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general table add in sheet format

Question asked by K. St on Sep 21, 2017
Latest reply on Dec 8, 2017 by Bjorn Hulman

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Hello,

Many years ago a collegue managed to add a general table into our sheet format. (for tolerance ect.) Now i would like to make an new update for all our templates. With a table for materials, quality, changes of the drawing ect. The collegue has left the company before i even joined. I cant manage to add a general table to the sheet format.

When you try to edit sheet format the table always disappears. But when you reload or make a new sheet it will load the table. How do i add a general table to my sheet format?

Regards,

Koen

K. St Dec 8, 2017 4:41 AM

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I managed to get it done. The missing part was the connection with the "file location"

Save your drawing sheet and template sheet in the template map which is refered to "file location" --> "document templates"

Only the FIRST time you make a new drawing you have the option to select the drawing with a general table in it. After that you can only update the sheet template.

I hope this will help others aswell:)

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Glenn Schroeder Sep 21, 2017 3:49 PM
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Hello,

Can you attach a drawing sheet here that has the general table that your colleague added?
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- K. St @ Glenn Schroeder on Sep 22, 2017 1:15 AM
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  Hello,
  
  I have attached the drawing sheet.
  
  Regards,
  Koen
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  - FCE-A3-Klant.slddrt.zip173.5 KB
  - FCE-A3-Klant.drwdot.zip187.1 KB
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  - Bjorn Hulman @ K. St on Sep 22, 2017 5:18 AM
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    I think Glenn Schroeder was curoius to see a sheet format with a general table embedded. The files you have provided show the general table on the drawing template, but not at sheet format level.
    
    Perhaps Glenn knows of a way to embed a general table or any table into the sheet format, hes a smart guy. But for the last 12 years I've always succumbed to having to place mine at sheet level. One saving grace is being able to use anchor points so the table is always in the same place. Another is locking column and row width/height so they don't deviate. And if you want to go further, you can add a macro that places the correct tolerance table depending on some variable in either the part assembly or drawing file of your creation/choosing.
    
    Perhaps your colleague added the information by using lines and text boxes? That's the only way I can think of getting it onto the sheet format.
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    - K. St @ Bjorn Hulman on Sep 22, 2017 5:38 AM
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      Hello,
      
      I want to have the general table connected with the drawing template. So when i load the template i have the table aswell:)
      
      regards
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      - Bjorn Hulman @ K. St on Sep 22, 2017 5:52 AM
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        Hi K.
        
        The template you attached should create a drawing with the tolerance table attached. I've inserted FCE-A3-Klant.drwdot into my templates folder and it creates a drawing with the tolerance table on it.
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      - Bjorn Hulman @ K. St on Sep 22, 2017 5:58 AM
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        Attached is your template with the table attached to the general table anchor. You can move it by expanding the sheet out on the feature tree and right clicking general table anchor select set anchor. That way it won't move unintentionally. You could move the anchor to the bottom left corner of the title block, and change the anchor corner of the table to bottom right for a neater fit for example.
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        FCE-A3-Klant 2.drwdot.zip188.2 KB
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        K. St @ Bjorn Hulman on Sep 25, 2017 2:46 AM
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        I think there is a tiny misudnerstanding about my request.
        Each time when i load this sheet format i have the general table in it. I would like to replicate it.
        
        I have tried to make an Anchor point and i have attached the General table, Then saved the drawing as a sheet format. When i load it. I has no general table.
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        Deepak Gupta @ K. St on Sep 25, 2017 3:07 AM
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        Sheet Format can not have general table but drawing template can. When you reload sheet format, you are only changing the format (which is on the background) but not what is on front of the sheet. Like if you've views on the drawings and you change sheet format, the views won't go away as they on the front.
        
        So you need to save the table as template and can insert on multiple sheets as needed.
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Glenn Schroeder Sep 22, 2017 8:26 AM
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Bjorn is correct when he said I was curious to see a general table in the sheet format, and no, I don't know of a way to put one there. If you really want it in the sheet format the only option I know of would be to create one with sketch lines and Notes. You could even link these Notes to custom properties so you wouldn't have to open the sheet format to add or change information.
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- K. St @ Glenn Schroeder on Sep 25, 2017 3:45 AM
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  When i load the format i can already see the general table attached to my sheet format in the preview window, but i cannot replicate it (yet).
  Each time when i save my sheet format the added general table disappears.
  
  Which steps do i have to take to replicate what my colleague did 7 years ago? ^^
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  - TEST.png20.3 KB
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  - Bjorn Hulman @ K. St on Sep 25, 2017 4:14 AM
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    Hi Koen,
    What your picture shows are not sheet fomats (*.slddrt) the are drawing templates (*.drwdot)
    A sheet format generally creates the underlying structure of a drawing template. The drawing template builds on the sheet format with tables etc so that you do not have to continually add them.
    You may have one sheet format that creates the foundation for multiple drawing templates, so when you require a change to the structure of your drawings, you can simply update your sheet format and re-apply to your drawings.
    
    you may find this informative Graphics Systems' SolidNotes: Drawing Template vs. Sheet Format Files in SolidWorks
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    - K. St @ Bjorn Hulman on Sep 26, 2017 4:00 PM
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      I do understand the difference between the sheet format and the drawing template.
      You get a sheet format when you click the "save sheet format" And the drawing template with Save as --> drwdot.
      
      I have moved the general table from my colleague and saved it 2 times, 1 as "save sheet format" and one as drawing template. Now i will always load the template with the general table on the new location.
      
      When i make a new template (with a general table) from scratch and save it as sheet format and drawing template. The general table is gone when i make a new drawing.
      
      My question: what is the difference between "new" sheet and the old one from my colleague. And yes, i understand it is a sheet format. So when i change the sheet format to another sheet format. Everything changes except the general table. It's only necesarry for us that the table is there the first time.
      
      I know the table can be loaded the first time. But which actions do i have to take?
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      - David Matula @ K. St on Sep 26, 2017 4:55 PM
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        The drawing template is the file that you get when you start a new drawing....So you would want to save the file for your sheet format as a drawing template....
        Then save the sheet format so that you will be able to add more sheets and update any old formats to the new sheet format that you have created....
        when you are saving the sheet format it is only taking the info that you have in the main title block. It would not even let me load a saved general table into the sheet. what you can do is to save the table out to excel and then insert the excel table as an object into the sheet format then it will stick to the sheet when you save out the sheet format.
        do you need to update the tolerances on this table or do you just like the way that it looks?
        I would still go threw the trouble and draw the lines in and add the txt that you need and then let it ride.
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Glenn Schroeder Sep 25, 2017 8:35 AM
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As others have said, that general table is in your drawing template, not your sheet format. When you right-click on a blank part of the sheet and choose "Edit sheet format" the table isn't there, and you can move the table when you aren't in "Edit sheet format" mode. If you want this table in a new drawing template just copy it from the existing drawing, paste it into the new one, and "Save as...drawing template." However, if this table will be constant across all sheets I'd recommend adding it to your sheet format with sketched lines and Notes, as I mentioned above.
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David Matula Sep 25, 2017 8:54 AM
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The general table sounds nice but it is going to be part of the sheet format....why not draw in the lines that you want and make sure that you link the data that you are looking to fill in those blocks to the parts & assemblies.....it is a pain to create and set up the first title block but once you have the b size done copying all the lines to the other size sheets like the C,D, & E templates is easy.
File locations for templates and sheet formats because they are different file types is something else to think about. I would tend to put them all in one folder on the server called SolidWorks templates. There you can find the format sheets to start a drawing part assembly. Also the bom template that has been approved to use....you can also add in special balloon styles ect to the folder...Then you set you file location to that one location and the file extensions filter out the stuff that you do not need when your looking for certain files.
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- John Stoltzfus @ David Matula on Sep 27, 2017 6:45 AM
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  That is exactly like I would and have done it in the past.... Create your own version or a drawing format..
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K. St Dec 8, 2017 4:41 AM
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I managed to get it done. The missing part was the connection with the "file location"

Save your drawing sheet and template sheet in the template map which is refered to "file location" --> "document templates"
Only the FIRST time you make a new drawing you have the option to select the drawing with a general table in it. After that you can only update the sheet template.

I hope this will help others aswell:)
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- Bjorn Hulman @ K. St on Dec 8, 2017 4:46 AM
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  nice work K.St. It's good to hear you've got some resolution to your issue.
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