Set Some Custom Content Center Parts to Place as Standard, Others as Custom

[petestrycharske]

All,

Good afternoon!  I haven't yet found a way to do this and am wondering if there's a way to set up some Custom Content Center families to place parts as Standard, Fasteners, etc., and others as Custom?  I know we can set up the options in the Application Options, but want to know if there's a way to do that per family.  Please let me know if anyone has any thoughts and thank in advance.  Please let me know if anyone has any questions and I'll be happy to elaborate.  Hope all is well and have a most blessed day!

Peace,
Pete

[blandb]

So are you wanting the fasteners to be placed as standard lengths, but also to have the same fasteners to be placed as custom? I may not be understanding what you want, but you can choose to place any standard content as custom during placement:

 Maybe a little more clarity on what you are looking for would help?

[petestrycharske]

@blandb you've got it exactly right, but want to do so without having to toggle anything.  It would be great if this could be set per family, versus having to remember to toggle the switch.  Does this help clarify the request?  If not, I'll try to knock out a video.  Thanks for reaching out, hope this helps and have a most blessed day!

Peace,

Pete

[Curtis_Waguespack]

@petestrycharske, @Pate.MacKenna  I think I found the setting for this:

To View or Modify Content Center Family Tables

Here's a quick video in case it helps too:

[blandb]

I'm not sure if this is what he is looking for as this is just standard workflow for placing any structural shape. To me it sounds as if he wants all to be placed as standard components, but every once in a while they may want to make a custom one. This is just the opposite? All is custom as any time we have to manually enter a length, so they would have to choose the "standard" radio button all the time as opposed to everye once in a while choosing custom? Maybe I am way off on what he is exactly after? To me it sounded as if he wants both options some how to happen automatically?

[CGBenner · Accepted solution]

@petestrycharske @blandb @Curtis_Waguespack 

Hey Pete!  This may help for some components, it says Custom Families... so I'm thinking this cannot be set for Standard (Read Only) families, nor can it be done Family by Family.  Might have to take this one to the Ideas Forum.

[petestrycharske · Accepted solution]

@CGBenner, @blandb, thanks for the suggestions.  Yes, the customer would like this to be more automatic and / or the possibility of setting this per family.  Currently this doesn't look possible, so I've posted the following idea to the Idea board.  Thanks for the help, hope all is well and have a most blessed day!

Peace,
Pete

[Curtis_Waguespack]

@blandb @CGBenner @petestrycharske 

I think we have a bit of a "game of Telephone" going on here 🙂

I asked Pete for insight on this offline, because it'd been a very very long time since I'd done any CC editing. And Pete was kind enough to create this post.

I think my use of the word "custom" and Pete's interpretation of the my question raised another side question, here though.

I was originally just trying to remember how to make a part have a custom length, like structural members. But that Application Options option and the word "custom" raised some other questions/confusion.

At the root of the confusion was me mixing up the terms "custom families" and "custom family parameters"

This probably was/is all clear to you guys that are in the CC editor more often than myself, but for my own clarification ( and anyone in the future that might find this) here is the terminology as I understand it :

• Standard Content Center Families (read only)
  • Out of the box Content Center Families w/ "custom family parameters" ( such as structural members)
  • Out of the box  Content Center Families w/ "standard family parameters" ( such as screws, bolts, etc.)
• Custom Content Center Families (read/write) 
  • Custom Content Center Families w/ "custom family parameters" ( such as structural members)
  • Custom Content Center Families w/ "standard family parameters" ( such as screws, bolts, etc.)

As for the Application Option:

It appears that if you have a CC families with a custom family parameter ( be it out of the box, or custom families) the application option will make them all of the default to As Custom or As Standard, per that option. 

I think everything is working as expected, it just took a bit a refamiliarizing with all of this.

[SBix26]

I think you can already do this in Content Center.  I will try to re-state my understanding of your request:

You need to be able to set up some families to be custom, and some families to be standard.  A kind of ridiculous example would be to have one family of hex head bolts with a big table full of standard purchasable sizes, and a different family with an infinitely variable length, or lengths in increments of 1/64", or any thread pitch you choose.

If I'm reading you right, this is pretty easily done.  In my example of infinitely variable length, you would edit the applicable family table, and change the properties of the nominal length column as shown below:

The example makes the minimum length .50 in and the default 2.50 in.  There is no increment and no maximum.  Of course, this now means that you have a very large number of extraneous rows in your family table-- all the individual rows that used to specify particular lengths.  But those are pretty easily removed.

When placed, this defaults to Custom.  The ordinary bolt from which this was copied defaults to Standard.  Is that what you're looking for?

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Sam B

Inventor Pro 2024.1 | Windows 10 Home 22H2

[petestrycharske]

@SBix26, interesting!  I swear I tested this, but just to be sure that I'm on the same page with you.  Can you test the Application Options >> Content Center >> Set the Custom Family Default "As Standard" and see if you get the same results?  It looks like it works if you have the Custom Family Default "As Custom", but I want to make sure I'm not overlooking something.  Please let me know when you get a chance and this may be a great workaround.  Appreciate the thoughts and have a most blessed night!

Peace,
Pete

[Pate.MacKenna]

I worked with @Curtis_Waguespack on the original request.  I now understand that the "Custom Column" button is what controls whether an individual part family will place "As Custom" by default.  This is great!

However, to @petestrycharske's question, it seems that this effect is overridden if the Custom Family Default is set to "As Standard" in Applications Options.  In fact, I have always used this option, since we have a large custom library of standard parts, yet the few extrusions we have rarely get used.

The ideal configuration seems to be to set the Custom Family Default "As Custom" in Application Options.  This allows our all of our fixed-length fasteners and other standard parts to place "As Standard" by default, while part families with "Custom Column" selected to be placed "As Custom".  This is exactly what I wanted.

[SBix26]

You are correct-- with options set to As Custom, non-custom CC parts go to the standard location and Inventor asks where to put custom CC parts.  With the option set to As Standard, everything goes to the standard location.

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Sam B

Inventor Pro 2024.1 | Windows 10 Home 22H2