11 Replies Latest reply on Jun 15, 2017 1:27 PM by Peter Kennedy

Copying custom property from part or assembly to drawing

Grega Jerin Jun 8, 2017 2:35 PM

I want to copy custom property "Description" from parts and assemblies to corresponding drawings. I can do it manually in Windows Explorer if I sort by Name and then copy Description from part/assembly to drawing, but it is too much work for a lot of files.

I've tried #TASK application, becuse it has a task that can copy custom properties from parts or assemblies to drawings, but I have to select drawings to run the task and not parts and assemblies, which is no go, because I can't sort drawings by Description until I have it written.

Is there any simple option to do this?

I was wondering about double sort in Windows Explorer. First I would sort by Description to get all my parts and assemblies together and then I would do second sort to get all same names (part and drawing or assemblly and drawing) together. I would then choose all files and drag them to #TASK and then in #TASK I would select filter for drawings only.

The main reason I want to do this is because I want to sort drawings in Windows Explorer in group sorted by Description, so I have more simple work when I do tasks for exporting. Mind here that in my Explorer folder some files don't have description yet, because I have to finish them first.

Thanks for help.

Snap 2017-06-08 at 20.19.40.png 75.5 KB

Re: Copying custom property from part or assembly to drawing

Grega Jerin Jun 14, 2017 5:10 PM (in response to Grega Jerin)

I have strange wishes maybe. I didn't found a simple answer to my question.

I will ask differently. When I run a project I have all CAD data (assemblies, parts, drawings) in one folder. I've had up to 4000 files for some projects and I have non significant numbering. That means that I can have parts that go under one subassembly all over the folder. It is hard to select them in explorer as a group of files that go under same subassembly. I need this for batch runs in #TASK, because I usually do that for one subassembly. I've tried with description property, but my Windows Explorer keeps crashing and I think it is because of Description property that has to be loaded for all those files in Windows Explorer.

Does anybody have a simple solution for this?
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- Re: Copying custom property from part or assembly to drawing
  
  Peter Kennedy Jun 14, 2017 5:30 PM (in response to Grega Jerin)
  
  Let me get this straight you just want to copy the description from your part or assembly into your drawing, so you can organize in windows explorer via description?
  
  I have a macro I use to transfer the properties from my model to my drawing. I using:
  
  Set swDraw = swModel
  Set swCustPropMgr = swDraw.Extension.CustomPropertyManager("")
  Set swView = swDraw.GetFirstView
  Set swView = swView.GetNextView
  Set swCustProp = swView.ReferencedDocument.Extension.CustomPropertyManager("")
  
  This gets the properties
  swCustProp.Get5 propName, False, ValOut, ResolvedValOut, wasResolved
  
  This adds them to the drawing.
  swCustPropMgr.Add3 propName, swCustomInfoText, ResolvedValOut, swCustomPropertyReplaceValue
  
  You could batch run the macro to go through all the drawings in a file using this:
  
  Path = "*PUT YOUR FOLDER HERE"
  sFileName = Dir(Path & "*.slddrw")
  Do Until sFileName = ""
  Set swModel = swApp.OpenDoc6(Path + sFileName, swDocDRAWING, swOpenDocOptions_Silent, "", nErrors, nWarnings)
  
  After I have finished running the macro I close out the document and loop the do loop:
  
  swApp.CloseDoc swModel.GetTitle
  Set swModel = Nothing
  sFileName = Dir
  Loop
  
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- Re: Copying custom property from part or assembly to drawing
  
  Chris Champions Jun 14, 2017 5:40 PM (in response to Grega Jerin)
  
  IMO, you don't need to run a macro for this task while you can link all CusProp from Part/Assembly to the drawing
  
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  - Re: Copying custom property from part or assembly to drawing
    
    Chris Manger Jun 14, 2017 5:52 PM (in response to Chris Champions)
    
    I think he wants to see the Description in the 'Description' column via Windows Explorer. Linking the Title Block description to the Model view (Model Custom Property) will not allow him to do this. You would have to create a Description custom property in the drawing to see this.
    
    Grega Jerin, correct?
    
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    - Re: Copying custom property from part or assembly to drawing
      
      Grega Jerin Jun 14, 2017 5:58 PM (in response to Chris Manger)
      
      Yes, Chris, that is correct.
      
      That was my question in my first post, but in last few days I had a lot of problems with Windows Explorer crashing and I think it is because of Description column in Windows Explorer. I'm still checking it, because I'm not sure.
      
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      - Re: Copying custom property from part or assembly to drawing
        
        Peter Kennedy Jun 15, 2017 10:14 AM (in response to Grega Jerin)
        
        Like I mentioned in my post above I run a macro to copy the properties over and I have no issues in windows explorer showing the description.
        
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        Re: Copying custom property from part or assembly to drawing
        
        Bernie Daraz Jun 15, 2017 10:17 AM (in response to Peter Kennedy)
        
        Thank you Peter! I was looking in the wrong place.
        
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        Re: Copying custom property from part or assembly to drawing
        
        Grega Jerin Jun 15, 2017 11:04 AM (in response to Peter Kennedy)
        
        Yes, I use the same Windows Explorer column "Description", that can be edited directly in Windows Explorer in bottom Details pane or in part / assembly / drawing Custom properties. This can be seen in attached screenshot.
        
        With Description column I can quickly sort parts / assemblies / drawings that belong together somehow (same subassembly or something else). I will try your macro Peter Kennedy, thanks. Is it possible to select just some parts and assemblies and not whole folder?
        
        Which Windows version do you use? I run SW 2016 SP5 on Windows 7 and this Description column is giving me hard time for last few days. As if Windows Explorer couldn't handle all of those files to show Description and just shuts down and then starts again. After few crashes I have to restart my PC, because Explorer is not functional.
        
        Snap 2017-06-15 at 13.42.42 - Copy.png 463.5 KB
        
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        Re: Copying custom property from part or assembly to drawing
        
        Peter Kennedy Jun 15, 2017 1:27 PM (in response to Grega Jerin)
        
        Just a note I didn't give the full macro as I have different operations being conducted within them, that is just the sections I use for transferring the data. You'll have to add in the extra information.
        
        I have the macro run when I make the drawing, I don't actually batch run it. If you want to manually open each drawing that you want to add the custom properties that's the easiest, however if you know which criteria you want to transfer over you could adjust your macro to selectively choose each drawing file.
        
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    - Re: Copying custom property from part or assembly to drawing
      
      Chris Champions Jun 14, 2017 6:05 PM (in response to Chris Manger)
      
      Ok - it makes sense ! I'd better read the post more carefully
      it's not hard to create this macro
      Run a loop thru the CusProp and copy all then switch document (to the dwg) and pass them all
      
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Re: Copying custom property from part or assembly to drawing

Bernie Daraz Jun 14, 2017 8:11 PM (in response to Grega Jerin)

There was a post on this recently where someone wanted to read something when the mouse hovered over a file name. I was under the impression that it isn't possible. Custom properties related to SW parts, assemblies and drawing have their own method to sharing information. Have a look into the Custom Property Tab Builder.

Here is the Windows property page for a file and according to the drop down Description is not available. Perhaps you can use one of the others.
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