Table Data in Text Fields

[clutsa]

I want to add the ability to have dynamic text by looking data up from tables, much like the Lookup or VLookup functions in excel.

If I could specify a table in a document (probably a drawing document) and a search column, search value and result column I could better manage my notes. The best example of this I can think of would be for the Parts List and getting an item number based on a part number. 

The syntax would look something like ...

'Torque Item <<"TableName"["SearchColumn"; "SearchValue"; "ResultCoulmn"]>> to 550 ft. lbs.' 

which you would enter ...

'Torque Item <<"Parts List"["PART NUMBER"; "154785221"; "ITEM"]>> to 550 ft. lbs.'

which you display as ...

'Torque Item 4 to 550 ft. lbs.'

and if the item isn't found 

'Torque Item #ERROR_NULL_RESULT to 550 ft. lbs.'

or some other error specific to what went wrong. 

If you want to get really fancy you could

1. Add the ability to return table data in referenced documents by adding a FileName option to the mix.

2. Be able to use mathematical comparators (<, >, <>, 😃 in the SearchValue. 

[PaulMunford]

You can reference an excel spreadsheet into a drawing using the 'General table' tool. Would that work for you?

[clutsa]

It might for some applications. We recently purchased Configurator 360 and I don't believe their server supports excel functions (at least not thru iLogic from what I read). I can make a macro to do what I described other then I'm not sure how to keep the request data so it would end up being more of a one time shot then a continuous update. (I imagine I can do some stuff with formatting but I haven't proven this to myself yet.) I simply thought if it was a built in feature that would be cool. 

[Anonymous]

I do similar stuff using VBA. Where I get the latest part descriptions of a PL from an Access database. I then upload PL and assembly to Access DB. I just make sure I name the table the same, or select it prior running the code. You could do a similar job, where for each part you scan a torque table and if that part number is in the torque table, then you add the note, or flag the PL with a leader. The options are really endless. There is some challenges with full automation because the user has so much choice, and unless some standardization is used, it opens up a lot of  possibilities.

[clutsa]

@Anonymous Thanks. In my example I'm actually grabbing the Item # from a parts list not the torque but you could certainly grab the torque based on the part number using this idea. When you said "The options are really endless. There is some challenges with full automation because the user has so much choice, and unless some standardization is used, it opens up a lot of  possibilities." that's exactly what I'm saying.

I'm sure a macro can be made to do what I want. I'm suggesting that Autodesk add that standard to their software. To me macros or VBA should be used to solve things that are unique to your companies needs. I don't feel like this is a problem that is unique to me and that can be solved with a fairly generic bit of code that just needs a few user inputs. I love macros, I'm good with macros... not everyone is and having this as a standard that you could apply from a wizard or type in would help those people out. 

I found this https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/inventor-ideas/item-number-from-parts-list-as-an-available-property/i... before I posted my idea. It has 378 votes from 2013. It's accepted idea 6049. It's more specific of an idea then mine but I chose my example of what you could achieve based on 378 people thought that getting the item number from a parts list was a good idea. Now that it's 2018 and I'm still not aware of a way to achieve idea 6049, I thought I would make a new suggestion that could do that and more. 

If I knew of a way to '@' everyone in that post so they would read this post I think I would get some serious backing 

[PaulMunford]

Could you test C360 with spreadsheets? AFAIK it is a full version of Inventor running, just without the GUI. You can upload a full pack and go, so uploading the spreadsheet wouldn't be an issue...

On a different tack - this doesn't solve your issue, but are you aware that you can concatenate fields in the BOM?

For example:

Where there is a Column in the BOM called 'ItemTorque', which contains the Torque values in Ft lbs.

The formula to concatenate would be

= Torque <ItemTorque>

Which would read

Torque 550 ft. lbs.

[clutsa]

@PaulMunford Turns out C360 does run the GoExcel functions just fine, both on embedded and external reference... 

Known Limitations and Issues says "Configurator 360 does not support models that utilize iLogic Excel functions." so this is just old or I'm misinterpreting that statement.

Oddly I did not get the concatenate feature to work... are we talking "BOM" or "parts list"? I know a lot of people (including myself) use those interchangeably but they are technically different.

[PaulMunford]

@clutsa Thanks for checking that and posting the results 🙂

Property expressions can be added to parts via iProperties, or can be built in the BOM. Of course - anything in the BOM can be referenced in a parts list...

http://modthemachine.typepad.com/my_weblog/2010/04/iproperty-expressions.html

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/inventor-products/learn-explore/caas/CloudHelp/cloudhelp/2016...

[clutsa]

@PaulMunford Thanks Paul, that's some good info. We do actually use the first link to keep our Title and Description fields matching buy default. I'm looking to grab data out of of the parts list (or other tables) and list them in a text field. Maybe I'm missing what you're saying but I still don't see how I would figure out that Part Number 12345 was Item 18 in the parts list and now a new part was added at Item 16 so now Part Number 12345 is Item 19. I know most people aren't going to reorder the parts list for a revision but we do after a copy design. So now that Note 8 in a text field says "8.  Torque Item 18 (Locknut 12345) to 550 ft. lbs." needs to be updated to "8.  Torque Item 19 (Locknut 12345) to 550 ft. lbs." I know this is kind of petty because it's a small easy change and part of doing design is just checking your work.

[Anonymous]

It would be nice if BOM info was available to the assembly
like Drawing Properties.

A very poor work around would be to create a VB routine that
saves the BOM at time of save as custom properties. Create a
property PN1234 and set the value equal to the FN of that
part. Do that for the entire BOM. When you open the drawing,
have the note reference PN1234 as in "This FN is ".
You could also have the VB routine create any additional
properties like, TQ1234, DESC1234 etc. Like I prefaced my
statement, this is a poor work around.

You would have to remember to run the VB prior to save, or
trigger it.