Panel BOM (including Schematic Components)

[Thomasbatson]

Hello,

I have an issue with my BOM.  We are using Panel BOM then checking to include schematic components not shown in panel.  I don't know how far this is reaching, but I am noticing a component in my schematic that is not showing on this BOM, however it does show if I run a Schematic BOM (both normal tallied).  This is the same in purchase list.  I am using ACADE 2018 but have attached a drawing saved in 2013 showing the 2 BOM's.  The one on the right is schematic with rev cloud around the component in schematic not showing on Panel BOM (in the title block).

Has anyone else seen this or know of a fix?  

Thank you.

[Anonymous]

Finally, I am able to work with the ASSEMBLYCODE feature.  I think I understand it now, thanks to Jeff's examples.

I not sure that the ASSEMBLYCODE or the MULTICAT methods will work for us, unless we can re-arrange the output via a custom .SET file.  Our BOM structure is rigid, and has been optimized to serve as a common platform for procurement, fabrication, and troubleshooting/analysis.

These two methods wreak havoc with our  established methods.  

Is there someone at AutoDesk that I can work with to create a custom .SET file to handle MULTICAT and ASSEMBLYCODE sorting in the reports?

Hopefully, the attached screencaps explain these sorting/grouping issues.

I've also attached a custom .SET file that we are using for BOM Reports.

Any assistance will be greatly appreciated.

Regards,

John C.

Report = Panel Bill of Material (BOMPNL)
Format = (0 16 1 4 3 6  (7 4 3 ))
Title = ("ITEM" "QTY" "SUB" "CATALOG" "MFG" "ASSYCODE" "DESCRIPTION" "DESC" "QUERY2" "QUERY3" "MISC1" "MISC2" "USER1" "USER2" "USER3" "TABNAM" "TAGS" "DESC1" "DESC2" "DESC3" "INST" "LOC" "UM" "HDL" "DWGIX" "REF" "SH" "SOURCE" )
Characters = (12 4 4 60 24 24 60 60 60 60 60 60 24 24 24 32 24 60 60 60 24 16 60 18 12 12 12 12 )
Justification = ("TC" "TC" "L" "TL" "TL" "L" "TL" "R" "R" "L" "L" "L" "L" "L" "L" "L" "TL" "L" "L" "L" "L" "L" "L" "L" "ML" "L" "L" "L" )
Sorting = (1 4 5 16 )
User Post Process = ( "0" "0" "1")
Include Options = ("1" "0" "1" "1" "1" "1" "0" "0" "0" "1" "0" "1" "0" "0" "" "0" )
Location Options = (1 nil )
Installation Options = (1 nil )
Table Options = ("" "" "1" "0" "0" "1" "0" "0" "0" "0" "" "" "0" "0" )
Table Settings = ("" "" "" "MISC" 1 1 1 "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "0" "col_define" "BILL OF MATERIALS" ("1.0000" "21.0000" "0.0" ) )
Table Fix Options = ("0" "0" "0" "0" "0" "0" )
Table Layout = (1.0000 7.0000 1.0000 4.0000 4.0000 15.0000 )
Table Insertion = 1
Table Style = "ACE_TABLE_2"

[Anonymous]

TestSubject10:

This BOM anomaly is a "feature" that I discovered, too.  MULTICAT *almost* works for me.  The problem I have with MULTICAT is that the Item Tag does not appear with all items.  I am looking at re-sorting the output in the report and need an umbilical cord attached to the parent (via parent Tag reference).  If the items are split up (as in a re-sorted CSV), it's difficult to account for the matched parts that form the MULTICAT group.  I suppose I could copy the tagnames of the parent before the re-sort, but this should be a(nother) "feature" created for OOTB tweaksters, yes?

-- JDC

[testsubject]

I don't have a good response for you; I do not include the Component Tags in my BOM. I always use Tallied Purchase List format which adds up everything for each item number. I put this report directly in the Panel Layout sorted by item number. This is then used by the panel builders to determine which part to put on the panel. (I item balloon all the components on the panel drawing)

[Anonymous]

Wouldn't this be a great feature:  add column in BOM report labeled "REF ASSEMBLY" and put the Tagname of the main (parent) assembly component.  This would also need to have an option to "ungroup" the assembly parts in the BOM sort.

[testsubject]

I think this already exists in the Use Tallied Purchase list.

I added "TAGS" to my BOM (I never use this since I think it clutters up the BOM).

After doing this, I had a column right next to the Items Column that showed the all the  Parent Tags that  used this item.

Again, this is sorted by Item number so the same tag would appear in different parts of the BOM.

Is this what you were looking for?

You would not be able to extract all the items used for a specific tag from this report (this is because all the tags would be concatenated into one field). You would need to run a different report to get this data....

[alds02]

John C,

Side issue, but can you tell me how you got your set file to have lines for User Post and all those Table settings?

I have tried in vain to use Report Format Setup but it won't "stick." That data never makes it into the set file. Did you add it by hand or does Report Format Setup work for you?

[Anonymous]

alds02,

The customized .set file works with a customized .lsp file, both of which were the result of another thread, here.  I work with @Anonymous, and was unaware (until now) that our BOM .set file also had custom .lsp code to accompany it.

I will be sending an email to @Anonymous to hopefully link these two threads together and see if he can help with the MULTICAT or ASSEMBLYCODE BOM formatting issues mentioned in this particular thread.

Stay tuned.

Regards,

John C.

[testsubject]

Just an FYI,

She won't see that. Her tag is @Anonymous.

[Anonymous]

Whoops, sorry paul.

@PatMurnen_Adsk - I sent msg to pat.murnen@autodesk.com

hopefully that is correct.

-- JDC

[PatMurnen_Adsk]

alds02,

I'd be glad to help although I can't quite follow what it is you are looking for. Can you provide the specific report you are running, for example Panel BOM, and the options within the report, for example Normal Tallied. Then it would be really helpful if you could supply just a small report with a before and after; before being what you get out of the box and after being what you need it to show.

I think in that other thread we created a user post option to modify the report and that might be what is needed here once I see the before and after.

Regards,

Pat

[PatMurnen_Adsk]

Got the email. Will respond on that. 

Thanks,

Pat

[alds02]

Pat,

For a long time, I just accepted that I had to fiddle around with the BOM report appearance. Then I finally tried Report Format Setup to try to speed up my process, which is not customized at all.

When I create a BOM I use Panel Report - Bill of Material. My settings are Project, All of Below, Full, Display in Tallied Purchase List Format, and I choose pur_pbom.set from the format button.

By using Change Report Format, I had already gotten the fields and field justification to successfully save in pur_pbom.set.

Then, I always use User Post - suppress ITEM column repeats. And then when I click Put On Drawing, I was always having to change settings there. So when I tried the Report Format Setup, I was excited to see that I could save those settings. However, although it seemed like I was saving those settings to pur_pbom.set, they didn't really save. I could see the file modified date change, but if I opened it with a text editor there was no difference.

So really I'm just trying to save time, but I don't need a special user post or anything, I just want to save very ordinary settings.

[PatMurnen_Adsk]

Sorry, maybe too many issues in this one thread. When you use the Report Format Setup it should save all the settings from the main dialog and any sub-dialogs you go to for file output and table generation. These can then be used with the Automatic Report feature. I would suggest you save it to a unique name, not the default name for the report. Then you know it won't be overwritten if you run a report and on the report dialog pick Change Format. That also writes to the .set file although I don't think it would erase any lines related to output.

Do you have the permissions to write to the folder where you are trying to save the .set file? By default they go to your user folder which I assume you have write permission to. Can you open the .set file with Notepad, edit it, and save it?

If you can edit it but the Report Format Setup still isn't saving any of it can you follow these steps and post the resulting log file? Upper case means type it on the command line.

1. AEONLISPDEBUG

2. LOGFILEON

3. Run the report format setup and save the file.

4. LOGFILEOFF

5. LOGFILENAME

Upload the log file indicated by step 5.

Regards,

Pat

[alds02]

Pat,

Using a unique name (same file location) has definitely made the Report Format Setup work better.  I could edit pur_pbom.set by hand just fine, but Report Format Setup settings weren't sticking. 

Anyway, my new set file has a lot more settings in it, and from what I can tell in the text editor it is truly saving everything I worked out in Report Format Setup. The table settings and user post settings are working great.

I also see that it saved my settings for CSV file output and sorting order. However in spite of the settings, those things aren't happening.

Altogether I'm pleased with what's working so far, and I don't care if I have to click the Sort button and Save to File buttons as long as I'm saving some time on the rest!

Thanks!

[PatMurnen_Adsk]

When you run the report, on the very first dialog that shows up where you pick to run it on the project, etc. there is a Format button. Make sure you are picking that and then selecting the .set file you created with the custom name. It should then use that .set files settings. If it isn't let me know what version of AutoCAD Electrical you are using and I can try and reproduce it at my end.

As far as using the default name, are you making changes and then clicking the Save button? It is oddly placed to the left side so it is easy to forget. It should be able to save it to that file and then use it by default.

-Pat

[alds02]

Pat,

I did pick the set file first when running the report, after having saved it in Report Format Setup. Once I chose it, it clearly was being used, because the selections changed.

Automatic Reports aren't a normal part of my workflow because the only report I run consistently is the Panel BOM, so I just click Reports. But after making the custom and uniquely-named set file, I tried Automatic Reports and the "Save Report to File" settings did work. They didn't when I just clicked Panel Reports. But neither method would obey my Sort settings.

I'm still reasonably happy, so there's no need to pursue it for my sake, only if someone else has the same problems.

[PatMurnen_Adsk]

Some work on this was done offline so I just wanted to post for anyone who might read this thread.

The original issue related to using multicat and being able to sort those separate from the component's main catalog record. The Normal Tallied report always keeps the multicat records with the main catalog of the component. I wasn't successful in creating a user post to separate the multicat record from the main catalog and still use the Normal Tallied report. But, by default the Purchase List report option separates the multicat record from the main catalog allowing sorting by MFG and Catalog. So with that report format option we just went back and added the user post option to takes the Tags and put them in a comma-delimited list rather than one tag per line. I've attached the pur_pbom.lsp and .dcl that will do that.

Regards,

Pat Murnen

[Anonymous]

Thanks, so much, Pat.  Your diligence and eloquent solution are greatly appreciated.

John C.