I have followed the instructions for setting up a custom property (Material) for our Toolbox parts and linked it to Solidworks materials in the library. Everything seemed to work fine, but when I assemble the part, in the feature tree the material still says <not specified>. How do it get to say the material name? What have I done wrong?
Jim
The material in the feature will always say <not specified>. Where you will see you material come through is in the bill of materials in the material column if you have one set up. Think of the materials you set up in the toolbox settings as configuration specific properties that only show up in BOMs when they are used.
Matt
Thanks Matt for your clear answer. This is my first time using the forum and it is WAY better than my trying to get ansers from my VAR!
Jim
That's what we are here for.
BTW, check out this link: https://forum.solidworks.com/thread/39793?start=0&tstart=0.
It has general guidelines to follow that allow other users to answer your questions more quickly.
Welcome to our world.
Sorry to jump in and restart this but I'm working on exactly the same issue. Except from a different direction.
I have just completed setting custom material properties and linked them to the Solidworks material. i saw the same issue and realised the material was linked to the Configuratrion Specific property.
Except that the Configuration Specific property is using the value from the toolbox Custom Property - not the SolidWorks material.
How do we make sure that the created toolbox part has material properties from the linked SolidWorks material - e.g. mass/weight, etc.?
I'm happy to keep the Custom Proeperty material value (e.g. SS or ZN, in my case) but want to see "304 SS" or "Alloy Steel" in the material somehow.
many thanks.
Anthony,
In my experiences, we always set out custom property material values up to be the way we wanted the material to show in the BOM (i.e. SS for stainless steel, 304 or 316 SS, etc.). I am not sure if there is another way of doing it the way you want.
We have abandoned the Toolbox for myriad reasons....this being one of them. We have much better success creating our own "toolbox" by downloading models from McMaster-Carr and/or creating our own models....then configuring them as desired. Your mileage may vary....
Got that sorted out by help from my VAR, MLC-CAD. The "link to material" doesn't appear in the fastener part file until you insert the fastener into an assembly. then it works fine:) another useful piece of infomation missing from the SWX help files.
The material in the feature will always say <not specified>. Where you will see you material come through is in the bill of materials in the material column if you have one set up. Think of the materials you set up in the toolbox settings as configuration specific properties that only show up in BOMs when they are used.
Matt