Dynamic descriptions don't survive copy design

[ccec_ireland]

Hi all. I have library parts with dynamic descriptions that reference exported parameters. I copy these parts into jobs, and then edit the parameters, but when I copy design on the part the description becomes static, so I have to re-write the formula each time to make it dynamic again. 

I've tried copying parts in different life cycle states, but that doesn't seem to have any effect. Any idea why this is, or if it can be changed so the copied part also has a dynamic description?

[pcrawley]

Looking at the screenshot, one dynamic property survives ("Stock Number" is still dynamic) - but "Description" does not, presumably because it references "Part Number" which is effectively deleted and recreated during the copy process. 

Could you try deselecting "Update Part Number" when doing the Copy Design?  That would verify that deleting/recreating the Part Number causes the problem.

I don't have Inventor/Vault Pro 2022 to test, but if it's something you can't control (by not updating the Part number), then a line of iLogic would save you retyping the Description every time.  (Happy to help write it if you can supply a copy of the library part file so I can see the iProperties.)

[ccec_ireland]

Thanks for the response. I'm not sure I follow, I'm going to have to ask for some more details. Does the description reference the part number in the background somehow? I don't have an explicit link to the part number in the dynamic description that I'm aware of. 

Perhaps I have a view option off or something, but I cannot find the "Update Part Number" checkbox. Where should I expect to see this?

[ccec_ireland]

Ok, I found it. I was using the standard copy design workflow from within Vault. If I use the iLogic copy design workflow from within inventor, the dynamic description survives. I might just deal with it for now, as I really prefer the vault copy design interface, and this is typically only one part in hundreds in the design being copied. 

I believe the other dynamic property survives a vault copy design because that is a global vault property mapping, not a formula specific to the part. 

I'm guessing that putting a rule in the part would also necessitate using the iLogic copy design process for the rule to survive?

Perhaps if we get more sophisticated with our use of iLogic, I will have to switch over to iLogic copy design as my standard workflow anyway. 

[swalton · Accepted solution]

What is the Vault-Inventor property mapping?  How about the Copy-Design Action Rules?  Do any of them affect the Description property?  

Is Vault set up to push Description properties into the Inventor models, it may use the formatted text, not the expression values. 

I have not tested with a Vault that only pulls the Description data from the Inventor model, but that change might keep the expression working.  It might mean that users could not edit any Description props in Vault and see the changes in Inventor.

[ihayesjr · Accepted solution]

@ccec_ireland 

As @swalton indicated, you have Copy Designed Configured to modify these properties during the copy process.

You need to look at your Copy Design Rule Set and remove these properties from the Rule Set.

Also, I recommend making these property mappings in one direction, from File to Vault. 

If a user attempts to use the Edit Properties command and modify the description, the formula will be removed and made static.

[ccec_ireland]

@swalton @ihayesjr Thanks for that information. I will have to look into this some more. We actually do a lot of property editing in Vault, so I'll have to evaluate which of these is the more valuable work flow and configure accordingly.