Problem with Inventor's Projects

[jdiwnab]

I have a project for the our robot and put everything in there. Eventually, the one folder got confusing and so I put related parts in their own folder in the project folder. eg: the chassis frame parts in the folder called "chassis" is the folder "project". I put arm stuff in "arm" and I put the folder of the Virtural Kit of Parts in the project folder too. Put when I opened the main assembly that was directly in the project folder, some parts couldn't be found by Inventor. It put me in the right folder, but wouldn't select the part. I thought I had fixed it, but it happened every time I re-opened the main assembly. Inventor tells me that the selected item isn't in the current project, but it is in the right folder.

What's wrong here? This isn't a big problem, but is increadably anoying to have to reselect the parts everytime.

[Cory]

I think it's looking for each part inside of the main folder, but you've moved it into a sub folder, inside the main one.

This happens to me all the time when I insert a part, like a bearing, that I downloaded, and didn't put in the project folder.

[petek]

Ahhh... This is the part of Build Season I "love" the most: getting the Inventor file structure straightened out after a month of people moving things around.

First: Are the folders you've put the part files in in the path specified in the Project Workgroup Search Paths list? (Open->Projects->Workgroup Search Paths) If you are using the Default project, you probably don't have a workgroup search path listed; if you are using a project created for the robot design (like you should...) you will probably see a path to the directory that the files should reside in. If the new part folders are not in that directory or in sub-directories of it (folders inside the top folder), you need to either add the new folder paths to the search paths list, or move the folders inside the specified one. Otherwise you will always have Inventor confused (even more than usual).

If the paths are okay and you still have the problem, post back and I'll see what I can do to help further.

For more info on how this stuff should be set up, I suggest you start with the tutorials found at Open->Getting Started->Learn About Projects. More info specific to this problem may be found in the Inventor help files by searching for the "search paths" keyword.

[jdiwnab]

Inventor doesn't ask for any of the chassis frame parts, or some of the parts in the arm. I know it looks for more lost parts in the selectd folder, but sometimes it asks for two from the same folder, and sometimes, it skips a folder, but does get the parts. Is there a way to fix this without getting very confused in where parts are. I don't need to see "1x1x20 chassis front" but I do need to know where the new part I made is or where an important part I made before is. What I really want is a way to tell Inventor that all of the subfolders in the project folder are in the project, not just some of them.

The folders are all in the "Project" folder. It is a user made folder aka: a robotics project. And just now, it even asked for a part that was in the main folder directly! I realize that my folder will need major restructuring, but i don't want to redo everthing (the design people make me do that enough already )

[petek]

Originally Posted by jdiwnab

Inventor doesn't ask for any of the chassis frame parts, or some of the parts in the arm. I know it looks for more lost parts in the selectd folder, but sometimes it asks for two from the same folder, and sometimes, it skips a folder, but does get the parts. Is there a way to fix this without getting very confused in where parts are. I don't need to see "1x1x20 chassis front" but I do need to know where the new part I made is or where an important part I made before is. What I really want is a way to tell Inventor that all of the subfolders in the project folder are in the project, not just some of them.

So all of the parts are in the folder that the project file is in, or in subfolders of that folder? If you aren't sure which is the project file, it has a .ipj suffix and when you mouse over the project file Windows will tell you it is an "Autodesk Inventor (tm) Project Document".

[jdiwnab]

The project file is in the project folder and all the parts are in the project folder or in subfolder inside. But inventor acts like it can't find most parts not in the main folder and sometimes some that are in the main folder. Sorry if I am being confusing, I'm confused.

[petek]

Originally Posted by jdiwnab

The project file is in the project folder and all the parts are in the project folder or in subfolder inside. But inventor acts like it can't find most parts not in the main folder and sometimes some that are in the main folder. Sorry if I am being confusing, I'm confused.

That's okay - Inventor will do that to the best of us! You haven't by any chance re-named any of the files since you used them in the assembly, have you? If so, you will always have problems with those until you replace them in the assembly with the parts with the new names. If this is the case, you can use "Replace Component" in the assembly to point Inventor to the correct file.

There is a "shotgun" approach which I've used when the files have gotten completely screwed up - do a "Pack and Go" on the assembly to create a new directory of parts with the linkages (hopefully) fixed. This reduced the errors exporting a screwy robot assembly to VS Max from 544 to 4, but I would only do this as a last resort.

[jdiwnab]

I didn't rename anything. I might try "pack and go". I don't see it right now, but I haven't looked. Will copying the inventor project file to other folders help? Or does removing the exact same file (another project file for the same project) fix the problem. I'm not bad a modeling and get how that works, but it's Inventor's file system that is driving me nuts.

[petek]

Originally Posted by jdiwnab

I didn't rename anything. I might try "pack and go". I don't see it right now, but I haven't looked. Will copying the inventor project file to other folders help? Or does removing the exact same file (another project file for the same project) fix the problem. I'm not bad a modeling and get how that works, but it's Inventor's file system that is driving me nuts.

One thing I'm not clear on: can you get your assembly to open at all? If so after telling Inventor what parts to use, etc., once you have gotten it open, are all the parts there? If that's the case, you might try keeping track of which parts it chokes on during the open and replace them in the assembly (even with the same part) using the Replace Component function.

If you do want to do a Pack and Go, you run it from Windows by right-clicking on the assembly file (something.iam) and select Pack and Go from the contextual menu. Pack and Go has a pretty rudimentary GUI - not at all intuitive - I suggest you read the help file on it before you run it.

What Pack and Go does is create a duplicate set of files in a new directory (you have to specify the location), either duplicating the directory structure of the originals, or all in one directory (your option). Its primary purpose in life is to make your design portable - for posting to Streamline, for instance.

Do not copy the project file - it should only be in one location, unless you really want to trash the file database! You can make shortcuts to the project file, if you want, but that won't fix your problem.

[jdiwnab]

I re-placed componates, and it fixed some errors. it no longer asks for by breaker panel or the transmissions. but it still asks for a sprocket on the wheels and the wheels. I'll try to manage untill I am about done. Then I'll backup and try pack and go. That way, if I mess up, I won't loose everything. Thanks for you help petek.