Equation Driven Dimensioning Using Text

[norseman83]

After the great help I recieved from this forum on my last question, I thought I would try to pick your brains again!!
I am trying to create an assembly template for my company. Some of the component dimensions in the assembly differ with the company we build the particular product(assembly)for.
So, I am trying to use the particular company name to drive specific dimensions in these components. My questions are these: 1. How can I get the "company name" equation to produce a text (or String?)output? 2. How do I get the affected "dimension" equation to recognize the text value in a IIf statement?
These are the equations that I have started with so far:

The Company variable equation is:
"Company"="otis"
The dimension equation is:
"D6@Sketch1" = IIf("Company" Like "otis", 3.8125, 3.5625)

I am able to make the equations work by assigning a number to the company (ie. "Company"=1) and using that number in the IIf statement, but I would like the engineer to use the company name if I can.

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

It might be better to create company specific configurations of the parts and assemblies rather than equations.
That way, no typing (& possible mispelling) is necessary.

& all the best.

 

[drawoh]

norseman83,

You may not want to use the equation editor for this.

I suggest using the embedded Excel design table. The data "OTIS" probably affects your BOM as well as your dimensions. Excel can perform logic operations with text.

On occasion, I have created an external Excel spreadsheet with multiple pages. I update the SolidWorks data table by copying values over. At this point, there are very few obstacles with your Excel use. Read the help files for MATCH and OFFSET. These are powerful.

JHG

 

[J-C]

Norseman, what company do you work for? Otis Elevators?

Jason Capriotti
Smith & Nephew, Inc.

 

[norseman83]

Thanks all for your responses. CorBlimey, I agree with you about part configurations but the company I work for wants the assemblies as quick as possible and to cover as many companies as possible with as few assembly templates as possible. I guess I am forced to use a numbering format to declare specific companis (no real big problem there I guess, just not as intuitive).
Drawoh, the excell spread sheets are fine but only 7 per page, many pages would be involved here and the 'engineers' at the company I am making the templates for are SolidWorks newbies and (believe it or not) excell newbies (let alone any microsoft office application)!!!!
Gild, I don't work for Otis but we do many entrance and elevator cabs here. We do mostly custom stuff...which means we do the things that nobody else wants to do.