Tracking changes to external iLogic rules and forms

[AlexFielder]

Hi all,

This is more a question for the Autodesk development team/other developers really, but it may prove useful to others so here goes:

For the longest time I have collated my iLogic rules in an external git repo stored here:

https://github.com/AlexFielder/iLogic

And I've finally reached the point where I feel like I need to track changes to the external iLogic forms I am building for customer configurators. 

Whilst I cannot share the forms themselves nor the rules that call them (because IP) I can share how I am also tracking the external forms as I am interested in any unseen pitfalls I may unwittingly cause myself.

Basically, I used a tool called Steammover to create a symbolic link between this path:

"C:\Users\Public\Documents\Autodesk\Inventor 2022\Design Data\iLogic\UI"

and one of the subfolders in my iLogic repo (not the one linked above):

"C:\Path\to\repo\MandM-iLogic\ExternalForms\UI"

I'd be really interested in hearing thoughts/opinions on what I may have broken/another method I have otherwise overlooked.

Thanks,

Alex.

PS. In case the Inventor development team do see this, please can you allow storage of external forms in locations other than the default in the same way we can do so with external iLogic rules?

[JelteDeJong]

I just wonder why do you use "external iLogic forms" and not addons? creating addons has some advantages for example:

• Better GUI (Visual Studio) for writing code.
• More flexible
• Better code protection (IP)
• Better code protection against tampering by others.
• If you create general-purpose DLL's it's easier to reuse code.
• Better tracking of changes with GIT.
• Creating buttons for your code.

Probaly you know all those things so what are the advateges of "external iLogic forms".

[AlexFielder]

I agree with all these points and can only tell you that is how the current project was sold to the customer.

The "downside" of creating an addin is that it means the customer has to either employ a software developer to maintain the tool after the project ends, or they're on the hook with whoever created it for continued support.

The "Big Draw" of iLogic (rules/forms) is that it isn't compiled into a .dll- of course, many customers either don't have the time/skills/interest or intention of "you edited it, you pwned it" responsibility to want to wade into tweaking the resultant code by themselves.

So yeah, addins all the way, except in the above circumstances. 😅

[MrSmithtastic]

@JelteDeJong External iLogic rules are also brilliant for testing little snippets that may eventually be very handy within an addon because it's so much quicker and easier to throw them in without having to re-load inventor constantly...

My 10 pence haha!

[JelteDeJong]

@MrSmithtasticyou might want to check out my iLogic rule test project (Visual Studio project). that is what I use to write/debug iLogic rules. It allows you to write iLogic rules in VS without reloading Inventor all the time. It's not perfect as not all iLogic functions are supported but if it works in my project it's possible to copy the script to Inventor/iLogic GUI. So it allows me to write like iLogic rules with the advantages of VS.