CONCAST iSave V3

This Inventor AddOn supports designers in they’re daily business creating Parts, Assemblies and Drawings with Inventor.

What is CONCAST iSave for ?

CONCAST iSave will create or actualize (at every Save) some User-Properties automatically (see list below), checks if a valid material is selected for Part- and Sheet-Metal Documents.

Drawing-Documents User-Properties:
Part-Documents, Assembly Documents User-Properties:
General Usage:
  The look&feel of the iSave user interface and available information can be different. It depends on the type of Inventor document to be saved. The picture to the left shows the iSave GUI (Graphical User Interface) while saving a Assembly-Document. It shows you in general:
  • a prefix C, M or T
  • Inventor Document's file name
  • preview picture
  • the X- Y- and Z-dimensions (please note: this values correspond to inventor's origin axis)
  • input field for the 'DIM-MANUAL' user-property
  • Skip- and Save-Button
The document file name and the preview picture are useful helpers when many files from a Assembly-Document have to be saved. It makes it much easier for the designer to distinguish the individual files.

UserProperty 'DIM-MANUAL' (Part and Assembly):

The pictures to the right are showing the iSave GUI for a Part-Document. As you can see it is different than for the Assembly-Document. the GUI shows a ComboBox with all available materials. If no valid material for the part is selected the label 'Material' is RED and the 'Save + Exit' Button is not visible. So you have to select a valid material to proceed your work with iSave.
For Part-Documents the 'use MIN x MID x MAX' CheckBox is selected by default (see left picture). So in this case the value for the 'DIM-MANUAL' User-Property is 100x140x140.
You can also switch off the CheckBox and define your own string for 'DIM-MANUAL' (see the sample in the right picture). The field 'Result for DIM-MANUAL' gives you a preview of the calculated value.

This can be a plane string such as 'This is my value' - the value of the User-Property 'DIM-MANUAL' then will be 'This is my value' 		 


To add some intelligence you can use following Buttons to add constants (please note: the values will always be added to the end of the existing definition-string):
(please note: at the Save of the Document, this constants will be replaced with the actual values - other parts of your string will stay as is)



  After startup of the application the 3 Labels right to the Buttons 'dim X", 'dim Y' and 'dim Z' will show you the actual RangeBox values of X, Y and Z (please note: this RangeBox values are always relative to the Inventor origin axis).
The Label lower to the definition string text field in the Box 'Result for DIM-MANUAL' shows you the calculated result of your string ( = value of 'DIM-MANUAL' property) on the fly.
If 'use MIN x MID x MAX' CheckBox is unchecked and you enter a string like this:
ø<DIMY> mm x L= <DIMZ> mm the ‚Result for DIM-MANUAL' box calculates the result on the fly.
Press the 'Save + Exit Button and the result for the 'DIM-MANUAL' UserProperty will be: ø140 mm x L= 100 mm


And here's the clue:
this information (your definition-string) is written to the model, so every model will have it's own definition-string - they can be different.
Each time you save your model the value for the User-Property DIM-MANUAL will be re-calculated and actualized. You will ee the appliacations GUI just for a moment during the save event.
For example: if you change the dimensions of your model so that the RangeBox is different, on Save, the application will recalculate it and will update the User-Properties:
DIMX, DIMY, DIMZ, DIM-MANUAL, MATNTWEIGHTF and MATNTWEIGHTDIM.

Troubleshooting:
What happens if you find out that you're definition-sting is wrong or maybe any circumstances have changed so you need to re-define your definition-string ?
Solution: in Inventor's 'Parameter' Tab press the 'iSave' button. The iSave GUI will appear and allows you to edit every entry for the definition-string. 		 


  UserProperty 'DIM-MANUAL' (Sheet Metal Part):

In general for Sheet Metal Parts the possibilities are the same as for Parts/Assemblies.
If the actual file is a Sheet Metal Part the GUI shows a additional frame: 'Use Sheet Metal Part Flat Pattern' If none of the options in this frame is selected the application uses dimX, dimY and dimZ FROM THE PART (see RagneBox values next to the Buttons dimX, dimY and dimZ).
Select ether 'dimX x dimY x dimZ' or 'MIN x MID x MAX' option from 'Use Sheet Metal Flat Pattern', THE APPLICATION USES THE VALUES OF THE PARTS FLAT PATTERN, whereby 'dimX x dimY x dimZ' calculates the Flat Pattern RangeBox in X, Y and Z.
Using 'MIN x MID x MAX' calculates the Flat Pattern RangeBox and sorts the values in ascending order. If no Flat Pattern exists the application creates a Flat Pattern automatically.
Please note: Using the Flat Pattern values will disable all other Buttons and the definition string's input field. Press the 'Reset' Button to unselect both Option-Buttons in the 'Using Sheet Metal Flat Pattern' box - all Buttons and the definition strings input field are back enabled.


Using 'Skip' and 'Skip All' Function:

It is not always a need to define and write all the User-Properties.
if you do not want to create the User-Props just press the 'Skip' Button. Additional for Assemblies you can set the CheckBox 'Skip All' and for ALL OF THE DOCUEMTS IN THE ASSEMBLY iSave will NOT show up. Next time if you save your Assembly the iSave Dialog will show up again.

PLEASE NOTE: BE CAREFUL WITH THIS OPTION !
iSave is triggered by the Inventor's OnSaveDocument-Event. That means for a Assembly: only dirty Documents will fire this OnSaveDocument-Event! Before you deliver your design data please make sure that ALL Part- and Assembly-Documents contain the desired User-Properties. 		 





Thank you for using CONCAST iTube&Pipe. For any comments, feedback or enhancements please feel free to contact
Samuel Wepf