PROPERTIES, STANDARD PARTS

[corey_danielson]

I included a picture. This was going to be my start of creating a library. One channel, where the length is tied to the part. I could open the channel, save as a new part, create an assembly with 3 channels, some tube, etc. I would change the length of the channels in the process of designing. When I create a drawing, I would like to insert a Bill of Material that is fully populated with the information, including the current length of the channel. Is there a way to incorporate the length into the properties, where it updates automatically when the channel is changed? 

[blandb]

Why not just drop the channels out of content center? They are already there. If you create your own company specific library and copy as an independent family from the ANSI defaults to it, then you can control the descriptions to make the channel, angle, beam have the description your company uses by default. Essentially it is just a drop and go at that point. They are already authored for Frame generator if you decide to go that route as well. When you place from CC, since you have to enter a length it is already a custom part, you save it with what name you want. If need to change length or size, you can right click on the part and change size, then change the channel size, the length etc. or if you have added it he material. No need to remodel

[andrewiv]

I agree with @blandb that you should be looking at content center for these standard shapes, but for any parameter that you want to include in an iProperty you just have to export the parameter to a custom iProperty and then you can reference those properties in other ones.

Here is an example with a square tube that I set up in Content Center.  Just click the box on the export parameter column for the ones you want to reference.

If you right click on one of the parameters being exported and select custom property format you will get options for changing the precision, including the units, leading & trailing zeros, etc.

These parameters will then be included in the custom properties.

To reference them in other properties, start your text with an equals sign and enclose the property name in the less than and greater than symbols.

After you click the apply button or hit enter it will change the names to the values of the parameters and add the fx symbol next to the property.  Then whenever the parameter changes, so will the iProperty.

[James_Willo]

Andrew's answer is the way to do this if you don't want to use CC part. 

[chris]

@corey_danielson It's okay to not want to use the Content Center or Frame Generator, I'm the same way, did you still need help on this? I have time today if you'd like to jump on a Zoom and I can show you how to add much more to those template instead of just length... you know, the kind of stuff that the CC member don't include!

[blandb]

Can you elaborate on what they don't include?

[chris]

@blandb Miters, copes,  or anything that a company might do to modify their structural members.

For example, my templates include the full family, and in many cases different families within the same template file. The properties are written from the Type, size and material selected. The copes and miters for various other structural members are rotatable for ease of use and are included to avoid defining something that can be automated. The templates also include a total geometrical length, to avoid user from creating features that might affect the predefined CC member length and thus making the parts List incorrect.

[blandb]

No shapes have them by default. This is typical structural operations. We have used placed CC components to build mezzanines, and platforms along with industrial conveyors along with using FG to do the same. We cope, miter and all the above. Of course using FG will have those functions built it, but will it suite a particular company way of doing it" Probably not,  but that is why there is Custom notch profiles. What exactly is limiting items out of cc vs manually drawing it again? Can you please explain what is different as I am curious to know myself.

[chris]

@blandb (I added to my above response), Just to be clear, I'm not saying that one shouldn't use the CC members, I'm just saying it's okay to make your own, and there are benefits to doing so, as they can be customized to the company and/or designers.

[blandb]

@chris

I don't disagree, I was just curious. There are many ways to accomplish the same thing.

[chris]

Hope this helps to show a little example

[andrewiv]

I like what you've done with your template there.  I have done something similar to my company's structural profiles but I still use the content center files.  I don't have the coping or miters like you have, but those could be added to the family template and just suppressed.  The thing that I like about the content center is that you specify the same location for standard parts for all users, so if a part has been created by one person, everyone else will use the same file.  It helps to cut down on duplicate parts.  We have a smart numbering system for cut to length parts that works well with this.  I have added all the iProperties that I need to the family table so those will all update automatically when the size is changed.  I could do the exact same thing as you and put it in the content center and when I need to make a part with copes or miters use a custom part instead of a standard part.

I'm not saying one way is better than the other, it just depends on what you are trying to get out of it.

[blandb]

I see where you are coming from now, that's a lot of programming lol. Nice.

I was coming from just a basic user out of the box non-programming approach.

[chris]

@andrewiv  Yep, different ways, I've learned a lot from seeing how others do stuff. As these are templates, any changes get pushed out, but not written "backwards" to files already used. Some fun stuff with making your own templates is that you can customize and add options to normal mods, example, my pipe template which contains both welded or threaded also contains copes that allow the designer to choose between (inner, outer or mid), for the cope Dia on the mating part. My flange template includes (weldneck, slip-on, threaded, lap joint and blind in the same file, without breaking constraints, and allows for either a raised or flat face. As far as a numbering system, ours is super simple:

Project Name/Number-Structural Member Name-001, so your folder structure stays clean, For example:

Folder:  123456789-ACME SKID WELDMENT

123456789-BEAM-001

123456789-BEAM-002

123456789-BEAM-003

123456789-BEAM-004

123456789-CHANNEL-001

123456789-CHANNEL-002

123456789-CHANNEL-003

123456789-ANGLE-001

123456789-ANGLE-002

123456789-ANGLE-003

123456789-PIPE-001

123456789-PIPE-002

123456789-PIPE-003

123456789-ELBOW-001

123456789-FLANGE-001

123456789-FLANGE-002

123456789-REDUCER-001

[chris]

@blandb My rule is this, if I have to model it or modify it more than once, it gets a template, here's a look at a working templated folder I created for a client. Their actual folder didn't contain duplicates and everything was named properly, but this is what it looked like as I was creating them. These are also smart iLogic templates, but set up the way that client wanted them and for their drawing layouts and BOM/Parts Lists.

[chris]

@blandb  Here is what one of those templates looks like 

[corey_danielson]

Thank you for the explanation. That looks beneficial. Using this video as a reference, what if I wanted the cut length in the description? I would like to set up a single start part for each of the following. (Beams, Channels, angles, square tube, Rect. tube, etc.)