Project Files Revisited MA401-1_Dennis_Jeffrey[1]

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MA401-1 Autodesk Inventor Project Files Revisited

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Autodesk Inventor Project Files RevisitedDennis Jeffrey, AICE, MICE

MA-401-1

About the Speaker:Dennis is a manufacturing solutions consultant, trainer, and author who has used, taught, and written aboutAutodesk 3D design products since 1987. He is an Autodesk Inventor Certified Expert and AutodeskManufacturing Implementation Certified Expert, writes The Creative Inventor column for the AUGI Hot Tipsmagazine; and speaks at industry events around the U.S. Dennis is the author of Mastering AutodeskInventor , to be published by Sybex, an imprint of Wiley & Sons Publishing. Material from this book iscopyright (c) 2007-2008 by Wiley Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.

Portions of this document are contained in Mastering Autodesk Inventor , and have been included andused by permission of the author and the publisher.

Email: [email protected]

Contact Phone: (260) 399-6615

Link to Online Resources:

Sample data structures, videos, and free text based courseware will be available after December 10th, 2007

for all attendees at Autodesk University 2007. Just go the AU2007 home page located at:

http://design-excellence.com/AU2007
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


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lose files, or find the same file in five different directories on two different drives, as well as

those trusty backups that you keep on your workstation, because you just can't trust those

servers and IT people.

Structuring Data for Efficiency and Stability

Let's Look at Your Data

OK, we all probably started years ago with AutoCAD or a similar product, with absolutely no

thought on how we were going to store all these digital files that we were creating. When we

began we probably didn't have a good naming structure, directory structure, or frankly, if any

idea on what to do with all those files that we were creating. Multiply our efforts by 20 or so

years, and you probably have a pretty good idea what a mess we have.

Sure, you have decided to go back and start doing some house cleaning, but there just is not

time. So what do you do with potentially hundreds of thousands of files, with relatively no

structure? On top of that, you have a sneaking feeling that "someone" has created dozens of

duplicates of the same files. Which one is the good one? At this point you have several

choices:

Hire more people to straighten out the mess. However, they probably will not know

which duplicate you want to keep

Do it yourself. (You know that you will never get it done)

Start over with an efficient directory structure.

Create subfolders that represent your company workflow and needs. Copy existing files that

you will need to support current projects, including Content Center members, and library files

containing reusable data files. Archive the rest of your data in its existing directory structure, and

maintain old job files intact. If a legacy job is resurrected, then you should copy the job related

files into your new data structure.

Analyze Your Needs and Workflow

Data structure in most companies that manufacture products could be considered job based. In

a job based structure, each job would have its own subfolder, containing parts and assemblies

unique to that job, and supporting documentation including 2-D digital files.

Let's examine two examples of a job based structure:


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Develop a Simplified Data File Structure

Data structure in most companies that manufacture products could be considered job based. In

a job based structure, each job would have its own subfolder, containing parts and assemblies

unique to that job, and supporting documentation including 2-D digital files.

In figure 1, each job is organized by company, year, and job. In the expanded Job XYZ21, there

are folders for assembly files, parts, drawings, and supporting documentation, which might

include Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, etc. Only files unique to this job will be stored

under this subfolder.

Figure 1: Job Based By Customer & Year Figure 2: Job Based In Process/Released

Figure 2 shows a variation of the same job structure, except that as files are approved and

released for production, they are moved from In Process to the Released folder.


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File classification - Definitions

Before we go further, let's clarify some terms as they relate to data structure:

Unique Parts, drawings or assemblies that are unique to this job. In other words,these parts will not be reused in any other jobs.

Content Center Parts- Content Center members that are created from a Content

Center factory. Content Center members may or may not be reused in other jobs.

These parts behave like a standard library part, except that they are generated by

Content Center or by Design Accelerator.

Library - Parts or assemblies stored in a properly structured library folder will be

designated as read-only parts when used. When iParts are used, the iPart members are

stored in a subfolder under the factory location.

Reused- Parts and assemblies that will be reused that are not unique to anyone job.

Examples of reused files would be standard parts, or standard internal parts such as

specialized tools, machine bases, or other components that will be used in many

different designs.

Factory- describes the original table driven iPart or Content Center file, that has the

intelligence to generate member files.

Member- the "child" part generated as a proxy, as determined by settings within the

factory part. Member parts are not editable, except by replacement.

In order to determine where you will store reused assemblies, you will first need to determine

whether the stored assembly will be "static", meaning unchangeable, or whether the assembly

will be used as the basis for changing constraints, or adding or removing components.

Static Files (Library/Content Center)

Static files (my terminology, not Autodesk's) are parts or assemblies that are stored in

Library subfolders. Because they are stored in a subfolder designated by the project file

as a library or Content Center folder, they are regarded as read-only within Inventor.

Parts updated by an iPart or Content Center factory will be updated within the libraries

by replacement of the existing member file. At no time are the library files editable within

the existing, current project.

This is as designed, and library part files are not usually considered an issue. However,

assembly files that are stored in a library folder location will also be regarded as read-


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only, and changes to the assembly including 3-D constraints, will be ignored on save.

Figure 3 is an illustration of a subassembly stored in a Library Folder.

While the top-level assembly is editable because that assembly is stored in the

workspace area of the project, the subassembly shown on the screen is not editable

because it was placed into the top-level assembly from a library location. While

additional parts may be constrained to the subassembly, adding additional parts, editing

of constraints, or other operations are not possible inside the subassembly.

Figure 3: A subassembly located in a library folder cannot be edited.

Editable Files

Editable files are stored in the workspace location. The workspace location will contain all parts

unique to a particular job, and may contain additional subfolders that will store reusable (but still

editable) parts and assembly files. There will only be one workspace folder (including

subfolders) defined within a project. Figure 4, below, illustrates a single workspace location

called Designs, with related subfolders.


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Figure 4 shows an example of a Workspace (highlighted in yellow) that contains editable files.

Static (library and Content Center files) are highlighted in blue.

Create Your Own Simplified Data File Structure

Your goal is to create a data structure that is as simple as possible (don't worry, you will have

plenty of time to complicate it later) that will accommodate your data storage needs and process

workflow. The data structure should be such that it will allow for expansion, and the duplication

of data folder structure for each new job.

Viewing the previous examples should give you some ideas for structuring your own data. The

key to success in designing a new structure will be to allow for three main folders where all of

your Inventor data will reside. Further, you will be in your best interest to name these mainfolders as follows:

Content Center - storage location for all generated Content Center members.


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Designs - workgroup location for all unique job files.

Libraries - storage location for reusable files and standard parts.

What about Projects??

Hold on, you are in this class to find out more about project files, right? You didn't sign up for

this class to learn data structure. You signed up because you want to know why your project

files don't work.

In the hundreds of training courses that I have presented through the years, virtually every

student, eager to learn everything there is to know about Autodesk Inventor, questions why I

spend so much time on project files before we ever make a part. By the end of the course, they

understand that without a good project file, they will be constantly frustrated because things do

not work the way they should.

In order to make your project files work, you need to know how they do what they do, and how

the project file looks at your data structure. Think of a project file as your tour guide, who knows

all the great locations, the quickest way to find them, and being a good tour guide, protects you

from yourself.

How a Project File Works

A project file is a data file that defines file paths and settings. Your project will behave

according to the paths and restrictions that you define.

The primary paths that are defined in a normally configured project file are:

Content Center - defined as an absolute file path. Example:

E:\Data\Engineering\CAD Files\Content Center.

Workspace - defined as a path relative to the location of the project file.ipj. Example:

Location of the IPJ file: E:\Data\Engineering\CAD Files\Designs.

Workspace location: [ . (Relative to E:\Data\Engineering\CAD Files\Designs) ]

Libraries - defined as an absolute file path. Example: E:\Data\CAD

Files\Engineering\Libraries.

Workgroup - the existence and location of the workgroup depends on the type of

project file that you are using. You can include a workgroup within a single user

project file. To create a workgroup search path within a single user project, you will

need to expand your view of the project paths by picking on the >> icon in the lower


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right corner of your projects dialog box. A defined workgroup can exist anywhere in a

shared folder outside of the project search path.

In a single user project, the location of the workspace and the path to the workgroup can not be

the same. The workgroup must be located outside of the current project path. If the workspace

is located on the server, you must make sure that your temporary file path is pointed to your

local workstation drive, otherwise network traffic will increase, and performance will suffer.

In a single user project, the workspace is defined by the location of the IPJ file. In the

single user project, you may define a workgroup anywhere outside of the workspace

path, including subfolders. The use of multiple workgroups is highly discouraged.

The use of multiple workgroups may result in file duplication and loss of performance.

When moving to Autodesk Vault, various restrictions will be placed upon your data

structure. Figure 5 illustrates the limitations placed on a Vault project file:

Figure 5: Creation of a Vault project does not allow the defining of workgroups.

In a Vault project, the location of the workspace must be pointed to a local workstation

drive location. In Vault Explorer, use this location when setting your "Working Folder".

When a file is checked out of Vault for editing, the file will be copied to the workspace,

where editing will occur.

When a new file is created in a Vault environment, you will create the file in the

workspace location in the proper subfolder of the workspace. The status of a newly

created file is neither checked in or checked out, and only exists outside of the Vault.

When the file is checked into the Vault, a copy is placed in the Vault filestore, and

referenced in the database.


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The file may be checked into the Vault, and remain checked out to the user. When this

is done, the file exists in two locations, until checked into the Vault and deleted in the

local workspace.

A Shared project type (legacy project type-to be phased out in a future release) is very

similar to a single user project type structure, in that all files are located on the server

along with the project file IPJ. Shared projects utilize the check-in and checkout to edit

functions for a similar to other multiuser projects, however files that are checked out

remain on the server, and are not copied down to the local workstation.

A Semi-Isolated project type (legacy project type-to be phased out in a future release) is

very similar to the Vault workflow, where upon check out, files are copied down to the

local Semi-Isolated Workspace. Duplicate files must be manually deleted from the local

drive.

Exercise: Create a Workable Data Structure.

Step One - Download the exercise installer located as part of a zip file, at this location:

http://design-excellence.com/AU2007

(the zip file will be available for download on November 15, 2007)

Step Two - Run the install program File Directory Exercise.exe. The installation program will

prompt for a drive and folder location. You may accept the default location, or change drive

letters and paths to place your exercises anywhere you wish. You may use this representative

data structure for the balance of this exercise, or you may create a new data structure, and

utilize the representative data structure as a reference.

Challenge:

The installer will create the same file structure, and will contain the same files illustrated in this

paper. Use the directory structure that is created, and modify or create folder paths to create

your own unique data structure.

1. Plan your structure on paper. Duplicate the folder structure and contents within the

created directory structure.

2. Add all of the files from a representative job that you have completed. Do not move thefiles from your current structure, but instead, copy the files to the exercise structure.

3. Pay special attention, and make sure that you copy all Content Center members from

your old structure to the appropriate locations in your exercise structure.
http://design-excellence.com/AU2007http://design-excellence.com/AU2007http://design-excellence.com/AU2007


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4. Copy all the libraries that you currently use, into your exercise structure.

5. Create a new Single User project file in the appropriate location within the exercise

structure. Choose the location of this project file carefully. Figure 6 illustrates the proper

location for the project file referenced in this paper.

Figure 6: Example location for this project file.

6. With no Inventor files open, and your newly created project set as the active project

(figure 7), examine the contents and the bottom window.

Figure 7: Default settings after project file creation.

7. In this example, the location of the project file is shown as illustrated in Figure 6. The

project type is shown as single user, there are no included project files. The StyleLibrary setting is defaulted to Read-Only.

8. The Style Library settings control how the external Styles Library will be used. There are

three settings for control of the Styles Library.


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Use the right mouse button (RMB) on the selected row to obtain the changeable settings for the

Styles Library. Options are explained below:

o Use Style Library = Yes allows the use of each of both the embedded styles

(located within the template used), or, the use of external styles located in the

current Styles Library. Setting this option to yes allows the active project user to

modify the settings in the current external Styles Library. Note:leaving a project

set to Yes is a dangerous thing in that any user can make modifications to the

external Styles Library. This setting should only be designated as yes in a

different project that only the CAD manager uses to create and modify styles.

o Day-to-day usage utilizing the external styles library should have this option set

to Read-Only.

o Use Style Library = No prevents the use of external style libraries, and only

allows access to styles stored in the template that was used to create the file.

9. Next, we will set the location for the Libraries subfolder. In our data structure example

you will notice that the Libraries are located on the same branch of the project tree as

Designs and Content Center. It is important to keep this parallel relationship in order for

the project to work correctly. RMB on the Libraries name and select Add Path as shownin the illustrations below:


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10. Folder options are used for the purpose of overriding the settings in the File tab of

Application Options. The settings in application options become the default locations for

all projects. Setting the folder options in the project file will override the default locations

only when in the active project. In this exercise, we will override the default setting forContent Center. If all project files will use the same Content Center location, then

change the path in Application Options.

RMB on Content Center and select Edit.

11. Frequently Used Subfolders are folders that exist within the project path workspace.

You may add quickly accessible folders to improve your working efficiency. Howeveradding too many folders may affect system performance. Your Frequently Used

Subfolders can be edited at any time to add or remove them from the list. Frequently

Used Subfolders function in a similar manner to bookmarks in your web browser. To

access the setting of frequently used subfolders, pick on the >> icon in the lower right


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corner of the project dialog box ( See Figure 14). In our representative exercise data

structure, we have three main subfolders of interest that would be good candidates for

"Frequently Used Subfolders" in this sample we have three main customers; Chrysler,

Ford, and GM.

Figure 12: RMB on Frequently Used Subfolders and select Add Path.

12. The Options section of the project file contains settings for the number of backup files or

Old Versions to Keep on Save (default is 1). Be sure to keep at least one backup for

every file that you create. If you leave the setting at default, then the backup file willupdate every time you save the file. A setting of zero (0) will prevent the saving of

backup files, a very dangerous situation. This setting may be adjusted at any time by

editing the project file.

13. The "Using Unique File Names settings will enforce the use of unique filenames every

time a new Inventor file is created. Leaving the setting at Yes will enforce good file

naming practice. Figure 13 identifies an icon that may be used to locate duplicate files

within the current project file paths.

Figure 13: Select on the icon that right to locate duplicate files within the project.

14. Configure your Content Center library databases, and make them available within

Inventor, by selecting the icon located just below the Find Duplicate Files icon. After

installing Content Center on your system, you will still need to configure Content Center

within your project file before Content Center will be accessible in Inventor.

15. To configure Content Center, Pick on the Icon shown in Figure 14. A dialog box willappear as shown in figure 15, allowing you to select individual libraries according to the

standards that you will need to use. To improve the performance of Content Center,

select only the libraries that you will need. Each library is selected and added to the

configuration one at a time, using the Add Library icon. If you will be creating a custom


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content library, then add the library called My Library. Figure 16 illustrates a typical

configuration.

Figure 14: project file configuration options Figure 15: Select Add Library to add libraries toyour configuration.

Figure 16: Select the library to add to your

configuration.Figure 17: a typical Content Center

configuration.

16. Your project file is complete. Pick Save, make sure that your newly created project file

is active, then pick Done. You are now ready to test your project.


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On File Open, the dialog box should look something like this:

Understanding the Resolve Link Dialog Box

There will be two reasons why you may encounter the file Resolve Link file resolution dialog

box:

You have an incorrectly active configured project file. If your project file paths are not

configured correctly, and you are encountering files that are not currently located in the

current project search path, then the resolution dialog box will appear every time you

open your file. The solution to this problem is to restructure your data files to fit your

project search paths, or to include the file search paths that are causing the problem

within your current project configuration.

You have recently moved or copied legacy Content Center or library folders and files into

your new data structure, and the old path locations are no longer available. Because the

assembly file that you are opening contains absolute path references to the old folder

structure, it will attempt to open the files in the old location. If the old location no longer

exists in its original path, then the Resolve Link dialog box will appear.

The only cure for these kinds of issues will be to utilize the file Resolve Link dialog box to

resolve the new locations within the assembly reference. When browsing to locate the file in the

new data structure, make sure that you are not merely referencing the same files in the legacy

location.


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Files contained in the workspace location path will be defined in that same assembly file

as relative paths. Only Content Center and libraries are defined with absolute paths.

When resolving files using in the dialog box, be sure to have the checkbox located in the

lower left active, so that other files requiring resolution will automatically search that

location. This will reduce the time you spend in the dialog box. Be sure to also expand

the Resolve Link dialog box so that you may use the Substitution Rule to help resolve

additional references in the assembly file.

If you have a properly structured search path configured in your project file, and properly

complete the file resolution process, then you will never see the dialog box again when

opening that assembly.

Important point to consider- if you create a good, working data structure, along

with a properly configured project file before you begin using Inventor, chances are you

will never encounter the resolution dialog box.

Additional Resources

The website link referenced on the title page will contain additional links, papers, exercises andan expanded version of this document. These links will be available by December 10th, 2007.

Some files will be available on the site prior to that date, so that you may do the exercises

outlined in this publication.

Additional references are available on the Autodesk website. Search on Inventor Project File

Help files on Projects are available in Inventor Help Search on "Project File".

A free Skill Builder Live Meeting session on projects will be available in January 2008, at:

http://teknigroup.com Event Calendar. Free Skill Builders are normally held every month.

You may also contact me directly regarding this subject by email: djeffrey@design-

excellence.com or by telephone at (260) 399-6615.
http://teknigroup.com/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://teknigroup.com/

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