BOM in 2004

Can you still use the excel version of BOM's?
How is the conversion of excel BOM's to the new one?

 

There is no conversion from the excell style BOM to the new one. You
cannot mix the to in 1 drawing.

But the old style (excell) is still availible.

Johnny

 

I think he wants to know how the old excel BOMs are transfered to the new BOMs.
I also would like to know.

Thanks
CAD ROB

 

They aren't. They stay as an excel BOM. Only newly created BOMs will be in
the new table format.

Dave H

 

Thanks,

Really I was searching for both answers.


Do you see any limitations to the new BOM version?

Steve

 

Mr. Pickles quipped:

apparently you can't put variables in them either $PRP_Author (or whatever
it's called) does not show the author as entered in the doc properties.

i could be wrong tho. haven't played with it enough. (and this refers to rev
blocks, assuming BOMs will behave the same.)

-nick e.

 

Just use the Excel BOM instead of the new table. It's still available under
the "Insert" > "Tables" menu.

Dave H

 

Although it's true that the new BOMs cannot do formulas, there is a way to
do some formulas if you know VBA. I have some custom properties that
calculate square inches and others that concatenate (group) several
different properties. For example, I have three lines for my description
(sheet 1), but I group these three lines together to make a one-line
description (sheet 2).

My only beef is with the QTY field. I can't figure out how to get rid of
it. I would like to use the BOM table for other types of tables that SW
hasn't created, nor could they foresee.

 

CSV files are (I believe) comma delimited files. They open up smoothly in
several programs, especially Excel. They are more flexible than an Excel
files because they also open in Word, Quattro, WordPerfect, Notepad, and a
zillion others I can't even think of. You could even make labels if you
want. Some MRP systems can use them to set up parts in your part systems.
Of course, you can forget formulas.

 

CSV == Comma Separated Variables

 

Basically what your going to do is:

1) Create your "custom properties" in the part/assembly(if you haven't
already). You should probably do this in your starter parts and assemblies.

2) Create a form that has text boxes (at least) displaying the value of the
"custom properties". Don't forget labels.

3) Extract the current values of the part/assemblies "custom properties" and
place them in the text boxes.

4) Then send the values in the text boxes back to the "custom properties".

You could take someone's custom property program and modify it, or start
from scratch. I like to let someone else do the typing and debugging. If
you want to use someone else's program, you will need to replace the name of
their variables with yours. Use find/replace under the Edit pull-down.

Either way, try nhcad.com for some examples.

When you get this far, you can create new properties that have information
from several properties. I use "description1", "description2", and
'description3" for each line in my title block. Then I have a property
called "description" which takes the three and makes one. Something like:
description = description1 & " " & description2 & " " & description3