Transcription

1 Smart Toolbox

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3 Introduction Smart Toolbox is a reply to the needs of Inventor users. When using the software, it becomes clear that some of the steps can be long and complex, so Smart Toolbox aims at helping the designer to overcome these obstacles by speeding up most common and repetitive tasks. The initial need to develop Smart toolbox came while collaborating with other companies and it became necessary to print and check many drawings. This task, however simple, required several hours of work and, taking into account that all designers have to print and check their designs, we decided to create a search, verify and print function. That was the beginning of this adventure: writing addin tools for Inventor. By analysing the needs of several companies new functions are created in order to reduce the time spent on unprofitable tasks, thus giving the designer more time to concentrate on other aspects of the project.

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5 Sommario Overview... 1 Installation and first use... 2 Creation of a new user... 3 Login and logout... 4 Drawing verification... 5 Filter management... 9 Drawing print Drawing exportation Resource management Save as Copy and replace... 21

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7 Overview Smart Toolbox is an extension of Autodesk Inventor. The program is presented as one of the normal functions of the software. tab. The available functions of each environment can be accessed by clicking on the Smart toolbox Smart Toolbox aims at providing Inventor users with a quick and efficient document-management system. The available functions are: Drawing verification Print drawing Export drawing to different format Drawing resources management Save as Copy and replace Centre dimension Select non-linked dimensions Select non- linked markings Select non- linked hole centres Select non- linked axes 1

8 Installation and first use The Smart Toolbox installation is an MSI package. When the MSI document is opened, Smart Toolbox becomes available on Inventor. The first time Smart Toolbox is accessed, the user must register in order to gain permission to use this tool for a trial period of 30 days. If already in possession of an account the user must log in. 2

9 Creation of a new user Creating a new user requires access to Internet 1. Click on the button Account management 2. Click on Create account 3. Type your address 4. Click on Create account After a few seconds, a window will inform the user that a confirmation code has been sent. An e- mail will be sent which includes the activation code for the account. 5. Click on Insert confirmation code. Type code received by 6. You will now be prompted to enter a password 7. Once the password is confirmed, the Login window will reappear 3

10 Login and logout Users are allowed to log in and out in order to move a Smart Toolbox licence between different computers (floating licences). Thus, in order to transfer a licence onto a different computer, the user will need to log out from the active computer before being able to login to a new one. These tasks can only be performed online, except logging into an account for which the user has already been authorised The logging in process allows to associate a single user's licences to a specific computer; logging out frees the licences so they can be used on a different computer. In order to log in: 1. Type address and password 2. Click on button 2 3. Wait for the login to complete. You can monitor the status on field 5 4. If you want to be login automatically next time you use Inventor, tick the box beside 6 before closing the window 5. Indicates user status Red: no verified user Yellow: user locally verified Green: remotely verified user To log out: 1. If you are logged in as a user, click on button 3 and wait for confirmation. Now you can access the account through any other computer Password recovery: 1. Click on button 4. Receive password remainder by 4

11 Drawing verification Function visualisation environment: Assembly This tool searches drawings linked to models, through filters, and verifies layout errors. This function start from a main assembly and checks all child parts and sub-assemblies. The components will be displayed if the model correspond to the search criteria. Once these models have been found, the program will search for drawings using same name as models, and drawing verification functions will become available. User interface Beginning of the search for the models that match the set 2. Activation and management of filters 3. Analysis of the selected drawings 4. Opening of the selected drawings 5. Rapid drawing visualisation filter 6. Exporting a list of documents in excel format 7. Printing selected drawings 8. Exporting selected drawings 5

12 9. Keeping a window on the foreground at all times 10. List of verified drawings 11. List of the drawings to be verified and of the models without Below is an example of how to use this function. Let's say we need to verify a set. The first step is to open the set, then: 1. Activate the Verifica disegni function, which will look like this In this example we are avoiding the use of filters, which will be explained later 2. Click on button 1 the set and all the models directly or indirectly connected are scanned. A progress bar will appear in the lower part of the window showing the model which is being searched. During the first analysis of a set, the models will be shown on list Once the models are scanned, the presence of drawings is verified. These are matched to a model through the name of the file; therefore, if a model had a name different from that of the drawing, it would not be found. 6

13 4. At the end of the task, the window will look like this As can be seen, the documents are listed in alphabetical order, and to each line corresponds a model. The image on the left shows the status of the drawing. The meaning of the icons is as follows: a. no drawing was found with a name matching that of the model b. the drawing was opened and there were no layout mistakes c. the model was modified and the drawing was not updated. This status does not necessarily mean that there is an error within the drawing; however, if there is a change in geometries, some quotes might lose their relationship with the model, causing an incorrect quote or for the view to no longer appear inside the sheet d. the drawing was saved after the model but was not verified (there might be errors in it) e. the drawing was verified and some errors were found. The errors that can be detected are as follows: No linked quotes No linked baloons No linked hole centers No linked axis Views outside the printable area 5. At this point it is possible to get an idea of the situation of the drawing. We could, for instance, create drawing for the models that have none by selecting the model and pressing button 4 to open it When a new drawing is added and saved, Smart Toolbox records it and matches it to a model. This causes the model icon to change. You will also notice that the model is moved from column 12 to column 11, because the drawing was opened and thus it is assumed that all necessary verifications and corrections have been made. Smart Toolbox remembers which designs were checked, therefore when the set is verified again the user can see what was checked and what was not. 7

14 6. Now we can verify the drawing without having to open them. Example: in order to check drawing , select it then click on button 3 The result shows that the design has no layout errors Now let's check drawing The result shows some errors. Select it and click on button 5 to open the drawing and correct the error, then save. When this is saved, Smart Toolbox updates the status of the drawing, and as it is correct it shows a green tick 7. If you need to move the models from column 11 to column 12, select the lines you need, then right-click and select Considera da verificare 8. The Filtro rapido allows the visualisation of some models only: Tutto: it shows all of the searched models Modelli senza disegni: it shows the models that do not have a matching drawings Modelli più recenti del disegno: it shows the models that have been modified after the last time the drawing was saved 9. Now let's repeat all the steps until we have corrected/created all the necessary models Other functions: Button 7: it exports a list from the set to the notes in your computer. This list is formatted so it can be copied on an Excel sheet. The Smart Toolbox list, unlike the Structured List and the Parts-only List provided by Inventor, is a mixed list; this means that the total quantity of each set and the total quantity of each detail will be shown in the same list. This function, which is still in Beta, exports the name of the file and the number of times it is repeated within the set being analysed. Buttons 8 and 9: these print and export the documents selected. 8

15 Filter management Filters are used to select models according to certain criteria. Filters allows to exclude a vast number of models for which drawings are not required, such as commercial products. The filter-management menu looks like the figure below. The green tick on the left side of a filter indicates that the model search will this parameter. Below menu separator, there are three commands: Create new filter Delete selected filter Make changes to selected filter Click on new filter, a new window appears to create selection criteria

16 1. Filter name 2. BoM filter is used to define model types to be included. e.g. we could select all types except Purchased. In this way all of the models that have Purchased as list model will be ignored 3. Include structural elements is used to select all of the elements such as the section profiles, which have been created through contents centre or frame generator. Sometimes the user may not want to create specific drawings for some section profiles which are used on the frame. This filter is used to exclude all these details. 4. Type of logic condition to be used between file name filters (see field 5). The applicable conditions are as follows: a. Include if at least one condition is true If at least one criteria is True then the model is selected. b. Include only if all the conditions are true In order for the model to be selected, all of the listed criteria must be satisfied. If even just one criterion is returned as False, this will stop the model from being visualised. c. Exclude if at least one condition is true If even just one criteria is True the model will be excluded. d. Exclude only if all the conditions are true In order for a model to be excluded, all criteria must be satisfied. Even if just one criteria is False, the model will be excluded. 5. Lists criterion to be applied 6. Adds a new selection criteria 7. Removes selected criteria 10

17 For this example, let's create a model that matches the one in the figure bellow After creating Filter 1 if close the window Filter 1 will be automatically activated. Now, if we analyse an Assembly, we will see that some documents are not selected (unless there are files with a name containing Smart toolbox ). In order to complete the exercise, we will eliminate the criterion related to the file name and execute the verification again. Now, all the models are visible, except the ones that have a list structure set as Purchased. Users are advised to familiarise themselves with this tool by trying out its functions. 11

18 Drawing print Function visualisation environment: Assembly This allows a user to print several drawing. The function can be visualized in two different ways: 1. From another function, for example Drawing checker, which will print only the selected drawings 2. From an assembly. This mode will search for all the models that depend directly or indirectly from the set. When a function is run, it analyses all of the drawings it has received in order to decide what type of sheet they must be printed on, so as to present them in a list that separates items depending on the sheet size needed. Every group of sheets contains the list of the drawing that match it. This way, users can decide on print settings for the group and/or which sheets they wish to print. 12

19 The image shows the Stampa disegni window 1. Print button 2. List of drawings and groups 3. Group of sheets 4. Drawing (every line represents one sheet; if the document is made up by several sheets, more lines will be visualised) 5. Print settings for the group of sheets selected The sheet groups can have two statuses, which are represented by either a green tick or a red X superimposed to the group icon: the red X means that it will not be possible to print as the necessary data has not been set the green tick means that the group has all of the necessary information to print 13

20 Drawing exportation Function visualization environment: Assembly This function allows users to convert Inventor drawing into DWG (see the Inventor export settings to create an.ini file) or PDF. This function can be visualized in two ways: 1. From another function, such as Verifica disegni, which will print only the selected designs 2. From an assembly. This mode searches all of the models that directly or indirectly depend on the assembly List of drawings; the ticked ones will be exported 2. Export of drawings in DWG format. The settings are dictated by the.ini file used 3. Export of PDF drawings. The settings are found in the PDF settings file 4. List of errors and warnings. It is possible to click on this icon only when there are issues during the export, as it shows the list of drawings that generated export problems. 5. It allows to keep the window in the foreground 6. It selects the file where to save the exported file 7. It adds to the file the number of pieces present in the initial set context. 8. Creation of files with the name of the material that matches the model; therefore, each design is exported into the file with the material that matches it 14

21 9. Export hierarchy: Nessuna exports all the documents, sets and parts, into the same file Assiemi e parti exports the sets into a Sottoassiemi and the parts into a Semilavorati file 10. Settings panel. Each tab represents a set for the exports In order to create a setting to export DWG files it will be necessary to export an.ini file from Inventor. The instructions are as follows: 1. Open a dwg or idw file 2. Select the File->Export->Export in DWG menu 3. Select Autocad File DWG from the export type 4. Click on Options to set the values as desired 5. Click on Next 15

22 6. Click on Save configuration and record the.ini document The document contains all of the information needed to export drawings 16

23 Resource management Function visualization environment: Assembly This function allows to replace the resources within the drawings. It is handy in order to uniform the designs to new formats, for example when title block are replaced List of warnings. This is available when there have been problems while replacing resources 2. It replaces the resources for the selected documents 3. It allows to keep the Gestione risorse in the foreground 4. List of drawings. The ticked ones will be processed 5. It shows the resources contained in the design selected in list 4 6. It allows to select the drawing from which to copy resources 7. It allows to manage the sketch symbols 8. It allows to manage the borders 9. It deleted unused title blocks 10. Rules to set borders This list is divided into two columns. The first, Formato foglio, shows the sheet format and the user can decide which border to associate to a format. This list can be modified only when dropdown menu 8 is not set on Non fare niente 11. It allows to select the cartouche to be activated on the various sheets. This menu can be activated only if drop-down menu 12 is not set on Do nothing. The list shows the new available cartouches and the user can choose which of these must be activated on the processed drawings. 17

24 12. It allows to manage title blocks 13. It allows to manage the format of the sheets Drop-down menus contain three items: Non fare niente: it does not consider this resource when updating Unisci: it adds new resources to the drawing. If two resouces have the same name, these are replaced with the new ones Usa nuove: it deletes old resources (the unused ones) and replaces them with new ones In order to use this function all the user needs to do, after activating it, is: 1. Select the drawings to which the user wants to associate the resources (4) 2. Select the drawing from which to copy the resouces (6) 3. Set the resources to be replaced, add etc. 4. Update (2) 5. Now the window will display a progress bar to show the status of the process 18

25 Save as Function visualization environment: Assembly and Part This function allows to save the active document with a name. If there are also a drawing and an presentation, these too are copied with the new name and are thus matched to the new model Name to associate to the new document and its correlated 2. Button to select the model 3. Button to select the design 4. Button to select the presentation 5. List of files contained in Work Space 6. Confirmation of operation and selection of Save 7. Cancel operations 8. It says to move all of the documents to the position chosen for the model To copy the document, after activating the function, the users needs to: 1. Choose a new name for the document without typing the extension If the chosen name matches an existing document, a red X will appear on the document icon to warn users that the task cannot be completed. This is to avoid accidental replacement of documents 2. Choose a new position for documents the position must be within the work space and can be different for each of the files available to 7 19

26 copy. For instance, we can have a model file where to place models and a file dedicated to drawings. To select the position it is necessary to select a document (see buttons 2 3 4) then click on the desired destination. If users wish to send all the documents to the same place, they need to tick option 8 and the documents will go to the same position in the model. 3. Save with button 6 Once the copy is finished, the new document is opened and placed on the foreground. 20

27 Copy and replace Function visualization environment: Assembly This function makes a copy of a document and replaces the instances selected in the set. Using this function, within the window, is the same as using Save as, so please refer to that part of the manual. The difference between these two functions is that the one explained in this page, rather than creating a copy of the model and of its correlated documents, replaces all the instances or the instances selected on a new document. To use this function, users need to 1. Select the instances they wish to replace 2. Run the function The function searches for all the instances of the selected model. If not all of them were selected, a window will open and ask whether the user wishes to replace all of the present instances. Now all the user needs to do is to decide whether to replace them all or only the ones selected. Abort task Copy all the istances Copy only selected istances 3. Follow the instructions for Save as Once the documents have been copied, the function will replace the instances in the set and, at the end, show the result. Important: if the name of the document is not correctly visualized in the Inventor browser, use the Rename browser names function 21