Linking exel files in a sw part

[sojouner]

heres a thought
can you link a parts internal design table to an external excel file?
for instance a piece of board that has the major dims attached in the internal design table but all the properties such as color part no etc are in an external excel file?
Its a thought becase at the moment when we save out (save as) on a piece of board the design table is duplicated .
Why not have all the save as boards refer to the same excel file?
Hope this is clear?
thanks in advance

brett

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

Yes, but not quite in the way you suggest.
Once you have created a DT inside a part, the DT can be saved as a regular Excel file, which can then be used as a DT in another part. Check out "Design Tables" in the SW Help section.
Not sure how you intend to handle the "part no" though.

From your description, it sound like configurations within the board is the way you could go.


CorBlimeyLimey
Barrie, Ontario
faq559-863

 

[sojouner]

Corblimey ,
I was thinking that the part # was the link to the external data sheet .
we do use configs in our board parts but have to put all the descriptions etc in .
why not just do the configs and link each config to the appropriate part # and description in the data spread sheet?
is there a instruction(programing vba/c++?)that can be put in the internal spreadsheet ?

I'm just curious
Brett

 

[macPT]

sojouner

In fact, instead of creating the properties for each new file (if you have more than 3 properties it will be a real pain), you can have a macro (called from SW or from Excel) that can create all of them for you. The instruction (VB) is as follows:

retval = ModelDoc.AddCustomInfo3 (configuration, FieldName, FieldType, FieldValue)

You can have something like:

retval = ModelDoc.AddCustomInfo3(base_part, part_code, 30, R326N2)

That means that you are creating in the configuration base_part of the active doc in SW window, a property called part_code, wich is a text, with the value R326N2.

You can create as many properties as you want, having several lines like that.

If you need more explanations just ask.

Regards

 

[krywarick6]

You can link DT cells to Excel sheets as if you were linking an Excel file to another Excel file. Check out the procedure in Excel's help file about linkin cells, sheets and files.

Christopher Zona
Litens Automotive Partnership
Concord, Ontario, Canada

 

[JNR]

Yes you can link TO an embedded DT FROM and external Excel file. You can not do it the other way round. That's a Windows/OLE issue as it never has a real file name of its own and only ever gets opened in temporary RAMland.

I have used this extensively in a design tool I built several year a ago. I did a presentation at a SW World conference on it.

Essentially all you need to know is DT's ARE Excel spreadsheets.

It is best to open in a separate window so you get all the Excel tool bars, etc.

The DT itself is the top left corner out until it finds a blank row or column. After that it's all yours to play with how you like. it's the real reason they tell you not to leave blank rows and columns. Being my perverse self i had to try it and find out why.... So you can do anything you want outside the top left corner "block".

You can use ANY excel stuff in a DT - even in the DT variable cells. (I even did one which create new config, names on the fly just for a grin.)

So when you link to an external spreadsheet it is just like regular Excel linking.

I have even played with adding sheets to a DT!! It kinda works and kinda mostly doesn't - so don't go there.....

Our tool need updating these day when I get time, but grew out of the need to optimize some complex geometry mechanism design plus auto create some parts. It has a large spreadsheet that drives multiple parts and assemblies. It also gave us a way to avoid external file references and in-context edits (these were an issue with SmarTeam then).

You need to have auto update turned on for the links. Then when a change has been made to the Spreadsheet, all you need to do is open and close the DT inside the SW file.

Having said all this since 2003 you can use external Excel files as DT's. But there is still some advantage in staying with the original embedded type in sone circumstances. (File management may be one.)

I was - and he did. So at least I didn't get coal.....
OK, OK, It's a reference to my holiday sig. "Be naughty - Save Santa a trip..."