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Filename Generator

generateName

For the supported export formats STEP/PDF/DWG/DXF/DXF unfolding, three definitions for name formation can be defined. The dialog used to define the names is identical for all file types.

The filename generator can be called from the Multitool ribbons in the part, assembly, and drawing environment. For the bill of materials quick export, the naming rules for the configuration are called from the bill of materials export dialog.

With the buttons on the left side, you can switch between configurations. In the display name field, you can change the name of the selected configuration.

The changed display names cannot be swapped in the Inventor user interface during runtime. Inventor must be restarted after the change (or the Multitool Add-In must be unloaded and reloaded) for the changed display names to be updated in the buttons of the Multitool ribbons.

By default, the filename consists only of the filename of the original model file or drawing. For example, the file "Assembly1.iam" would be saved as "Assembly1.stp" during the STEP export. If you do not want to use the original filename as an element of the composite name, you can simply mark and delete the existing "Filename" entry (using the "x" button).

With the "+" button, you can add more elements to the naming scheme. For this purpose, a sub-dialog is displayed in which four different types of name components are available for selection (see below).

The "x" button removes the selected element from the list.

The "up arrow" and "down arrow" buttons move the selected element up or down in the list.

The schema text field shows the filename schematically as a combination of symbolic names, and the example text field shows an example of a concrete filename based on the active Inventor file.

With the "Export Settings" button, you can set the global settings with individual settings for each of the three configurations.

Export Settings​

exportSettingsOverride

Here you can override the export settings specified in the global settings. To do this, select the "Override global settings" option and set the settings that should be applied to the selected configuration.

Name Elements​

nameElement

iProperty​

On the "iProperty" tab, an Inventor iProperty value can be defined as a name component. The iProperty text field contains the list of standard iProperties. Available names are displayed in an auto-complete list as soon as the first letter is entered. Alternatively, the button next to the text field calls up a help dialog that contains the full list of standard iProperties for selection.

An optional default value can be specified. If the iProperty is missing or has an empty value, the program inserts this default value into the filename instead.

You can also determine how the program should behave if the iProperty value contains characters that are not allowed in Windows filenames (\ / : * < > | etc.). The invalid characters can be replaced with spaces, underscores, or hyphens (minus) or removed entirely.

timeStamp

Timestamp​

Here you can select one of the predefined standard timestamps (date, date + time, or time + date) or define your own format.

You can find the rules for formatting in the Microsoft online documentation Custom date and time format strings. The example field shows the current timestamp according to the format string entered above.

You can specify which character should replace invalid separators (for example, the colon commonly used to separate hours:minutes:seconds is not allowed as a character in a filename).