OOPS I forgot a Parameter!

[Anonymous]

To easily share my parameters throughtout my project I have created an empty part file in the root of the job folder and put all the parameters into this file and then do all the calculations etc in this same table.

I have tried to keep all the individual component part parameters together, for example length, height, width, thickness, radius etc. I now have a parameter table with around 150 parameters that control most of the project design.

What I would like to be able to do is rearrange the parameter table to have all the parameters relating to the component next to each other in the table. For example I have an assembly called the "Blade" In this assembly are a number of parts etc each with their own width heigth length etc.

I now realise I have forgotten to create a parameter for "Cut Angle" So I go in and create a new numeric parameter and it is created at the end of the list. Is there a way I can group the parameters, as in take this new parameter from the bottom of the table and insert it into the middle of the table with the rest of the compontents it relates to?

[pcrawley · Accepted solution]

Short answer = No.  (Unless anyone else has some magic trick?)

Longer answer: The parameter editor can be a bit unfriendly for that type of parameter manipulation & organisation.  It just presents a big long list of parameter names in the order you create them.  Sometimes useful - sometimes not. 

Very occasionally, when I've wanted to do something similar to you, I have created an Excel spreadsheet and embeded it into the part file.  The Excel spreadsheet is far more "organisable" and would allow you to sort and re-order without breaking anything derived from the source part file.

[Anonymous]

I agree, Excel is the way to go for this. Not only does it give you the option to group parameters and make editing them easier, it also gives you the option to use complex calculations, either via VBA functions or using excel functions within the sheet.

[MegaJerk]

Frustrated with the current Parameter Editor? Pipe up about it here 😉 

[Anonymous]

Hi The big problem I find with Excel is the way that it just seems to decide on a day by day basis if it is going to work. I keep getting error messages and not being able to see the parameter list when I connect to the excel sheet.

I have tried saving it as a 97 version and sometimes this works, but not always. And then when you connect it to a new drawing it is not guaranteed to work.

I am using Inventor Ultimate 2015 and office 2013.

I did think about exporting to Excel and rearranging and then reimporting but what a trail that was.

Thanks, I will just have to put up with the painful mess that it is becoming.

[Anonymous]

I have never really had problems with excel files in parts, 2 errors that often occur are the start cell, (setting your parameters to look at the first parameter entry, not the title of the parameter).  

And parameter order,

in inventor they are MODEL PARAMETER - UNIT/TYPE - EQUATION

in excel they need to be MODEL PARAMETER - EQUATION - UNIT/TYPE

Dont ask me why???

Also I tend to input all my calcs and parameters on excel sheet 2, then reference them back to sheet 1 for inventor export, which allows you to better organize groups etc with line spaces and pictures etc on sheet 2