Fixing Bom Quantities

[tlehnhaeuser]

IronCLAN,

 

OK, here’s a situation, we have a user that just generated a complex design and has now decided to add a BOM to a drawing. The problem is they have hundreds of fasteners all of the same type but are not linked. So when the BOM is created the list is as long as the East Coast. They cannot use the “Quantity based on part number” yet because they had not included that information yet on the parts.

 

So does anyone know a way to have to BOM quantity list one fastener with quantity of XXX without changing each parts info separately?

 

This is a huge task if there’s no workaround.

 

Several ways that would be needed (ER’s if there’s no way to do it currently) is:

a) Ability to select all the parts and link them at once within the Scene. (IronCAD should be ably to recognize the parts physical makeup to determine if the parts are identical prior to assigning a link. Even if this process requires a "mathmitical process that would take and hour to do, would still be worth it.)

Ability to select all the parts and have them link to a master external linked file. This would correct qty in BOM.

c) Ability to apply same “part number” to multiple parts at once

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Tom

Edited May 26, 2006 by tlehnhaeuser

[Cary OConnor]

Well here is a possible workaround....select all the fasteners and create an assembly. Set the assembly to treat as part and set the quantity to the total number (manual calculation). This will save him some time.

 

I know you mentioned the link after create and it sound cool (maybe it would be), but it would be a serious calculation due to variables (are any linked, external linked, brep the same, kernel, any property different, sizebox same, anchor at the selected level in same local coordinate, etc). Taking an hour could be a reality.

 

His case is really a hard one to workaround since he did not link or link out before copy.

 

Cary

[tlehnhaeuser]

I know you mentioned the link after create and it sound cool (maybe it would be), but it would be a serious calculation due to variables (are any linked, external linked, brep the same, kernel, any property different, sizebox same, anchor at the selected level in same local coordinate, etc). Taking an hour could be a reality.

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Thanks Cary,

Thats a workaround that may work as a temp fix. Also to calaculate the number in the assembly I assume I would have them either Xlink to separate file or drag Assy to catalog and new scene and do an Assebly Tree Exort to determine the number of fasteners in that assy? To count manually is not an option.

 

Also, even if there was a separate add-on tool that just Did the Relink process and even if it took several hours, I see this as a huge benefit since this "process" could be done after-hours or over the weekends when the user is not at work. I think this requires a roundtable discussion in R/D since I come across this often but with smaller assemblies. I'm sure many users have come across a need to relink parts for more than one reason.

 

thanks

Tom

[Mike Twining]

 

 

...so, approximately how many items long is the east coast? What % of the BOM items are fasteners and what % are "real" parts? I am facinated by this problem...

[B. Ludin]

I guess, all we really need is the ability to select several parts and change their common properties at once. That would also allows us to change rendering properties, densities (there's currently another thread on this subject), names, part number, descriptions, and so on batch-wise. Sounds like a great ER to me. Shouldn't be too difficult to implement, should it?

 

Beat

 

PS: Retrograde linking would be great, too, of course. But it's quite obvious that it harbors a number of pitfalls (in addition to the amount of number crunching required).

 

PS#2: Tom, I see you been promoted to Triball (is there something coming after that?). Congratulations! How does it feel to be clicked, spun and pushed around all the time?

 

PS#3: Mike, what about your post count? That can't be real can it?

Edited May 26, 2006 by B. Ludin

[Mike Twining]

PS#3: Mike, what about your post count?    That can't be real can it?

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You are not accusing anyone at IronCAD of padding my post count by about 14000 or so due to numerous complaints and smart-ass remarks are you? That would just be wrong

[tlehnhaeuser]

Answers:

 

Approximately 8000 fasteners give or take for East Coast depending on their size.

 

Beat, TriBall goes well with my CueBall

 

Mike, ...is the Golden TriBall wrapped with nice soft padding. ;-)

 

 

[Cary OConnor]

Beat....The change properties on multiple select has some of the same issues as the links. We would have to filter through all the parts to determine what can be changed if the parts are different. To determine what is different is the same as the links. In the drawing environment, we now support this, however it is a ton easier since you are not changing geometry or looking to see if the geometry is different. We simply look at the type of element and its properties. This is not the case for 3D unfortunately.

Cary

[Mike Twining]

All similar fasteners (same BOM line) I assume have the same "Part Name"?

[tlehnhaeuser]

All similar fasteners (same BOM line) I assume have the same "Part Name"?

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Not sure, but assuming they do, it doesn't help me any. Its the Pat number that would help me. if they were all the same.

Tx

[Mike Twining]

I understand... I'm up to something...(sinister laugh).

[tlehnhaeuser]

Hmmmm, Mike...is their VB involved?

[Mike Twining]

Is that a bad thing?

[Robert Andersson]

Tom, if we create a scene search tool that searches for all parts with a specific SceneBrowserPartName and change (on find) to a user set name,should that work?

Edited May 26, 2006 by Robert Andersson

[Mike Twining]

I think if you provide the option to alter some of the part sub-properties (like, say... Part Number) that would work. For the BOM situation, its the part numbers that matter, not the names. You got something similar already in the works?

[Robert Andersson]

Mike, if we can grab the part names, those can be easiley copyed to any property field of the part (per part, so to speak)

Edited May 26, 2006 by Robert Andersson

[tlehnhaeuser]

Ok Guys,

you got me going here. Is this something you think is doable very quickly?

 

[Mike Twining]

I was thinking more along the lines (of a macro run in the scene):

 

-Search for all parts who have the part name "x" (<-simple input field)

-Set each of those found items to have a part number "y" (<- another simple input field)

 

Kinda a poor man's re-link.

 

I don't think it will take too much time (especially considering the alternatives when you are looking at 8k parts), but I'm fighting IT for my VB 6 CD back....

Edited May 26, 2006 by Mike Twining

[Cary OConnor]

What mike is suggesting should be possible in the old automation using VB. I think it should be possible in the ICAPI as well (I have never looked).

 

There may be another way....You can use the Save As External Batch. It saves based on the Part Name. If they all have the same name, I think it saves as Name_1, Name_2, and so on. It would link out everything however. I have attached the code if you want to try it to change it to use the file already saved out (Relink basically). Register the DLL and add it in the Add-ons as SaveAs.Link to see the current behavior.

 

Cary

 

 

SaveAsLink.zip

[B. Ludin]

Beat....The change properties on multiple select has some of the same issues as the links. We would have to filter through all the parts to determine what can be changed if the parts are different. To determine what is different is the same as the links. ...Cary

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Cary, I don't agree. Simply filtering through the very limited number (approx. 60)of property values of parts is going to be orders of magnitude faster than comparing their geometries. And it is pretty straightforward, too. True, if you select hundreds or thousands of parts, the delay will become quite noticeable. But it is still a great lot faster than having to change the properties for each part one at a time. A flight from London to N.Y. can seem pretty long, too - but not if swimming is your only alternative

And if there are some properties which may create problem (variables are the only ones I can think of), just make them inaccessible when more than one part is selected.

 

Cheers,

 

Beat

[B. Ludin]

You are not accusing anyone at IronCAD of padding my post count by about 14000 or so due to numerous complaints and smart-ass remarks are you? 

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Not in a gazillion years would I ever dare to insinuate anything even remotely similar.

On a side note, it's interesting that Tom with some 2000 votes has the same status as you. Looks like the only evolutionary step up from Triball is extinction or conversion to a SW minion (the former being clearly preferable, of course)

 

Beat

 

[Mike Twining]

Actually... the "TriBall" tag came right after my 14K bonus posts... I mean.. well... shoot...

 

I-beam used to be the top-cat, but what is cooler than the Tri-ball no? Seems fitting to me. I was more powerfull than Tom for about 2 posts... As for all the posts... lets be honest. Anyone who spends enough time on this forum knows that Tom is the man, and I've just bribed my way to the top.

 

...and I wouldn't wish those evolutionary alternatives on anyone...

Edited May 26, 2006 by Mike Twining

[handersson]

To avoid these problem - in IronPro the Std. description (type, length, thread) of the fastener can show up as default in Part No. in Part Prop.

If not changed, all the same is summed up in BOM.

/Henrik

 

[Cary OConnor]

Beat,

The editing of multiple properties would work easily on basic tabs like material. But if you wanted to apply BOM information, I think a user would want to verify the parts are the same (i.e. you would not want to blast all selected with part number xyz unless the parts are the same). In order to determine this, you would need a geometry check, hence the time.

Cary

[tlehnhaeuser]

Tx Henrik,

Unfortunately my client does not have IronPRO. Maybe in the future.

Tom