iLogic Filename & iProperty engine - create/edit .idw/.iam/.ipt en-masse using Excel

[andrew_canfield]

My first thought is this may already exist but I'm not too sure of relevant terminology.
I'm thinking it's possible to create a new file using iLogic & read the file name from a cell within excel.
Again iLogic could be used to edit iproperties within Parts, Assemblies & Drawings (from cells within excel).
This my very rough thought process...
Estimate a design will result in 50 assembly drawings & 600 part drawings - have a column of cells in excel populate the numbering scheme. Run the iLogic code & 50 .idw's are created for each of the 50 assemblies & 600 .idw's created for the 600 parts. (Excel: Column A "Filename", B "Assembly/Part").
(the folder location/s would need to be set/editable to save each file)
The model is then created by opening one of the saved pre-created (empty) parts, modelling & placing into one of the pre-created assemblies.
The filenames have all been set by the column in excel - the next excel column is model part number - linked by ilogic to the assembly/part (Excel: Column C "Part Number").
The 'Rename Browser Nodes', can then be set to "Part Number" so a descriptive name can be used to identify the model - either through the BoM or the iLogic/excel interface.
Excel: Column D "Part Number" (for the idw iproperty - set in excel, copied from column A).
(add extra columns in excel for extra iproperties).
Now the project is near completion & a request is made to rename or renumber a field on the drawings - all these are now drawing iproperties (no filenames) & editable in bulk using the excel table.
No file should ever need moving or renaming because the file numbers are behind the scenes - only iproperties appear on the drawing.
Have the excel document in Sharepoint & a whole team can update fields with drawing title blocks should edits be required..
Pretty sure code exists to read/write iproperties between parts & excel
What I need to search for is how to create & save a new file in a required location..
I’m hoping to actually write this myself with my limited ilogic ability but it seems too simple not to have been done before, which then starts me to think why hasn’t it been done before?

Regards

Andrew

[A.Acheson]

A good thought process. It sounds like you are starting the design process from scratch each time which would make the initial file naming etc much easier. 

Having never used excel exclusively for controlling file names, iproperties etc I cannot answer to how well this would all work. But I do use excel to channel iproperties from mrp system into the parts and assemblies, this works but time per look👀 up ⬆️ could become a factor. 

• A few observations. Renaming of assembly without the use of utility like design assistant or vault will require extensive ilogic code to relink the files. I haven’t been able to find a code/ make one to do this as each naming scenario may be different.  
• iProperties for drawings in my opinion would be pulled through from assembly and part to drawing. Perhaps just a few iproperties like drawing number and drawing description can be different. Others may have different workflows.

• Reuse of existing parts and assemblies. To keep design time to a minimum reuse would happen and will result in renaming and moving of files, possibly making empty parts and assemblies redundant. 

Are you using any inventory or mrp system for item creation / purchase tracking?

[andrew_canfield]

Hello Alan

The hope is the files should never need moving or renaming - these can be unique numbers for the benefit of the data management system. All descriptive detail is within iproperties.

The designs are project based & tend to be unique solutions, there's no mrp.

The link between drawing, assembly, part will be created by Inventor as the models are built - the excel table is essential dumb, loop though the cells & create the structure. Pass the iproperties between the files & the excel table to edit.

Thanks for the feedback.

Regards

Andrew