Automatic check of Inventor design (perspectives of IDC etc.)

[Maxim-CADman77]

Foreword:

I don’t feel like posting here will improve things (have too much experience of the opposite – existing issues are ignored by Autodesk for years). Anyway, I won’t repeat. For those interested - see my most recent posts (especially in Vault General discussions).

This thread is for those interested in discussing perspectives of automatic check of Inventor design via Inventor Design Checker (referenced below as «IDC») - «Subscribers only»* add-in for Autodesk Inventor.

I personally found it ineffective to IDC-feedback the default way (through e-mail).

I also want to get point of view of people like me (potential customers).

The whole idea of automatic checking Inventor design is great and… not new.

Several years ago we developed a bunch of iLogic checks for “i CHECK IT” (software kit by Tata Technologies company). However, due to several cons of “i CHECK IT” it was not implemented widely here. Yet it have some limited usage in our company and does it job satisfactory.

Of course when IDC was released we tested it as competing software (even so functionality does differ).

Alas!

Current IDC is too rought/buggy to be implemented in commercial companies.

Below I’ll post issues we’ve faced during testing the 1.0.5 version of IDC within Inventor 2014 (build 246) and short description of why we consider each issue critical.

* IDC seems to be highly under-tested and it’s «Subscribers only» status makes things even worst.

What supposed to be the privilege turns out a kind of curse (only those who payed is granted to face all the issues).

My feelings: high disappointment regarding wasted time – nothing to implement yet lots of work done (no profit for my main job which is CAD management and not testing … which is usually payed separately, and sometimes higher then coding).

[Maxim-CADman77]

A.CRITICAL (changes the whole default workflow) Force unnecessary update of Configuration Factory during generation Members (IPT for sure, IAM - possibly)

Steps to reproduce:

0. Download and install official Inventor Sample Files (https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/inventor-products/downloads/caas/downloads/content/inventor-s...

1. Run Inventor, activate Samples.ipj, activate LiveCheck IDC-option
2. Delete folder C:\Users\Public\Documents\Autodesk\Inventor 2014\Samples\Models\Assemblies\Engine MKII\Flywheel
3. Open C:\Users\Public\Documents\Autodesk\Inventor 2014\Samples\Models\Assemblies\Engine MKII\Flywheel.IAM (configuration factory, IAM)
4. Initiate saving the factory.
5. Expand «Table» node in model browser. Choose all three members and run «Generate Files» context-command
6. Witness «Failed to create member. Factory must be saved» message ??!

Sorry, which factory meant? Ok. Let’s simplify the task (close the IAM factory):

7. Delete folder C:\Users\Public\Documents\Autodesk\Inventor 2014\Samples\Models\Assemblies\Engine MKII\Components\Flywheel\

8. Open C:\Users\Public\Documents\Autodesk\Inventor 2014\Samples\Models\Assemblies\Engine MKII\Components\Flywheel.IPT (configuration factory, IPT)

9. Initiate saving the factory.

10. Expand «Table» node in model browser. Choose all three members and run «Generate Files» context-command

11. Witness “Do you want to save changes to «2 Shoe Flywheel.IPT» and … Flywheel.IPT“ ??!

12. Ok. Let it go – Accept and witness “Do you want to save changes to «3 Shoe Flywheel.IPT» and … Flywheel.IPT“ ??!!

Neither of 6 and 11 you’ll get with IDC unloaded. Thus IDC changes factory on save of each member.

As a result all members (but the latest generated) got dated earlier then factory they generated on.

[Maxim-CADman77]

Issue B. CRITICAL (missed check) IDC doesn’t check 3Dmodels with iMate

Steps to reproduce:

0.Download and install official Inventor Sample Files (https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/inventor-products/downloads/caas/downloads/content/inventor-s...)

1. Run Inventor, activate Samples.ipj, activate LiveCheck IDC-option
2. Open C:\Users\Public\Documents\Autodesk\Inventor 2014\Samples\Standard Parts\en-US\UNI 5933\UNI 5933 - M4 x 12.ipt (any 3Dmodel with iMate)
3. Switch browser mode to IDC, press «Execute» Button from IDC tab/panel – Witness no results in either of two folders (Passed and Failed) ??!
4. Make editable copy of the model and open it. For example save copy in non-CCF folder ex. in …\Samples\Models.
5. Switch browser mode to «Model» Expand «iMates» node in model browser. Choose all three iMates and call «Delete» context-command («Suppress» command does not help)
6. Repeat step 3 – Witness some results!!!

(I haven’t tested how IDC behave on IAM with iMate)

[Maxim-CADman77]

Issue C: CRITICAL (danger of missing fails) "VLDS_TimeStamp" iProp does not contain the Time (only Date)

I personally found no any reference to four iProperties with names starting «VLDS_» (? VaLiDuS ?) which IDC generates in IDC help (oops!).

To my mind those are coded summary of checking:

• VLDS_AcceptCnt - counter of «Acknowledge Fails»    
• VLDS_FailCnt - counter of Fails
• VLDS_Profile - profile name
• VLDS_Timestamp – date when check was performed

The idea to have such summary is great but current format of “VLDS_Timestamp” spoils it completely. Now it contains only date. But one file could be changed several times within the date.

Let’s imagine User1 with IDC enabled has checked-in some “no fails” file to the Vault with.

Let say User2 (with no or disabled IDC) has edited the file within that same date and introduced some fail edit.

Currently there is no chances to reveal this by iProperties values…

IMHO “VLDS_Timestamp” should contain not only date but also Time. Then before passing document to production one could compare “VLDS_Timestamp” value with document’s Modified timestamp and understand that document needs checking.

[Maxim-CADman77]

Issue 😧 CRITICAL (danger of missing fail with LiveCheck enabled) Insufficient LiveCheck-notification regarding fail Custom checks triggered on Save

Steps to reproduce:

1. Add some Custom check (ex. C:\Users\All Users\Autodesk\ApplicationPlugins\Autodesk Design Checker.bundle\Contents\Windows\iLogic\Fillet Size.iLogicVb*) in IDC’s «Default Part» profile with «Save File» trigger (see help) add it to either of two existing groups and enable LiveCheck option
2. Open some IPT file that have had no fails before step 1 and add Fillet feature with size value «0.0001» (fail criteria), rename the feature to “Fillet” (delete ending numeric index)
3. Initiate close file command and accept save request.I’d rather say trigger should be “Before File Save” and there should be some extra action like notification “The document you attempts to save does have fail. Are you sure you still want to save it?” (IDC indicators should be refreshed). Witness no red sectors on indicators and no interface warnings i.e. LiveCheck doesn’t warn user about failure in such scenario (even so custom iProperty “VLDS_FailCnt” got value «1»).

* To make check sufficien with “Save File” trigger replace line  

feat = Feature.InventorFeature(featName)

      With

feat = Feature.InventorFeature("Fillet")

[Maxim-CADman77]

Issue E: No CAD-manger control over «Acknowledge fail» function

Allowing user to skip particular checking could in some workflows be useful but the feature should be on strict CAD-managers control (some checks should not be skipped in any way) otherwise some designers would mark all fails with it.

IMHO each check should contain some extra flag in Profile (something like “Acknowledge Fail applicable” with “False” value by default).

[Maxim-CADman77]

Issue F: "English only" interface

Add-ons for multi-language software is supposed to be multi-language (at least in descriptive part).

Most designers in our company don’t use English on daily basis and fill comfortable with other language.

Inability to have IDC localized will force customers either create their own add-ins (localized interface) or at least disable build-in checks and create alike custom checks with tooltip messages on preferred language (our custom checks now have bi-lingual messages).

[Maxim-CADman77]

Issue H. Unusable "Detect Broken Assembly Constraint​s" built-in check

    
Built-in check "Detect Broken Assembly Constraints" seems useless and inconsistent

1. Supressed constraint are added to failed with tooltip "constraint error". But why? It is normal practice to have different constraints supressed in different positional Reps. 

2. Several entries like "Custom:#" (where # is some number) are present in a Failed folder with tooltip "Broken conatraint".
Most misleading that it showed even after deleting all components but one (means no constraints are left in assy).

But even if there be any then I never heard anything about "Сustom" type  of assembly constraint.

[Curtis_Waguespack]

Attention: @YuhanZhang

[YuhanZhang]

If you turn on the Enable LiveCheck option, the Design Checker will save the check results to the document so the document will be dirty. If you don't want to do live check for every and each opened document, you can turn off the Enable LiveCheck, then it won't dirty document. Hope this explains.

[YuhanZhang]

Hi Maxim,

Sorry for late response. The apps on Apps Exchange are published by different publishers from in and out of Autodesk, and usually the publisher will provide technical support for his/her own apps, so direct mail communication is now a proper way to send feedback to the publishers and get support from them. I will look through all your feedback here and see what we can fix, and what we can enhance, and will get back to you soon.

[Maxim-CADman77]

This comment does NOT fit logically to the issue H (even so subject comlies).
Please clarify was it about unnecessar​y update of Configurat​ion Factory (issue A) or some other issue (which one)?

[Maxim-CADman77]

Seems like IAM being open in any but Master LOD can't be checked by custom checks, right?

[Maxim-CADman77]

Any progress yet?

[Maxim-CADman77]

Issue J. CRITICAL (missed check) IDC doesn’t check 3Dmodels (IPT) with "Projected Loop" in sketch. 

PS: I haven't try to check IAM with projected loop.

[Anonymous]

It is a year later, any progress?

[Maxim-CADman77]

«Almost yes» - author have released IDC version compatible with new Inventor release and … containing all the above-described issues.
Typical Autodesk-style job.

[Ruffy85]

Hi,

The Report Functionality is not working. Any ideas?

[Maxim-CADman77]

Sorry for delayed answer (forum does not send mail notifications nowadays).

Does your phrase "The Report Functionality is not working. Any ideas?" relate to Inventor Design Checker app? 

[YuhanZhang]

Did you install the ReportViewer.exe which is located in the folder below(after installing the app):

C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\ApplicationPlugins\Autodesk Design Checker.bundle\Contents\ReportViewer\

You can also find the info from the readme of the app:

https://apps.autodesk.com/INVNTOR/en/Detail/HelpDoc?appId=9061247151473406095&appLang=en&os=Win32_64

Hope this helps.