Solidworks Property Tab Builder Advanced

SolidWorks Property Tab Builder Advanced: Mastering Custom Properties

SolidWorks' Property Tab Builder is a powerful tool allowing you to create custom property tabs within the software, streamlining the management and display of model information. While the basics are relatively straightforward, understanding advanced features unlocks significant efficiency gains in data organization and management. This article will guide you through these advanced techniques, empowering you to tailor SolidWorks to your specific needs.

1. Beyond Basic Data Types: Leveraging Advanced Properties

The basic Property Tab Builder lets you add simple text, numbers, and dates. However, the advanced features enable you to incorporate more complex data types and functionalities.

Customizable Lists: Instead of free-form text input, you can define controlled lists of valid options. For example, for a "Material" property, you could list "Steel," "Aluminum," "Plastic," etc., preventing typos and ensuring consistency across your models. This is achieved by defining a list in the "Data Type" section during property creation.

Calculated Properties: Automatically derive property values from other existing model parameters or properties. For instance, if you have "Length," "Width," and "Height" properties, you can create a calculated "Volume" property that automatically updates whenever dimensions change. This eliminates manual calculations and ensures accuracy. The formula is defined using a simple expression builder.

User Defined Formulas (UDFs): For even more complex calculations, you can leverage UDFs written in VB.NET. This opens up a world of possibilities, allowing you to perform intricate calculations or integrate with external databases. However, this requires programming knowledge.

Example: Imagine designing various sized boxes. You could create a property tab with "Length," "Width," "Height" (all numbers), and a calculated "Volume" (calculated as LengthWidthHeight). Adding a customizable list for "Material" ensures consistent data entry.

2. Conditional Logic and Visibility: Smart Property Management

Advanced features allow you to control the visibility and editability of properties based on specific conditions. This enhances user experience and data integrity.

Conditional Visibility: Hide or show properties based on the values of other properties. For example, if a "Type" property is set to "Motor," you could reveal additional properties specific to motors, like "Power" and "RPM," while hiding them when the "Type" is "Gearbox." This simplifies the interface and prevents confusion.

Conditional Editability: Prevent users from editing certain properties under specific circumstances. For example, you could make a "Part Number" property read-only after a certain stage of the design process to prevent accidental changes. This safeguards important data.

Example: In an electronics design, a property tab could have a "Component Type" property (list: Resistor, Capacitor, Inductor). Based on this selection, specific properties related to each component type (e.g., resistance for resistor, capacitance for capacitor) become visible and editable.

3. Leveraging External Data Sources

The Property Tab Builder isn't limited to internal SolidWorks data. You can integrate external data sources for even greater control and efficiency.

Data Import/Export: Import property data from spreadsheets (CSV, Excel) or databases. This is particularly useful when dealing with large datasets or when information originates from external systems. SolidWorks provides options for importing and exporting data through its API.

Integration with PDM Systems: Seamlessly integrate with Product Data Management (PDM) systems to manage properties alongside the CAD models. This ensures data consistency and facilitates collaboration within a team.

Example: A manufacturing company could import bill of materials (BOM) data from an ERP system into SolidWorks using a custom property tab, automatically populating part numbers, descriptions, and costs for each component in the assembly.

4. Advanced UI Customization

SolidWorks allows you to customize the layout and appearance of your custom property tabs for optimal usability.

Tab Ordering and Grouping: Arrange properties logically within tabs and groups to improve clarity and navigation.

Custom Icons: Add custom icons to properties or tabs to enhance visual identification and organization.

Tooltips and Help Text: Provide clear explanations and instructions to users via tooltips or help text associated with properties.

Example: Group related properties into logical sections within a tab (e.g., "Dimensions," "Materials," "Performance"). Use clear labels and tooltips to explain each property's purpose.

Actionable Takeaways

Mastering advanced data types, calculations, and conditional logic dramatically enhances the functionality of your custom property tabs.
Leveraging external data sources streamlines data management and integration.
Strategic UI customization ensures user-friendliness and efficiency.

FAQs

1. Can I delete a custom property after it's been added? Yes, but be aware that this might remove the property from existing models. SolidWorks often provides options to update existing models or handle the removal carefully.

2. What programming language is used for UDFs? Visual Basic .NET (VB.NET).

3. Can I use custom properties in drawings? Yes, custom properties created in the model are generally accessible and can be included in drawings.

4. How do I ensure data consistency across multiple users? Use controlled lists, calculated properties, and integration with a PDM system.

5. Where can I find more detailed documentation on Property Tab Builder? Consult the SolidWorks Help documentation, specifically the sections on API and customization.

Search Results:

SOLIDWORKS 3D CAD - SolidXperts During this training, we replace the exercises offered with SOLIDWORKS files with your documents. You are therefore asked to bring your own files to produce your drawing …

TRAINING AGENDA - GoEngineer Advanced Sheet Metal for Fabrication Pros Class Syllabus Lesson 1: Setup & Review o System Option settings o Document Property settings o Templates o Design Approach Lesson 2: …

SOLIDWORKS Drawings - ANSI - CADimensions Prerequisites: Experience with the SOLIDWORKS design software. Experience with the Windows® operating system. Description: This course teaches you how to make drawings of …

SOLIDWORKS API - Basics 16 Apr 2016 · Custom Property Manipulation •Form based Entry(Example 2.5) •Link to text files/ external databases •Automating part number migration(Example 3) Consider using Property …

FOCUS ON REAL DESIGN AUTOMATE THE REST - CustomTools Select the Source filename to use the same file name between the SOLIDWORKS source file and the converted file. More advanced file name can be generated by combining different rules …

SOLIDWORKS Drawings Course - Alignex Description: This course teaches you how to make drawings of SOLIDWORKS parts and assemblies. View our upcoming training schedule and training locations.

Solidworks - Hints, Tips, Tricks and Best Practices. 30 Dec 2016 · collection of hundreds of Solidworks tips, tricks, best practices and useful techniques collected from the internet, Solidworks Forums and other fora. Most of it is edited …

SOLIDWORKS - tms-scotland.com TMS CADCentre www.tms-scotland.com 01324 550 760 SOLIDWORKS SOLIDWORKS Drawings - ISO

SOLIDWORKS File Management Course - HubSpot It includes explanations of the SOLIDWORKS file structure, file references, file associativity, and how to manage a multi-user environment. View our upcoming training schedule and training …

Solidworks Custom Properties Template The Property Tab Builder is an existing easy-to-use tool will you can get Custom Properties save point a template and rain to parts and. How they Open File With SLDDRT

Proper Tab and Slot Design and How to Avoid Serious Issues In 2018, Solidworks added a “tab and slot” feature in the sheet metal menu. This allows the user to drastically speed up the process for the designer to add these features. Undoubtedly, this …

Fixed SPRs | SOLIDWORKS Listing of Software Performance Reports (SPRs) fixed within the version and service pack shown. List of SPRs addressed in the service packs listed below. To lookup the status of an SPR, use …

SolidWorks Advanced Property Mapping - download.autodesk.com In SolidWorks basic property basic mapping we looked at how to map a SolidWorks file property to a Vault property for the purpose of viewing thumbnails and assigning items to files. In …

SOLIDWORKS you will notify DS SolidWorks of the scope of the request and DS SolidWorks will have five (5) business days to, in its sole discretion, accept or reject such request. Contractor/ …

Productivity Toolkit for SolidWorks - PLM Group EU Productivity Toolkit allows for automatic naming of SolidWorks documents in a structured way. Connect serial number to SolidWorks property tab builder to update custom properties. …

SOLIDWORKS TRAINING - CAD Micro SOLIDWORKS File Management teaches you how to manage files within SOLIDWORKS. This course should be taken before any of the SOLIDWORKS PDM courses, and is also ideal for …

Solidworks Property Tab Builder weazel Complex customer property tab builder template file, i learned many uses for updating the list element will have in. Ask you may have to check the tab builder then no way to show …

Advanced CAD Modelling Course materials - Leaving cert DCG The Advanced CAD Modelling Course has been designed to allow participants to do all or some of the exercises in the four broad areas covered – Sheet Metal Features, Curves, Surfaces …

How to Build and Maintain Effective Design Tables - SolidWorks What Can a Design Table Control? How Complex is the Project? How Many Features and Dimensions Will Be Involved? How Many Configurations Do We Need to Create? Is the Model …

SOLIDWORKS - Property Tab Builder Hvorfor - Edge-Team SOLIDWORKS - Property Tab Builder. Hvorfor. Noget af det virkelig smarte ved at arbejde i SOLIDWORKS, er at man kan lægge alle mulige former for metadata ned på sine parter, …

Solidworks Property Tab Builder Advanced