topic How to link Inventor BOM to an Excel Spreadsheet in Inventor Programming Forum

How to link Inventor BOM to an Excel Spreadsheet

Anonymous — Fri, 04 Dec 2020 15:56:05 GMT

Looking for a way to link a BOM to an excel or google spreadsheet. I've been looking to see if anyone had something existing, but can't find it. ( I am aware you can manually export these).

I need to link parts and structured data to a spreadsheet. The link is necessary to update upon save so the spreadsheet can stay relevant.

Therefore, it would be very helpful to, instead of doing several manual exports to an excel file, to just reference the excel file and that to remain accurate as the job changes.

Thanks!

Thanks,

Re: How to link Inventor BOM to an Excel Spreadsheet

yan.gauthier — Fri, 04 Dec 2020 18:44:19 GMT

haven't done it myself, but I know you can create a link to an excel Spreadsheet using the Insert Object feature in the Manage Tab

Re: How to link Inventor BOM to an Excel Spreadsheet

A.Acheson — Sun, 06 Dec 2020 08:36:20 GMT

@Anonymous

Are you looking for a whole BOM export or only specific BOM columns? Structured view or parts view or both?

Are you looking to sort the columns and sort the rows also?

What it sounds like you need is an ilogic export upon assembly save is that correct? Which would just require an external rule with before save event trigger.

It would be a semi live link if exported upon save. Is there other users using the excel sheet that might prevent writing access at time of save?

Re: How to link Inventor BOM to an Excel Spreadsheet

bradeneuropeArthur — Sun, 06 Dec 2020 08:29:38 GMT

Aren't you looking for the Vault Item BOM's?

Re: How to link Inventor BOM to an Excel Spreadsheet

A.Acheson — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 04:23:24 GMT

@Anonymous @bradeneuropeArthur

Are you using Vault? I was just trying to get the whole picture before making any suggestions. Sounds like a direct export from Inventor to excel. I have a working sample but it uses a macro enabled excel template to filter the data so not self contained in one vba/ilogic code. So depending on the functionality needed there is loads of samples on this forum when you start digging into nuts and bolts

Re: How to link Inventor BOM to an Excel Spreadsheet

bradeneuropeArthur — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 07:42:03 GMT

Hi,

We are using Vault, but we are struggling with it.

We still don't use the Vault items BOM because of several issues we cannot get solved.

I still think that this could work for you if you have no "Long lead items" in inventor.

Take a look for a search for Vault Item Master and you will find what I mean.

Our situation is now that we only export the Partslist from the drawing if needed only, so we don't link it.

We have created our Company add-in for it and this works very good at the moment!

It has a reason that we don't use the Inventor BOM because it is to inflexible for us because everytime when there is a more or less little (adminstative) mistake we need to change lifecycles and update every design infected by this.

Further more we have "long lead time" designs that can change during manufacturing.

Regards,