Alpha Numeric BOM Table - 1st Row empty and 1st part starts in Row 2

[RWL]

I am using CREO 2, and am having an issue with a repeat region BOM Table in an older drawing.

The drawing used to contain a BOM Table that controlled the item numbers by through "BOM Index" column in the model.

We now have a MapKey that creates an Automatic Alpha Numeric BOM Table, which has worked perfectly for hundreds of drawings, both old and new.

I have replaced the old table with one of these new MapKey created, alpha numeric table, but it is manifesting a strange phenomenon.

The issue is that this new table comes in with Row (Item) 1 empty except for the quantity which is "1", indicating that it sees "1 each" of something but can't display it.

The actual first part now shows up in Row (Item) 2, and all other required parts are displayed in the proper quantities, such that this BOM is one item longer than the old one.

This MapKey has always works well, until this drawing, and according to the other engineer and designer, here, they have never witnessed this behavior before.

I have gone through the assembly tree, and the workspace to see if there is a part without a name or something, but have found nothing out of the ordinary.

Any ideas what might be causing this?

Thanks,

[StephenW]

Does your mapkey "convert" and existing table or does it bring in a new table? If converting an existing table, maybe there are relations or something causing the issue.

[RWL]

The old table is deleted, which takes all of the balloons away as well.

The mapkey then makes a brand new table, and we generate all new component balloons.

[dschenken]

It seems like the columns may be displaying a parameter name and one of the parts is missing a value.  Add a column that shows the filename. Other than that there are too many combinations of repeat region relations and repeat region filters to be sure.

[RWL]

There are existing columns as follows:

Column                    Description                    1st Row Contains

Dwg_Vis                 (Drawing Visibility)           Empty    (Nothing set for this column)

Index                       (Item No)                          "1"          (Item 1)

Pnreport                 (Returns "Name")     Empty     (Should be populated if it is an item)

Unit_Matl                (Unit of measure)             Empty     (Appears to be an "Each" so nothing to be displayed)

Qty                          (Quantity)                         "1"           (Appears to be an "Each")

Short_Description                                        Empty     (Should be populated if it is an item)

Pnreport comes from a relation as follows:

pnreport=extract(asm_mbr_name,1,6)

The files have three names:

Number

File Name

Name

I cannot get this relation to take either "Number" or "File Name".

[dschenken]

One thing I see is that there can be an error if the extract() target isn't as long as the requested length.

asm_mbr_name is the file name.The table should have an entry "rpt.rel.pnreport" in the Pnrport column.

Switch the table to see what symbols are being used to make sure they make sense; I expect the mapkey is just retrieving an existing table with all this worked out, so it's slightly possible someone broke the table and saved the broken version.

You can look at creating an entry in the repeat region to see all the asm.mbr.___ characteristics. I don't have my master list anymore.

[RWL]

Go back and read my previous reply. We probably posted at about the same time, and you didn't have a chance to see it before your reply.

This has been solved, and needs to be as such.

Thanks for your suggestion, it is in a sense, what we ended up doing.

[RWL · Accepted solution]

We figured it out.

I turns out that the relation "pnreport=extract(asm_mbr_name,1,6)" absolutely requires a minimum of 6 characters, and there is a "TOOL" part in this assembly that has only a 5 digit number/name, and hence could not show the Name, and because of that, it could also not show the Short Description.

My manager came in and set the Dwg_Vis column to show the base Common Name and boom, there it was, "T1046", and I new instantly what the problem was.

All of our component numbers have a minimun of 6 characters, i.e. "TR0146", and the tool is only there to show the assemblers how to use it, and is not to show up in the BOM at all.

I have now filtered out this part and all is well with the world again.

So, how do I mark this as SOLVED?

[dschenken]

Good it was fixed. You can use the len() function to make sure there are enough characters in order to future-proof the relations. For the bonus round, you can also have it populate a repeat region parameter that is automatically filtered from the table; add it as a column that is .001inch wide with .001 inch tall characters.

[KenFarley]

When I've asked questions and then bashed around and found the answer myself, I'm fine with marking my own final disclosure of the solution as...the solution. Just mark your answer as the right one, and then people who search for such things will get what they're after.

[RWL]

I would be happy to take care of it myself.

Hos did you do that?

[StephenW]

It's already been marked as solved. I assumed you marked it.

When you are original poster, there is an "accept as solution" box on each post under the original, you would choose the one that you consider the solution.

The image below your's is already marked

[RWL]

Thanks,

Got it.

[Ketan_Lalcheta]

Quite interesting...I am into creo customisation using Toolkit. I know this is possible using Toolkit and we have achieved it after so much struggle.w e tried with trail file approach also but failed. Never thought mapkey can do this job. I would like to go through your mapkey if it's okay for you to share the same.

[RWL]

I may have misled you.

The mapkey is only for placing the BOM Table on the drawing.

The table itself is simply a repeat region table.

[RWL]

I also removed the "BOM Index" column from the assembly model.