Parts List Question

[SteveFrey]

My assemblies contain mostly custom frame generator parts.  All of these parts appear in the Parts List and displays the length of these parts.  I have several standard .IPT parts within the assembly but the length does not appear.  The only thing that appears is the amount of each part.  If I have 4 of them in the assembly then it will show 4 in in the list.  Items #1, #2 & #3 are examples in the attached.  How do I configure these parts properly so I can see their length in the parts list under the QTY field?  I've done it before but can't remember how to do this.  I tried renaming the extrusion field to length=11 in and exporting the field but it's not working.  When I go back and look at the field it changed back to it's native 11 in and the length= part is missing.  Am I on the right track here?

[Curtis_Waguespack]

Hi @SteveFrey 

If you edit one of the parts in question and go to the Tools tab > Document Settings button > Bill of Materials tab > Base Qty setting..... does that match the other parts that display correctly in the parts list?

I hope this helps.
Best of luck to you in all of your Inventor pursuits,
Curtis
http://inventortrenches.blogspot.com

[SteveFrey]

It was showing EACH and I changed it to LENGTH.  This got me halfway there because now it shows the total of 44 in in the parts list.  Each part is 11" long and I have 4 of them.  My parts list is not set to Enable Row Merge. 

[Curtis_Waguespack]

Hi @SteveFrey 

If the 11" parts are the same file, I think they get rolled up together regardless of the merge setting, but maybe I'm forgetting something?

Are the part files in item 5 & 6 of your image the same part file, or different part files with the same length?

I hope this helps.
Best of luck to you in all of your Inventor pursuits,
Curtis
http://inventortrenches.blogspot.com

[SteveFrey]

#5 & #6 are frame generator parts.  There are two of the same part, same length.

[Curtis_Waguespack]

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@SteveFrey wrote:

#5 & #6 are frame generator parts.  There are two of the same part, same length.

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Just to clarify, are they the same file? 

[SteveFrey]

Not sure what you mean.  Sorry.  See attached.  Does this answer your question?

[Curtis_Waguespack]

Hi @SteveFrey 

Typically Frame Generator creates a new part file (*.ipt) for every frame member, even if those are the same length and have the same end treatments. The exception to this would be if we use the "Reuse" option in the Frame Generator....

What I think you are seeing is that item 5 & 6 are different part *.ipt files (even though they might be identical as far as length and end treatment), and therefore they are not merged when the merge by part number option is turned off...

Whereas if you have multiple instance of the same part (meaning same *.ipt file on on disk) used in an assembly, then the BOM automatically merges them into the same row, even if the part number merge option is turned off. 

I hope this helps.
Best of luck to you in all of your Inventor pursuits,
Curtis
http://inventortrenches.blogspot.com

[SteveFrey]

Okay, gotcha.  I don't use the Reuse option so these are different parts created by the frame generator.  So my .IPT files could only be counted individually if I did a SAVE COPY AS and renamed them as such.

[Curtis_Waguespack]

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@SteveFrey wrote:

... So my .IPT files could only be counted individually if I did a SAVE COPY AS and renamed them as such.

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Hi @SteveFrey ,

I think that's the case, unless I forgetting something, but I don't see a way to have it break out each occurrence of a file in the BOM.

My question though, would be why would you want it done in this way?

I'm not saying it's wrong, but maybe just atypical.

I hope this helps.
Best of luck to you in all of your Inventor pursuits,
Curtis
http://inventortrenches.blogspot.com

[SteveFrey]

I need to show the part length for each part on the list.  Just trying to figure out the easiest way to do this.    

[Curtis_Waguespack]

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@SteveFrey wrote:

I need to show the part length for each part on the list.  Just trying to figure out the easiest way to do this.    

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I think typically we'd use the part length as part of the part number. Here's a link that describes one method:

http://inventortrenches.blogspot.com/2011/03/understanding-autodesk-inventor-frame.html 

I hope this helps.
Best of luck to you in all of your Inventor pursuits,
Curtis
http://inventortrenches.blogspot.com