BOM Import

[jmay]

I am working on a large assembly where i want to use a BOM from my lead assembly page on several following pages so my balloons can be driven by the lead page. Does anyone know a way in which this can be done? Im not using sheets so the BOM info would need to be imported but i dont want it to show on the pages where the balloons need to be driven.  Any help would be appreciated.

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[Chris3]

You can not natively drive balloons from one drawing to another separate drawing file and maintain parametric relationships.

You can fix the indexes on multiple repeat regions so the numbers are the same. If you don't want the repeat regions to show up then you can just layer them off. Unless you are manually creating balloons as individual symbols, balloons need to be driven by repeat regions (they can't be an import of some other repeat region).

Hope this is a helpful step in the right direction.

[StephenW]

As long as your only using one assembly and one simplified rep, you can show BOM balloons on any sheet of the drawing even though the BOM table (repeat region) is just on the first page.

Not too sure what you mean by "not using sheets" and "bom info would need to be imported".

Maybe you can clarify?

[Chris3]

I think he has multiple separate drawing files (Not multiple sheets).

[jmay]

I am using a single assembly in several drawings but not using sheets. What I mean by this is that we typically use separate drawings for each page of a book of drawings instead of using a book of sheets. We always have sheet 1 of 1 instead of an assembly where you may see sheet 1 of 15.

[StephenW]

Well, you can move your BOM table outside of your format so it won't show on the drawing but the BOM tables won't be connected other than by the assembly driving them.  You can use fix index to control balloon #'s or you could possibly use component parameters to drive balloon #'s instead if you don't want to use fix index but that's not an easy solution to implement.

Sorry I don't have a good solution.

[jmay]

We typically use fix index for components as is but i couldnt help but wonder if there was a better way of handling this so that there is a link between the original bom so when updates are handled theres less chance of error on other drawings.

I appreciate the info either way.

[StephenW]

Just out of curiousity, why are you doing the single sheet drawings instead of multi sheet drawings? I have a feeling I know why, I too deal with large assemblies....

[jmay]

We like to keep things independent so there is better traceability to individual items in the rare instance that we need to revert back to something previously done. We always revise when checking out so we have new instances each time something gets worked on.

[dschenken]

Ok - and yes there is, if you want to do so. As pointed out by Tom Uminn recently I can create an assembly-level parameter that is unique to each component, and display (under the Features selection) in the Model Tree Columns the values. Further, this value is a candidate for adding to BOM tables, and BOM tables can be set to use this parameter as the driver for BOM balloons.

This allows the BOM/Repeat Region to have the same basis no matter where the assembly is used at the cost of indicating the correct item number for each component. Since the alternative is an endless (seemingly) Fixing and changing Repeat Region rpt.index values, this seems like a fair trade.

The main thing that makes it possible is that only one component needs to be identified at the outset and the column of the Model tree showing that value, and then one can march down the Model Tree being prompted for Type and Value for that parameter at each component.

[jmay]

Thanks for the info David as well as everyone else. This is really an odd scenario so i dont think im going to work through a parameter driven bom index since i have so many components and its very unlikely the assembly components will ever change. However i will keep in mind that this can be done in the event i have a better candidate to use it on.

[StephenW]

Maybe I'm thinking too much "in the box". Component parameters is what Tom (and me too on my second post) had mentioned about using instead of repeat region index. This will keep your balloon #'s consistent in all your sheets but it does NOT "link" to the original BOM table but it does link to the assembly. If you are just looking for consistency in your balloon #'s, this is a possibility.

[jmay]

No thats not in the box. Driving the bom with parameters would be okay but with an assembly of 100 or so components thats a fair bit of work for something thats not actually tied to the lead bom. I was really hoping there was a way to link and drive balloon info from a bom on another sheet without making it a science project or spending alot of time working through something that only I would know what i had done without explaining it to my group. Ive already began fixing the indexes since i know the assembly will not be adding or removing components.

[dschenken]

Not sure what you mean by 'not tied to the lead BOM' as Component Parameters -are- the BOM index. That's as tied to a BOM as can be.

As far as your group is concerned, there is no need to explain anything. Set it up and it looks and operates exactly the same as before, except no time spent on 'FIX'ing the BOM. It took me about 30 minutes to work through it once I knew that the Component Parameter is actually a Model Tree Feature Parameter that needs its name to be typed in.