Inserting "Weight" automatically into a drawing field 5

[btcoutermash]

I am trying to have the weight or mass automatically insert into a field in my drawing format. I know that you can add a custom property that says "Weight" and link it like: "SW-Mass@0220-2944-01.SLDPRT". But what I was trying to accomplish is having this work behind the scenes and fill in to the field on the drawing automatically. We would like to not have the designer or drafter have to enter this information, but have SW pull it from the material properties. Could anyone assist?? Thank You

 

[TheTick]

Create a property in the part file that links to the weight, then use that property in a note in the drawing.

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

SW has a BOM template which includes a "Weight" column. Check in C:\Program Files\SolidWorks????\lang\english\bom-all.sldbomtbt

 

[btcoutermash]

The "Weight" that is in the BOM just looks to the "Custom" Property file. If it is blank it does not fill in anything. I was looking for it to get the information form the mass properties and fill it in automatically.

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

SW is good, but it is not psychic. As TheTick states you will have to create a "Weight" Custom Property within the part so that it can be read by the BOM. You can set your Part template to include whatever properties you normally use in a part, so that when a part is created, the Weight will automatically be inserted.
Reread the properties, custom section in the SW Help for details. In particular the To add Mass properties sub-section.

 

[tstanley]

We do it as follows:

In the custom properties of the part template we have a column with property name weight, with a value of "SW-Mass@@Default@APD1401.SLDPRT" where apd1401.sldprt is the file name of the part. This was created by linking the mass property to the file name (see Link to Property in help). Then in the template for the drawing border we have a box in the title block for weight. The box has in it $PRPSHEET:"WEIGHT". This automatically puts the weight of the part in that box when the part is imported into the drawing.

This also assumes that your part template has a material defined.

Tom S.

 

[btcoutermash]

tstanley, thank you. You have more of an idea of what we are trying to accomplish.

 

[sbmathias]

Thanks to tstanley for his help. Now, any way to display only one or two decimal places on the drawing? I get about 8 decimal places, which I really don't need or want.

 

[ShaggyPE]

btcoutermash,
That is exactly what TheTick said to do, he just didn't step you through the process.

 

[MElam]

As far as the decimal places, change the units in the part\assembly file. In 2005 there is an area just for Density units.

 

[TheTick]

Some cautions about using mass propertie in notes:
[ul][li]Units are not linked to part or drawing units as set under options. They are dependent on the settings of the Mass Properties tool.[/li]
[li]If there are multiple configurations, define the custom property as configuration-specific. If the custom property is defined as a general property, SW uses the mass properties of the part file's active configuration, regardless of which configuration is used in the drawing.[/li][/ul]

"An object at rest can not be stopped."

http://www.EsoxRepublic.com

 

[djw2k3]

The last comment by The Tick,

"Units are not linked to part or drawing units as set under options. They are dependent on the settings of the Mass Properties tool."

I have been trying to figure out how to use kg in a SW (2004 SP4) BOM instead of grams. I have found the above to be quite true.

This does seem a little insane to me though, this property will rely on a somewhat obscure and easily changed tool setting - users usually alter this setting at times depending on what they might be calculating. Meaning a value in a drawing would be worthless.

If anyone has any good way to deal with this I am all ears , or if this has been altered in future versions ignore this post

 

[Dennyd]

djw2k3,

It is evident that the mass can be linked as mentioned above. You indicate a concern about users changing the settings in the mass properties. Does anyone know a way to lock this or otherwise prevent it?

Maybe another way is to can read what the settings are and use an appropriate adjustment. For instance, if the user changes the settings to grams and you want to display kg, if you can read that the setting is in grams then perhaps you could use an equation to take the mass and divide it by 1000 to get kg. This would likely be another custom property (Mass-kg?) that is calculated from the system mass.

- - -Dennyd