HOW TO PUT PANEL BOM ON PANEL LAYOUT

[Anonymous]

We are debating how we are going to show our BOM for our panel drawings. Placing the BOM on its own page is not a problem. However, we would like for the BOM to be on the same page as our panel drawings. The problem we are running into is the table location, column width, and text size. We scale our template to accomodate footprint size. We scale at 1:1, 1:1.5, 1:2, ...

Also, we want to have a BOM that we use in house and one that we send out to the customer. There can be anywhere from 1 to 30 Panels and Boxes in a section of one job, and anywhere from 1 to 4 sections. No to jobs that we do are identical.

What i would like to be able to do is chose Reports> Panel > Reports > 

Panel Reports pop up  Click Actve drawing

                                     Click Format

                                     Choose my .SET file that references the scale of my template

                                     Okay

Report Generator

                                    Put on Drawing

Here i would like for Column Width> Define widths     to be active with my preset widths in my .SET file but they are not coming in. Is there a way to change this setting?

i attached my .set file

[Anonymous]

Also, does anyoone know what each "0" and "1" setting under table options in the .set file controls? I believe that this could help solve my problem.

Table Options = ("0" "1" "0" "0" "0" "1" "1" "0" "0" "0" "" "" "0" "0" )
Table Settings = (0.2500 1.0000 0.4533 "MISC" 1 1 1 256 256 256 "" "" "" "" "0" "col_varies" " Report for Project C:/Users/robinsonp/Documents/Acade 2013/AeData/Proj/CLASSPROJ/CLASSPROJ.wdp" nil )
Table Fix Options = ("0" "0" "0" "0" "0" "0" )
Table Layout = (1.6200 1.6200 1.3700 1.8700 1.3700 1.3700 2.3700 3.3700 )
Table Insertion = 1

[Anonymous]

Don't forget you can export the BOM's to an Excel spreadsheet file, modify as needed, and then re-paste them into a ACAD drawing. See the ACAD "paste special" command for different options.

[Anonymous]

Thank You for your response

That does seem like a very good work around

My main concern with doing it that way is that the person beside me might edit the spreadsheet different and now our drawings do not match up. I really want consistency from proj to proj so that way later maybe we can hunt and pick pages to add to the new proj

Does anyone know how the majority of users display their BOM?

[Anonymous]

what i do is that i run a panel report, BOM report (if you don't specify BOM info on footprint figures, you could just do the schematic BOM report), then the 'put on drawing' button after the report results are displayed. The table insert setup box that pops up to define specifcs on the BOM table. For our different scale drawings, we have set  the 'text height' that are proportional to the difference in scale of the border/layout drawing. A drawing that is X size has Y text height (whatever you determine works/fits well on the drawing). Then the next drawing size, maybe 1.5 times the size of X, when you insert the BOM, be sure to specify the text height as 1.5 times the size you used for Y, etc.

You can also define the column widths, labels on the top, etc. and just have a standard procedure/instructions for anyone using the software for them to be sure everyone's using the same scales/width settings, etc.

[PatMurnen_Adsk]

Did you use the Report Format Setup to create the .set file? On the Report Format File Setup dialog, click Put on Drawing, Select Define Widths and set up the widths you want. Return to the main dialog and save your .set file. Next time you run the report select that .set file and when you Put on Drawing the width settings will match what you defined in the Format File Setup. Use this method to preset all the table settings available on the dialog. 

Regards,

Pat Murnen

[Anonymous]

Thank you for the response Pat. I have heard a lot of good things about you from Doug.

Yes i set up the .SET file, selected put on drawing, selected define widths, entered the widths that i want, From this point i am not able to return to the main dialog box to save my actions. I have however tried modifying the .SET file to have my predetermined widths. That works for text height but the widths always go back to a different value.

[Anonymous]

Yes this is what im trying to do, but when i try to define the widths, they do not hold their value. Are you able to set the widths one time for each scale and have that predetermined width value load automatically into the table, or are you having to input each columns width every time you run a BOM report?

[Anonymous]

Also,

When i select Put On Drawing, under Column Width, "Calculate automatically" is highlighted. Not sure if this is something that i may have accidently changed

[Anonymous]

I don't set the widths, i just leave the button for automatically determine the widths based on the information. if you don't change that, it will always come in at its own width each time.

[Anonymous]

I need the table to come in so that it will fit flush in the top right hand corner of the page. Im not sure that i would be able to accomplish this without having a defined width and starting point. 

where do you place your BOM?

[testsubject]

Top Left since that is the default insertion point for AutoCAD tables.

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

top right corner, i just place it in the center of the page and move it to the corner afterwards, with OSNAP on.

[Anonymous]

Is putting the BOM in the top left of the drawing a commonly used method? 

[Anonymous]

WOW, That works perfect

Im still intrigued on how i cannot get it to automatically hold the table width that I set. There has to be a way to do what Im trying to get it to do and do it automatically, but just placing it somewhere close and using osnap works amazing

thanks everyone for your input

[Anonymous]

Here's an .avi of what i mean. the overall width of the BOM will change from project to project, but it'll be pretty close to the same (unless you have really long part numbers or descriptions you use from time to time). i always know what general space i have for layouts

[testsubject]

I don't know if it is the common method, but like I said, that is the default for AutoCAD (not just ACE) so it is easier for me to just insert it there.

A couple less steps...

[Anonymous]

Thank you for the .avi video iomaxx

Trying to make the table have a defined width using the .set file was driving me insane, im still not done looking into it. If i can get the table to come in with a defined width and flush in the top right hand corner ill let you know

Once again thanks to everyone for your input

[PatMurnen_Adsk · Accepted solution]

I am wondering if you are trying to set the widths while placing the report rather than using the separate Report Format Setup command.

1. Run Report Format Setup command

2. Pick the report

3. Pick Put on Drawing

4, set your table options, including Define Widths and the actual widths

5. Pick OK on the Table Generation Setup dialog

6. Back on the Report Format Setup dialog pick Save Format File and give it a name.

7. Run the report

8. On the very first dialog pick Format and browse to the file created in the Report Format Setup.

9. On the Report Generator dialog pick Put on Drawing. The settings should be preset on the Table Generation Setup dialog.

[Anonymous]

Thank you Pat

I created a new format file and that fixed it

Problem solved