Enhance management of Inventor Design Data and Templates in Vault

[Anonymous]

We need the ability to store all deployable files related to Inventor in the Vault.  This includes, but is not limited to, the ability to put the Design Data folder into vault, and enhanced tools to manage Templates, Style and material libraries, and iFeatures within the Vault.  Being able to deploy inventor settings XMLs through the project file would be very useful as well.

Basically, we need enterprise level tools to manage inventor configuration.

[TONELLAL]

This is the same post I sent a few time ago:

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/vault-ideas/define-templates-or-data-conception-location-directly-in-...

[Leon.VASSE]

Hello,

I also would like a specific folder in Vault, whose content (as defined above by Swalton + Design Data, Material Libraries) is automatically "get" by Clients at Vault log-in. Such a folder would be, by definition read-only for all Users except for the Vault Administrator.

Best regards.

[Electrik]

I'm jumping on a little late...

I agree with what Leon said - if a "Get" could be performed on the Templates and Design Data folders at log-in, that would be great.

One reason for using a Vault location, replicated to the local drive, is if users need to work offline. Without changing project files, or anything, they'd always have the templates, etc, available to them, from the last time they logged in.

Working offline - yes, in the modern day, not very common - but it does happen.

[andrewdroth]

Has anyone figured out a good way to handle this? I'm using a mix of task scheduler and autoloader just to get the files into the vault. There is no convenient way to load Inventor and Non-inventor files side by side.

[mikeh2]

In my opinion this is a JDI project for Vault.  I believe task scheduler could do what we want and then we push Task Scheduler to every PC and let it automatically do a get 1 time per day.  From what I've found is that Task Scheduler will only get "CAD Files" as in IPT, IAM, IPN, IDW.  It can not grab any other file types.  I just need the ability to get any file type from Vault via Task Scheduler.  If that could be opened up I think I could do a get on 1 folder and everyone would have the latest and greatest customization with much more confidence then relying on the users and I really don't want to run around to 50+ PC every time I tweak something.  Then I still have to make sure I didn't make a human mistake by skipping someone or getting side tracked and not finish one.  This comment to the idea's out there.

We really need this and there are many conversations on this dating back to 2007 or earlier like this one:

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/vault-forum/scheduled-task-for-get-latest-version/m-p/1911082

This could help nearly every user of Vault/Inventor.  In my opinion this is the only way to manage Customization files @ templates.  

Related Ideas:  

2021: https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/vault-ideas/posibility-to-force-syncronization-for-certain-vault-fold...

2013: https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/vault-ideas/project-template-syncing-to-local-workspace/idi-p/3874648

Thanks All!

[mikeh2]

One more to add from the Vault Idea Forum:

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/vault-ideas/get-folders-automatically/idi-p/9317165

Regards

[MarkusGreifeneder3360]

To administer the templates/design data of inventor in Vault, 

it would be very helpful to synchronize them automatically  with every start.

So it's ensured that each workstation has the latest templates/design data.

Nowadays the user has to get the  templates/design data by hand.

If he doesn't/forget it, he works with the old one.

[Senthil_Kumar]

We are looking into this. Will come back to you all for feedback soon. @limin.chung  FYI.

[PhilSchBell]

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we also save our templates and preferences in vault folders. but when we change something we always have to say to the user to get them again. This is really impractical and not state of the art. So we also would need an automatically sync on start with preset folders like @MarkusGreifeneder3360.

[andrew_gardner]

We have implemented Vault Gateway recently to share our Vault with a third party. Unfortunately we are now left to manage the design data files manually per the above comments from others (design data currently centrally located on a shared drive). It will have to be Vaulted and admin pushed onto users. In some respects, this makes Vault Gateway a hassle.

Is it possible that an alternative solution to Vaulting the design data files could potentially be to share the design data files via the Vault Gateway link? Maybe keep the files in the shared drive on the CAD server but share with third party via Gateway? Or, move the files into a designated Gateway location?

I understand that this wouldn't suit all above scenarios but it would work for Gateway implementation if nothing else.

[ihayesjr]

@andrew_gardner 

That is not the intended use of Vault Gateway or Vault managing the template files. If we opened file shares on a server through the Gateway, this would open more possibilities for security issues. If you need to share them outside of Vault, I recommend using Google Drive, OneDrive, or Dropbox. You could also use Fusion Team.

[al99pwr]

I stored all CAD Standards in Vault and updated them to all users locally with a login script custom function that did a 'Get' on all the CAD Std folders in Vault then copied them from the Vault Workspace (our workspaces had username in them) to the users local CAD Admin folder.
i.e.

1. Files stored/updated/managed in Vault in '$\CAD_Std\Admin\' folder (AutoCAD\Inv\Revit\DLL subfolders etc under this)
2. User logs into Windows and custom function checks above folder for any updates (I had to do with Desktop Shortcuts for CAD Applications due to IT issues)
3. Any updates get downloaded by custom function to users Vault workspace then copied from there to 'C:\CAD_Std\Admin' folder (User specific stuff in 'C:\CAD_Std\Username' folder) usually using robocopy mirror or similar.
4. User opens up AutoCAD/Inv and latest files available.

Advantage I found doing this are:

• Everything local once user working so didn't have to worry about internal network performance/access.
• Users in multiple offices all using same data and not having to map a shared drive pointing to a central folder in another office/state etc so performance similar for all users (once in CAD application).
• Active Directory Access - If user can access Vault they can access CAD Stds and you don't need to ensure they also have mapped drives setup or correct network folder access etc.
• Also could specify folders/file types to Robocopy etc (i.e. exclude BAK files, exclude _V folder)

This was all done before Sharepoint 365 became common place though so could be combined with SP365 folder being updated from CAD System Admins Vault folder i.e Cad Admin updates Vault with latest then runs a BAT that updates SP365 common folder - all users then see updated files but again this requires a OneDrive Sync to be setup and network access etc for each user.

[ihayesjr]

Now available in Vault 2024.

[chendersonCRKPU]

@ihayesjr could you please share a link on how this can be setup in Vault 2024. I've been unable to find anything in the help files.

[ihayesjr]

@chendersonCRKPU 

Vault 2024 Help | Map Vault Folders in Autodesk Inventor | Autodesk

See the Mapping Folders section.

[Monkeyengineered]

This appears to not deal with the non-unique file names in the design Data folder.   it looks like your guide says to turn off "enforce unique filenames", but what if that isn't a good idea. 

[ihayesjr]

@Monkeyengineered 

You turn off the enforce unique file names to upload to the design data folder. Once the upload is complete, you can turn it back on. Please make sure you are in our feedback community. We plan to enhance the unique file name feature to cover the template feature.

[chendersonCRKPU]

@ihayesjr thanks, that was what I needed