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Another BOM title question: Can't import custom property.

Question asked by Roy Dean on Sep 2, 2015
Latest reply on Sep 2, 2015 by John Stoltzfus

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Ok, much like my last post, I am now resigning to creating stand alone boms for each configuration (as I believe it may be easier to get SW to do what I want). I am attempting to put both the assembly configuration description and sap number (a custom property) in the title of the bom, using the $PRPVIEW:"SAP/SKU Number" text string. This string works perfectly for an annotation in the drawing field (4 seperate assembly configs are shown, each one with an annotation that correctly shows it's SAP number), however it does NOT work in the BOM title block. In fact, a curious thing DOES happen:

If I type: $PRPVIEW:"SAP/SKU NUMBER" , Solidworks automatically converts it to $PRPVIEW:{SAP/SKU NUMBER} and begins to treat the string as a block (meaning it understands that the string represents a property). See attached images for before and after (the first image shows the entire string before the ":" is typed, but as soon as I type ":", the quotes change to braces and the string transforms to a block). However, it DOES NOT display the property... only the "string" itself (which cannot be edited as it is now actually a block).

Another curiosity is that I've seen many descriptions to use {} in these text strings, yet in my drawing annotations, it would not work unless I used quotes in place of the braces....

Any thoughts? Our admin is thinking that SW understands my string, but is confused as to which configuration to use (even though the bom is "attached" to a specific drawing view, which in turn uses a specific config". Any help is mucho appreciated.

[edit] changed title to be more descriptive

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Bernie Daraz Sep 2, 2015 10:14 AM
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The best advice I ever read on using custom properties within drawings is to start with a drawing that has a part with the custom properties you wish to utilize. Don't bother trying to type the property, if it properly defined it will be available using this method with a simple paste. Then you can be sure you have the exact same name, no missing quotation marks or spelling errors.

Lastly save out the drawing template and format. The system will remove the part from the drawing before saving it, as a bonus it will automatically import the properties if you leave the dotted outline there when you create the drawing.

Save yourself more work by using the property tab builder too.
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- Roy Dean @ Bernie Daraz on Sep 2, 2015 10:36 AM
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  Bernie, thanks for taking the time to respond, however we've already done everything you suggested. The properties will simply not work when inserted into BOM tables with a paste command. All of our custom properties are defined within the property tabs, however the custom properties we want to pull are from the parts (assemblies) referenced, not the drawing file itself.
  
  Again, this works just fine for simple drawing annotations (notes, notes with leaders, etc.), it just doesn't work inside of a bom table title.
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  - Bernie Daraz @ Roy Dean on Sep 2, 2015 10:47 AM
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    Roy,
    
    Placing custom properties in BOM's requires that a column be inserted that referenced the custom properties you wish to insert, to my knowledge there is no pasting. Upon inserting that new column(s) the fields populate automatically. That is of course if everything else is done properly. I use the properties not only for the parts I create but also purchased parts such as McMaster screws, etc. I reference vendors and their part numbers in my BOM's along with many other special requirements including railing cut lengths. I never paste or type any information into a BOM.
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    - Roy Dean @ Bernie Daraz on Sep 2, 2015 10:55 AM
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      Bernie, you don't understand what I am trying to do. This is NOT a new column for part numbers, etc. This is the DESCRIPTION and SAP Number (a custom property) of the ENTIRE BOM TABLE. see attached drawing.
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Bernie Daraz Sep 2, 2015 11:06 AM
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I do understand, you need to create a custom BOM table that has the properties (name) you wish to display there. Though it's probably easier to do it using two 'cells' but you can 'append' two custom properties together.
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- Roy Dean @ Bernie Daraz on Sep 2, 2015 12:18 PM
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  Forgive me if I sound like a broken record, Bernie.
  
  I HAVE created custom BOM tables with the properties I want to display there. THEY DONT DISPLAY. Solidworks recognizes the property, and creates the property block from the text string, but then simply displays the text string block, rather than the VALUE of the property.
  
  [edit]
  
  I've attached a picture that illustrates the problem. Using the same text strings (listed in the original post) yields differing results in the drawing view and the bom table (attached to the same drawing view). The "description" property accurately displays as the description of the assembly, as well as the SAP number (the MP51135 number). However when used in the CUSTOM BOM title, it simply changes the text strings to 2 text blocks (and changes the "" to {}).
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John Stoltzfus Sep 2, 2015 12:36 PM
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As long as I can remember SW has always taken the Quotes and turned them into un-editable Brackets- The last picture I noticed that you used $PRPVIEW.... I have always thought you need $PRPSHEET......

I would suggest you search for external links to a spreadsheet or something like that, I think there was a recent post within the last few days, take a look there. The other thing is you might be able to have someone right a macro?
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- Roy Dean @ John Stoltzfus on Sep 2, 2015 12:43 PM
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  Hey John. $PRPSHEET relates only to the model/configuration listed in the sheet properties. Because you can only list one view in the sheet properties, we can't use that command (as we are listing 4 boms to a sheet, all that reference different views on the sheet).
  
  We are adamantly against creating additional references to drive these tables, as we do not want to duplicate assembly structure meta-data. The "BOM" already exists in the assembly meta-data itself.... replicating it means more chances for errors upon creation, and editing in the future. Solidworks is supposed to be fully parametric, so this SHOULD be a non-issue. SHOULD be.....
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  - John Stoltzfus @ Roy Dean on Sep 2, 2015 12:50 PM
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    The only work around I would try here, (maybe you went down that road), is create an additional custom property in my Custom Property Tab Builder file, then it's pretty quick and easy to add additional info.
    
    But you need to capture that info in the heading, now I'm out of the picture...
    
    Did you get your VAR involved? Or.. somebody from SW's?
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    - Roy Dean @ John Stoltzfus on Sep 2, 2015 1:08 PM
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      John, we don't want to replicate meta data, so replicating the sap numbers in the drawing file is unacceptable. It's no different than just manually typing the data into the title field (which we have resorted to in the past).
      
      I do believe I have a "cheat", though. Check out the attached picture. As I said, we can create drawing notes that work perfectly (top view and table - pulling the values for the respective properties), we just can't get them to show up in the BOM tables. So what I've done is created a note in the drawing (with no leader, shown in the bottom view and table), and simply dragged the BOM table (with an empty title) over the note. This creates what appears to be a fully functional BOM table (that updates as it should based on the metadata in the referenced assemblies and configurations).
      
      I'm not going to mark this one as "answered", because this is a hack solution that just happens to do what we want. Hopefully somebody can re-visit this thread in the future and either explain how to do it "the right way", the "new" way (ie, added or fixed functionality), or just plain old admit that it cannot be done.
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      - John Stoltzfus @ Roy Dean on Sep 2, 2015 1:17 PM
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        If you need to do a workaround, then you did it well, and will work with parametric changes. I would like to see the custom properties being a lot more user friendly when you need to do specialty/customization to BOM's or other linked spreadsheet changes.
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Another BOM title question: Can't import custom property.

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