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Best PracticeInventor Project File and Vault Folder Structure

Autodesk Inventor Project File

▪ Locate the project file in Vault root folder $/

Relative path for Content Center Files

Relative path for custom libraries

▪ Create Inventor workspace as subfolder

Single entry point for Inventor designs

▪ “Content Center Files”

Using this name works with anylocalization

▪ “Designs”

Default name for Vault Autoloader

Equal name of IPJ file and workspace folder preferred by Vault Autoloader

▪ Single entry point for custom libraries

Expected setting for Vault Autoloader

“Neutral” name to adopt any other sub-folder/-libraries name

Basics | Naming Convention

Project File Configuration

▪ Best Practice – Single root for all custom libraries

Custom Libraries

Project File ConfigurationDetails

Working folderMapped to Vault

root ($)Source in local working folder

C:\<Working folder>\Templates\Design Data\Materials*.adsklib

Source in local working folderC:\<Working folder>\Templates\Design Data\Materials*.adsklib

Workspace

Libraries (Textures,

iFeatures, iLogicrules)

Mapped to Vault $/Libraries

Source in local working folderC:\<Working folder>\Templates\Inventor

Source in local working folderC:\<Working folder>\Content Center FilesMapped to Vault $/Content Center Files

Autodesk Inventor Project File

▪ Inventor Project File content may have changed over the years

▪ General recommendation

▪ After Inventor upgrade create a new IPJ file and replace the existing one (as a new revision)

Migration/Update

Vault Settings

▪ Enforce working folder location

▪ Makes all download options predicable

▪ Easy to maintain

▪ Allow common working folder syncsettings

▪ Enforce single project file

▪ Ease of use

▪ Required to flexible re-use data

▪ Secures consistent settings for allusers

Working Folder Options

Folder Structure

▪ Recommended folder structure reflects

▪ Autoloader compatibility

▪ PDMC workflows, like FDU

▪ Vault Data Standard

▪ iLogic

▪ Multi-Language and replicated environments

▪ Compare for reference:

▪ Inv-Samples database

▪ Vault Quickstart Samples

▪ MFG-2019-PRO-EN

▪ MFG-2020-PRO-EN

Material & Appearance

▪ Manage (Custom) Material & Appearance libraries alongside with other Design Data

▪ To keep the content under control use template lifecycle to manage states & permissions

Autodesk Inventor Templates

▪ Include templates subfolder

▪ Metric, English

▪ Add-ins use these based on units

▪ Include Design Data (complete)

▪ Include Presets

▪ new since Autodesk Inventor 2019

Note – 2020 Language switch option applies to Inventor default template path only

Managing Factory Assets

▪ Factory Asset Library Source

▪ Keep source files used for asset publication

▪ E.g., creating new variants

▪ Restrict to CAD Admins only

▪ Factory Asset Library

▪ Published Assets Packages

▪ Source for asset browser

▪ Factory Assets

▪ Consumed asset instances location

▪ “Hardcoded” path in ipj workspace

Managing Factory Assets

▪ Factory Configuration - Vault

▪ Defines path where Vault Factory Asset Library is located (server setting)

▪ Vault Factory Integration requires

▪ All Library Assets vaulted1

▪ Enforce single IPJ, used by

▪ AutoCAD FDU,

▪ Navisworks FDU

For detailed instructions how to setup Factory Configuration and Factory Options, please review Vault Factory Design best practice

Managing External iLogic Rules

▪ Centralized rules through Vault enable better use/update across teams

▪ Update path in Inventor accordingly

Recommendation – Include iLogic rule files in Vault Revision Management

Managing iLogic Setting

▪ Application Option reflect user access

▪ Use Vault to push application settings to any client

Recommendation – manage RulesOnEvents settings

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