Component Tags in Inventor

As you are aware if you have done any routed systems there is no way of labeling same valve (or components for that matter) with different names / tags / id_numbers and call it on the drawing. You can create leader notes in the drawing but if they need changing you need to manually do it and it’s time consuming if you have large assemblies and multiple sheets and views. I have seen the same problem for people doing assemblies of electric components.

A 2” ball valve can have different identification tags in the P&ID but be a reused library component in Inventor.

I've been searching for a solution to this problem for the last 8 years or so and I couldn't find anything on autodesk forums or other discussion groups.

I instinctively knew that we would need to use the assembly browser name (occurrence name) but didn't see how to get it to show up in the drawing.

I have got together bits of iLogic codes from the internet that can get the assembly occurrence name and link it to the override value of my custom style balloons.

For this I have created a new balloon style called “Tags” and made it of type “Hexagon” with just the “Item” info in it.

The code processes just balloons of style “Tags” for we don’t want to change parts list balloons as well.

Because changing the occurrence name in the assembly involves a lot of steps (find component in browser / edit parent subassembly / change name of component / activate top level again) it is better to do it from the drawing.

You need to use “balloon” command, because “auto-balloon” cannot label same component on different views more than once.

Place balloons as you would normally do using “balloon” command and override the field with your text. You only need to do it once per component then run the code

When running the code it will prompt you if you want to set names from the balloons or from the browser. Choose balloon to send the override value to the model browser (occurrence name).

Continue placing balloons on all views and then run the code again. Choose to set the value from the browser to get the value on all new balloons.

This way I can balloon same component multiple times on same view if wanted.

As you can see the Occurrence name in browser and iproperties changed but the part number, stock number and other properties didn't changed.

Here's the code with explanatory comments:

' Set a reference to the drawing document.

' This assumes a drawing document is active.

Dim oDrawDoc As DrawingDocument

oDrawDoc = ThisApplication.ActiveDocument

' Set Reference to Active Sheet

Dim oSheet As Sheet

oSheet = oDrawDoc.ActiveSheet

'get the name and path of the first model in the drawing

oAsmName = ThisDrawing.ModelDocument.FullFileName

' Set Reference to the Assembly and Open Silently

Dim oAsmDoc As AssemblyDocument

oAsmDoc = ThisApplication.Documents.Open(oAsmName, False)

' Set a reference to the assembly component definintion.

Dim oAsmCompDef As AssemblyComponentDefinition

oAsmCompDef = oAsmDoc.ComponentDefinition

Dim oBalloon As Balloon

'Ask the user if he wants to set the component name from browser

'or if he wants to set the browser name from overwritten balloon value

booleanParam = InputRadioBox("Set name from?: ", "Browser", "Balloon", True, Title :="Read/Write")

'Start a counter for sheets to process

Dim SheetCount As Long

SheetCount = 1

Dim oSheets As Sheet

'step through each drawing sheet

For Each oSheets In oDrawDoc.Sheets

    ' Iterate over each balloon on the sheet.

    For Each oBalloon In oSheet.Balloons

        Dim leader As Leader

        Leader = oBalloon.Leader

        'assuming the leader is a single line segment

        Dim leaderNode As LeaderNode = leader.AllNodes(2)

       

        Dim intent As GeometryIntent

        intent = leaderNode.AttachedEntity

   

        Dim curve As DrawingCurve

        curve = intent.Geometry

   

        Dim edgePx As EdgeProxy

        edgePx= curve.ModelGeometry

   

        Dim occurrencedrg As ComponentOccurrence

        occurrencedrg = edgePx.ContainingOccurrence

        

        Dim oBalloonValueSet As BalloonValueSet

       

        ' Iterate over each value set (attached balloons) in a balloon.

        For Each oBalloonValueSet In oBalloon.BalloonValueSets

            'only process if balloon of style of type "Tags"

            If oBalloon.Style.Name = "Tags" Then

                'if user wants to get name from browser

                If booleanParam = True Then

                    ' Set balloon value from browser.

                    oBalloonValueSet.OverrideValue = occurrencedrg.Name

                'if user wants to set browser name from balloon

                ElseIf booleanParam = False Then

                    ' Set browser name from balloon override value.

                    occurrencedrg.Name = oBalloonValueSet.OverrideValue

                End If

            End If

        Next

    Next

'Increase sheet counter

    SheetCount = SheetCount +1

Next

Best of  luck

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