Custom iProperties - Instance Level

[cbenner]

I would like to see the ability to create a custom iProperty which can have a unique value for each instance of the part placed in an assembly.  This would give users the ability to add things like tag numbers to parts.  Example, valves and instruments in a piping assembly which can have the P&ID tag number on them, or terminals in an electrical control cabinet which can be sequentially numbered even though they are the same Inventor part model.

There is currently no method for doing this in Inventor.  In this image, all of these terminals are the same part, but each needs a unique tag number in the drawing.  I had to rebuild this in AutoCAD Electrical, a total of about 6 hours labor to produce this twice.

@dan_szymanski

[Anonymous]

+1 for this idea...

Is there any feedback from Autodesk on how this issue progresses?

[freesbee]

...we need to get to 100 votes.

110 would be better.

I already brought ~30 votes... do some commercial to it, and as soon as we get to 100 I'm sure something will happen

[Anonymous]

I solve this by inserting the part multiple times (from al self made library), but with other filename:

valve-001.ipt

valve-002.ipt

valve-003.ipt

...

So I can give different TAG number on custom iProperty

 https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/inventor-customization/ilogic-create-copies-to-network-library-folder...

btw: Idea of OP is good.

[andrew_canfield]

This would help apply Plant Item Numbers to parts.

The same part in a different place requires a different Plant Item Number.

Within the nuclear industry, Plant Item Numbers are required.

[Anonymous]

I'm very excited to see this discussion finally starting. 

I'm also glad to have a name to the idea: "Instance specific iProperty"

What I've been trying to accomplish is the following: 

Draw a component in ACADE (for instance a Fuse) and have a tag show up in Inventor that is directly linked to ACADE specific name. 

When I insert a fuse into my wiring schematic (typically from the Catalog Browser Part) it assigns a unique name based on the line number on which it was inserted.  So a fuse inserted on line 80 would uniquely be named F-80.  But if I insert another fuse on the next line down it would be called F-81 and so forth.  The electromechanical link file that is created between ACADE and Inventor is able to share this data between the two programs, but in a very limited way.  While my catalog browser entry for the fuse, may show Name, MFG, part number for this style of fuse; other important information like Vendor, Pin Lists etc are not imported into the corresponding iProperties of the 3D Inventor model of the same fuse.  The unique name in ACADE is not one of the data points that is auto-passed to a unique iProperty.  

From the Inventor side of things, the electromechanical link file is connected to an ACADE project and you have to make a part by part connection between entries in the ACADE Link file and the list of parts and assemblies in the corresponding Inventor project.  On the surface this is wonderful, but I cannot extract the "Name" of the ACADE specific instance of this component and make a Text tag or a 3D representation of a phenolic label.  After much teeth grinding, I found that ACADE shares this data with Inventor via a Library file in an entry and the data field is called REFDES. This is instance specific data is used in Wiring Harnesses, but I cannot seem to find a way to practically use it in a labeling way.  There have been some forum chains out there talking about making a Tag or Bubble leader that can make this data appear, but nothing solid has come of it.

What happens in my situation is, my Fuse (F-80), may have to be moved in my schematic to a different location.  That forces the name to change (to say F-79).  My dream is to have the corresponding 3D representation of F-80 that had been previously associated with my fuse, to automatically change its label from F-80 to F-79.  

https://blog.hagerman.com/2014/02/10/linking-a-user-parameter-via-ilogic/

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/inventor-forum/refdes-property-issue-inv-2016-r3/m-p/7209502#M649939

I’ve seen iLogic code that can extract every field from a catalog browser entry and makes unique iProperties that can then be manipulated into text based entities.

[rkeller]

Paul,

IT would be a huge help if we could have unique ID's that we could use with a balloon type leader and balloon.  We build Tanks and need to identify the flanges on the tank with the reference ID used in a Fitting Schedule and thus far the only way I've been able to do that is to make a symbol and insert it and add a prompted ID number rather than change the ID with in the Balloon.  I don't want to change the Parts List ID because that is used in the Master Parts list given to Purchasing (And they have enough to do with out trying to figure odd numbers as identifiers)

One other thing It would sure be nice to use multiple Parts List styles within the same drawing and use Balloons for each without making separate drawings.  Some drawings need Parts only while others work better with Structured.

[kellyshuman]

Use the Inventor Electrical Properties Component Tag to replace the autogenerated item number, please.  Also, be able to choose the full IEC component tag =INST+LOC-TAG.  And, allow multiple types of Parts List.  We want Structured and Parts Only, please.

[matthijsworp]

Hi Paul,

We use tag numbers from a P&ID for for instance temperature transmitters which are called TT1.2, TT1.2, TT1.3, TT1.41

In the assembly of the piping the first 2 Temperature transmitters are the same. And the last two are for example unique in this assembly. 

I would like to add this tag number as a property for instance on component occurence level. But it would be nice if it is possible in the BOM.  

Something like the QTY property in the BOM. QTY is also not pushed to the iproperties of parts/assemblies

Greetings,
Matthijs

[PaulMunford]

Hi everyone. To clarify, I joined this thread before I joined Autodesk!

I don't directly influence what the product team are working on - however - I can tell you that the product team are aware of this issue.

If you want to know what we are working on - please join the feedback community: https://feedback.autodesk.com/

[dan_szymanski]

This idea has been implemented within Autodesk Inventor 2022. Please review the Inventor 2022 What's New article here, for more information regarding how you may leverage powerful Instance Property capabilities. Special thanks to everyone who cast a vote for it.