Selection files of type options IAM and IPT

[jeroenbril]

It would be beneficial to have an option in the open or insert file dialog to select only ipt and iam files, excluding idw or dwg drawings. The performance improves significantly when thumbnails display only ipt and iam files. Constantly switching between ipt and iam files is not very user-friendly, in my opinion.

[admaiora]

When open>>

[Mechanical-Engineering]

I understand the available selection options. My request is specifically to select both *.ipt and *.iam files simultaneously, excluding *.idw, *.ipn, and *.ide files.

[admaiora]

Ops sorry.

You can't. We use folders for that

[Mechanical-Engineering]

Is it possible to edit manual Inventor Dialog selection filters? It shouldn't be a significant programming task to add an extra selection option.

Kind regards, Jeroen

[johnsonshiue]

Hi! Unfortunately, there isn't such custom file filter per se in Inventor. You could organize the file folders differently so that ipt and iam files are stored in a folder different than idw/dwg files.

I am not sure I understand the performance impact. Could you elaborate an example that performance is impacted due to the file filters?

Many thanks!

[jeroenbril]

Hello,

When utilizing the open file dialog, the generation of thumbnails is noticeably slow. Disabling the thumbnail generation for IDW files could potentially halve this time. I am quite comfortable with the thumbnail layout, and I do not believe that the performance of our file server is the issue.

Our engineering system frequently reuses models with their associated drawings. We do not employ Vault for our data management. Instead, our flat engineering system relies on unique filenames derived from an Excel sheet.

[ampster40]

In line with what Johnson suggested we recently switched our Vault setup to individual sub-folders for parts, assy's and prints.  With each of those sub-folders, we have yet more sub-folders for the different range of named files so in the end each folder should get a maximum of 1000 files each and of only a single file type.

That was done to try and get better performance out of the Vault server.

Previously everything was dumped into a single folder which over time became almost unusable.

I have found after switching to this setup that for the most part I no longer rely on thumbnails to determine what I am opening due to the focus now is the file name.  Prior to that when everything was in a single folder it made sense to use thumbnails while scrolling thru looking for something in particular.

Granted, it's not easy changing the folder structure on the fly but it will be worth it IMHO.

HTH

[SBix26]

While the suggestions for workarounds are good, I encourage you to write up a proposal and submit it to the Inventor Ideas forum.  I think what you're suggesting would be nothing more than an additional entry in the list of filters named "Inventor Models" or something similar.

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Sam B

Inventor Pro 2025 | Windows 11 Home 23H2

[ampster40]

I'd vote for such a feature suggestion.

Preferences vs recommendations as to how a company uses Vault, I have to say where I am currently Preferences win.

With that said, I recall yrs ago when first introduced to Vault via our local VAR that they recommend only keeping files on your hard drive that you are actively working on and not use it to store anything you work on that is in Vault.

To each their own but I prefer doing just that.  Even through out the day if there is the slightest chance something other than the machine I am working on ends up on my local pc, I'll check everything in, manually delete the hard drive contents thru Inventor's open window (this allows me to delete files that may still be in Inventor memory but are not actually open) then I re-get the model.  Depending on what stage of the work load, I will only get 3D models.  Towards the end I then pull down idw's.  That reminds me, idw's do end up in the same folder as their iam or ipt files used to generate them.

After seeing your screenshot once more that sparked this suggestion that perhaps you've got more than you need on your pc.  That would be another reason to want to see the thumbnails, if your pc has accidentally become a backup for Vault storage hehe.