CADPRO Systems

RectANGLE

2012-02-20T11:22:00.001+13:00

Just a quick and easy one here. If you get frustrated placing a rectangle and then having to delete constraints to adjust it's angle, use the 3-point rectangle tool. It allows you to place the first line on an angle which you can later constrain with a dimension.

Variable Pitch Auger Creation

2011-11-09T10:44:00.003+13:00

Recently one of our customers asked for a workflow to create a variable pitch Auger. Here is one process.

Variable Pitch Auger Workflow

1. Create cylinder or shaft for auger. Name parameter for diameter as "D"

2. Create workplane tangential to outside surface of cylinder.

3. Open "Parameters" and create a new unitless numeric parameter called "Num_revolutions" and give it a value of say, "6ul".

4. Create sketch on newly created plane and constrain endpoint to the centreline of the auger shaft. Draw a horizontal line extending outwards from this point and dimension it with the value PI*D*Num_revolutions. Draw a curve or series of lines and arcs to represent the change in pitch. In this example I have used a spline. The other sketch lines are just construction geometry and the dimensions on the left hand side are just to show the various pitches for each of the revolutions. This geometry can be contructed and dimensioned however you like. Finish the sketch.

5. Create a new 3d sketch and select "Project to Surface." Pick the outer face of the cylinder as the face, the curve in the 2d sketch as the curve, and depress the "Wrap to Surface" button. Click OK.

6. Create a workplane through the central axis of the cylinder, normal to the tangential plane you created earlier. Create a new sketch on this plane and project the endpoint of the wrapped 3d sketch into it. Draw a line to represent the height of the flighting.

7. Using the "Sweep" command, select the "Path and Guide Surface" option from the dropdown list. Pick the vertical line you drew as the profile, the 3d helix as the path, and the outer surface of the cylinder as the guide surface. This will create a surface that represents the flighting.

8. Using the thicken command, thicken the surface you just created to create the flighting. If this thicken fails, chances are it is because the flighting pitch is too small in some area.

The next step could be to split it up into segments to make it manufacturable. If you need ideas on this, give us a call.

Different strokes for different folks

2011-09-26T16:16:00.001+13:00

Level of Detail representations (or LODs) in Inventor can be very useful for a number of tasks. Most people who have used them are likely to have done so for the purpose of reducing the complexity of an assembly for performance reasons. When using them in this sense, components can be suppressed to prevent them from loading into memory or being visible in the display window. The BOM ignores the suppression however and treats them as active. This is great if that is the behaviour that you're after, but if you are creating LODs to represent various configurations of an assembly then you may want the BOM to ignore components that have been suppressed. Enter iLogic (and more importantly the Component.IsActive command).

Here are a series of screenshots to show both workflows.

Assembly of 3 components with BOM

Here you see an assembly that consists of 1 x Block A and 2 x Block B, which are shown in the BOM as you'd expect.

Now let's pretend we'd like to simplify the assembly (for performance reasons) by creating a new level of detail and simply suppressing one of the "B" blocks.

Assembly with B block suppressed for performance

The BOM quantity still shows 2 x Block B even though one has been supressed.

And now we'd like to simplify the assembly in the same way, but for configuration reasons and therefore, we want the BOM to reflect the assembly we see on the screen.

I first created a new LOD and then created an iLogic rule to suppress 1 of the "B" blocks using the following code:

Component.IsActive("PART B:2") = 0

And this is the result:

Assembly with B block suppressed to show a configuration

The BOM quantity shows 1 x B Block as a normal component and 1 x B Block as a reference component. The reference component will not show in a parts list so the drawing of this configuration will only show 1 x A Block and 1 x B Block on the drawing view as well as the parts list.

If you're on our CSP program and would like further explanation of this, give us a ring.

Displaying k-Factor on an Inventor drawing

2011-09-08T13:54:00.001+12:00

One of our customers recently asked us how they could display the k-factor for a sheet-metal part on a drawing. This is not as easy as pulling a parameter through to the drawing as the k-factor value is embedded in the sheet-metal style of the component. Using iLogic to access the inventor API, we created a custom iProperty and pushed the k-factor from the current sheet-metal style through to it. The iLogic rule code is shown below:

oCompDef = ThisDoc.Document.ComponentDefinition

kFac = oCompDef.UnfoldMethod.kFactor

iProperties.Value("Custom", "kFac") = kFac

This writes the k-factor value through to a custom iProperty called "kFac."

For those new to iLogic, to use this rule code you will first need to display the iLogic browser inside Inventor by clicking the "iLogic Browser" button on the "iLogic" panel of the "Manage" tab. It should appear on the left of the screen below your model browser.

Display iLogic Rule Browser

Click the "Rules" tab and right-click in the panel and select "Add Rule." Give the new rule a name. The rules editor will open and you can simply copy-paste the above code into the code window and click "Ok." The rule will fire immediately and create a new custom iproperty and populate it with the k-Factor value.

Custom iProperty created and populated by rule

From there, to put the k-Factor into a drawing you can place a text box from the "Annotate" tab and bring in the custom "kFac" property. You can also add a text label eg. "k-Factor" as normal text.

Insert custom iProperty in Text Box

And that's it.

Finished!

How important is your Vault data? Part2

2010-11-26T13:43:00.003+13:00

In our previous post we discussed some of the issues of protecting your Vault data, and highlighted the advantages of using ADMS backups.
What we wanted to do know is give you an example of an ADMS script, break it down so you can see how it works, and then give you helpful little utility to make it all the better.
In the Advanced Configuration Guide (all versions available from Advanced Configuration Guide for Autodesk data management server) you will find "Configuring Automatic Backups" and there it will describe how to set up a scheduled task, and it also gives and example batch file.
If we all had endless supplies of disk space, then using a cascaded backup would be no issue. Unfortunately for most users this is not the case.
Also the example makes no account of errors, so that if the backup script shown fails for 2 nights, there would be no backup left to go back to (on the 1st night B would be deleted and A moved to B, on the second night B would be deleted and there would be no A).
So we have done a little bit of work on the script , here it is with section explanations
First we set up variables. This means if we want to change the Backup folder from C: to D:, we need only change the set VltFld line to handle this
@echo off
REM **Set vault Folder reference
set VltFld=C:\Vault
REM **SET Backup Folder Names
REM **Set vault Backup root Folder reference
set VltBckFld=%VltFld%\Backups
REM **Set vault Backup Temp Folder reference
set VltBcktmpFld=TMP
REM **Set vault Backup Target Folder reference
set VltBckTgtFld=A
REM **Set vault Backup Cascade Folder reference
set VltBckCscFld=B
REM **Set vault Logs Folder reference
set VltLogFld=%VltFld%\Logs
REM **Set Temp Backup Log
set TmpLogFile=VaultBackupTmp.log
REM **Set Target backup log
set TgtLogFile=VaultBackup.log
When a Vault backup is run, a folder called VaultBackupxxxxxxxx is created, where the xxxxxxx is today's Date and time. this means we never know what the folder is going to be called. By housing the backup in a Folder we definitely know the name of, we can then control its deletion and creation. So we Create folders A & B to hold the last and last but one backup
At this point we remove the Cascaded backup folder. If you are going to run a one backup folder system, Either REM the rmdir /Q /S %VltBckFld%\%VltBckCscFld% and the later line ren %VltBckFld%\%VltBckTgtFld% %VltBckcscFld% that moves the old A to B
REM **Remove and the Cascaded Backup
rmdir /Q /S %VltBckFld%\%VltBckCscFld%
If the last backup failed for some reason, we may still have our temp holding folder that we need to get rid of.
REM **Remove (in case) and recreate temp Holding Folder for Backup
rmdir /Q /S %VltBckFld%\%VltBckTmpFld%
mkdir %VltBckFld%\%VltBckTmpFld%
We get rid of any old log files
REM **Delete old Log files
del %VltlogFld%\%TmpLogFile%
del %VltlogFld%\%TgtLogFile%
Now run the vault backup to our temporary folder. By creating a log file, we can later test to see if the backup finished or crashed out
REM **Backup up to temp folder location and to temp log file
"C:\Program Files\Autodesk\ADMS 2011\ADMS Console\Connectivity.ADMSConsole.exe" -Obackup -S -DBSC -B%VltBckFld%\%VltBckTmpFld% -VUAdministrator -VP -L%VltlogFld%\%TmpLogFile%
We check to see if the backup log file was created. this gives us a decent check on whether the backup managed to run. If there was an error but the log file was created, we will see this in the log contents.
REM **If the backup failed, there will be no log folder,
IF EXIST %VltlogFld%\%TmpLogFile% GOTO SUCCESS
REM **If we are here, the backup failed, pass in the excpected log file,
REM **the email script will see this is missing
REM **and react accordingly
call EmailLogs.bat %VltlogFld%\%TgtLogFile%
GOTO FINISH
If the backup succeeded we can rename folders and log files (as mentioned previously, if not using a cascaded backup, REM out the A to B line)
:SUCCESS
REM **Rename backup folders
REM **Rename A to B
ren %VltBckFld%\%VltBckTgtFld% %VltBckcscFld%
REM **Rename TMP to A
ren %VltBckFld%\%VltBckTmpFld% %VltBckTgtFld%
REM **Rename Backup Log
ren %VltlogFld%\%TmpLogFile% %TgtLogFile%
call EmailLogs.bat %VltlogFld%\%TgtLogFile%
GOTO FINISH
:FINISH

You will notice the 2 lines in the above that call EmailLogs.bat. this is a second batch file that handles informing the user of the status of the backup. To do the emailing you can use programs like Blat, but we have seen some issues with Exchange 2007, so we have written our own little mailer, CPS.MiniMailer to handle this task. You are welcome to use this and let us have feedback on any issues.

The MiniMailer config file (CPS.MiniMailer.exe.config) contains sections for all the below. By setting them in the config, you can omit them from the batch file (see this post Command Line Mailer for fuller explanation on this)

@echo off

:::::::::::::: Lets set some variables ::::::::::::::
REM **Apart from the attachment, the rest of these variables
REM **can be set in teh mini mailer configuration if required
set attach=%1
set eMailto=-t greg.h@cadpro.co.nz
set eMailfrom=-f greg.h@cadpro.co.nz
set subj=-sub "Vault Server Backup Log"
set server=-srv 192.168.88.1
set body=-b "Vault Backup Log File"
We try to find the log file (which was passed as the 1st parameter to the batch file)
::::::::::::::::: Now we run Email Sender:::::::::::::::::
IF EXIST %attach% GOTO MAILLOG
REM **Rest teh subject to an error ttype
set subj=-sub "Vault Server Backup Error"
"CPS.MiniMailer.exe" %eMailto% %eMailfrom% %subj% %body% %server%
GOTO FINISH
:MAILLOG
"CPS.MiniMailer.exe" %eMailto% %eMailfrom% %subj% %body% %server% -a %attach%
:FINISH

What you should find is that when you run the VaultBackup.bat file, you should get an email upon completion. If the process failed (which is easily simulated by leaving ADMS console open and running the batch file) you will see a subject of "Vault Server Backup Error", if it completes you will have a copy of the log file attached.

You can download the batch files and command line mailer from here Vault Backup Utilities

The above are by no means the last word on this subject, but hopefully they give you some ideas and start points for you to move on from.

Command Line Mailer

2010-11-26T12:58:00.009+13:00

For a lot of situations, a command line emailer comes in really useful

In the past I have used Blat, which has suited my needs perfectly. However in recent times, I have had more and more issues with Exchange and firewalls, so decided to see if I could write one for my needs.
And so came about CPS.MiniMailer. Its not very sophisticated (yet) but it does allow me to send mails through our Exchange 2008 server, as well as Google Mail.
Heres a breakdown of the switches

CPS.MiniMailer.exe
	-h	Displays list of switches
	-srv	SMTP server address or name
	-p	SMTP Port number
	-t	Mail To (multiple addresses separated by commas
	-f	Mail From
	-sub	Subject (enclose sentence in double quotes)
	-b	Body (if HTML mail, can be html formatted string)
	-du	Domain user (Exchange) or user name (GMail etc)
	-dp	password for -du
	-html	1 for HTML formatted mail, 0 for plain text
	-a	Attachments, surround paths with double quotes, multiple files separated by comma's

With the mailer comes a config file, CPS.MiniMailer.exe.config and all the above values (apart from attachments) can be preset there, really useful for Mail server and user name. However if you pass in a switch, this will override the config value with your switch one, really useful for subject, body etc.
To edit the config file, open it into notepad, and find the relevant setting (so for the From setting we would look for <setting="From" serializeAs="String"> )and then edit the the text between the <value> and </value> tags.

An example of a command line (or batch file) using GMail is
CPS.MiniMailer.exe -srv smtp.gmail.com -p 587 -f mylogin@gmail.com -t blogs@cadpro.co.nz -sub "Test Gmail Mail" -du mylogin@gmail.com -dp myPassword
And for exchange

CPS.MiniMailer.exe -srv myExhcnageSrv -p 25 -f myname@mycompany.com -t blogs@cadpro.co.nz -sub "Test ExchangeMail" -du myDomainName -dp myDomainPassword

You can download the mailer from CADPRO Systems MiniMailer Utility

Please post any questions or comments, and when changes are made we'll append to this blog

How important is your Vault data?

2010-11-19T14:56:00.000+13:00

When looking at any design, one of the costliest items involved is creating the design data. Whether that be 3D Models, 2D Drawings or any other supporting documentation, it all takes time to create and therefore has a value. Safeguarding that data should be of paramount importance and members of most organisations will have IT resources that handle this. For smaller outfits (especially contractors) this a task that gets done whenever it is remembered and is seen as more of a necessary evil. (The important word here is necessary).

There are many programs out there to handle backing up of data (Microsoft have their built in Windows Backup for small users, then Backup Exec, Veritas etc. for server backups) but when it comes to Vault there are some issues with backing up the SQL databases, as these are seen as in use files, and unless you have a SQL agent for you backup software, the all important databases will be missing when you come to restore. And if you do have SQL agents, once all files are restored there are permissions and passwords to be sorted out.

Enter the Autodesk Data Management Server (ADMS) console backup. This gives a dataset that can be easily restored through the ADMS console. When this is done, ADMS sorts out all the permissions and passwords (and can even relocate databases and file stores in the event of disk reconfiguration).

So why doesn't everyone use ADMS Backup? Well there is one issue and that’s space. The backup dataset consists of SQL backups of the Vault databases, and a replica of the file store, thus a double up of your working data. This can be a stumbling block for many IT resources, as it’s extra “wasted” disk space that could be used for other tasks, or needs to be purchased.

However, when we look at the title of this article, is that disk space more important than the years of design data it could be protecting?

Another factor to consider when planning you data protection is disaster recovery (DR), a subject close to many New Zealanders hearts with recent earthquake activity. Disaster recovery should be planned for a disaster, so not just replacing a data disk, but an entire server replacement. Simulate this by trying to recover your data to a whole new server (with machine virtualisation these tests are much easier to carry out than before). Not only will this give you a procedure to follow, but it is a good test of your backup validity. Try and run a DR simulation at least once a year, just to keep testing recovery from those backups (usually a really good idea just before upgrade time)

In our next article, we’ll look at Vault backup strategies and scripts, along with some interesting use of batch files.

Its in the Cloud

2010-11-19T08:24:00.000+13:00

No not an All About Eve song (for those old enough to remember) but Inventor Optimisation technology Preview 4.
In a nutshell, Inventor Optimisation lets you run FEA simulation on parts and assemblies, taking into account multiple configurations of feature sizes. this enables the designer to find out optimal materials and sizes to minimise boundary conditions whilst still meeting all design criteria.
"But my machine hasn't got the power for that" I hear you cry. Fear not, as the calculations are all Cloud based, no processing is done on your PC (in fact you can shut Inventor down and carry on other tasks while the analysis is running.)
"But I've not got Inventor Simulation or Pro" I hear you cry further. Again no fear, Inventor Optimisation preview will run in Inventor Suite 2011 as well as Inventor Professional 2011

If the above hasn't done enough to gain your interest check out this video Inventor Optimisation TP 4 and goto to labs to download Inventor Optimization on Autodesk Labs

Share your Vault Settings

2010-11-15T16:45:00.000+13:00

Wouldn't it be nice if you could share your Vault searches with other users, and also make sure you have a backup copy so that if your PC blows up, or after an upgrade you still have your default settings.
Well Doug Redmond has been working on this very thing, enter Project Thunderdome. This nifty little utility will allow you to store and share your searches and plugins for use with other usres as well.
Check out Doug's blog, All Just Ones and Zeros, or go straight to Project Thunderdome

When did I check that in?

2010-11-02T08:25:00.001+13:00

We are getting quiet a few enquiries on the Check in date reading 01/01/0001.

So it seems Are Autodesk.
We have seen this date only on files that have been checked out, when they are checked back in again the date is formatted correctly. Autodesk have a blog thread here Check in date is wrong.
If you experience any problems with this then please let us know (post to this thread).

Autodesk AutoCAD Inventor 2011 Service Pack 1 Available

2010-08-31T07:50:00.001+12:00

The Inventor Service Pack 1 is now available here: Inventor 2011 Service Pack 1

It is recommended to view the summary of the service pack for crucial Install information, this can be seen here Inventor 2011 SP1 Readme

New CADPRO website unveiled

2010-08-31T07:40:00.000+12:00

We've got a new look to our website with some really cool New Zealand landscape images (some of them provided by our own Piotr Zurek). Check it out at http://www.cadpro.co.nz/

3D or not 3D, that is the question.

2010-07-19T15:08:00.000+12:00

If you've ever wanted to slap some dimensions on your model and take a quick screen grab to show design intent then labs has the tool for you. the new The 3D Annotation for Inventor technology preview allows the Inventor user to apply 3D Annotations: dimensions, geometric tolerances, surface finish symbols, datum symbols, and notes to a part model, which are then displayed in the graphics view. check out this technology preview at 3D Annotation for Inventor

Factory Design Suite brings 3D Plant Layouts In Inventor

2010-06-28T15:16:00.001+12:00

Need better Factory design visibility?. Having problems with huge models to represent your plant.? Want to do fly through's and walk around's of your shop floor?. Until now achieving this in a parametric system has been a non starter. But now its achievable. Using Autodesk technologies you can now mix the best worlds of 2D plant layout, 3D plant design and 4D plant Navigation
Check out the following page Autodesk Factory Design Suites for product details, or these videos to learn more Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3

Feature Manager for Inventor

2010-06-25T11:55:00.000+12:00

Once again Autodesk Labs have come up with more free utilities. If you have ever wanted to apply an Assembly feature to a part, now you can. Have a look at this new download (and other cool utilities) here FeatureManager for Inventor

ADMS Asks for reboot before installnig

2010-06-15T13:36:00.000+12:00

If you're finding that the ADMS pre-checks tell you that you need a reboot, and no matter how many times you try it still asks for one then you're not alone. heck out this pots from the Vault support team
Vault Server Install- Reboot Needed?

Get Off My Property, Or Not?

2010-06-11T07:55:00.001+12:00

We get asked a lot whether we can default properties to known values. this has always been easy by setting the properties in the template. Almost as often we get asked Can we check that properties have been filled in. this is a little harder as its needed custom scripts written. Now with iLogic in Inventor 2011 the has been made easy. Check out Rob Cohee's video on YouTube

ReCycling the Vault

2010-04-22T09:17:00.000+12:00

How many times have you though about deleting a file from Vault, then thought better of it. Or even worse, deleted a file then needed it later, only to find that when Vault deletes a file its really gone (necessitating a nifty SQL restore of a backup database to find the File store name for the files you deleted, then finding the files in the backed up file store)
Well worry no more.
Doug Redmond, Software Engineer at Autodesk, has delivered 2 utilities to address the issue.
The Recycle utility shows a great use of Lifecycle states to identify unwanted documents, and probably more important the Restore method to get your documents back

Check out Doug's blog articles on these The Recycle bin, Recycle Bin v1.1 and Restore Recycled

CADPRO 2011 Manufacturing Solutions Launch Events

2010-03-29T12:36:00.000+13:00

Manufacturing Solutions - 2011 Product Launch Events

Autodesk and CADPRO are hosting two official launch events this year for Autodesk Manufacturing Solutions 2011.

EVENT REGISTRATION	LOCATION & MAP	DETAILS
Register for Auckland Event Morning session for ALL Manufacturing Solutions customers. Product overview & Autodesk presentations. Digital Prototyping Live! Interactive afternoon session	Trust Stadium Henderson (same location)	Monday April 12th 2010 Time 8:30 - 12:30pm Light lunch included Monday April 12th 2010 Time 1:30 - 4:30pm

Register for Christchurch Event	Antarctic Center CHCH Airport	Tuesday April 13th 2010 Time 1:30 - 4:30pm Canapes and drinks
Free parking available at both events

For manufacturing designers and engineers, Autodesk Digital Prototyping Live is this year's must attend event.

Learn how Autodesk® Inventor® 2011 software takes you beyond 3D to Digital Prototyping with:

State-of-the art visualisation at the touch of a button.
Simulation for structural frames.
New direct modeling technology that unites direct and parametric workflows within a single digital model.

Along with Autodesk Inventor see how Autodesk Inventor Publisher, Autodesk® Alias® Design and Autodesk® Vault can help you:

Create high-impact product documentation that provides downstream customers with clearer and more comprehensive technical instructions.
Capture ideas digitally from initial sketches to 3D concept models.
Create and share information by securely organizing, managing, and tracking data from a central location.

Be one of the first to experience the revolutionary design capabilities of Autodesk products and how they can help your company turn today's design challenges into tomorrow's business opportunities.

Design it. Visualise it. Simulate it.

Inventor 2011 Launches

2010-03-26T12:37:00.001+13:00

That's right, today Autodesk is launching the 2011 design software products including Autodesk Inventor, AutoCAD, Autodesk Revit, Autodesk 3ds Max and more.

So whats new you ask? Well here are just a few of the new enhancements in Inventor 2011.
Dramatic Ease of Use Improvements

Direct Manipulation with real-time previews
Dynamic Input for Sketching
New Assemble Tool

Design Automation / Design Efficiency

Integration of iLogic
Interoperable with Inventor Fusion
Many new drawing enhancements

Enhanced Visualization

Realistic rendering in the modeling environment
New display modes
Consistent materials when sharing models with Showcase, AutoCAD, Revit and 3ds Max

There is a whole lot more than this in Autodesk Inventor 2011 to take a look at the following Whats New for a deeper dive.
Enjoy!

Problems accessing Vault and Content Centre

2010-02-17T09:59:00.001+13:00

When trying to access Vault or Content centre, you may receive an Error along the lines of

Autodesk Inventor.xxxs is not compatible with the Autodesk Data Management server hosting the following server applications: Vault server version xx.x.xx.x

Now this could be due to the fact you are trying to access an ADMS 2009 server from a Vault 2010 client. However one other common problem is due to Anti Virus software getting in the way. Some AV systems block Web access by programs, and as both Vault and Content Centre use HTTP to connect to the server this can be an issue.
One of the more common Anti Virus programs - NOD 32 - is easily fixed. Access the Settings options for your NOD 32 (most commonly this can be done by Right Mouse clicking on the System Tray icon). From the tree navigate to the Web Access Protection section. In here you will need to list all the programs that will use Vault and content Centre access (So most commonly these will be Vault.exe, Acad.exe, Inventor.exe and TaskScheduler.exe)

If you have come across similar issues with other Anti Virus software, or have any other questions on Vault connectivity issues let us know.

Easy Screenshots from Inventor

2010-02-17T08:38:00.000+13:00

Want to capture screen shots of your Inventor session quickly and easily.
If so check out the Labs Plugin of the Month.
With options to capture either the application, document window or a specific area, this makes saving quick images for review a doddle.
A good description of it can be seen here Screenshot for Inventor or you can download the application installer from the Autodesk Labs Plugin of the Month page

Happy snapping

Frame Generator and Quantities in a Drawing Parts List

2010-01-29T10:15:00.011+13:00

Issue
Frame generator creates unique parts for every component of a frame – even if elements are identical in all respects. Subsequent parts-lists on a drawing itemise every component making efficient documentation difficult. Inventor includes two standard parts-list configurations; Parts List and Material List, but neither provides a “component count”.
For the example below, there are a number of identical parts, yet both the Material List and Parts List itemise identical parts separately.

The following solution presents “component counting” and automatically separates components if they later become unique as a result of some modification at a part-level.

Solution

The default BOM for a Frame Generator assembly looks as follows:

The problem with the Parts List occurs because every component contains a unique “Part Number” iProperty (taken from the file name of the part). Inventor typically groups identical Part Numbers to create its component count.

By changing the “Part Number” iProperty to a combination of “Stock Number” + “Mass”, identical components can be grouped (and therefore counted) by the BOM editor and Parts list. (Mass is only used to differentiate between two parts that may be subtly different – i.e. where one part may have a small hole drilled in it.)

Copy the equation down by click-dragging the bottom-right corner of the part number cell (like filling a range of cells in Microsoft Excel ). Depending on the state of the assembly, the mass may read “N/A” – in which case save the assembly and use the “Update Mass Properties” – see below:

Switch to the Parts Only tab (and enable it) to see the result:

The “Parts List” in the drawing will now update correctly and “identical” components get the same item number:

Add the appropriate columns into the parts list:

ITEM = Item number (drawn from the assembly BOM)
ITEM QTY = “Number off” – the count of identical items
BASE QTY = Reads the “G_L” parameter – which is used for the cut-length of Frame Generator components. (This even updates correctly depending on the direction of endtreatments like mitres.)
QTY = Multiplies BASE QTY and ITEM QTY giving total stock required.

Renumber the Parts List and “Save Item Overrides to BOM”. Resulting drawing should now be as required.

Subsequent modification of any part will affect its mass – and therefore it becomes a unique item in the BOM parts list. (Depending on Inventor settings, a Save or “Update Mass properties of all rows” in BOM Editor may be necessary to update the Part Number iProperty.)

You can also see the last steps in the video. http://screencast.com/t/NWU4MmNlZ

Frame Generator Skill Builder

2010-01-26T07:33:00.000+13:00

This skill builder issued by Autodesk takes you through Authoring a part to Content Centre and then using that custom profile in Frame Generator

To look at this skill builder go to Use Custom Structural Content to Create Frames

To see an overview of other skill builders available including Design Optimisation using FEA follow Autodesk Inventor Skill Builders

CADPRO New Zealand Autodesk MFG Calendar 2010

2009-12-21T14:08:00.024+13:00

Once again the Autodesk Manufacturing Community in New Zealand have come together to release a showcase calendar for 2010. All modeled using Autodesk Digital Prototype tools and largely rendered using Autodesk Showcase, (with some AutoCAD Inventor Studio and 3D Studio Max) you are welcome to download a copy from CADPRO Calendar 2010

We would like to thank all our customers for taking the time and effort to provide us with their models and images.

If you would like to know more about any of the models, please post comments and we will endeavour to answer your questions.

Autocad Inventor Service Pack 2 released

2009-12-21T13:03:00.000+13:00

You can download the latest Service Pack from the following location: AutoCAD Inventor SP2

You must install Autodesk Inventor 2010, and apply Service Pack 1, before you can install Autodesk Inventor 2010 Service Pack 2. If you have previously installed the Subscription Advantage Pack for Autodesk Inventor 2010 in addition to Service Pack 1, ensure you download and install from the appropriate Autodesk Inventor 2010 SP2 Subscription Bonus Pack file instead of the appropriate Autodesk Inventor 2010 SP2 file.
This service pack updates Autodesk Inventor 2010 for all languages.

Tips and tricks - Sheet Metal Derived parts

2009-12-14T11:20:00.004+13:00

A quite common topic we get in support is that a sheet metal part has been created and the flat pattern generated no problem. Then a new part has been derived from it (an opposite hand version for instance) and when opened and the flat pattern is generated it fails. To all intents and purposes they are the same part, so why does the new one not work?

Generally the answer is to do with material thickness. The original part may have had its Sheet Metal thickness set in the Sheet Metal defaults option. The new part will be using the default Sheet Metal rule thickness. If these are different, the derived part will not be able to be flattened. Changing the sheet metal thicknss to match the orignal part solves the issue

Have a look at this short video to better explain the above Derived Sheet Metal

Inventor Publisher Technology Preview Available

2009-12-02T07:29:00.000+13:00

Autodesk Inventor Publisher Technology Preview is easy-to-use software for creating interactive 3D product documentation - from assembly instructions to operating procedures, repair instructions, and more. Inventor Publisher allows you to deliver clearer and more comprehensive technical instructions to your customers.

Inventor Publisher allows technical publication and illustration teams to leverage the same digital prototype created in Inventor that is used in the design to manufacturing process. You can work directly with 3D design models to clearly communicate technical information without the need to learn CAD software.

Visit the Labs website Inventor Publisher Technology Preview and an overview video here Inventor Publisher Overview

Metalform Tow & Collect CHARITY AUCTION

2009-11-30T08:43:00.000+13:00

Some of you may have seen this story on Fridays breakfast show.

At 21 months old, Greer Feck, of Dannevirke, was diagnosed with spinal cancer 6 months ago.
She has received chemotherapy in Aucklands Starship Hospital and is likely to undergo another 12 months of chemotherapy in Auckland and Palmerston North.
As this puts huge emotional and financial strain on a family, Metalform have decided to support the local community by donating the proceeds from a charity auction of a Tow and Collect to Greer Feck and her family.

The proceeds of the final bid from this auction will be presented to the Feck family on Friday 4th December.
Go to the Trade me Auction to bid.

How to change the Default View Labels in Inventor

2009-11-25T16:42:00.005+13:00

Have you ever got tired of having to choose between ANSI and ISO defaults, when really you want an amalgamation of the two? A common request is to have ISO section style, but with the ANSI view Text (in images below you want the section line as drawn, but you want the View Label to read Section A-A and Detail B ).

Watch this short recording Modify default Inventor View Labels on how to Modify the Default View labels for your standard.
Hope it Helps

Autodesk Vault 2010 Family Update 1 released

2009-11-18T15:41:00.001+13:00

Now released is the first update for Autodesk Vault 2010, Autodesk Vault Collaboration 2010, Autodesk Vault Manufacturing 2010 and Autodesk Vault Workgroup 2010 (both Server and Client). This update contains several roll ups of previously hotfixes, as well as new addressed issues. Find the update here Autodesk Vault Update 1

Toggle Vault Browser Pane.

2009-11-13T13:40:00.000+13:00

Ever wanted to quickly toggle between the Vault and Model Browser pane. If so here's a macro and keystoke addition you can look at. Toggle Vault/Model Browser

Plant 3D and Beyond

2009-11-13T12:00:00.001+13:00

There have been 2 new exciting announcements for Autodesk users in the Plant arena
First is the technology preview of their Piping design Product. this will allow users to validate and optimize piping systems via design and simulation tools. Check it out here Piping Design Labs Site and view the YouTube video here Piping design Video
Second is that Autodesk now have access to embed the ISOGEN Isometric generator in its Plant 3D product. Read a write up on this here Autodesk and Intergraph shock plant design sector
Exciting times in the Piping world

Disappearing Dialogs Using Multiple Monitors in Inventor

2009-10-30T14:58:00.000+13:00

Ever had your pc or laptop plugged into multiple monitors, then lost one and all the dialogs are on the OTHER screen. Here's an essential tip from Autodesks Justion Hoey Multiple Monitor Trouble

Sheet Metal Components for Content Centre

2009-10-29T14:28:00.000+13:00

Have you ever wanted to use Sheet metal sections with Frame Generator, that you can get Flat Patterns from?. Or just have standard sections in your Content libraries that you can call on and flatten. Check out this video Sheet Metal Components for Content Centre from Autodesk Technical Evangelist Rob Cohee. This is one of many demonstrations and tips Rob has produced. See more by subscribing to his YouTube channel

How to copy an ADMS Custom Library to Desktop Content

2009-10-29T14:01:00.001+13:00

If you using Inventor as part of a team and you have defined a Custom Content Centre Library, one issue can be how do you refer to that library when disconnected from the network. Inventor 2010 made this transition a lot easier with the Desktop Content technology. Watch this short video on how to copy a library locally, and which options to change to see that local file. Copy ADMS Content Library to Desktop Content

Inventor Fusion Change Manager

2009-10-27T08:21:00.002+13:00

Many of you will have already seen the power and flexibility of Inventor Fusion. It has now been extended even further with the Fusion Change Manager. See how you can easily Push/Pull an Inventor model in a synchronous environment, then realise those changes back to the parametric model.
Watch the video here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-vRcitlVUg
Visit the Autodesk Labs website here http://labs.autodesk.com/technologies/fusion/ to download the software.

Autodesk Announces Support for Windows 7

2009-10-23T13:50:00.000+13:00

Effective today Autodesk will support users on the new Windows 7 operating system.
The following is an excerpt from their recent press release.

For the 2010 product line, Autodesk will support nine products on Windows 7. These products are Autodesk Inventor 2010, Autodesk Inventor LT 2010, AutoCAD 2010, AutoCAD LT 2010, AutoCAD Architecture 2010, AutoCAD Electrical 2010, AutoCAD Mechanical 2010, AutoCAD MEP 2010 and Autodesk Algor Simulation 2010 software. Autodesk will support Windows 7 for most of its other products as updated versions are released.

To see the full press release http://pressreleases.autodesk.com/index.php?s=118&item=646
Also you can go to http://mfgcommunity.autodesk.com/blogs/blog/view/6/Autodesk_Announces_Support_for/

Controlling the AutoCAD version to Launch.

2009-10-20T09:53:00.000+13:00

Ever wondered why you can't change the version of AutoCAD to fire off when opening a file from Vault Explorer or Windows Explorer? Or even the wrong Application is launching?

This can be a common issue and is especially prevelant after installing new versions. Most times its not as simple as changing the file association, as Autodesk use the DWG Launcher to control the program and version that is opened. So how can you change this?

It seems the fail safe version is to do a registry modification.
As a note of caution, please treat modifying the registry with respect and if you are in any doubt, get the assistance of an IT professional.

Open RegEdit and navigate to the
[HKCU]\Software\Autodesk\DwgCommon\shellex\apps\ key

You can see above we have many programs installed that could be used to launch AutoCAD drawings. When you have identified the program you would like associated with DWG (in our case AutoCAD), make a note of the Key Name (the easiest way to to this is Right Mouse Click on the key and from the menu select the option "Copy Key Name"

Then select the "apps key" and note the Default field. If the wrong Application is being fired off, this will be different to your desired key name. Edit the Default and past in your previously copied Key Name.

Alternatively if the wrong version is being launched (AutoCAD 2009 instead of 2010), you can edit the values in the Key to point to the correct AutoCAD. If you do need to do this, it is very important to contact your VAR or Autodesk on the values to use. If you are still struggling, then please post a comment and we will endeavour to assist

We would like to thank John Evans for his post http://civil2inventor.wordpress.com/2009/07/06/autodesk-dwg-launcher-wigged-out-fix/ for much of the inspiration behind this post.

Free Software - Download Algor DesignCheck

2009-10-15T10:35:00.002+13:00

Every Autodesk Inventor user can experience the power of FEA simulation by downloading the free Autodesk Algor? DesignCheck software.

This free version of Algor? is an engineering simulation tool that provides linear static stress analysis of individual parts, allowing you to perform a first pass of design validation and optimization before manufacturing.
More information and downloads are available on:

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/pc/index?siteID=123112&id=13774182

Inventor 2010 Subscription Advantage Pack

2009-10-13T12:43:00.000+13:00

Get more from your Subscription and download the Inventor Advantage pack, free to all CSP Clients http://subscription.autodesk.com/ . See a preview on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MlYPoPOctQ

Inventor Fusion

2009-10-07T13:44:00.001+13:00

Heard about Inventor Fusion yet? If you haven't then read on. If you have, but want to know more read on. Inventor Fusion is a Technology preview that runs with any flavour of Inventor 2010. If you have heard the term "Synchronous technology" and wondered what it meant then looking at Fusion will explain all. To get the product and look at some sample videos, go to the Autodesk Labs website http://labs.autodesk.com/technologies/fusion/ To get an idea on where it can be used, check out the following article http://mfgcommunity.autodesk.com/blogs/blog/view/4/the_same_but_different/

CADPRO Systems Blog Launched

2009-10-07T12:04:00.001+13:00

Hi and Welcome to the 1st post on our new blog.
In a continuing effort to bring the important and relevant information to you from around CAD and engineering world we decided to create this blog so that you can have 1 source for all your CAD information. During the weeks we will be posting any items of interest we find from the many Autodesk and CAD related websites out there.

We hope you find the posts interesting and informative