inventor project management

[ajlapp]

is there a neatly organized way to move an entire inventor project to another computer?

we're at the stage now where we want to start collaborating. we aren't on a network so we don't have a vault or network drive to access......is there an export function that packages all relevant files together?

thanks for any help.

[GMAdan]

Well you could put the inv. files in briefcases instead of a regular file then have master computer with the files and have the other computers update their briefcases from that master computer. But in that case you would have to put another briefcase in a stick drive or something to manually move the files to the other computers.
or
You can get an external usb hard drive and and usb multiplier and connect all the computers to that external hd and save the stuff in there

thats all i could come up with

[petek]

You can create a copy of Inventor projects using Pack and Go, which will duplicate the model and database files and maintain heirarchy. This will allow you to duplicate your project on multiple computers, but to work collaboratively with the same files, you'll have to be networked (or use Streamline, but that's a whole new ballgame, with $ attached).

I highly suggest Vault. It'll do it all for you, including updating to the latest versions of all parts.

[petek]

Originally Posted by 114ManualLabor

I highly suggest Vault. It'll do it all for you, including updating to the latest versions of all parts.

Vault is the best solution for Inventor file control in a multi-user project, but it requires network connection between each user and the server. You can (and arguably, should) install Vault on single-user installations by installing both the client and server on the same PC. In that case you have local file control on that PC, but for another user to check out or add a file to the server they would have to be connected to it via a network and have configured Vault on their PC to look for the Vault server on the other PC (via a network).

I haven't attempted it, I think is should be fairly easy to set up Vault using a local network with just a router, identify one person's PC as the server, and configure everyone else's to look for it when they plug into the router. If that does work, it would allow you to check files in and out while connected.

[Tom Bottiglieri]

Originally Posted by petek

I haven't attempted it, I think is should be fairly easy to set up Vault using a local network with just a router, identify one person's PC as the server, and configure everyone else's to look for it when they plug into the router. If that does work, it would allow you to check files in and out while connected.

This is what we are attempting to do. After getting knee deep in design revisions, we decided transferring files on a thumb drive WAS NOT the way to go. Vault is very nice software. The ability to check files in and out is priceless. I suggest every team who is serious about CAD look into this feature.