Time Tracker

Command Description

The Time Tracker command is a tool running in the background of Autodesk Inventor, capable of measuring the time spent working on Inventor files. The recorded time is saved continuously to a CSV file whenever the Inventor document is saved, allowing for further processing in Microsoft Excel, Power BI, or similar applications. The effect on the Inventor's performance is negligible.

The data provided by Time Tracker is only indicative and depends on the tool settings, the complexity of the problem being solved, or the style of work in Inventor.

How it works

Each time an Inventor document is saved, a line with a time stamp is written to the CSV file. All time records contain the following data:

  • Part Number to identify the document.

  • Doc type to identify the type of the document (ipt, iam, idw/dwg).

  • User to identify the user who created the record.

  • Record created containing the date and time when the new record was added.

  • Time Tracked with the value of time elapsed since the previous record was successfully created.

For the Time Tracker to measure time properly, the following conditions must be met:

  • The document must have been saved at least once in the past. Otherwise, no reliable reference to the document can be made for record creation.

  • Time can be calculated only after the document has been saved. If changes to your model/drawing are discarded, no time evaluation procedure can take place.

Command Location

Enabled or disabled in all environments.

Command Settings

Be.Smart Labs ribbon -> Be.Smart T4I Labs panel -> Edit Settings -> TimeTracker section

Be.Smart T4I ribbon -> Be.Smart T4I panel -> Advanced settings -> T4I Labs tab -> TimeTracker section

Be.Smart T4I ribbon -> Be.Smart T4I panel -> Edit settings -> T4I Labs tab -> TimeTracker section

Settings description

  • DocIndentificator

    • This identifies the document in the report. By default, the Part Number document property is used. If the Part Number is unavailable for the given document, the document's display name is used instead.

  • IdleTime

    • Default = 1 minute. Defines a time limit for user inactivity, after which the timer resets and starts over.

  • PathToCSV

    • A path where the CSV file should be stored can be specified here. The default location is c:\Users\!!!USER!!!\AppData\Roaming\Holixa\T4ILabs\TimeTrackerReports.csv.

  • TimeTrackerActivated

    • Boolean

    • De/activates the time tracking. The default value is set to False, which means the Time Tracker must be activated before the first use (Inventor restart is needed). Then it works automatically.

Workflow Example

  1. Create a new document.

  2. Save the document.

    1. The counter starts.

  3. Work on the Inventor document.

  4. Save the document.

    1. A new time record is added to the CSV file.

    2. If a user is idle for more than the IdleTime value, the timer resets, and new counting starts with the next document save.

Known Issues and Limitations

  • The name of the DocIndentificator variable in settings is incorrect.

  • The DocIndentificator property is hard-coded to the Part Number property. It may be configurable in the future.

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