Overview of projects

Projects are used to organize files and to maintain links between files. Using the Project wizard, you define a project for each design project so that you have access to design files and libraries and can maintain file references. After you create a project, you use the Project Editor to set options such as the number of file versions to keep when you save files.

A typical project might consist of parts and assemblies unique to the project, standard components that are unique to your company, and off-the-shelf components such as fasteners, fittings, or electrical components.

Note: Select Help in the Project Editor dialog box to get more help for using Project Editor.

What is a project file?

A project file is a text file with an .ipj extension. The file specifies the paths to the files in the project. To assure that links between files work properly, add the locations for all files to the project file before working on model files.

The project shortcut is located in the projects folder; the project file (.ipj) location is specified in the Project Wizard when the project is created.

When setting up your file structure, specify a projects folder to ensure that the shortcuts are added as you create new projects. If you create projects, and then change the location of projects folder, you must add shortcuts for the existing projects.

You can have as many projects as needed to manage your work.

Your design data is spread out over many files. Although each part, assembly, drawing, or presentation is stored in its own file, each of those files may reference one or more components and other assemblies.

Projects maintain cross-file reference dependency information, and make it possible to move, archive, and restructure the set of files that define a project.

To edit a project file, you can select the project in the File Projects dialog box and use the editing commands to add, remove, or change the file locations.

What is included in a project file?

When you create a project, you select the project type, which automatically designates either a shared location called a workgroup or a personal editing location called a workspace. In design teams that share files, the workgroup usually contains a folder structure with the data files. Many projects also specify one or more libraries, locations where files you reference but don't edit, are stored. Depending on the project type, a project file can contain the following sections:

Workspace	Specifies the location where you create, edit, and save files for vault, semi-isolated workspace, and single-user projects. In semi-isolated mode, a master project defines the shared location (workgroup) but does not contain a workspace.
Local search paths	Specifies locations for design experimentation. Do not use a local search path for design data.
Workgroup search paths	Shows the shared network locations where Autodesk Inventor searches for referenced files for shared and semi-isolated master projects. Files cannot be edited until they are checked out. Only one designer can check out and edit a file at a time.
Libraries	Shows the locations for standard parts, Mechanical Desktop components, iParts, or other named libraries. You can create libraries for any parts and assemblies that you reuse or share with other designers, but do not intend to edit.
Included path files	Specifies the path and name of another project file. In a semi-isolated workspace project, the semi-isolated master project is the included file. The included project file specifies the location of workgroup files or libraries on a network. Only one project file can be included.

Note: By default, projects use relative paths. In projects, a path is relative to the location of the project file (.ipj), which is located in either the workgroup or workspace.

How does a project file work?

The file locations in a project file work as search paths for Autodesk Inventor. When you open a file, Autodesk Inventor searches the paths specified in the active project file to find the file and any referenced files. The sections in the file set the search order. Within each section the paths are searched in the order in which they appear.

Note: If files with the same name exist in more than one search location, Autodesk Inventor opens the first file it finds.

What should I do to set up a project?

Set up a folder structure for your project before you create it and start a design. Base a project plan on the existing and future files associated with the project. Some guidelines for the folder structure are:

• 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).

Create a project before you start your design work so that the file referencing information is stored appropriately and reduces the possibility of file resolution problems.

1. Plan the project.
   • Consider the types of existing and future files associated with the project.
   • Determine whether the project files and libraries are located locally or on a network.
   • Determine which project type most closely fits the work situation for the particular project: vault, semi-isolated master, semi-isolated workspace, shared, or single-user. The correct multi-user mode will be set automatically when you select the project type.
2. Use the Project wizard to create the project in accordance with your project plan.
3. Use the Project Editor to set additional options, if desired.