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How Do I Override Length in a Cut List Table

Question asked by Jim Sculley on Sep 11, 2019
Latest reply on Sep 12, 2019 by Glenn Schroeder

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SW2017 SP5

We do not do a lot of weldment drawings here, so I am not all that familiar with the inner workings of cut list tables.

I have a cut list for a tubular frame with some feet made from plate. I have the plate set up as a weldment profile. In the model, the tree looks like this:

The plate items are detailed on a separate sheet of the drawing. I would like to replace the length value in the cut list table with N/A but cannot figure out how to do it. When I right click on a cut list item and select Properties, the Cut-List Properties dialog is displayed:

Changes to the LENGTH property in the above tab have no effect. If I select the 'Properties Summary' tab, I can change the property value, and it seems to stick:

But, the cut list on the drawing does not show the change:

Also,when I view the cut list properties again, the Properties Summary has reverted back:

So, is what I'm asking not possible, or have I missed something?

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Kyle Taylor Sep 11, 2019 12:47 PM

First off you really should be creating plate with the Sheet Metal features not Weldments. It tracks the sheet metal properties differently and you can have the thickness, width, and length properties in their own columns on the cut list.

I was running into an issue in I believe 2017 and 2018 where I could change properties in the "properties summary" tab, but i had to click BACK to the "cut list summary" tab and THEN click okay or my changes would not hold. Try that first.

Next, are you using a BOM or the actual cut list table?

Drop your part and your cut list template here and I'll give her a look. I work in weldments and sheet metal all day

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Jim Sculley @ Kyle Taylor on Sep 11, 2019 2:41 PM

Kyle Taylor wrote:

First off you really should be creating plate with the Sheet Metal features not Weldments. It tracks the sheet metal properties differently and you can have the thickness, width, and length properties in their own columns on the cut list.

So you have two separate length columns, one for structural members and one for plate members? Or have I missed something?

In any event, I found the way to achieve what I wanted. I had to open the weldment profile file for my plate member and add a LENGTH property there and set the value to N/A. This seems to prevent the cut list from overriding it.

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Glenn Schroeder @ Kyle Taylor on Sep 12, 2019 8:39 AM

Kyle Taylor wrote:

First off you really should be creating plate with the Sheet Metal features not Weldments. It tracks the sheet metal properties differently and you can have the thickness, width, and length properties in their own columns on the cut list.

I disagree with your statement that plate shouldn't be modeled as a weldment feature. I do it all the time, and my thickness and width are called out just fine in the cut list Description, and of course length is generated for plate just like it is for any other structural steel. See Using Plate in Weldments.

I'm not saying that using sheet metal features for plate isn't a viable option, but creating it as a weldment feature works very well if the .sldlfp files are set up properly (especially in multi-body Parts where it's mixed with other structural shapes).

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Glenn Schroeder Sep 11, 2019 12:52 PM

I don't know if there's a better way, but here's one that should work for you:

Go to the cut list properties.
Create a new cut list property.
For the bodies you want N/A, enter that in the "Value / Text Expression" cell for your new property.
For the bodies you want to show the length, highlight and copy the text from the "Value / Expression" cell in the "LENGTH" row.
Paste it in the cell for your new property.
Reference this new property in your cut list table in your Drawing instead of the LENGTH property.

Now that I have that out of the way, may I suggest a different workflow for your plate? Link to the thickness and width in your Description, and then go ahead and keep the LENGTH value. That's the workflow I use. See Using Plate in Weldments for a more detailed explanation. With this method, for simple rectangular plates there's no need to detail them because all the information is in the cut list (unless of course there are holes or other cuts).

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4 Replies

Kyle Taylor Sep 11, 2019 12:47 PM
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First off you really should be creating plate with the Sheet Metal features not Weldments. It tracks the sheet metal properties differently and you can have the thickness, width, and length properties in their own columns on the cut list.
I was running into an issue in I believe 2017 and 2018 where I could change properties in the "properties summary" tab, but i had to click BACK to the "cut list summary" tab and THEN click okay or my changes would not hold. Try that first.
Next, are you using a BOM or the actual cut list table?
Drop your part and your cut list template here and I'll give her a look. I work in weldments and sheet metal all day
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- Jim Sculley @ Kyle Taylor on Sep 11, 2019 2:41 PM
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  Kyle Taylor wrote:
  
  First off you really should be creating plate with the Sheet Metal features not Weldments. It tracks the sheet metal properties differently and you can have the thickness, width, and length properties in their own columns on the cut list.
  So you have two separate length columns, one for structural members and one for plate members? Or have I missed something?
  
  In any event, I found the way to achieve what I wanted. I had to open the weldment profile file for my plate member and add a LENGTH property there and set the value to N/A. This seems to prevent the cut list from overriding it.
  Like • Show 0 Likes0
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- Glenn Schroeder @ Kyle Taylor on Sep 12, 2019 8:39 AM
  Mark Correct
  Correct Answer
  Kyle Taylor wrote:
  
  First off you really should be creating plate with the Sheet Metal features not Weldments. It tracks the sheet metal properties differently and you can have the thickness, width, and length properties in their own columns on the cut list.
  
  I disagree with your statement that plate shouldn't be modeled as a weldment feature. I do it all the time, and my thickness and width are called out just fine in the cut list Description, and of course length is generated for plate just like it is for any other structural steel. See Using Plate in Weldments.
  
  I'm not saying that using sheet metal features for plate isn't a viable option, but creating it as a weldment feature works very well if the .sldlfp files are set up properly (especially in multi-body Parts where it's mixed with other structural shapes).
  Like • Show 0 Likes0
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Glenn Schroeder Sep 11, 2019 12:52 PM
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Correct Answer
I don't know if there's a better way, but here's one that should work for you:
1. Go to the cut list properties.
2. Create a new cut list property.
3. For the bodies you want N/A, enter that in the "Value / Text Expression" cell for your new property.
4. For the bodies you want to show the length, highlight and copy the text from the "Value / Expression" cell in the "LENGTH" row.
5. Paste it in the cell for your new property.
6. Reference this new property in your cut list table in your Drawing instead of the LENGTH property.
Now that I have that out of the way, may I suggest a different workflow for your plate? Link to the thickness and width in your Description, and then go ahead and keep the LENGTH value. That's the workflow I use. See Using Plate in Weldments for a more detailed explanation. With this method, for simple rectangular plates there's no need to detail them because all the information is in the cut list (unless of course there are holes or other cuts).
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How Do I Override Length in a Cut List Table

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