CAD Forum

Hi,
I'm using SW2023 and PDM Pro.
Is it possible to search the PDM database, to populate an Edit Box on the data card based on the part number in a separate edit box?
These values are placed on a 2D drawing. We do not create assemblies of these configurations or place part views on these drawings, so not able to use link to properties. Trying to avoid having to manually look up these parts, to copy/paste the description.
Any help is appreciated!
Thanks,
Mike

Out of the box, I can't think of a good way to do this. However, there are a lot of possibilities with a custom PDM Add-In. You could create the logic in the add-in code and add a button to the card that the user can click to "refresh from database" to trigger it or even make it automatic during check-in or transition.

mmaenpaa wrote: ↑Fri Nov 08, 2024 10:55 am Hi,
I'm using SW2023 and PDM Pro.
Is it possible to search the PDM database, to populate an Edit Box on the data card based on the part number in a separate edit box?
These values are placed on a 2D drawing. We do not create assemblies of these configurations or place part views on these drawings, so not able to use link to properties. Trying to avoid having to manually look up these parts, to copy/paste the description.

Guess I'm struggling a bit trying to understand your end goal. Are you trying to create edit fields on a data card that are BOM items? Can you show the end goal on the drawing?

First step, is to re-create these in Solidworks/PDM and get rid of the Access DB. This will allow central location for editing and viewing, plus more secure in PDM. The Mfg. and Sales departments use the drawings.
There are numerous combinations of these parts that can be used in a particular position. It's easy enough to type in a part number and would like to populate the part's Description. All of the info populates the data card for easy view and the drawing which can be printed out + a sticker to place on the unit. At the moment we will have to copy/paste part numbers and part descriptions. Would like to add a little "smartness" to the process, since we don't create 3D assemblies.
Thanks,
Mike

To help clarify a little more, these letter groupings are not assemblies themselves, they're loose parts in one kit.

Are the kit letter not issued a part number and description?

You could create "Structure" with empty models that have the properties for part number and description. Insert them into an assembly that represent each letter. Then you get a BOM of sorts in PDM

Just an example of using the BOM in SolidWorks along with PDM.

All of these parts are empty models, they just contain the meta data in the custom properties and data card.
You could take this a step further and create a "block" model with the letter for each "Kit" assembly, then put those in the final assembly and show them on the drawing. Doing these over and over you just build it out as a template, then use Copy tree to create new copies of the top level.

The "letter positions" are not kits. All of the parts listed are loose parts and have real models, I just wanted a way to grab metadata of the part number listed. There is only one final BOM, consisting of the parts listed and how many positions it's used. For example, 35000-1366 has q total qty of (6).
Mike

I called it kits, but I get its just some sort of grouping. I used the BOM function as a way of automating it some to use the meta data you already have in the models. You could have a BOM table that shows the simple letter view, then a full BOM that is just a parts list only and doesn't show the kits. Both BOMs can come from the same assembly.

Going back to your original solution, there isn't an OOTB way to pull the meta data of a part number and put it in another text box. The API could do it though.