Inventor: Manage Content Center and Library files with Upchain
Upchain recognizes when an assembly includes Inventor’s Content Center and Library files, collectively referred to here as CC/Lib files. There are differences that stem from whether the CC/Lib files were imported to Upchain using the CAD plugin for Inventor, Import data, CAD Importer, or the Generic plugin. There are further differences depending on what version of the CAD plugin was used to import CC/Lib files. These differences are described here.
Autodesk recommends that you register CC/Lib files in Upchain using the CAD plugin for Inventor or the CAD plugin's Settings > Import data, and not the CAD Importer or Generic plugin.
Autodesk also strongly recommends that you and all other users in your tenant import CC/Lib files from the Content Center folder specified in your Inventor project file. Read more in Inventor: Manage CC/Lib files from the Inventor project folder.
Add CC/Lib files to Upchain using the CAD plugin for Inventor or plugin Settings > Import data
When CC/Lib files are added to Upchain using the Upchain CAD plugin for Inventor, or Settings > Import data, the following behaviors are expected:
- The CC/Lib part file is uploaded into Upchain.
- The CC/Lib file is registered to an item with a status of Released, which effectively prevents it from being checked out and modified. However, its version is set to one (v1).
- The CC/Lib item is assigned an item number based on the item numbering rules configured for Purchased Mechanical Part items.
- The CC/Lib item has its major and minor revision set to X or XX based on the format chosen for the major and minor revision in the item numbering rules configured for Purchased Mechanical Part items.
- Upchain retains the CC/Lib item’s original file name so that Upchain recognizes other assemblies that reference the same CC/Lib files.
- Upchain assigns an item name that matches the file name. However, the item name is all in upper case letters regardless of the case of the letters in its file name.
- Once a CC/Lib part is uploaded and exists in Upchain, it is not uploaded again. Should any other user use the same CC/Lib part in a different assembly or project, the same item is inserted into the corresponding eBOM.
- CC/Lib files may have associated project files. Upchain does not manage project files.
The following table describes how common operations performed from either the CAD plugin or Upchain work with CC/Lib files:
| Operation | Upchain CAD plugin for Inventor | Upchain web |
|---|---|---|
| Create item | CC/Lib files in Upchain are automatically set to Released status, but with a version of one and major and minor revision set to X or XX. They retain their original file name as stored in Inventor. The item name is taken from the file name but is in all upper case letters. CC/Lib files are not locked. | Not applicable |
| Save | Not allowed | Not allowed |
| Copy | Not allowed from the cBOM view. | Not allowed |
| Check out | Not allowed. If check out is performed on a parent item, CC/Lib files are downloaded as a part of the assembly however there is no lock placed on the CC/Lib files. | Not applicable |
| New version | Not allowed | Not allowed |
| Clone as new item | Not allowed | Not allowed |
| Attach active CAD file | CC/Lib parts may be attached to an empty item however Upchain no longer treats the item as a CC/Lib part. It is registered as the same item type as specified for the empty item; follows the tenant’s numbering rule for the item type; and its status is set to Development. If you attach an assembly that contains CC/Lib parts, these will reside in Upchain as phantom items. |
Not applicable |
| Find item | CC/Lib parts may be attached to an empty item however Upchain no longer treats the item as a CC/Lib part. It is registered as the same item type as specified for the empty item; follows the tenant’s numbering rule for the item type; and status is set to Development. | Not allowed |
| Replace | Not allowed | Not allowed |
Enable Upchain to recognize CC files registered prior to Upchain 22.2 or with the CAD Importer/Generic plugin
In the following use cases, Content Center (CC) files are registered and managed in Upchain as a regular item.
- The CC file was registered in Upchain using CAD plugin for Inventor 21.4 or earlier.
- The CC file was registered using the Generic plugin, or the CAD Importer.
- The CC file was registered in Upchain using either Find Item from the cBOM view, or Attach active CAD file from the Project BOM view.
In order to ensure Upchain manages these files as CC files, you must check-in the CC files again using CAD plugin 22.2 for Inventor:
- Check out the CC file.
- Check it back in.
If check in succeeds, then:
- The CC’s filename reverts to its name as maintained in Inventor.
- Item type is set to Purchased Item.
- CC file is managed in Upchain as a Released item.
- The CC item will not have a lock immediately proceeding registration.
- The CC file remains associated with the original item.
If on check in the CC file’s original information could not be found, then:
- The CC file is registered in Upchain as a new item.
- In the BOM Anomaly window,
displays against the removed item. - The new item's type is set to Purchased Item type; is managed in Upchain as a Released item; and does not have a checkout lock immediately proceeding registration.
Suppressed CC/Lib files
Upchain manages both regular and suppressed versions of a CC/Lib component. When a part is or an assembly contains a suppressed CC/Lib file then Upchain:
- Adds the item as a Released item.
- Retains the name as recorded in Inventor.
- Upchain manages the suppressed CC file in the same way as other CC files.
Update CC/Lib files when upgrading to a new Inventor version
When upgrading to a new Inventor version, set the location of CC/Lib parts in the Inventor project file to their new location. Then when opening a registered assembly that contains CC/Lib parts, Inventor will simply load them from the new location and will automatically be at their newer CAD version.