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Inventor BOM Import

MatStream integrates with Autodesk Inventor to import drawing BOMs directly into MatStream without manual data entry. The workflow uses an iLogic rule in Inventor and the MatStreamConnect desktop companion app as the bridge.

Overview

Inventor drawing open in Inventor
  → iLogic rule triggered (manually or on save)
      → Reads iProperties (Part Number, Description, Revision, Author, …)
      → Exports BOM to a temporary Excel file
      → Launches MatStreamConnect with profile name + file path + metadata
          → MatStreamConnect calls POST /api/wid/{slug}/imports/{profileName}/run
          → MatStream creates or updates the main drawing entity + BOM children
          → Optionally attaches the drawing PDF

The entire flow happens in seconds and requires no manual steps after the iLogic rule fires.

Prerequisites

  1. MatStreamConnect installed on the Inventor workstation — see MatStreamConnect.
  2. Import Definition configured in MatStream with Source = "Inventor Drawing BOM" (or whichever name your iLogic rule uses) — see Import Definitions.
  3. iLogic rule deployed in the Inventor vault or local rules folder.
  4. User logged in to MatStreamConnect so it has a valid session token.

iLogic rule

The iLogic rule performs these steps:

  1. Checks that MatStreamConnect is installed at %APPDATA%\MatStream\MatStreamConnect\MatStreamConnect.exe. If not found, shows an error and stops.
  2. Reads iProperties from the active drawing document (Part Number, Description, Revision, Author, etc.).
  3. Exports the drawing's BOM to a temporary Excel file in %TEMP%.
  4. Builds a metadata JSON string from the iProperties.
  5. Calls MatStreamConnect via Shell() with the following arguments:
MatStreamConnect.exe import --profile "ProfileName" --file "C:\Temp\bom.xlsx" --metadata '{"PN":"MAT-001","Rev":"A"}'

Argument reference:

Argument Description
--profile Name of the Import Definition in MatStream (must match exactly)
--file Path to the exported Excel BOM file
--metadata JSON string of iProperties to map to the main drawing entity
--pdf (optional) Path to the drawing PDF to attach to the main entity

VB.NET snippet

Dim gatewayPath = System.IO.Path.Combine(
    System.Environment.GetFolderPath(System.Environment.SpecialFolder.ApplicationData),
    "MatStream", "MatStreamConnect", "MatStreamConnect.exe")

If Not System.IO.File.Exists(gatewayPath) Then
    MsgBox("MatStreamConnect not found. Please install it first.", vbExclamation, "MatStream")
    Return
End If

Dim profileName = "Inventor Drawing BOM"
Dim excelPath   = System.IO.Path.Combine(System.IO.Path.GetTempPath(), "bom_export.xlsx")
Dim metadataJson = $"{{""PN"":""{iProperties.Value("Project", "Part Number")}"", " &
                    $"""Rev"":""{iProperties.Value("Project", "Revision Number")}""}}"

' Export BOM to Excel here (use Inventor BOM API)
' ...

Dim args = $"import --profile ""{profileName}"" --file ""{excelPath}"" --metadata '{metadataJson}'"
Shell("""" & gatewayPath & """ " & args)

Configuring the Import Definition

Create an Import Definition in MatStream with these settings:

Setting Value
Name Must match the --profile argument exactly (e.g. Inventor Drawing BOM)
Source Inventor Drawing BOM
Configuration DocumentWithBOM
Target category The category for the drawing entity (e.g. Drawing)
Default child category The category for BOM children (e.g. Purchased Part)

On the Field Mappings tab, map:

Source column (Excel) MatStream property
Part Number Entity number key field
Description Description property
Quantity Quantity property
Material Material property
(from metadata JSON) PN Drawing entity number
(from metadata JSON) Rev Drawing revision

On the Category Assignment Rules tab, add rules if different BOM row types (purchased, manufactured, standard) should go to different categories.

What MatStreamConnect does

When invoked with import arguments:

  1. Reads connection.json to get workspace credentials.
  2. Posts a multipart request to POST /api/wid/{slug}/imports/{profileName}/run with:
  3. The Excel file as a file attachment
  4. The metadata JSON as a form field
  5. The PDF path as an optional file attachment
  6. Logs the result (insert count, update count, error count).
  7. On error, shows a Windows notification with the error message.

MatStreamConnect does not require the main window to be open. It processes the import silently in the background while Inventor remains in focus.

Troubleshooting

"MatStreamConnect not found": Install MatStreamConnect from the MatStream downloads page. Default path: %APPDATA%\MatStream\MatStreamConnect\MatStreamConnect.exe.

"Profile not found": The --profile argument does not match any Import Definition name. Check the name in Configuration → Import Definitions. Names are case-sensitive.

"401 Unauthorized": MatStreamConnect's session has expired. Open the main window and log in again.

No entities created, no error: The Excel export was empty or the BOM has no rows. Check that the drawing has a BOM defined in Inventor.

CoreApiBaseUrl missing from connection.json: Open MatStreamConnect, log out, and log in again to regenerate connection.json with all required fields.