Part Number Row Merge Settings - How to get it done?

[checkcheck_master]

I/we don't understand how to make the 'Part Number Row Merge Settings' function work.
The explanation does not seem difficult, components with the same part number come together in one(1) row.
Then of course we hope that their total number becomes visible and they can get the same balloon number.
Like I said, we can't.
See image/attachment of a simple Total Assy containing two Door Assemblies, one on deck X and the other on deck Y.
The parts are presented as extruded text to make it as clear as possible.
Both assemblies have their deck-specific outer frame parts and then share one and the same Door Assembly.
See also PDF 'Target Assy Total' of how we want/expect something like this to look like.
How can we get that done?
What are we missing?

[pcrawley]

I'm not sure I fully understand the question.  You said "See also PDF 'Target Assy Total' of how we want/expect something like this to look like." - but that's a PDF of the drawing you supplied created in Inventor using the standard Structured BOM output.

Unless I have misunderstood, I think you want to see a balloon on say "Door Panel Right" showing Item number "9" for both Deck X and Deck Y assemblies - like this?

[checkcheck_master]

@pcrawley

Thanks for your reaction.

' Target Assy Total' is coming from SolidWorks where there is an option called 'Combine Identical Components'.

What you show seems to be based on a Parts Only BoM/Parts List.

There are no assemblies to see what is intended.

For clarification:
On 'Target Assy Total' you see the deck-X and Y specific components pass by and the corresponding assemblies/components are added together and share a balloon number.

Assemblies are also visible.

I assume/expect that 'Part Number Row Merge' in Inventor is like 'Combine Identical Components' in SolidWorks.
However, we can't get it going that way.
Hence the question assuming we are doing or misunderstanding something.

[Frederick_Law]

Maybe you just need a "Part Only" BOM?

[checkcheck_master]

@Frederick_Law

Thank you for your response.
My question really focuses on 'Part Number Row Merge Settings - How to get it done?'.

Regarding 'Maybe you just need a "Part Only" BOM?'.

There are no assemblies to see what is intended.

[pcrawley]

I still don't really understand the question - it must be approaching the holiday season...

"Assy Total Overview.png" shows a structured assembly tree - not a BOM or Parts list with Item numbers - so how does that relate to everything else you present as your example?  If you're looking for the equivalent view in Inventor, I don't think it exists (in the same graphical format).

The Row Merge settings find identical Part Numbers and merge them into a single line.  Depending on the BOM view you are looking at (Structured or Parts Only), the results of the merging will look different.  I could go into why, but I don't think this is what you are looking for.

[checkcheck_master]

@pcrawley 

Again thank you very much for your response.
Thank you for asking in more depth, that gives me the chance to explain it properly.
'Assy Total Overview.png' is only meant to provide insight into the structure, I'm not looking for such a view in Inventor.
'Target Assy Total.PDF' as an example from SolidWorks is what I'm looking for.
A structured List with 'Combine Identical Components' that ensures that Identical Components are merged and given the same balloon number.
The assumption is that 'Part Number Row Merge' in Inventor does the same thing, but I can't do that.

Imagine a situation, for example, an elevator in a ten(10)-stop apartment building with an elevator door on each floor, the window frames on each floor are different but the doors are identical.
For this I have 10 different assemblies containing the floor-specific window frame and the identical door.
I want a separate drawing of all 10 of these assemblies so that I can have them assembled.
Then I put the 10 assemblies in a total assembly and make a drawing of it that I will balloon.
I don't want the components that are the same to have a different balloon number in every assembly, I want to see them combined in terms of quantity and balloon number.
In SolidWorks, the 'Combine Identical Components' function provides this.
And then I come back to my original question/assumption.
In Inventor we have 'Part Number Row Merge' which suggests that Matching Part Numbers are merged.
How then I wonder.

Another similar example, bolt nut connection/assembly occurring 300x in a total assembly in 25 different sub-assemblies.
I want to show a structured list in which the bolts/nuts are merged based on their Part Number.
So I want to be able to balloon all the different unique sub-assemblies, each with a unique balloon number, but especially not let the bolt/nut balloon number precede the number of the unique assembly.

How does that work?

[cadman777]

If I understand you correctly, this is how I accomplish that:

1. Each distinct part has its own PartNumber and corresponding Item (number) in the BOM/PartsList.

     Note: I made a Custom iProperty called 'MARK' instead of using Inventor's out-of-the-box Item (number).

     I believe that is the key to solving your inquiry.

     I added that Custom iProperty to the part and assembly templates, so it exists in every part and assembly.

     If you don't have it in your assembly or part files yet, then you need to add it to every one of them.

     The simplest way to do that is to open teh top level assembly and then open its BOM.

     Then add the Custom iProperty and RMB on the column and pick AddToAllParts.

     That way when you assign an identification number in the BOM to each part, it will never change unless you manually change it.

     Also, the MARK number will will show up in every assembly and sub-assembly as the same number. 

2. Each sub-assembly (weldment or assembly) has all the parts that belong to it, and that sub-assembly has it's own PartNumber and corresponding Item (number in BOM/PartsList). Note: I did the same thing with the MARK number for assemblies for the same reason.

3. The top-level assembly has all the sub-assemblies in it, as well as the 'stray' single parts that may or may not also exist in some sub-assemblies (or there may be no single parts at all in the top-level assembly).

4. Then in the drawing, I make a drawing view + PartsList for:

   a. the top-level assembly (PartsList = Structured)

   b. each sub-assembly (PartsList = PartsOnly)

   c. each single part (no PartsList - see 'total parts bom' below)

Each PartsList will 'roll-up' all the parts with and identical PartNumber iProperty, and will also show one Item (number =  MARK) for that group in the PartsList.

   Your result: A number of assemblies each with one corresponding PartsList, and a number of single part views of all the parts you want to detail. You can show the Item (number = MARK) in the ViewLabel for each assembly and single part.

   The key to the 'roll-up' is to make sure that you have the exact same text in the PartNumber field in the BOM.

In order to see all the single parts in a PartsList for the top-level assembly, I do this:

1. Create an empty assembly and Insert the top-level assembly into it, then save it with a new name (I use the same name as the top-level assembly, but add suffix 'total parts bom').

2. Make another view in the drawing of that new assembly (total parts bom), and place a corresponding PartsList for it. Make sure it's a PartsOnly PartsList.

   You can do the same thing for a Summary PartsLilst by using Filtering, but that's another explanation that's off point here.

Hopefully I understood your inquiry.

[pcrawley]

Ah - I think I understand - sorry for being so slow.

I realise this might cause an argument, but the Target Assy Total.PDF is technically wrong if you are reading the item number as an indicator of the position in the assembly.  (Please note the qualification there - I'm not saying Solidworks "wrong" - only the information presented in the drawing.)

Take item 1.4.5 - Door Panel Left - The item number comes from:

1. Parent assembly Deck X Door Frame with Door ASSY 

4. Parent subassembly Door Assy:1 (4 because it's the 4th item in the Deck X Door Frame with Door ASSY)

5. Component Door Panel Left:1 (5 because it's the 5th item in the Door Assy:1)

So we get Item 1.4.5

If you'll accept that is correct so far, how can Door Panel Left:1 have the same Item number when it is in a different subassembly?

2. Parent assembly Deck Y Door Frame with Door ASSY 

4. Parent subassembly Door Assy:1 (4 because it is the 4th item in the subassembly)

5. Component Door Panel Left:1

This time we get 2.4.5

Door Panel Left:1 can't be both 1.4.5 and 2.4.5.  Target Assy Total.PDF suggests it is 1.4.5 regardless of its location in the parent assembly. 

If we assume merging gives it item number 1.4.5 - that's not correct for Deck Y because the assembly-structure information is now wrong.  If we're reading the item number to tell us the structure, it looks like there are 2x Door Panel Left in Deck X - which is incorrect.  By merging using this technique, Deck Y looks to have nothing but subassemblies in it - which again is incorrect because we know there's a door in there somewhere.

Inventor has both Structured and Parts Only BOMs to get round this problem.  Structured gives you the indented Item number indicating the level within the parent assembly.  Parts Only gives you rolled-up component counts regardless of the level within the parent assembly.  Merging the two isn't possible with "Row Merge" sorry - but I hope you can see why.

(BTW You've done a great job matching the drawing styles from Solidworks - I thought I was looking at a PDF from Inventor.  I should have guessed though - Inventor will expand the balloons on the drawing to fit the text)

[johnsonshiue]

Hi Folks,

I don't believe it is possible to get the exact same PartsList or BOM in Inventor as shown in the PDF file. The two subassemblies have two different Part Numbers. As a result, their common components are still listed separately in the All-Level Structured View (merged in the Parts Only View). One way to get close to that is to leverage Parts Only View but set the two subassemblies as Phantom. The other way is to set the subassemblies to Inseparable but set the Door Assembly to Purchased. Either way, the Door Assembly will be promoted and merged in one row.

Many thanks!

[cadman777]

Complex boolean logic strikes again!

[checkcheck_master]

Thank you all for your responses.
Sorry for my late response, holidays, you know it.

@cadman777 
Thank you for the detailed explanation, very informative.

@pcrawley

Thank you very much for the detailed explanation, very enlightening.
You are right that the example BoM as such is technically incorrect and confusing.
For the example it would have been better to choose 'Flat Numbering'.

@johnsonshiue 

Thank you too.
I'll see how far we get with it.

[cadman777]

Incidentally, here is a concise explanation of how the BOM structure works.

That might help you do the boolean logic @johnsonshiue mentioned for setting-up you BOM.