Problems changing IPart in Assembly

[navbor]

Hello All,

I wonder if anyone can help? First off I am running:

Windows 7 pro - SP 1 (x64)

Processor Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Duo Pro CPU E7600 @ 3.06 GHz 3.07
GHz

RAM = 8GB

Autodesk Inventor 2012 Ultimate Design Suite

I have an assembly with a couple of parts in. Some of these parts are IParts (NOT Content Centre parts), and they live in my project workspace.

In some case I am able (within the assembly) to right click on the table icon below the part in the assembly tree and change the component to a different configuration. However, I other case I am not able to change.

In the cases where I cannot change, when I right click, IV does not even present the option to "change component".

I am not sure if this will affect the situation or not, but some of the parts were inserted into the assembly as IParts, whereas others were not IParts, but I changes them to IParts after they were inserted into the assembly. I am not sure which ones were inserted as IParts and which weren't, but perhaps this is an issue. i.e. parts that were inserted as IParts originally can be changed, but those that were not IParts when inserted and later converted cannot be changed?

Comments anyone?

Regards

Rob

[navbor]

Hello All,

I wonder if anyone can help? First off I am running:

Windows 7 pro - SP 1 (x64)

Processor Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Duo Pro CPU E7600 @ 3.06 GHz 3.07
GHz

RAM = 8GB

Autodesk Inventor 2012 Ultimate Design Suite

I have an assembly with a couple of parts in. Some of these parts are IParts (NOT Content Centre parts), and they live in my project workspace.

In some case I am able (within the assembly) to right click on the table icon below the part in the assembly tree and change the component to a different configuration. However, I other case I am not able to change.

In the cases where I cannot change, when I right click, IV does not even present the option to "change component".

I am not sure if this will affect the situation or not, but some of the parts were inserted into the assembly as IParts, whereas others were not IParts, but I changes them to IParts after they were inserted into the assembly. I am not sure which ones were inserted as IParts and which weren't, but perhaps this is an issue. i.e. parts that were inserted as IParts originally can be changed, but those that were not IParts when inserted and later converted cannot be changed?

Comments anyone?

Regards

Rob

[navbor]

O.K., managed to solve the problem. Deleted all the parts that weren't IParets when inserted and reinserted after they were changed to IParts. That seemed to solve the problem.

Thanks

[navbor]

O.K., managed to solve the problem. Deleted all the parts that weren't IParets when inserted and reinserted after they were changed to IParts. That seemed to solve the problem.

Thanks

[Dan_Margulius]

hey,

I saw that INV works that way. if you place the ipart in the assmbly you can always change component.

But if you build the ipart in the context of the assembly you cant change component afterwards.

I wanted to open a service request in this matter because I think it should not matter how you bring in the ipart .

Regards,

Dan

[Dan_Margulius]

hey,

I saw that INV works that way. if you place the ipart in the assmbly you can always change component.

But if you build the ipart in the context of the assembly you cant change component afterwards.

I wanted to open a service request in this matter because I think it should not matter how you bring in the ipart .

Regards,

Dan

[AMN3161]

ok im running into the same issue, i just tossed like 5 parts of the same ipart in a assembly and i want to change the each one to a different configuration. It wont let me change the configuration cna you please explain in detail how to fix this issue

thanks

[AMN3161]

ok im running into the same issue, i just tossed like 5 parts of the same ipart in a assembly and i want to change the each one to a different configuration. It wont let me change the configuration cna you please explain in detail how to fix this issue

thanks

[AMN3161]

What if im running into the same problem but my parts are already created as a ipart before inserted into a assembly and i start a new assembly and i cant change the configurations

[AMN3161]

What if im running into the same problem but my parts are already created as a ipart before inserted into a assembly and i start a new assembly and i cant change the configurations

[Anonymous]

Hello! I have the part open while assembly is open and change it in part mode. That seemed to work, please try that.

[Anonymous]

Hello! I have the part open while assembly is open and change it in part mode. That seemed to work, please try that.

[Anonymous]

Dan.M,

On 07-09-2011 you replied to the article "Problems changing IPart in Assembly," stating that the problem should be addressed with a service request. Was this ever done? I am using Inventor 2011 and I am having the same issue. I have many parts put in place, and changed several to iParts after they were assembled. I do not want to have to delete all of them and reassemble them. Has inventor addressed this bug in a service pack or more current versions? The link to the topic is below.

http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/Inventor-General/Problems-changing-IPart-in-Assembly/td-p/3086082

Thank you,

Ian

[Anonymous]

Dan.M,

On 07-09-2011 you replied to the article "Problems changing IPart in Assembly," stating that the problem should be addressed with a service request. Was this ever done? I am using Inventor 2011 and I am having the same issue. I have many parts put in place, and changed several to iParts after they were assembled. I do not want to have to delete all of them and reassemble them. Has inventor addressed this bug in a service pack or more current versions? The link to the topic is below.

http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/Inventor-General/Problems-changing-IPart-in-Assembly/td-p/3086082

Thank you,

Ian

[Anonymous]

Today I have encountered the same problem, and the easiest way to fix this is to simple change the component with itself. Especialy if you allredy made the constraints, deleting, placing and reconstrainting would be annoying. Pick the part in the tree, right click component/replace all (if you have multiple instances) and find the same part in your working folder and select it.

[Anonymous]

Today I have encountered the same problem, and the easiest way to fix this is to simple change the component with itself. Especialy if you allredy made the constraints, deleting, placing and reconstrainting would be annoying. Pick the part in the tree, right click component/replace all (if you have multiple instances) and find the same part in your working folder and select it.

[mcgyvr]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

Today I have encountered the same problem, and the easiest way to fix this is to simple change the component with itself. Especialy if you allredy made the constraints, deleting, placing and reconstrainting would be annoying. Pick the part in the tree, right click component/replace all (if you have multiple instances) and find the same part in your working folder and select it.

---

Correct..

IF you make a part an ipart AFTER its already inserted into an assembly you cannot change ipart members.. BUT as you found the best solution is to simply replace the "almost ipart" with itself.  (Right click.. component > replace)

Its just a limitation with Inventor. 

[mcgyvr]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

Today I have encountered the same problem, and the easiest way to fix this is to simple change the component with itself. Especialy if you allredy made the constraints, deleting, placing and reconstrainting would be annoying. Pick the part in the tree, right click component/replace all (if you have multiple instances) and find the same part in your working folder and select it.

---

Correct..

IF you make a part an ipart AFTER its already inserted into an assembly you cannot change ipart members.. BUT as you found the best solution is to simply replace the "almost ipart" with itself.  (Right click.. component > replace)

Its just a limitation with Inventor. 

[johnsonshiue]

Hi! The behavior you are seeing is basically due to the fact that iPart factory file and iPart member file both are placed in the same assembly. I think the iPart factory file must have existed in the assembly as a regular part before it was converted to an iPart factory. Inventor blocks users from placing an iPart factory file into an assembly. However, it cannot block users from converting an existing part to an iPart. The recommended workflow is to either place the iPart member file in the assembly or replace the existing iPart factory file with a member file.

Many thanks!

[johnsonshiue]

Hi! The behavior you are seeing is basically due to the fact that iPart factory file and iPart member file both are placed in the same assembly. I think the iPart factory file must have existed in the assembly as a regular part before it was converted to an iPart factory. Inventor blocks users from placing an iPart factory file into an assembly. However, it cannot block users from converting an existing part to an iPart. The recommended workflow is to either place the iPart member file in the assembly or replace the existing iPart factory file with a member file.

Many thanks!

[SER4]

The terribly annoying problem with replacing the factory with a member is that it wrecks most/all of the constraints!!!  Even if ZERO geometry was changed!

Reference threads complaining about this lack of functionality: 

1. https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/inventor-forum/ipart-losing-their-constraints-after-repalce/td-p/6784...
2. https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/inventor-forum/iparts-losing-constraints-after-update-to-parent/td-p/...
3. https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/inventor-forum/assembly-parts-lose-constraints-to-ipart-or-regular-pa...

@johnsonshiue , is there any way to correctly keep the constraints in tact after doing the replace?  I think I read somewhere else that someone has given up and just simply started making every single model an iPart/iAssembly...

I am going to have to replace about 10 parts (already fully created as non-iParts) with 20 constraints each...YIKES...this adds up to a lot of wasted time.

[SER4]

The terribly annoying problem with replacing the factory with a member is that it wrecks most/all of the constraints!!!  Even if ZERO geometry was changed!

Reference threads complaining about this lack of functionality: 

1. https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/inventor-forum/ipart-losing-their-constraints-after-repalce/td-p/6784...
2. https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/inventor-forum/iparts-losing-constraints-after-update-to-parent/td-p/...
3. https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/inventor-forum/assembly-parts-lose-constraints-to-ipart-or-regular-pa...

@johnsonshiue , is there any way to correctly keep the constraints in tact after doing the replace?  I think I read somewhere else that someone has given up and just simply started making every single model an iPart/iAssembly...

I am going to have to replace about 10 parts (already fully created as non-iParts) with 20 constraints each...YIKES...this adds up to a lot of wasted time.

[johnsonshiue]

Hi! The annoying behavior can be mitigated if the iMates were used. However, it will require you to edit the iPart factory, add the iMate, and reconstrain the components (edit the constraint and select the iMates). The reason why iMate works is because iMate match is based on constraint type and its matching name, not totally relying on geometry like regular constraints.

iPart/iAssembly were designed to create library components for reuse purpose. It is not meant to be a configuration tool. LOD is a memory management tool. As of Inventor 2021, the most reliable configuration tool is iLogic. You can build an assembly as you wish and drive component parameters from the top-level assembly via iLogic rules. Once you are happy with a given variation. Use iLogic Design Copy to spawn the variation. And, then you can work on the next variation by repeating the process.

We are working on a project called Model States, which allows a part or an assembly to have multiple geometric state within one file. If you want to learn more, please sign up Inventor Feedback Community (https://autode.sk/InventorBeta) to try it on an install-free, browser-based in-development build.

Many thanks!

[johnsonshiue]

Hi! The annoying behavior can be mitigated if the iMates were used. However, it will require you to edit the iPart factory, add the iMate, and reconstrain the components (edit the constraint and select the iMates). The reason why iMate works is because iMate match is based on constraint type and its matching name, not totally relying on geometry like regular constraints.

iPart/iAssembly were designed to create library components for reuse purpose. It is not meant to be a configuration tool. LOD is a memory management tool. As of Inventor 2021, the most reliable configuration tool is iLogic. You can build an assembly as you wish and drive component parameters from the top-level assembly via iLogic rules. Once you are happy with a given variation. Use iLogic Design Copy to spawn the variation. And, then you can work on the next variation by repeating the process.

We are working on a project called Model States, which allows a part or an assembly to have multiple geometric state within one file. If you want to learn more, please sign up Inventor Feedback Community (https://autode.sk/InventorBeta) to try it on an install-free, browser-based in-development build.

Many thanks!