eltoraz / inventor_export

Project for Built By Newport to export part data from Autodesk Inventor projects to Epicor

This is a suite of VB.NET rules written for Built by Newport originally just to import parts from Autodesk Inventor into Epicor ERP. It's since expanded from the original spec to include exporting part/assembly bills of materials from Inventor, along with population of spreadsheets with data for quoting. I've tried to keep the business-specific logic separate from the Inventor API stuff for portability, but many of the details (especially the Inventor parameters used) are dictated by BBN operating procedure.

Just a warning: most of these modules probably won't compile under Visual Studio (etc.), since they use Inventor's iLogic syntax and API. They were tested and run on Inventor 2016.

This workflow supports part and assembly documents. Others may work too if they access Parameters via Document.ComponentDefinition.Parameters.UserParameters. BOM code paths are only defined for parts and assemblies though.

Configure Inventor to check the right directories to pull in all these external rules:

• Tools > Options > iLogic Configuration (may be in the dropdown rather than the ribbon)
• Add the Epicor, shared, Species, Quoting, and BOM directories separately under External Rule Directories (don't add the root git directory as a shortcut, or Inventor will unsuccessfully try to pull in everything, including the hundreds of objects in .git/!)
• The config file that contains these iLogic settings is located by default at C:\Users\Public\Documents\Autodesk\Inventor 2016\Design Data\iLogic\UI. If deploying to multiple clients, this can be setup on one machine and copied to the others, or copied to a network share and symlinked on the clients.

Place XML files in forms/ under Inventor's Design Data\iLogic\UI directory (default location: C:\Users\Public\Documents\Autodesk\Inventor 2016\). Inventor will generate *.state.xml files when the forms are opened for the first time. These don't need to be tracked, since they store form dimensions/positioning and are thus prone to frequent change. Inventor supports moving the Design Data folder from its settings menu; this includes relocating it to a network share. Note that each user does not maintain their own *.state.xml files, so resizing/moving the forms will persist to other clients using the networked Design Data.