Setting Up the Common Parts Library
From Team 449 Wiki
Due to the nature of GrabCAD, using a single Common Parts Library to be shared among the different projects is not as easy as it sounds. Since the path to the Common Parts Library (CPL) is outside the scope of each project's project file (.ipj), the path is global, not relative, and would likely not work between shared computers unless the GrabCAD folder has the exact same directory between all of them. A macro can resolve this by reading an environment variable and setting the location of the Common Parts Library according to it.
The Problem
GrabCAD projects each have a folder within the GrabCAD folder set by GrabCAD Workbench, and the Inventor project files for each project are in the top level of the project folders. Each project folder is outside the scope of all other Inventor project files. If the Common Parts Library is copied into a project folder, its library path in the Inventor project file could be set to ".\Common Parts Library", but this leads to an excessive use of hard drive space and makes it more difficult to update the Common Parts Library across multiple projects when changes are made. If the Common Parts Library is outside the project folder, in this case as its own GrabCAD project, the library path referring to it can no longer be local and would instead be a global path like "C:\Users\<Username>\Documents\GrabCAD\Common Parts Library". This works well on a single computer, but when the Inventor project file is pushed to GrabCAD and pulled by someone else, the library path is still the same as it was on the original computer, pointing to a directory which does not exist on this computer. The second user could change the path manually, but as soon as they push the issue starts all over again for the rest of the users.
The Macro
Inventor allows its users to create macros using Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) for some more advanced integrations. Inventor macros are stored in either the Default VBA project (defined at Tools > Application Options > File > Default VBA Project) or within an Inventor part file (.ipt) or Inventor assembly file (.iam). Macros stored in the Default VBA project can be accessed from anywhere and can be placed on the tool ribbon, while file-specific macros are used when macros are only needed for a specific part to avoid clutter. Since this macro needs to be executed before any file is opened it must be stored in the Default VBA project.
When executed, the macro clears the active project's libraries and then creates a new one named "Common Parts Library" at "%GRABCAD_DIR%\Common Parts Library", where GRABCAD_DIR is an environmental variable set by the user which stores the directory of the GrabCAD directory.
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Setup
This setup requires the user to have access to the Common Parts Library, and instructions are written for Windows 10.
Setting the Environment Variable
Open Windows Explorer. Right click This PC and select Properties. In the new Control Panel window, select Advanced System Settings in the left menu. Select Environment Variables. In the bottom half (System Variables, not User Variables) select New and set the variable name to GRABCAD_DIR and the value to the GrabCAD directory (e.g. C:\Users\Username\Documents\GrabCAD). Inventor will not process this change until it is reopened.
Changing the Default VBA Project
In Inventor, go to Tools > Options > Application Options > File and set Default VBA Project to C:\...\GrabCAD\Common Parts Library\Macros\Default.ivb. The environment variable cannot be used for this, but this only has to be set once.
Running the Macro
In Inventor, go to Tools > Options > Macros. Select CPL.SetCommonPartsLibrary, then Run. The Common Parts Library should now be set as a library in the active Inventor project. Remember that this macro should be run after selecting the project, but before opening any files.
Setting up the Macro Shortcut
Since the macro will have to be run after every time the user pulls from GrabCAD, it is recommended to make a shortcut to the macro from the ribbon. In Inventor's project Home page with no parts open, go to Tools > Options > Customize. On the left, change the dropdown from "All Commands" to "Macros". On the right, select the location where the shortcut should appear (I use Zero Document | Get Started). On the left, select SetCommonPartsLibrary, then click the right pointing arrows in the middle. Customize the appearance. Select Apply. The macro should now appear as a button in the selected location.