Place a File or iFeature from Vault with the Inventor Vault Add-in

You can place a file or iFeature that is stored in the vault into the current project with the Place from Vault feature.

Place a File From Vault

1. Select Place from the Vault ribbon.

2. Note: To switch to the Place Component dialog box, click the Place Component button located under Quick Launch.

   In the Select File From Vault dialog box, locate and select one or more files in the current project.

   Note: You can resize the dialog box by left-clicking on a corner and dragging the window to the desired size. The new size will persist throughout the session.

   • From the Look in list, select a folder from the vault. The contents of the folder are displayed in the file list. Select a file from the list.

   • From the Saved Shortcuts, select a vault shortcut. Any shortcut that you have created are listed under My Shortcuts and shortcuts that are set by the administrator are listed under Distributed Shortcuts. If the shortcut is to a specific file, the file is selected in the file list. If the shortcut is to a directory in the vault, the files in the directory are displayed in the file list. Select a file.

     Note: Shortcuts can be managed within the Select File From Vault dialog box as well as in Autodesk Vault.

   • From the Saved Searches, select a search. Any search folders you have created using the Find dialog box are listed under My Searches and searches that are set by the administrator are listed under Distributed Searches. The search is performed and the results of the search are displayed in the file list. Select a file.

     Note: To interrupt a search that is in progress, right-click in the file list and then select Stop Search.

   • Autodesk Vault Professional users. From the Revision list, select the revision of the file. If multiple files are selected, this feature is disabled.

   • Autodesk Vault Professional users. Select the Released Biased check box to open the released version of the selected file revision instead of the latest version.

   • Click Find to locate a file in the vault. In the Find dialog box, enter the search criteria and then click Find. From the search results list, select the file to open and then click OK. The file is added to the file name field.

3. To place a component using iMate, select the Use iMate check box. The component will be placed and matched to a corresponding iMate.

   Note: For more information on placing components using iMate, see Place a component with an iMate in Autodesk Inventor Help.

4. Click Open.

5. Place instances of the file in the current Autodesk Inventor model.

6. Right-click and select Done from the context menu to finish placing files.

Place Primary Linked File or Virtual Component

You can place a primary linked file of an item or a virtual component that contains BOM properties into the current project.

By default, the file is placed as long as one exists. If you choose an item that does not have a primary linked file associated with it, then a virtual component is placed instead.

1. Select Place from the Vault ribbon.

2. In the Select File From Vault dialog box, locate and select one or more items.

   • From the Look For list, select items to restrict your searches to items in the vault.

   • From the Saved Shortcuts, select a vault shortcut. Any shortcut that you have created are listed under My Shortcuts and shortcuts that are set by the administrator are listed under Distributed Shortcuts. If the shortcut is to a specific item, the item is selected in the item list. If the shortcut is to a directory in the vault, the items in the directory are displayed. Select an item.

     Note: Shortcuts can be managed within the Select File From Vault dialog box as well as in Autodesk Vault.

   • From the Saved Searches, select a search. Any search folders you have created using the Find dialog box are listed under My Searches and searches that are set by the administrator are listed under Distributed Searches. The search is performed and the results of the search are displayed in the file list. Select an item.

     Note: To interrupt a search that is in progress, right-click in the file list and then select Stop Search.

   • Click Find to locate an item in the vault. In the Find dialog box, enter the search criteria and then click Find. From the search results list, select the item to place and then click OK. The item is added to the file name field.

3. To place a primary file linked to the item, select the drop-down arrow next to the Open button and select Place Primary File.

   The file is placed into the current project as a component .

4. To place a virtual component based on the item, select the drop-down arrow next to the Open button and select Place Virtual Component.

   The virtual component is placed into the current project.

   Note: If you click Open without specifying the type of component that you want to place, Vault automatically creates a file component if a file is associated with the item, else it creates a virtual component based on the item.

Place an iFeature from Vault

You can place an iFeature from Vault, allowing you to access your company's iFeature library from within the CAD application.

Place iFeature from Vault

1. Go to the Manage Ribbon tab and select Place iFeature from Vault from the Insert panel.

2. In the Select File From Vault dialog box, locate and select one or more files in the current project.

   Note: You can resize the dialog box by left-clicking on a corner and dragging the window to the desired size. The new size will persist throughout the session.

3. Locate the iFeature that you want to place by performing one of the following tasks:

   • From the Look in list, select the iFeature library folder in the vault. The contents of the folder are displayed in a list. Select an iFeature from the list.

   • From the Saved Shortcuts, select a vault shortcut. Any shortcut that you have created are listed under My Shortcuts and shortcuts that are set by the administrator are listed under Distributed Shortcuts. If the shortcut is to a specific iFeature, the iFeature is selected in the list. If the shortcut is to a library in the vault, the iFeatures in the library are displayed in the list. Select an iFeature.

     Note: Shortcuts can be managed within the Select File From Vault dialog box as well as in Autodesk Vault.

   • From the Saved Searches, select a search. Any search folders you have created using the Find dialog box are listed under My Searches and searches that are set by the administrator are listed under Distributed Searches. The search is performed and the results of the search are displayed in the list. Select an iFeature.

     Note: To interrupt a search that is in progress, right-click in the file list and then select Stop Search.

   • Click Find to locate an iFeature in the vault. In the Find dialog box, enter the search criteria and then click Find. From the search results list, select the iFeature to place and then click OK.

4. Click Open.

   The iFeature is placed into the current file.