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Auto Update Design Table or Linking Design Tables

Question asked by Alexander Sandstrom on Oct 17, 2014
Latest reply on Jan 20, 2016 by Poorvesh Mistry

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I am working on designing a metal stamping die. This is made up of about 30 components. The dimensions of these components and their mates are all driven from each other as well as from a model of the part that they are making. I am looking for a way to have my design tables in the individual part files automatically update when I update the design table in my assembly file. Either that or if there is someway to link the assembly's design table to the individual parts' design tables. Let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

Thank you in advance

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Poorvesh Mistry Apr 27, 2015 11:22 AM
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Hey Alexander,

I have similar issue. Currently what I did was creating an assembly of parts with their design tables and having design table for the assembly as well, the cells of each design table is linked to cells of external Excel sheet, as shown in this video. Linking Data from Microsoft Excel to a SolidWorks Model - YouTube
and then made Excel to do all the thinking & cross linking and it works great.
But my problem is that after I make modifications to this Excel file, I have to open the assembly, all its parts, open their Design tables and close, this process of opening the design tables individually, reflects the data modified in the Excel sheet and this is very time consuming, so I am trying to find a solution, that I don't have to open all parts & their design tables.

Hope this helps
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- Bas Duis @ Poorvesh Mistry on Dec 2, 2015 9:32 AM
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  Hello Poorvesh,
  
  I have the same problem as you do, its indeed very time consuming.
  Did you already find a solution for it? I am also searching for a solution at the moment.
  
  Greetz,
  Bas.
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  - Alexander Sandstrom @ Bas Duis on Jan 20, 2016 12:55 PM
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    Poorvesh Mistry
    
    I am so sorry. I never realized that I had more comments on this question. I've been away from the forums for a while. I thought that I may be able to help with your time spent on these updates and give you the solution that I created to work around all the time spent opening and updating each part.
    
    In the same was as Poorvesh, I used an excel table and linked it to my design tables in SolidWorks. This was perfect as I could include equations and formulas in excel which I could not do in SolidWorks. After linking all of these, you are good to go for changing everything you want in an easier manner (excel also helps to relate dimensions of one component to another). As far as updating the parts and assemblies within SolidWorks, you do have to open the part/assembly, open the design table (it'll update automatically if the excel file is open), and then close the design table (the part/assembly will update automatically upon closure of the updated design table). To cut out all the time associated with opening a file, opening its design table, closing its design table, and then closing the file, I created a Macro. I can't seem to locate it, so I can't share it with you right now, but it's easy to make one yourself. What you have to do is go to the assembly which has the part in it, start recording a macro (tools>macro>record), open your part, open the design table, close the design table, stop the recording (tools>macro>stop). Then save your macro. Edit the macro and copy and paste what you recorded as many times as you have parts and change the file name to match that of the part you're wanting to add. If I had the Macro, it would make it a lot easier to explain but feel free to ask me questions directly and I'll try my best to help. Keep in mind that this macro does not close any of the drawings after it opens them. I created another Macro to do that and I would only run it after hitting Save All so that way I was never asked if I wanted to save a part before closing it.
    
    Cheers,
    Alex
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  - Poorvesh Mistry @ Bas Duis on Jan 20, 2016 1:06 PM
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    Hi Bas Duis,
    
    Hope this string helps, it works for me now
    Macro to Update Design Tables on Assemblies and Parts modeled Top-Down
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Scott Harvey Dec 3, 2015 8:32 AM
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There are 3 separate people and 2 people watching for an answer so far to this question so what I might say may not help everyone but it has helped me in certain models I want to "auto update"

You can place a variable in the Assemblies equation manager to drive dimensions in the part level.

You can also drive that same global variable I created in the assembly (d1 at part...) in the Assembly Design table which will in turn change geometry in the part levels and its instant, no ctrl q or opening up files.

Syntax is $Value@Variablename@equations for the global variable.
So put the syntax in this assemblies design table as $Value@D1 AT PART NAMED BLOCK@equations

You can also Suppress and Unsuppress features in the Equation manager which some people don't know. They think they need a design table to state to suppress a feature.

Just depends on how your geometry is being driven and other unique factors each user needs.
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