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Custom properties help

Question asked by Mike Dowsett on Jun 22, 2011
Latest reply on Jun 23, 2011 by Vikas Garg

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Hi,

New user here and having some problems with rather some kind of bug in solidworks/excel or trouble understanding myself.

I am trying to create our new companies drawing sheets. Since i only have to make the sheet once i thought i would add a few extra bits of info.

I am trying to create a custom property for:

Weight

Matieral

Finish

I have made all three custom properties and the table currently looks like this:

1) Weight Text "SW-Mass@PART1.SLDASM" 159.30

2) Material Text "SW-Material@PART1.SLDASM" Material<Not Specified>

3) Finish Text - -

I dont know where the figure has come from for the weight. Im not sure why the materal is telling me its not specified when i have set all these properties in the part file drawing. Also i do not get any drop down options for the Finish.

Can any one help me out or help me understand where i am going wrong.

Thanks

Solidworks 2011, SP0, Excel 2010,Win7.

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Timothy Holman Jun 22, 2011 9:26 AM
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If a material SW asigns a mass density to your part automatically. The density it uses is that of water I think. The reason you dont have a drop down is becuasea you have not created a list for Finish. I would recomend you take a look at the custom property tab builder. The properties you listed above, are they in the drawing file? When you calculate the mass of an assembly, each of the parts in that assembly must be calculated.
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- Mike Dowsett @ Timothy Holman on Jun 22, 2011 9:30 AM
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  I have manged to sort out the weight. the drawing assembley units were set to grams and not kilograms.
  
  Im not sure i know what you mean when you say create a list for finish? I thought that the table looks up the finish from the assembley file in which i have set the finish to a stainles steel satin finish but for some reason the link comes back correctly but says i have no specified it? - Thats what it looks like its doing anyway.
  
  I am trying to get these custom properties automated into the sheet format so that whenever i load the sheet into solidworks, it will automaticly calculate the weight, finish etc of the product.
  
  Hope that makes sense.
  
  Thanks
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Scott McFadden Jun 23, 2011 6:48 AM
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Mike,
Welcome to the forum.
I just recently did this for my company. I incorporated the material along with the weight
into the custom properties tab builder file. When you selected on the material in the
tab builder it would allow you to edit the material as if you RC in the feature manager
under the material and that selection would drive the weight property in the titleblock
as well based on the density of the material.
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- Mike Dowsett @ Scott McFadden on Jun 22, 2011 9:55 AM
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  Thanks for taking the time to upload those files but i cannot open CP part and the 'part' file is just a couple of lines across the Y and Z axis?
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  - Brian Place @ Mike Dowsett on Jun 22, 2011 10:29 AM
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    go to the custom tab builder and open the cp part file there.
    the part file shows the properties for the custom tab builder go to properties of the part file
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    - Mike Dowsett @ Brian Place on Jun 22, 2011 10:50 AM
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      Thanks i have loaded that parts file but i have not made it like that.
      
      maybe its me whose confused. i have not had any solidworks training yet but with most things there is probably more than one way of doing something.
      
      I have attached a cropped screen print. it shows the table im working with.
      
      As you can see, i have managed to get the weight sorted. I have also got the material sorted but for some reason it cannot find the material that is in my part and assembley file. it just says not specified. so maybe i have missed something in one of the other files?
      
      The finish 'Value' isnt even listed in the drop down menu and not sure where else to look to get this added to the drop down.
      
      Thanks
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      table.jpg78.7 KB
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      - Scott McFadden @ Mike Dowsett on Jun 22, 2011 11:06 AM
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        Is the path for your material file set properly in Tools>options>system options?
        
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        Mike Dowsett @ Scott McFadden on Jun 22, 2011 11:19 AM
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        its set to:
        
        C:\ProgramData\SolidWorks\SolidWorks 2011\Custom Materials ---> Custom Materials.sldmat
        
        I havnt specified any custom materials. i am trying to get the 2d drawing to link back to the part/assembley where it is specified there.
        
        I have specified both files as the material being 316L stainless steel which is built into solidworks data base. i was trying to get the sheet to generate the material on the 2d drawing sheet automaticly so i should never have to change it if its correct on the 3d drawings.
        
        Sorry if i have confused anyone. Im hoping this custom properties works so i dont have to keep coming back to this - the most difficult thing ive experienced in solidworks so far.
        
        Thanks
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      - Jeremiah Feist @ Mike Dowsett on Jun 22, 2011 12:14 PM
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        the material is coming up as unspecified because this is an assembly file - you cannot assign a material to an assembly.
        
        the drop-down does not include a "finish" variable because that list only includes special SW variables that you can map to your custom properties.
        
        take a look through the help on the property tab builder, in there you can make a list of properties to fill in for each file type. and any of them can have drop-down lsts to select values.
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        Mike Dowsett @ Jeremiah Feist on Jun 23, 2011 3:10 AM
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        So where do i have to get material to look to if its not the assembley?
        
        Thanks, i will have a look through the help files on that tab builder. Didnt even know it was there until yesterday.
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        Deepak Gupta @ Mike Dowsett on Jun 23, 2011 3:27 AM
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        Mike you'll have to apply the material to parts and not to assembly. To set material for part(s) at assembly level, right click on a part or parts in an assembly and set the material from list
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        Add material.png37.5 KB
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        Mike Dowsett @ Deepak Gupta on Jun 23, 2011 5:43 AM
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        I have done that.
        
        This is why i cant understand why it isnt working. I guess i will just wait till i start my training course in a couple of weeks so i can get some hands on learning experience instead of trying to learn everything the hard way
        
        Thanks for everyones help and advice.
        
        Just to let you know that i have completed my companies sheets and the only thing that is missing are the values for the finish and material which im hoping to get help with from the training course.
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        Vikas Garg @ Mike Dowsett on Jun 23, 2011 7:12 AM
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        hello Mike,
        
        can you post the screenshot of the feature manager tree, as Deepak has suggested ?
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