7 Oct 2014

Can't move, promote or demote Inventor Content Center Part

When you insert certain content center parts in to an assembly you may find that there are certain functions not available to use on these parts. Inserting a tube and pipe fitting for example will insert an instance that has the restructuring commands disabled, promote/demote typically. Why? 
These parts are intended to be used in a tube and pipe assembly where these commands will break the functionality so are automatically limited. What happens though when these parts have been inserted as dumb components not in a tube and pipe assembly and you want this functionality.
This is where you can take advantage of the Inventor API and macro functionality.
The simple code below the image will loop through all the components in the assembly and remove any reorder command restrictions - be careful you don't run this on an assembly that is a tube and pipe run assembly though.  
 
 
 
Public Sub removedisabledcommands()

Dim odoc As AssemblyDocument
Set odoc = ThisApplication.ActiveDocument
Dim oOcc As ComponentOccurrence
   
For Each oOcc In odoc.ComponentDefinition.Occurrences
    If oOcc.DisabledActionTypes = kReorderAction Then
    oOcc.DisabledActionTypes = kNoAction
    End If
Next oOcc
End Sub
 
Alt+F11 for the Macro Editor to add this code (application project not document project)
Alt + F8 for the Macros list to access to run it in the application
 
Graham Harrison

Automatically Save Inventor Drawing to PDF


Want to save your Inventor drawing to PDF on every save? or DWF, DWG, or DXF?
Want the option to automatically save it to a different folder and add the revision, or any other property, to the name.

You can. All you need is Micro Concepts Inventor Tools installed and you can configure this functionality.
An add in to Inventor, Inventor Tools will add a new Micro Concepts ribbon to your toolbar.



 

You will find the configuration settings in the options - the button with the tick!

On the Drawing Options tab you can set the option to always create, on save, any combination of DWF, PDF, DXF, DWG. There is also an option to prompt you to create when save rather than automatically, or you can set it to manually create which will create the files when you select the Auto Snapshot command.


Nice and straightforward it remembers the last manual save options for these file types and uses those settings. So if you need an AutoCAD 2000 DWG format file automatically saved every time, just save it once manually and it will then be remembered as the format to use.

But how do you control where the PDF file is saved to?
Just go to the general options tab and here you can control the file location copying the existing folder hierarchy, or keep it in the same folder as the drawing file.



You have the option to replicate the file name exactly or you can append the revision, or any other property combination to the end of the filename. You can completely replace the Inventor filename with a different name for the PDF, if you have properties you want to use instead.

As well as drawings, there are also options on the assembly and part tabs to save out dwf and step files.

Available since Inventor 7 the Inventor Tools grow and evolve from the feedback of users. Any feedback is welcomed and encouraged.

Micro Concepts Inventor Tools is provided in the UK as a benefit of the Micro Concepts Support Contract.

Graham Harrison




16 Sept 2014

Inventor 2015 Service Pack 1



Autodesk have released the first service pack for Inventor 2015.

There are various fixes listed in the Readme, but the list extends beyond this as several of our customer reported issues which are now fixed although they haven't been documented

As always, Micro Concepts recommends to update to the latest version at your earliest convenience.

You can find the download here:

http://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/inventor-products/downloads/caas/downloads/content/autodesk-inventor-2015-service-pack-1.html?v=2015

9 Sept 2014

Vault 2015 R2 - Subscription Release


Autodesk has just announced the R2 subscription release of Vault 2015 Workgroup and Professional.

The main improvements to the vault functionality are:

Copy Design

New workflows and productivity enhancements, including reference-based copy, property and file behaviour management, automatic file numbering, and performance improvements.

Vault Office
 
A new client is avaliable which allows non designers to participate in document release and change order management 


Unified Lifecycles

Items can now have a company defined lifecycle path in the same manner as files. Categories, Numbering Scheme and Revisions can now be controlled.

For the full list of changes see the link below:


This new release should be regarded as an upgrade to the vault (the same as 2014 to 2015) not an update. Major changes to the Vault API means a full migration is needed after the install.

It should also be noted that some Vault Professional functionality has been removed:
  • Compare Bill of Materials
  • Item Import
  • Item Export
  • Item Package Service API’s
  • Purge Item
  • Purge
  • Purge All
  • Item Restore
  • Item Rollback Lifecycle State Change
  • Item Effectively
  • Restricting Item Lifecycle State Change to Change Orders
We recommend that you fully read the whats new information before committing to the upgrade.  

It is also good practise to install any version upgrades, such as this, to a test environment prior to upgrading your production Vault. You will need to test how your workflow procedures and processes will be affected and understand any changes that may be required. Further user instruction may be necessary on the new version.












14 Aug 2014

MC TOOLS - 2015.1


Within Inventor, MC Tools is an add in available to all our Support subscribers. A New version is now released and is available for download from the Support section of our website:

http://www.microconcepts.co.uk/members/downloads/

One of many useful functions in MC Tools is the Open Explorer tab. This button allows the user to browse straight to the windows folder where the model or drawing is saved without having to locate it - a much quicker and easier method if you're looking to get back to the same folder!





1 May 2014

DWG files - which version of AutoCAD?


Scenario:
You have been sent a dwg to work on and must send it back in the same format it was received, but you do not know which version of AutoCAD it was last saved in.

Solution:
- Right-click on the DWG and Open With Notepad
- Read the first 6 characters and match them to the following versions:

AC1027 - AutoCAD 2013, 2014, 2015
AC1024 - AutoCAD 2010, 2011, 2012
AC1021 - AutoCAD 2007, 2008, 2009
AC1018 - AutoCAD 2004, 2005, 2006
AC1015 - AutoCAD 2000, 2001, 2002
AC1014 - AutoCAD Release 14
AC1013 - AutoCAD Release 13
AC1009 - AutoCAD Release 11, 12
AC1006 - AutoCAD Release 10
AC1004 - AutoCAD Release 9
AC1003 - AutoCAD 2.6
AC1002 - AutoCAD 2.5

You can now save back to the nearest format.

SC

25 Apr 2014

Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems


In F1 one of the technologies uses is the KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems) also known as Hybrid Power System. The KERS are used within the automotive racing industry in order to reuse the kinetic energy under braking. This recovered energy is then stored in a flywheel or high voltage batteries. This is why when the system came into F1 the engineers were all spotted wearing protective gloves when attending to the cars. These systems are now also incorporated into public transport (such as the Cambridge Passenger/Commercial Vehicle Kinetic Energy recovery System.

KERS has tended to be at the higher end of the Motorsport industry, however now seems to be slowly moving towards making road going cars more green. GKN is to acquire the Williams Hybrid Power and re brand it as GKN Hybrid Power.


This change could offer up to 30% reductions in emissions simply by harvesting the energy that is lost through heat under braking. Another great example of how an often scrutinised sport is really the driving force and leader for what we may next see in our everyday cars (Perhaps not 120kW of addition power though)! 

 

Williams F1 have also been utilising Autodesk Simulation CFD motion to great use on the aerodynamics of the vehicle. Check out the improvements to the software in the 2015 release.

JLA

23 Apr 2014

Speedback GT

David Brown Automotive, a company started by the British entrepreneur David Brown one time owner of Aston Martin and Vosper Thornycroft shipbuilders has unveiled their next creation: The Speedback GT


As you'll all see it's fairly pretty and I wouldn't complain about owning one, although I may need a second job as at £1.5 million its not cheap!! The car is hand crafted and built in Britain by the Coventry based company, the chassis and power train both coming from the Jaguar XKR. David Brown believe that the success of the XKR credentials make it the perfect match for the Speedback GT where reliability is paramount.

Those who enjoy their cars will see a history of classic cars incorporated into the design. DB are keen to once again reintroduce a vehicle into the British line up of 'high quality, automotive coach building.'

The Important bits:
Engine
5.0 V8 510 Supercharged
Capacity (cc) 5,000
Maximum Power EEC-PS (kW) 510 (375)
Maximum torque EEC-Nm (lb. ft.) 625 (461)
Transmission 6-speed automatic
Performance & Economy
Acceleration 0-60 mph (0-100km/h) 4.6 (4.8) seconds
Top speed mph (km/h) 155 (248)
Combined mpg (l/100km) 23.0 (12.3)
Carbon dioxide emissions (g/km) 29
JLA

22 Apr 2014

3DS Max Design 2013 Update 6

This is a cumulative update for 3DS Max Design 2013 so you may install from whichever version you currently have.

The download and readme can be found here:
http://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/3ds-max/downloads/caas/downloads/content/autodesk-3ds-max-design-2013-product-update-6.html

Inventor 2013 SP2 Update 5


This update is again, cumulative so go straight to this if you do not have Updates 1-4, but ensure you have SP2 installed.

The download and readme's can be found here:
http://knowledge.autodesk.com/search-result/caas/downloads/content/update-5-for-inventor-2013-service-pack-2.html

3DS Max Design 2014 Service Pack 5

3DS Max Design 2014 is now at SP5.

Please note: you will have to uninstall any beta or RC versions of 3DS Max from your system before applying this update.

The file can be found here:

Vault 2014 Service Pack 2

Service Pack 2 for Vault has been released.
Do not install this if you are on Vault Subscription Release 1, see this blog article.


Ensure you thoroughly read the readme before applying this update, which can be found here:

http://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/vault-products/downloads/caas/downloads/content/autodesk-vault-2014-service-pack-2-for-autodesk-vault-basic-2014-autodesk-vault-workgroup.html

Inventor 2014 SP1 Update 3

Another cumulative update for Inventor 2014 SP1 i.e. if you don't have Update 1 or 2 yet you can ignore them and go straight to Update 3.  You do need SP1 installed, however.

The download and readme's can be found here:

http://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/inventor-products/downloads/caas/downloads/content/update-3-for-inventor-2014-service-pack-1.html

AutoCAD 2014 ViewCube hotfix

There is a hotfix available for issues with the viewcube appearing on the output when plotting to PDF/DWF.

This applies to all versions of AutoCAD including Mechanical and Electrical.

http://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad-mechanical/downloads/caas/downloads/content/autodesk-autocad-viewcube-hotfix.html

Micro Concepts TLA 2014


The dates for this year's Technical Learning Academy have been finalised and we'll be hosting our day sessions in an area near you throughout May and early June.

Make sure you sign up for one of the following days:

13th May 2014 – Northampton
14th May 2014 – High Wycombe
15th May 2014 – Norwich
20th May 2014 – Duxford
21st May 2014 – Duxford
22nd May 2014 – Duxford 
5th June 2014 – Bristol

The TLA events are hands on days for Micro Concepts subscribers, with the exception of the 22nd which is an open day for non-subscribers.
We will have a range of topics covering product updates, how-to's and best practice techniques and as always you'll be able to ask questions and get answers from the team.

Get in touch with Andy Rogers if you would like to book a place.  They are limited so make sure you get in quick.



Quantum Levitation

What happens when you take a type-II superconductor place it above a magnet?  It becomes pinned in mid-air and will stay there until it is reoriented.
What happens when you place it below a magnet?  It becomes pinned, upside-down.

If you place it on a magnetic track, the superconductor will follow the track when an external force is applied, and continue to follow it until it loses its superconductivity (due to temperature) or until air resistance slows it down.  This works upside down too.  The disc in the video below can lift objects 70,000 times it's own weight which means that this particular disc could lift a small car.

This phenomenon is known as quantum locking.  A property of type-II superconductors is that they try to rid themselves of magnetic fields, but they can allow concentrated flux lines to pass through at certain points which are proportional to the material and the area.  This effectively pins the superconductor and allows it to levitate.

Boaz Almog gives an excellent TED talk on the subject.  Check it out here

S.C.



18 Apr 2014

MatWeb the materials database resource




MatWeb is not a new website but we are receiving more requests for places to find materials databases for use in your various CAD packages.  With the increasing uptake of simulation software there is a growing demand for easy access to established material properties.

MatWeb has datasheets for over 100,000 metals, plastics, ceramics, and composites that are categorised according to name, properties, and also trade name.  The site offers premium services, one of the benefits being that you can export those directly into your software package.

Whilst it is not universally complete it is one of the best resources that exist on the web to date, and if they don't have what you are looking for then its best to get in touch with the material producers directly.

S.C.

14 Apr 2014

Vault WG/Pro 2014 update paths



Updating your Vault server and client is always something to plan in advance, especially the server as it will take the Vault offline while it upgrades and then take time to migrate your databases to the latest version.

If you are running Vault Workgroup or Professional and are using, or intend to use the Subscription Release, then the latest service pack offerings from Autodesk should be handled with slightly more care than usual.

The following upgrade path is advised:

Vault > Vault SP1 > Vault Subs1 > Vault Subs1 SP1

You should ignore Vault SP2 completely where the Subs Release is concerned.

If you are not on subscription, or do not want to use the Subs Release, then the standard path of SP1 then SP2 will not be a problem.

A tip is not to launch the ADMS Console until you have applied all updates.  Launching mid-way will require a separate migration for each stage.

S.C.

10 Apr 2014

Installations and You, 2015



It is that time of year again!  The 2015 product releases are starting to trickle out on the subscription site, and many of you will be taking advantage and adopting early.  Whether you are keen to try out the new features, or just to take comfort in being at the latest version, it will pay dividends to pause for thought and consider the following before your itchy trigger mouse finger tries to cash cheques that your smooth-running design office can't handle.
Backup your data

Firstly, the Vault.  This is the most important one not to get wrong.  The potential for unexpected downtime while efforts are made to restore functionality is fairly high, and there is the possibility of data loss.
Pose these questions to yourself, or the IT individuals involved in your upgrade/install:

- Do you have experience with the installation or upgrade of Vault and are aware of the potential pitfalls?
- Have you read the installation guide, cover to cover?  There's a lot of content in there and it is all important.
- Do you have an understanding of how Vault relates to SQL Server?
- Do you know the part that IIS plays in your set-up?

If you answer no to any of these questions then you need to either put in some time to understand what is required prior to your install, or get an experienced professional involved.
Backup your data

When it comes to Inventor, there are some important aspects to consider particularly when upgrading.  Backing up your Application Options is just the tip of the iceberg:

- Do you know which resources are shared on your network and how to back them up?
- Do you understand which non-shared resources get completely replaced during an upgrade and how this might affect your projects?
- Are you aware of the migration process in its various forms?

Then there is licensing.  Do not mix up single and network at the install - a mistake here will likely lead you to reinstalling the entire suite (the registry can be modified instead but only if you are confident in knowing which keys to change, and this has to be done for every individual application).
Backup your data

- Do you have your new license file, with the correct server information?
- Do you need to upgrade LM Tools?
- Can your clients communicate with the license server and do you know how to diagnose if they can't?

Micro Concepts support line will be available to offer advice on any specific queries you have with your installation.  If you are certain that you want to proceed on your own then we would advise clearing up any gaps in your knowledge before you do and give us a call to run things through.
Backup your data

Unfortunately what we cannot do is guide you step by step or run installations remotely.  This is due to the length of time the actual installation process takes and this can become much longer when issues arise, the diagnosis of which is compounded by the sheer number of variables that could be the cause.  For Micro Concepts to be involved any deeper than an advisory role it is necessary to arrange a site visit.  If you choose to hire the services of another contractor, make sure you confirm with them that they absolutely know what they are doing!

Finally:  Backup your data!


8 Apr 2014

Gartner's Technology Hype Cycle (2013)

As seen in last month's issue of Develop3D, the Gartner Hype Cycle for Emerging Technologies is a chart which sets human expectation of work-in-progress/theoretical technologies against time.  It aligns them along a path which enters several stages of hype, peaking then troughing, until a "plateau of productivity" is reached.

Hype Cycle for Emerging Technologies, 2013:



Some of these should be easily recognisable, some of them not so much.  The website isn't friendly for casual reading so for that reason here is a summary of all the technology in the chart:

Bioacoustic Sensing - the transmission of sound through e.g. skin and other organic matter.  Disney demo'd this recently, but it's not clear if this was just a concept or actual proof
Smart Dust - tiny microelectromechanical systems that can relay sensor information to a network
Quantum Computing - using quantum states of matter as the binary method of computation
Quantified Self - related to mobile health monitoring, this is the quantification of our daily lives in terms of energy consumption, oxygen absorption, etc
3D Bioprinting - the 3D printing of biological materials, most significantly human body parts
Brain-Computer Interface - a means of interacting with machines through brain communication
Human Augmentation - the use of technology in our bodies to improve physical or mental capability
Volumetric and Holographic Displays - help me Obi Wan, you're my only hope
Electrovibration - electrical stimulation of metals to replicate the feeling of textured materials
Affective Computing - essentially a form of AI, where a computer system can empathise and respond appropriately
Prescriptive Analytics - synthesizing data of potential situations to predict outcomes in business
Autonomous Vehicles - cars that drive themselves
Biochips - biological processing units for, among other things, disease detection
Neurobusiness - "Neurobusiness is the capability of applying neuroscience insights to improve outcomes in customer and other business decision situations"  In other words, mind-reading for profit.
3D Scanners - like Faro, devices to generate a 3D model of real-world scanned data
Mobile Robots - robots, that are mobile.  These are in contrast to fixed, industrial robots
Speech-to-speech Translation - instantly translating your native tongue to another's with electronics
Internet of Things - things that you never thought needed to be connected to the internet, connected to the internet. e.g. fridges, heating & lighting systems, cupboard stocks, etc
Natural-Language Question Answering - computational answering of questions posed in the human native tongue.  Similar to what Steven Wolfram is trying to achieve
Big Data - data which is too large to analyse by traditional database management systems e.g. 1EB (exabyte) which is equal to 1 billion GB
Consumer 3D Printing - 3D printing for the home, MakerBot is leading the way in this field
Gamification - to make games out of non-entertainment based activities to aid in problem solving
Wearable User Interfaces - smart watches, augmented reality glasses
Complex Event Processing - the analysis of smaller events to determine the larger driving force and use this information to make predictions or assess risks and threats
Content Analytics - essentially a computerised form of extracting the pure meaning from empirical records which contain subjectivity and nuance
In-Memory Database Management Systems - holding and working with entire databases in the RAM of the computer
Virtual Assistants - professionals who work from home with access to a company's IT infrastructure
Augmented Reality - overlaying a user interface over the physical world e.g. windscreen dashboards in cars, but also glasses
Machine-to-Machine Communication Services - machines collaborating with other machines in industry - see Industry 4.0 on our blog
Mobile Health Monitoring - e.g. heart rate monitors on mobile phines
NFC - near field communication.  A chip to communicate with a radio network when in close range, without the need for power
Mesh Networks: Sensor - piggy backing off the public to create a daisy chain of internet communication
Cloud Computing - computing, but not on your local machine
Virtual Reality - see Oculus Rift for a modern example, which has just been bought by Facebook (where is the dislike button?)
In-Memory Analytics - the analysis of large volumes of data/statistics in RAM instead of hard disk
Gesture Control - using physical gestures as a user interface.  Leap Motion is a (poor) example
Activity Streams - the cross-implementation of user activity e.g. Facebook newsfeeds across multiple sites
Enterprise 3D Printing - superlative 3D printing including more hazardous methods not suitable for home use
Biometric Authentication Methods - the use of human biological information as passwords e.g. iPhone finger scanner
Consumer Telematics - integrated information systems in vehicular transport e.g. fuel stations on a satnav
Location Intelligence - gathering information based on geography to provide business opportunities and information
Speech Recognition - recognising voice input.  Google Now gets my Scottish accent, so this has definitely plateaued
Predictive Analytics - assessing future risks/opportunities based on historical data (just like the "algorithm" in the latest Captain America movie)

S.C.

2 Apr 2014

SSD prices gradually falling

I've done quite a few installs since joining Micro Concepts.  Whenever I'm asked about hardware upgrades, I advise on solid state drives, aka SSDs.  These are the single best upgrade you can get for your machine right now as they affect the speed of the entire system from booting up in record time, to loading applications not only quickly, but numerously - it is possible to load up every application you use on a daily basis quicker than it would take for just your background apps to finish loading on a normal mechanical hard-disk.

In spite of this, I've yet to see anyone using these drives in business.  Well now is as good a time as any.  The prices of the drives have dropped by about 1/3 in the past year and it's possible to pick up some of the more reliably rated brands for the same price their lesser rated peers cost this time last year.

Micro Concepts advises a minimum of 128GB, with 256GB recommend.  This is based on the sizes of the core Windows operating system, the upper limit of a Product Design Suite install (ultimate), your other applications, and enough room for your data.  Even if you have a roaming profile that houses your data we always recommend your Vault workspace is kept a folder in the root of C:\

Right now Samsung are offering up to £50 cashback on their EVO series.  These are reputed to be one of the fastest and most reliable drives on the market, and means you can get as much as a 1TB drive from Amazon for a little over £300

S.C.

31 Mar 2014

Free Surface modelling in Simulation CFD 2014

The 2014 release of Autodesk Simulation CFD Advanced/Motion brought with it the ability to simulate free surfaces in liquid volumes.  The applications of this are numerous and range from sloshing in tanks, the path of free flowing water, and hydrodynamic pumps and propulsion.


While the mathematical functions behind it are extremely complex, the setup of free surface is actually very simple.  Here's a quick start guide to getting yourself up and running with a free surface analysis in Sim CFD.  Keep the following image of fluid pouring through a gate in mind for our example.


1) Model only your fluid volumes.  You will need at least 2 distinct solid bodies.  Model a reservoir and a basin, and the gap that they will pass through (the gap can be part of the basin volume).  There's no need to model anything else, since you will only be concerned with flow rather than heat transfer, unless you want to take wall roughness into account.

2) Launch your model into Sim CFD from the tab in Inventor.

3) Apply materials.  All volumes should be the same e.g. water, even the initially empty volumes

4) Skip boundary conditions.  We don't need any boundary conditions for this analysis since it is self-contained i.e. nothing enters or leaves the system.

5) Add an HOF initial condition to the reservoir fluid volume only - set the value to 1.  HOF (height of fluid) is an on/off value (0 or 1) that instructs the application as to which particular fluid volume is filled at the start of the analysis.  Any volumes not designated a height will be seen as empty.

6) Open the Solve dialogue.  
- On the Physics tab, click Free Surface and check the Enable Free Surface box.  Enter your gravity direction, which is usually negative Z (0,0,-1) but your model may vary.
- On the Control tab, the Solution Mode will default to Transient.  You will want to set more save intervals than usual for smooth fluid flow visualisation at the end of your solve.
- Choose a large number of Time Steps (1000+) to Run then click Solve.

7) To visualise the results:  right-click in space and choose Free Surface.  You will then see the HOF value in action throughout the solution.  For planes and ISO surfaces, choose VOF and plot as required.  VOF at 0.5 represents the fluid-gas boundary.

S.C.

24 Mar 2014

Vault Transmittal - need only the dwfs but the transmittal doesn't give the required information

There's a pack and go tool in Vault that is great for sharing files outside of  vault, that gives options for a complete pack and go of assemblies, and all required parts or just the dwfs and sending these directly to an email. It even includes a tool for automatically creating a transmittal report and attaching that in the zip. The transmittal report is fully customisable to include the information and properties you require.
The only problem is when you create a pack and go and choose to just include dwfs (a common scenario when sending out information), the information in the report just includes the information about the dwfs, not the issue number and status of the main files.
Of course you can create your own custom add in to vault to do this (and even share files over a number of different methods such as directly to Autodesk 360), but that could be time consuming to get the extra 1% functionality required from the pack and go tool.
We have created a workaround to this problem which involves manipulating a generated pack and go zip once it is attached to an email, to strip out everything apart from the pdfs, and dwfs of drawings.
Using the pack and go tool, generate a zip of the models, drawings and dwfs and attach to an email. Building filtering in to the report template to only include information on the required files, and remove the information on spurious additional files. Then run the macro below in outlook to strip out all files except for required dwfs and pdfs.
It's a bit crude and basic, but functional and quickly helps achieve an outcome that overcomes the limitations in the existing functionality.




Public Sub clearzipattachedfile()
If TypeOf Application.ActiveWindow Is Outlook.Inspector Then
      processzip (Application.ActiveInspector.CurrentItem)
End If
End Sub
 
Private Sub processzip(obj As Outlook.MailItem)
Dim Att As Outlook.Attachment
Dim Path As String
Path = Environ("temp") & "\"
For Each Att In obj.Attachments
        If Right(Att.FileName, 3) = "zip" Then
            Dim tempfile As String
            tempfile = Path & Att.FileName
            'save zip to temp folder
            Att.SaveAsFile (tempfile)
            'remove zip file from email
            Att.Delete
            'delete files from zip file
            Call deletefilesfromzip(tempfile)
            'add updated zip back to mail
            obj.Attachments.Add (tempfile)
           'delete zip file from temp folder
            VBA.FileSystem.Kill (tempfile)
       End If
Next
End Sub


Private Sub deletefilesfromzip(zipfile As String)
'macro to delete all files in a folder
On Error Resume Next
'extract files to zipfile
Dim filenamefolder As String
filenamefolder = Left(zipfile, Len(zipfile) - 4)
MkDir filenamefolder
Set oApp = CreateObject("Shell.Application")
oApp.NameSpace((filenamefolder)).CopyHere oApp.NameSpace((zipfile)).Items
Set FileSys = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
FileSys.DeleteFile zipfile
Call newzip(zipfile)
Call deletefiles(filenamefolder, zipfile)
FileSys.deletefolder filenamefolder
Set FileSys = Nothing
End Sub


Private Sub deletefiles(foldername, zipname)
Dim FileSys 'As FileSystemObject
Dim objFile 'As vba.File
Dim myFolder
Set FileSys = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
Set myFolder = FileSys.GetFolder(foldername)
For Each subf In myFolder.subfolders
   Call deletefiles(subf.Path, zipname)
Next subf


'loop through each file and check for name match
For Each objFile In myFolder.Files
        If Right(objFile.Name, 7) <> "dwg.dwf" And Right(objFile.Name, 7) <> "idw.dwf" And Right(objFile.Name, 3) <> "pdf" Then
            objFile.Delete
        Else
            'add back to zip
            Set oApp = CreateObject("Shell.Application")
            Dim i As Integer
            i = 0
            On Error Resume Next
            i = oApp.NameSpace((zipname)).Items.Count
            oApp.NameSpace((zipname)).CopyHere objFile.Path
            Do Until oApp.NameSpace((zipname)).Items.Count = i + 1
                Application.Wait (Now + TimeValue("0:00:01"))
            Loop
        Set oApp = Nothing
        End If
Next objFile
Set FileSys = Nothing
Set myFolder = Nothing
End Sub


Private Sub newzip(sPath)
'Create empty Zip File
    If Len(dir(sPath)) > 0 Then Kill sPath
    Open sPath For Output As #1
    Print #1, Chr$(80) & Chr$(75) & Chr$(5) & Chr$(6) & String(18, 0)
    Close #1
End Sub

6 Jan 2014

RAL Colour Appearance Library for Inventor

Dutch website Inventor Wizard have created appearance libraries for Inventor containing all of the European RAL standard colours.  There are 3 flavours on offer:  generic, metallic highgloss, and metallic matte.



The site is in Dutch but can be automatically translated by Google.  The colour names shown in the appearance browser are also in Dutch, but we have converted these to English if you prefer to understand exactly which colour you are choosing when you select a RAL code.  The converted appearance library is available here (1.8mb zip)


To use:
Place the adsklib file with your Design Data, then add it to your project file's Appearance path if you wish to use it in it's entirety as a separate library.
If you would like to add some or all of the colours to an existing library, open it in your Appearance Browser then right click and Add To > your library on each colour you want to use.

SC