Linking Part length x width into bill of materials

[Shenanigans]

Hell everyone this is my first post here and to start I am an engineer for a furniture manufacture where I was brought on to create libraries and to improve production times.

With that information stated I would love to be able to create one standard component (file cabinet, etc.) and just modify the size using a design table then insert into a drawing and have the bill of materials list each component (ends, rails, top, bottom, etc.) as well as there length and widths.

I draw each part with the cut dimension then add a .125" banding around the edges but do not merge the two. I do this so I can get the cut dimensions to put into another software to create cut lists and also to make drafts to show customers and management.

My question is how can I link the length and widths of the cut dimensions and also the overall dimension into the bill of materials?

I am new to design tables and bill of materials but am fluent is drawing parts within SW. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[JMirisola]

Look at using weldments.You'll still be able to use a design table to control size, but use the cut list functionality in your drawings.

Jeff Mirisola, CSWP
Design Manager/Senior Designer
M9 Defense
My Blog

 

[ShaggyPE]

In addition to using weldments... since you are already using design tables, you can create a custom property that is equal to the length dimension and similarly one that is width (or whatever else). Create your length and width custom properties in your configuration specific custom properties... make them different in at least two of the configs. This will allow it to be automatically added to your design table. Then when you edit your design table, set the custom property cells equal to the dimension cells using standard excel functionality.

-Dustin
Professional Engineer
Pretty good with SolidWorks

 

[Shenanigans]

I have never used weldments before nor do I know how to. I will play around with them and see what I can do. I also am not very good with excel. I might be in over my head on this one right now. I'll continue to play around and look at video's online. thanks for the advice

 

[Shenanigans]

So I just played around with the weldments feature and watched a few videos on it but I still can not get the results I am looking for. I am not sure what needs to be done to get the length and width to output onto the cutlist. All I get are qty, length (no value), item number, description (which I added). Not sure why the length comes up with a length@@@@as welded... value instead of an actual number value. Ive got a cad class tomorrow hopefully my instructor knows about weldments and can shed some light on this for me.

 

[SnowCrash]

I have overall dimensions in my BOM. Create a property in the part called "Size" and set it equal to ["D1@sketch1" x "D2@Sketch1"] where sketch1 equals the part dimension you want to show, overall size plus kerf. Your variables may be different, they are just the dimension labels in a sketch or a feature.
Save this as a part template, 'whatever.prtdot' and use this as the starting point for all you panels.

--
Hardie "Crashj" Johnson
SW 2011 SP 2.0
HP Pavillion Elite HPE
W7 Pro, Nvidia Quaddro FX580

 

[moon161]

Go to the cut list in the weldment feature tree, rt click, Update, this will build the cut list.

Go through the weldment tutorial in SWX as well.