SolidWorks 2010 Drawing Custom Property Question 3

[AHilditch]

Hi all,

I am trying to set up a drawing custom property in order to make filling out my company's information intensive title block less time consuming. I have managed to create an acceptable template via Property Tab Builder that links to the designated places in the title block. However, I didn't realize at first that because it is a drawing custom property it would apply to ALL of my sheets within an assembly drawing (which makes complete sense now that I'm thinking about it). As my sheets do not each contain the same exact information (i.e. part name, part number, ect. for sub assemblies and parts), is there any way to use the same Custom Property template but be able to edit each sheet separately without it affecting other sheets? I realize that I may have to mod the tab to just include all the information that doesn't change sheet to sheet and manually edit the ones that do. I just want to make sure there is absolutely no other way to get my desired results.

Thanks!
-Allie

 

[fcsuper]

The only way I can quickly think of is to have like 10 different sheet formats that are identical except for the custom properties they use. You be able to have a bunch of custom properties with similar names, but each for a particular sheet format when it is added to the next sheet of the drawing. This is complex and would require a lot of knowing what's going on to keep track.

Matt Lorono
Lorono's SolidWorks Resources & SolidWorks Legion

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/solidworks & http://twitter.com/fcsuper

 

[Updraft]

You can have a sheet reference a configuration specific property. We have in our title block a reference to the configuration of the model. When we copy or insert this drawing sheet we just change the configs of the drawing views for that sheet and those properties that are config specific update appropriately. Typically we use the config name, weight, finish, etc., whatever is different and controlled/identified by the configs. It works well.

- - -Updraft

 

[AHilditch]

@fcsuper: I did think about having multiple templates so I could use on for each sheet, but for assemblies that have 30+ drawing sheets, this method isn't very plausible. It would definitely be complex and there would be mass confusion in my department.

@Updraft: Is there a formula needed in order to do it based off configurations or can it be done through the Property Tab Builder?

 

[handleman]

Sounds like you need to put links in your templates to the custom properties of the model referenced by the drawing. Then fill in properties for the model instead of the drawing.

-handleman, CSWP (The new, easy test)

 

[AHilditch]

I currently have links in my template but they will only reference a single part. I run into problems when I have to have multiple sheets each with a different part. The sheets all share the same drawing properties and changing one set of model data changes them all. I don't know how to keep the sheets compartmentalized.

 

[DiegoLGraves]

We keep our properties in the part and assembly models in the custom properties tab. The drawing title block information is pulled from the first part or assembly put on the sheet. This has worked good for 10 years for us. When you first add a model to the sheet make sure it's the one you want the properties pulled from. You can subsequently add other models to that sheet without affecting the title block. We don't use configuration specific properties for the drawing information as this seemed a little flaky in updating - it didn't work the way I expected it to.

Good luck. Diego.

 

[AHilditch]

That sounds exactly like what I want to do, Diego. How do you create the link from the part property to the drawing property?

 

[SteveMartin]

Use $PRPSHEET:"PropertyName" instead of $PRP to pull custom property values from the model instead of the drawing file. We only use custom properties in parts & assemblies, and pull all of the title block information from there (no properties in the drawing file).

As an addendum to Diego's post, the title block info doesn't HAVE to come from the first view put on the sheet. Though it will do so by default, you can change which view the custom properties are pulled from in the sheet properties.

 

[AHilditch]

Ok, that makes sense! You have to designate where you want the information pulled from. I didn't know what the proper syntax was. Thanks everyone for all the help and information. I really appreciate it!
-Allie

 

[SnowCrash]

Steve. I agree most properties should come from the model, but we include some properties as part of the drawing format:

scale
size
project
drafter
engineer
QA
These relate to the print and not the model.

--
Hardie "Crashj" Johnson
SW 2010 SP 4.0
HP Pavillion Elite HPE
W7 Pro, Nvidia Quaddro FX580

 

[macduff]

AHilditch,
This is our standard here. Take a look at the attached and let me know what you think. I can upload some templates as well if you like to get started.

best,

Colin Fitzpatrick (aka Macduff)
Mechanical Designer
Solidworks 2010 SP 3.1
Dell 490 XP Pro SP 2
Xeon CPU 3.00 GHz 3.00 GB of RAM
nVida Quadro FX 3450 512 MB
3D Connexion-SpaceExplorer

 

[AHilditch]

Macduff,
This is an excellent reference! For the most part, your standard is very similar to the standard I've been working on. The main issue I was having was realizing the difference between $PRP and $PRPSHEET. I've managed to create usable custom property templates for parts, assemblies, and drawings and now I'm working out any part referencing kinks I find. Seeing your example has helped me immensely.

 

[macduff]

Your welcome! Did you notice I color coded the the CP's for drawings (Dark Green) and part and assemblies as (Blue)? This way the users know what CP's are driven by Assy & part vs. drawing.

Want me to upload some template files?



Colin Fitzpatrick (aka Macduff)
Mechanical Designer
Solidworks 2010 SP 3.1
Dell 490 XP Pro SP 2
Xeon CPU 3.00 GHz 3.00 GB of RAM
nVida Quadro FX 3450 512 MB
3D Connexion-SpaceExplorer

 

[AHilditch]

I did notice and I would love to see some template files (forgot to mention that last post). I might have to borrow that color coding idea of yours.

 

[macduff]

LOL, too funny about the color coding comment. No problem since my Mom taught me to share. Give me some time to load the template examples.

Thanks for the star!

Colin Fitzpatrick (aka Macduff)
Mechanical Designer
Solidworks 2010 SP 3.1
Dell 490 XP Pro SP 2
Xeon CPU 3.00 GHz 3.00 GB of RAM
nVida Quadro FX 3450 512 MB
3D Connexion-SpaceExplorer

 

[mjcole]

For Configuration Specific Properties, you'll want to have the Property names entered in your default company model configuration. Unless you do this you'll have to add the property for each of the existing configurations because if you have a Configured Part only the active configuration receives these parameters.

By setting this up in your Default Config when you create a new configuration it will have all of these properties. Properties being shared should go in normal Part Properties tab but something like Material or Weight should be a Config Specific value.

Forget the exact order but it should show as
PropertyName@@config-name@@Partname.prt

The config and Part name may be the reverse of above order.

In response to

How do you create the link from the part property to the drawing property

and refering to Steve Martin's post
SteveMartin (Mechanical)
11 Nov 10 15:08 about $PRPSHEET:

You may also want to consider the Sheet Properties Dialog you get from Right Click Properrties on active sheet. There is an option to specify which view on a sheet to use as default model for properties.

From

http://help.solidworks.com/2011/Eng...egacyhelp/sldworks/drawings/hidd_drawing1.htm

Use custom property values from model shown in.[ ]
If more than one model is shown on the sheet and the drawing contains notes that are linked to custom properties of a model, select the view that contains the model whose properties you want to use.
If you do not specify otherwise, the properties of the model in the first view inserted into the sheet are used. See Linking Notes to Document Properties.

Michael

 

[macduff]

AHilditch,
Attached is a "B-SIZE" template

Colin Fitzpatrick (aka Macduff)
Mechanical Designer
Solidworks 2010 SP 3.1
Dell 490 XP Pro SP 2
Xeon CPU 3.00 GHz 3.00 GB of RAM
nVida Quadro FX 3450 512 MB
3D Connexion-SpaceExplorer

 

[macduff]

AHilditch,
Attached is a "Part" template

Colin Fitzpatrick (aka Macduff)
Mechanical Designer
Solidworks 2010 SP 3.1
Dell 490 XP Pro SP 2
Xeon CPU 3.00 GHz 3.00 GB of RAM
nVida Quadro FX 3450 512 MB
3D Connexion-SpaceExplorer

 

[macduff]

AHilditch,
Just a FYI....there's a little difference between the files I just uploaded and the excel file I gave you the other day. Same method though.

Best,

Colin Fitzpatrick (aka Macduff)
Mechanical Designer
Solidworks 2010 SP 3.1
Dell 490 XP Pro SP 2
Xeon CPU 3.00 GHz 3.00 GB of RAM
nVida Quadro FX 3450 512 MB
3D Connexion-SpaceExplorer