It is Alive in the Lab

Updated Frame Generator Customization Tool Now Available for Download

On April 7, we posted an update the Frame Generator Customization Tool for Autodesk Inventor. This corrects an instllation problem encountered by some of our Autodesk Labs users.

Problem: Some users would encounter an error message:

Module C:\Programme\Autodesk\Inventor 2008\Bin\AFGCusomizationTool.dll failed to register.
HRESULT -2147010895.

when installing the tool.

Workaround: For users who encountered this problem, the immediate workaround was to install Microsoft Visual C++ 2005 SP1 Redistributable Package (x86), from:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=200B2FD9-AE1A-4A14-984D-389C36F85647&displaylang=en

This corrected the problem. The Frame Generator Customization Tool for Autodesk Inventor relies on this Microsoft correction.

Solution: On April 7 we updated the installer for the Frame Generation Customization Tool to include this correction as part of the install of the tool. This is easier for Autodesk Labs users. Thanks to Programmer/Software Engineer, Chunhua Zhou, for his dilligence on this issue.

We are sorry for the inconvenience this has caused. On the other hand, problem reports like this followed by swift corrections are exactly what Autodesk Labs is all about. Responding to feedback is alive in the lab.

Updated Frame Generator Customization Tool Now Available for Download

Many of you noticed that the Frame Generator Customization Tool had been removed from Labs. We found an issue in the tool for Frame Generator Customization authoring. In some cases, when the structural profile was authored, some of the sketch constraints to projected origin geometry were lost. This caused the sketch to update unexpectedly in certain situations. The immediate workaround was to apply a Fix constraint to the sketch before authoring. This allowed the sketch to stay in position.

The Frame Generator Customization Tool Team has corrected the problem and provided an updated installer. Autodesk Labs is happy to share it with you. You can once again download it from:

http://labs.autodesk.com/utilities/framegenerator/

Recall that working with this tool requires Microsoft Excel as found in Microsoft Office 2003 or higher. So please check it the updated tool and tell us what you think: labs.iv.frame.generator@autodesk.com. Responding to defect feedback from the mechanical industry is alive in the lab.

Under Construction: Frame Generator Customization Tool

WARNING: We found an issue in the tool for Frame Generator Customization authoring. In some cases, when the structural profile is authored, some of the sketch constraints are lost. WORKAROUND: Product Designer, Loren Jahraus, notes that constraints to projected origin geometry are lost during authoring. This causes the sketch to update unexpectedly in certain situations. If you apply a Fix constraint to the sketch before authoring, the sketch will stay in position.

We are planning on creating a new version of the tool to be made available on Autodesk Labs. For now we are issuing this warning and have temporarily removed the ability to download the tool from the site. Look for an announcement on this blog when an updated tool is once again available.

XML Editing via Microsoft Excel 2003 or higher for Frame Customization Tool

A Mr. Richard Feder from Fort Lee, New Jersey asks:

I am trying to make my own profile library. After I export to XML, I try to open the file with Microsoft Excel 2000. It opens but looks wrong. Asking Microsoft support, they answer that I need to upgrade my Office to Microsoft Office 2007. Is this correct?

Autodesk Inventor Product Designer, Loren Jahraus, provided the answer:

Microsoft Excel 2000 does not support XML editing. To use Excel for this purpose, you would need Office 2003 or Office 2007. Some people have used a different XML editor.

I have updated the http://labs.autodesk.com/utilities/framegenerator/ page to make this more widely known.

Das Frame Generator Customization Tool for Autodesk Inventor ist ein Erfolg!

Like every day since its announcement, we get positive feedback on the Frame Generator Customization Tool. Here is an example:

From: Oberhauser Alexander
Sent: Thursday, November 15, 2007 10:44 AM
To: labs.iv.frame.generator
Subject: Flat Pattern out of Frame Generator Parts

Hello Autodesk-Team,
It's alive! Also Shapes and bended Frames can be made with this new tool! Fabulous. Thanks for this tool. Please see the Screenshots.

Mit freundlichen Grüßen,
Oberhauser Alexander
-----------------------------------------------------------
Oberhauser Alexander
Application Engineer CAD / Informationsmanagement
WESTCAM Datentechnik GmbH

 

Thanks for the feedback Oberhauser.

Frame Generator Customization Tool for Inventor Now Available

Autodesk Labs is happy to announce a new Frame Generator Customization Tool for use with the Autodesk® Inventor 2008 family of software products.

http://labs.autodesk.com/utilities/framegenerator

The Frame Generator Customization Tool allows you to add your own custom structural profiles for use with Inventor’s Frame Generator Tool. These custom shapes behave just like the standard shapes provided with Inventor, including placement, orientation, and end treatment considerations. This was one of the most requested features via feedback to Autodesk Labs.

You use the tool via 3 steps:

1. Execute the Author and Publish step. Author and Publish allows users to identify the profile to be added to the Frame Generator library, locate the default attachment location, and identify parameters that will be varied for different members of the profile family.
2. Use the Content Editor command to export a data structure that you can use to prepare a data table that defines the different sizes of profiles.
3. Import the data table so that all the new profiles are available to be added to your frame structures.

So please check it out and tell us what you think: labs.iv.frame.generator@autodesk.com. Responding to requests from the mechanical industry is alive in the lab.