SchrodingersGat
commented
1 month ago @mredp-evos an interesting idea! We have a discussion underway for improved manufacturing support in general.
Note that attachments can be "tagged" with custom tags, so it would be relatively easy to add a specific tag to the "documentation" attachments for a particular part. And a custom plugin could easily allow you to zip the files and provide them for download!
Please verify that this feature request has NOT been suggested before.
Problem statement
I like how you can add documents to parts. In theory I see this being used to store Drawings, assembly documentation, Gerber files and other CAD files/outputs etc. It would be good to be able to configure output packages to export these documents.
The benefit of this is that with the push of a button, you could roll up all of the relevant documents related to that product and produce an output .zip file. Ideally, you could save multiple output configurations so you could export packages depending on the target recipient. For example, you could configure one .zip output that went to a contract manufacturer, PCB fab house, cable harness manufacturer etc. and then another .zip file that goes to certification bodies and another .zip file that is shared internally.
I imagine this would be significant effort. It didn't look like it had been suggested yet, so thought I would put the idea out there. It is not directly related to inventory management side of things but Inventree does have "Build Orders" and I think this does relate to building products.
I would be interested in developing myself, but most likely it will be too large of a project for me.
Suggested solution
In the case of producing an assembled product. It would would be handy if there was say a separate menu tab under the part view called "Documentation Package" or "OutJob" or something where you could build an output file based on the attached documents of the assembly part and the attached documents of the sub-parts (BOM items) - as some of the assembly sub-parts themselves might have assembly instructions etc.
Or it could be a separate tool/plugin.
Ideally, you can have the option of included exported BOMs in the packages as well.
Describe alternatives you've considered
Not really possible unless done outside of InvenTree as it would be quite labor intensive to open each part and sub-part to download attached documents each time.
Examples of other systems
There are other Document Management systems that do this. Altium Designer is an example of a PCB CAD program that has a similar concept where you can design output packages like this.
Do you want to develop this?