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Generating drawings for each configuration of a part.

Question asked by Jeff Madden on Jun 27, 2012
Latest reply on Aug 24, 2018 by David Matula

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I have a part with 30 or so different configurations and would like to create a drawing for each configuration. I looked at the solidworks task scheduler but it looks like this only has functionality for several parts within a directory rather than several configurations of a single part. It seems this would be a fairly regular request but I have not been able to find any information (or a macro) to serve this function.

Does anyone have any experience with this type of situation? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Best-

Jeff

Jeff Madden Jul 2, 2012 11:09 AM

Correct Answer

Howard-

Thanks for the reply, I understand your point but in this case I would prefer the change to propogate, with the understanding that all drawings would have to be revised if a change like that was made. If they were broken out into individual part files I would have to update each individual part file, and chances are a mistake would be made somewhere. When they are within one part file the change is made once and applied to all configurations.

For anyone else interested, found a macro here:

http://www.angelsix.com/cms/forum/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=165&start=0

See the reply in context

No one else had this question

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Glenn Schroeder Jun 27, 2012 8:40 AM

Jeff,

Welcome to the forum. I'm not familiar with macros, but you can always copy and paste the first drawing. Then open the new drawing, RMB on the drawing view, and choose Properties. That will take you to a dialog box where you can change the referenced drawing view to a different configuration.

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Jeff Madden @ Glenn Schroeder on Jun 27, 2012 8:43 AM

Glenn-

Thanks for the quick response! That is the method I am using right now and it works fine, I was just hoping there may be a way to generate them automatically. It's no problem when it's only a few configurations but it's going to be a huge pain for some of our components that may have over 50 configurations...

Thanks again for the response-

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Howard Gibson Jun 27, 2012 4:23 PM

Jeff,

I have now had two opportunities to clean up after people who generated separate drawings for each configuration of a part. I did not have the opportunity to choke the living s**t out of them, which is a good thing. I would have.

One part with multiple fabrication or assembly drawings is not administrable. If I am told to update the model and part for drawing 123-456, I assume on good faith that I can modify the model. This especially true if I am a semi-skilled CAD operator. I can go in and make changes that affect many or all of the other drawings, and I have no idea what havoc I am causing.

One model, one assembly or fabrication drawing. Tabulate the drawing. If tabulation does not make sense create new files.

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Jeff Madden @ Howard Gibson on Jul 2, 2012 11:09 AM

Howard-

For anyone else interested, found a macro here:

http://www.angelsix.com/cms/forum/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=165&start=0

Actions

Jacob Ellis @ Jeff Madden on Jul 24, 2015 7:38 AM

Hello Jeff,

Thank you for asking this question. I too am in need of the same functionality that you described. Did you ever get the drawings working the way you wanted? The link you provided no longer works, so a description of the solution would be helpful.

Thank you in advance!

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Bram Ottenhof @ Jeff Madden on Feb 1, 2016 12:49 PM

Hi Jeff,

Is this link still active? I get a 404 Not Found.

Thanks in advance.

Bram

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David Builes Oct 15, 2015 10:30 AM

Hello Jeff,

I am in the same situation you were in, but when the link for the macro seems to be broken.

Could you please help me out on this?

Thanks a lot

Actions

Grant McWilliam @ David Builes on Feb 1, 2016 9:57 AM

Anyone heard any more about this?

Thanks in advance

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John Stoltzfus @ Grant McWilliam on Feb 1, 2016 10:18 AM

Here is what I would do here,

I would have one drawing file with multiple tabs and each tab would be another version or configuration of the part. I have a macro that I use to update the views and when it runs, the macro opens up the part file for every drawing view, rebuilds and closes..

Rebuild Referenced File Macro is attached, written by Deepak Gupta

Attachments

Rebuild Referenced File.swp.zip10.1 KB

Actions

Taylor Duran @ John Stoltzfus on Aug 23, 2018 5:52 PM

Is there an existing macro to create new a new sheet for each configuration and place a BOM linked to that configuration on the sheet.

I know you can change the configuration on each sheet and link the drawing to the correct BOM configuration manually, but for assemblies or parts where there are 50+ configurations it is a very time consuming task.

Any help is greatly appreciated

Actions

John Stoltzfus @ Taylor Duran on Aug 24, 2018 6:51 AM

Taylor Duran - not that I'm aware of, but that doesn't mean there is no macro to do what you want... Did you check out #Task??

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David Matula Aug 24, 2018 9:19 AM

drive works express may help too. even with creating the parts.

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12 Replies

Glenn Schroeder Jun 27, 2012 8:40 AM
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Correct Answer
Jeff,

Welcome to the forum. I'm not familiar with macros, but you can always copy and paste the first drawing. Then open the new drawing, RMB on the drawing view, and choose Properties. That will take you to a dialog box where you can change the referenced drawing view to a different configuration.
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- Jeff Madden @ Glenn Schroeder on Jun 27, 2012 8:43 AM
  Mark Correct
  Correct Answer
  Glenn-
  
  Thanks for the quick response! That is the method I am using right now and it works fine, I was just hoping there may be a way to generate them automatically. It's no problem when it's only a few configurations but it's going to be a huge pain for some of our components that may have over 50 configurations...
  
  Thanks again for the response-
  Like • Show 1 Like1
  Actions
Howard Gibson Jun 27, 2012 4:23 PM
Mark Correct
Correct Answer
Jeff,

    I have now had two opportunities to clean up after people who generated separate drawings for each configuration of a part.   I did not have the opportunity to choke the living s**t out of them, which is a good thing. I would have.

    One part with multiple fabrication or assembly drawings is not administrable. If I am told to update the model and part for drawing 123-456, I assume on good faith that I can modify the model. This especially true if I am a semi-skilled CAD operator. I can go in and make changes that affect many or all of the other drawings, and I have no idea what havoc I am causing.

    One model, one assembly or fabrication drawing. Tabulate the drawing. If tabulation does not make sense create new files.
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- Jeff Madden @ Howard Gibson on Jul 2, 2012 11:09 AM
  Unmark Correct
  Correct Answer
  Howard-
  
  Thanks for the reply, I understand your point but in this case I would prefer the change to propogate, with the understanding that all drawings would have to be revised if a change like that was made. If they were broken out into individual part files I would have to update each individual part file, and chances are a mistake would be made somewhere. When they are within one part file the change is made once and applied to all configurations.
  
  For anyone else interested, found a macro here:
  
  http://www.angelsix.com/cms/forum/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=165&start=0
  Like • Show 1 Like1
  Actions
  - Jacob Ellis @ Jeff Madden on Jul 24, 2015 7:38 AM
    Mark Correct
    Correct Answer
    Hello Jeff,
    
    Thank you for asking this question. I too am in need of the same functionality that you described. Did you ever get the drawings working the way you wanted? The link you provided no longer works, so a description of the solution would be helpful.
    
    Thank you in advance!
    Like • Show 1 Like1
    Actions
  - Bram Ottenhof @ Jeff Madden on Feb 1, 2016 12:49 PM
    Mark Correct
    Correct Answer
    Hi Jeff,
    Is this link still active? I get a 404 Not Found.
    Thanks in advance.
    Bram
    Like • Show 2 Likes2
    Actions
David Builes Oct 15, 2015 10:30 AM
Mark Correct
Correct Answer
Hello Jeff,

I am in the same situation you were in, but when the link for the macro seems to be broken.
Could you please help me out on this?

Thanks a lot
Like • Show 1 Like1
Actions
- Grant McWilliam @ David Builes on Feb 1, 2016 9:57 AM
  Mark Correct
  Correct Answer
  Anyone heard any more about this?
  
  Thanks in advance
  Like • Show 1 Like1
  Actions
  - John Stoltzfus @ Grant McWilliam on Feb 1, 2016 10:18 AM
    Mark Correct
    Correct Answer
    Here is what I would do here,
    
    I would have one drawing file with multiple tabs and each tab would be another version or configuration of the part. I have a macro that I use to update the views and when it runs, the macro opens up the part file for every drawing view, rebuilds and closes..
    
    Rebuild Referenced File Macro is attached, written by Deepak Gupta
    Attachments
    Rebuild Referenced File.swp.zip10.1 KB
    Like • Show 3 Likes3
    Actions
    - Taylor Duran @ John Stoltzfus on Aug 23, 2018 5:52 PM
      Mark Correct
      Correct Answer
      Is there an existing macro to create new a new sheet for each configuration and place a BOM linked to that configuration on the sheet.
      I know you can change the configuration on each sheet and link the drawing to the correct BOM configuration manually, but for assemblies or parts where there are 50+ configurations it is a very time consuming task.
      
      Any help is greatly appreciated
      Like • Show 2 Likes2
      Actions
      - John Stoltzfus @ Taylor Duran on Aug 24, 2018 6:51 AM
        Mark Correct
        Correct Answer
        Taylor Duran - not that I'm aware of, but that doesn't mean there is no macro to do what you want... Did you check out #Task??
        Like • Show 1 Like1
        Actions
David Matula Aug 24, 2018 9:19 AM
Mark Correct
Correct Answer
drive works express may help too. even with creating the parts.
Like • Show 2 Likes2
Actions

Generating drawings for each configuration of a part.

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