Opening drawing detail from assy 1

[SolidCreative]

Is there any way to open a drawing directly from an assembly? right clicking the tree doesnt give me the open drawing option i liked so much in sw.

 

[mcgyvr]

Not built into Inventor but iassembly tools (an addin) has that functionality

http://www.cbliss.com/inventor/iCode/index.htm

It has been a request for some time but never adopted into the program

 

[SolidCreative]

I checked it out and it has some good options, but i found it could not open inventor dwg's only inventor idw's

 

[mcgyvr]

Yes it probably does not work with Inventor dwg's as it was written a while ago.

So your out of luck then

 

[SolidCreative]

"Autodesk" Get it together!!

 

[Azum]

This is one of the biggest failings with Inventor and IMHO shows a great lack of joined up thinking. Incidentally I have been lied to many times by VARs swearing it is possible to open a drawing directly when its not and even that it is possible if only you sign up to Vault when again in truth it is still not possible.
Its such a basic requirement I suspect there is a major software problem lurking somewhere that prevents it

 

[Azum]

Incidentally it would have been nice to open a drawing from a part as well without having to go looking for it

 

[mcgyvr]

Here is a macro for what you want

Sub OpenIDW()
On Error GoTo Oops

Dim oDoc As Document
Set oDoc = ThisApplication.ActiveDocument

Dim sFullFileName As String
sFullFileName = oDoc.FullFileName

Dim sDrawingName As String
sDrawingName = Left(sFullFileName, Len(sFullFileName) - 4) & ".idw"

Dim oDrawDoc As DrawingDocument
Set oDrawDoc = ThisApplication.Documents.Open(sDrawingName)

Exit Sub

Oops:
MsgBox "IDW File could not be found. FileName of IDW must be the same as this file.", vbInformation
End Sub

 

[mcgyvr]

Here is how to use it..
(Might not be the correct way but this is how I load them and make a button for them)

Copy the code above to notepad and save it as Openidw.bas
and save it in the Bin/Macros folder of the current inventor version you are on.


Then with no files open in Inventor go to "tools".."macro".."visual basic editor" then in the right hand window navigate to "ApplicationProject(should have the location of your project file or something like that) and expand the + next to modules. Then go to "File".."Import File" and select the Openidw.bas. Then save and close visual basic editor.
Then in inventor open your templates for both iam and ipt files and select "Tools".."Customize" and change to the Commands tab.. Scroll down in the list on the right for Macros. There you should see the newly loaded macro and by simply clicking it and holding down and dragging to a location on any of the toolbars you should be able to place it as a button..

..Please note I didn't write this code nor to I want to be held liable for any damage you do using it.. Use at your own risk...

 

[SolidCreative]

does this work for inventor .dwg's? The company i work for does not use idw

 

[SolidCreative]

if you change iwd to dwg it does work!

 

[mcgyvr]

I actually like this functionality a lot.

Why its not part of inventor already is beyond me.
Seems Autodesk is too busy copying Microsofts new Office 2007 type UI (Ribbon bar sytle program layout like Autocad 2009) that they just don't have time to add simple yet powerful features to the program and leave well enough alone.

 

[SolidCreative]

Anyone out there that can modify this so that drawing can be in a different location then the part file? "Personally, I know this isn’t a good idea, but some employers are just retarded"

 

[Azum]

Very interesting to see that it can be done
We have virtually dumped Inventor and have cancelled our subsciption and have bought two seats of Solidworks with Subscription.
Not totally due to the lack of ability to open drawings as there are plenty of other problems too but it was definatly one of the stupidities of the program that wound me up every day and led to the move
So well done mcgyvr and hard luck Autodesk. But for this you might have had two more seats with Subscription.