Material Database and Excel

I want to create new materials in a custom material database.

This is what I know:
A new database in sw can be created.
New materials can be added to this database in SW.
The database file can be edited in Notepad and materials added.
These aren't user friendly for adding 100 materials.

When I go to open this material database file, Excel is the default
program.
When opened in Excel, the spreadsheet shows very usable, editable
materials.

HOWEVER, the material database file is READ-ONLY.

Is there a way to make the file able to be saved?

Thank, Blair Sutton

 

Blair,

The database file is in XML format. You will have to use either
notepad or an XML editor to add.

Check out Matweb, they offer users the ability to create one from
materials that you select from their web site.

Jeff

 

Thanks for explaining the XML format. I wasn't aware what .sldmat was
..xml

Do you have a favorite XML editor? I grabbed XMLwriter 2.6, but it
doesn't open .sldmat (it just shows a funny character, no cell
information, no error.)

I checked out the sample at Matweb and that came in well to SW. Did
you/your company subscribe to premium for this service? We might just
have to subscribe to the premium service to create the lists.

It seems that there should be a better way. SW doesn't make this easy
for a list.

Thanks, Blair

 

Thanks for explaining the XML format. I wasn't aware what .sldmat was
..xml

Do you have a favorite XML editor? I grabbed XMLwriter 2.6, but it
doesn't open .sldmat (it just shows a funny character, no cell
information, no error.)

I checked out the sample at Matweb and that came in well to SW. Did
you/your company subscribe to premium for this service? We might just
have to subscribe to the premium service to create the lists.

It seems that there should be a better way. SW doesn't make this easy
for a list.

Thanks, Blair

 

We use MatWeb and find that it works well and fast. I have also found
when a material was missing, that the supplier was able to get his
information uploaded to MatWeb for free so that I could use verified
values. I did once find a material that was very close to the one I
wanted and used it instead.

I would recommend them