally or on your server?

[Anonymous]

Project file is located in the Vault

[cbenner]

Ok,... but locally, where is it?  I ask because if you place this file anywhere in the file path beneath the Project Folder, Inventor will see it without needing to create a library for it.

Example:  We use a single Vault Project called Powell Work.  Locally it resides on our network K: Drive.  Any folders located under K:\Powell Work are considered IN the project path and Inventor sees them without having to create a library file.  The only thing we have as libraries are our Content Center, and those are located ON the Vault server itself.

[Anonymous]

In Inventor go to the Tools Tab and in the Options section, Is Links greyed out? If not open that and sometimes that xls files is still in that and needed to be deleted.

[Anonymous]

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@cbenner wrote:

Ok,... but locally, where is it?  I ask because if you place this file anywhere in the file path beneath the Project Folder, Inventor will see it without needing to create a library for it.

Example:  We use a single Vault Project called Powell Work.  Locally it resides on our network K: Drive.  Any folders located under K:\Powell Work are considered IN the project path and Inventor sees them without having to create a library file.  The only thing we have as libraries are our Content Center, and those are located ON the Vault server itself.

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Ok I see what you're saying. Locally the project is under each users Documents\Inventor folder on their C: drive. The spreadsheets and images I am referencing are on a network server. That's the reason I added that network server to a library path in the project file (since you can't add search paths to a vault project)

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:
In Inventor go to the Tools Tab and in the Options section, Is Links greyed out? If not open that and sometimes that xls files is still in that and needed to be deleted.

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It is not greyed out, it is referencing two images from my title block. Images that I thought I embedded but apparently I linked to. I will fix that.

I tried to edit the original spreadsheet on the server (that the project file>library references) but it appears to be permanently read-only. The spreadsheet now in the Vault is the one that controls the model. I'm not sure how that link was established but it was. And I'm not sure if I can safely delete the server (non-Vault) copy of the spreadsheet and remove the library link from the project. Guess I can try and see what happens.

[BeKirra]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Good Morning,

I was wondering if someone could help me understand the library layout and structure with Inventor and Vault.

I made a file parameters.xls that drives the parameters for an assembly (simply by linking to the parameter excel file). I placed that XLS file on the company server so everyone could get to it. I added the path to that folder as a library path in my project (so I would stop getting the warning about the XLS not being in my project). It made me map that path to a Vault library so I made a Vault library (at the root level) and mapped it. Now that XLS spreadsheet is located in the Vault. It appears I can make changes to that spreadsheet (once checked out) and they change the model.

My question is, what is the purpose now of the spreadsheet located on the server? Can I safely delete it? 

I don't understand now why in the project file, I have the server path as a library when the model doesn't appear to be referencing that XLS any more?

Same goes for my material libraries, images in the title block (linked), etc.

Thanks!

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The copy of that xls in the server is just a confusion. You can simply delete it from the server.

If you use vault all time, you may need to setup the libray path to vault with the project file, not to server where is outside the vault.

You only need to keep a single xls file for the model. The general rules is that do not duplicate any files, and make sure all working files are located in your project path. If someone uses it, he can "check-out" or "get" the xls and the model from vault.

IMO you may need to create a popy of the xls file and rename it, if you use it for different project.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for all the information guys.

Now my question is how can I link to an excel file in the vault for parameters? It only lets me choose a local one. If I choose a local copy and check in the assembly, will it send the parameter file with it?

[BeKirra]

"Check-out" or "get" the xls file from vault before updating/modifying your assembly.

Then re-link the xls file to the assembly if necessary.