Plan your project, create the project, and then start your design work so that the file referencing information is stored appropriately. This sequence of tasks reduces the possibility of problems with file resolution.
Use a single project file
For present or future Autodesk Vault Basic compatibility, we recommend that you use a single project file to control all designs. This method prevents you from adding a library path or copying a file from another project. You gain:
- Simplicity You use the same project file for every design in your environment. You do not have to remember what project file to use with which data set. You have a single common location for all of your data.
- Reduced Resolution Failures Inventor can automatically search for any missing files throughout your entire data set. This practice greatly reduces the number of times you must manually locate missing files.
- Increased Design Reuse The reuse of other data from your current designs or vault is simplified.
Build a folder structure
Before you create a project, set up a folder structure based on the existing and future files that are associated with the project. Understand who can access the file data.
- Determine whether the project files and libraries are located locally or on a network.
- Follow your company standards and naming conventions for the project folders.
- If you plan to use existing files, set up a main folder for them.
- Set up subfolders under the project folder (workgroup or workspace).
Tips about directory folder structures
- If you use more than one project, keep them all under the projects folder. You can organize and group them by subfolder. Similarly, group all of your libraries under a common folder so they are easy to find.
- Within a given project, have exactly one subfolder for each project. Store the project file in that subfolder, and make that subfolder the project workspace. (The Project Editor defaults to create new projects according to this convention.) Locate all files that are specific to just one design under that workspace folder.
- Never define a workspace or workgroup that refers to a folder in some other project.
- Keep the directory structure under project locations (such as workspace, library, ) relatively flat. The more folder structure that exists, the harder it is to maintain unique names for all files under the project non-library locations.
- For better performance in projects with more than 50-100 files, make separate folders for parts, subassemblies, drawings, and so on.
- Place the top-level assemblies directly in the workspace folder.
- Set the Using Unique File Names option to true, and verify that every file under the workspace has a unique name. If you copy a file from one subfolder to another, give it a new name.
- If you move files between subfolders, in the Application Options dialog box, Save tab, check the option to save reference changes. Then open and save all top-level assemblies and drawings.
- Make sure the path definitions in the .ipj file are correct.
Determine the project type
There are two types of Project files: the Vault project file (for a shared workgroup environment where users share files) and the single user project file (for users not working in a workgroup).
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Recommendations for project types:
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Single User
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Vault
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Included file
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None
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None
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Workspace locations
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One defined at .\
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One defined at .\
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Workgroup locations
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None
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None
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Libraries
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One or more
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One or more not nested under workspace.
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We recommended that CAD Managers create an Autodesk Vault Basic project file to manage files in a shared environment. Users can check out a file and work on it in their individual local workspace. It also simplifies the process of renaming files and copying existing designs.
Set the project type when you create or edit a project. The type determines where files can be edited and saved, who has access to files, and check in and check out behavior.
Execute the project plan
Use the Project wizard to create the project in accordance with your project plan. The Project wizard creates a workspace in the same folder as the project file. If you change that setting, keep the workspace as subfolders of the folder containing the project file.
The default projects folder location is My Documents/Inventor, but you can change it to a different location.
Use the Project Editor to set any additional options.
Configure your project to include only libraries you use. Remove all unused Content Center libraries to reduce the amount of displayed data and to increase performance. (Libraries removed from the project remain on the server, and can be added to the project later).