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linking balloons
5

linking balloons

linking balloons

(OP)
Hello everyone My name is Nick, I work for a valve manufacturing company we are in the processes of switching over to solidworks from autocad. My job as the Process Engineer is to create manufacturing operation sheets for the guys out on the shop floor. On all of our Operation sheets I balloon every dimension then I take the ballooned dimension and manually create an formatted excel sheet which prints out as a inspection form for the shop-floor inspector to do a "in-process 100% dimension check" per machining operation. Now my question is there a way in solidworks to link balloons to dimensions or notes and then be able to create a table with the ballooned dimensions shown which I can export as an excel file? I have attached an example process sheet to give you an idea of what I'm talking about

RE: linking balloons

nv529,
I'm taking a look at this now. I know exactly what you looking for. I'm creating a design table and trying to figure out how to display or turn on the primary values "text" on the drawings dimension.

This would be a handy thing to have for first article drawings. maybe some of the other folks have imput on this.

Colin Fitzpatrick (aka Macduff)
Mechanical Designer
Solidworks 2008 SP 3.1
Dell 490 XP Pro SP 2
Xeon CPU 3.00 GHz 3.00 GB of RAM
nVida Quadro FX 3450 512 MB
I'm just a little verklempt. Talk amongst yourselves. I'll give you a topic. Pink Floyd, was neither Pink nor Floyd. Discuss!--"Coffee Talk" Mike Myers SNL
 

RE: linking balloons

handleman,
I get a compile error when I ran this macro against a part. I also ran it in a drawing and received the same error.

Colin Fitzpatrick (aka Macduff)
Mechanical Designer
Solidworks 2008 SP 3.1
Dell 490 XP Pro SP 2
Xeon CPU 3.00 GHz 3.00 GB of RAM
nVida Quadro FX 3450 512 MB
I'm just a little verklempt. Talk amongst yourselves. I'll give you a topic. Pink Floyd, was neither Pink nor Floyd. Discuss!--"Coffee Talk" Mike Myers SNL
 

RE: linking balloons

If you go to Tools->References in the VBA editor are there any that show up as "MISSING"?  I wrote the macro using Excel 2003.  Are you running 2007?

-handleman, CSWP (The new, easy test)

RE: linking balloons

we have excel 2002

Colin Fitzpatrick (aka Macduff)
Mechanical Designer
Solidworks 2008 SP 3.1
Dell 490 XP Pro SP 2
Xeon CPU 3.00 GHz 3.00 GB of RAM
nVida Quadro FX 3450 512 MB
I'm just a little verklempt. Talk amongst yourselves. I'll give you a topic. Pink Floyd, was neither Pink nor Floyd. Discuss!--"Coffee Talk" Mike Myers SNL
 

RE: linking balloons

So... What about the missing references?  SW has to interact with Excel for the macro to work.  The References tell SW how to do that.  If you have missing references then SW doesn't know how to talk to Excel.  Go to Tools->References in the VBA editor and put a checkmark in the box beside any line that says something about Excel and give it a try again.

By the way, the macro only works in drawings.

-handleman, CSWP (The new, easy test)

RE: linking balloons

I can't seem to get the tools/reference pull down active in VB. What am I missing?

Colin Fitzpatrick (aka Macduff)
Mechanical Designer
Solidworks 2008 SP 3.1
Dell 490 XP Pro SP 2
Xeon CPU 3.00 GHz 3.00 GB of RAM
nVida Quadro FX 3450 512 MB
I'm just a little verklempt. Talk amongst yourselves. I'll give you a topic. Pink Floyd, was neither Pink nor Floyd. Discuss!--"Coffee Talk" Mike Myers SNL
 

RE: linking balloons

Do you mean that "References" is greyed out?  You have to do it without the macro trying to run.  You will probably have to hit the "stop" button up at the top.  It looks like a little square, just like the stop button on a CD player or something.

-handleman, CSWP (The new, easy test)

RE: linking balloons

Handleman,
That is absolutely one of the best macros I ever ran across! A star for you! I would give ya 3 if I could.

nv529,
Did you get this to work?

Colin

Colin Fitzpatrick (aka Macduff)
Mechanical Designer
Solidworks 2008 SP 3.1
Dell 490 XP Pro SP 2
Xeon CPU 3.00 GHz 3.00 GB of RAM
nVida Quadro FX 3450 512 MB
I'm just a little verklempt. Talk amongst yourselves. I'll give you a topic. Pink Floyd, was neither Pink nor Floyd. Discuss!--"Coffee Talk" Mike Myers SNL
 

RE: linking balloons

May I please pass this along to a couple friends?

Colin Fitzpatrick (aka Macduff)
Mechanical Designer
Solidworks 2008 SP 3.1
Dell 490 XP Pro SP 2
Xeon CPU 3.00 GHz 3.00 GB of RAM
nVida Quadro FX 3450 512 MB
I'm just a little verklempt. Talk amongst yourselves. I'll give you a topic. Pink Floyd, was neither Pink nor Floyd. Discuss!--"Coffee Talk" Mike Myers SNL
 

RE: linking balloons

How do you balloon a dimension?  Never done it before and it just gives me a balloon with a question mark in it if it isn't attached to the model.  

Or is it a note with circular border?

Flores

RE: linking balloons

Sure... distribute as you see fit. Enjoy!

-handleman, CSWP (The new, easy test)

RE: linking balloons

Can you get it to run on multi sheet drawings, and export to one excel file?

Thanks,

Colin Fitzpatrick (aka Macduff)
Mechanical Designer
Solidworks 2008 SP 4.0
Dell 490 XP Pro SP 2
Xeon CPU 3.00 GHz 3.00 GB of RAM
nVida Quadro FX 3450 512 MB
I'm just a little verklempt. Talk amongst yourselves. I'll give you a topic. Pink Floyd, was neither Pink nor Floyd. Discuss!--"Coffee Talk" Mike Myers SNL
 

RE: linking balloons

Flores,
Yes, text with a circ border or a balloon and manually change the text. Then group them together.

Chris
SolidWorks/PDMWorks 08 3.1
AutoCAD 08
ctopher's home (updated Aug 5, 2008)
ctopher's blog
SolidWorks Legion

RE: linking balloons

Howdy,

You can also add a balloon by using the Modify Text tool on the dimension text. Add the following to the dimension:
<C#-1> for a Circle
<S#-1> for a Square
<T#-1> for a Triangle
The "1" can be replaced with any number you desire, there seems to be a two digit limit.

Very nice Macro handleman smile

Tobin Sparks
www.nov.com

RE: linking balloons

Ahh, ok.

 I originally thought you had to balloon the dimensions before running the macro but I was completely wrong because this macro does all that for you!

As always, great macro Handleman!

Flores

RE: linking balloons

(OP)
Thanks handleman thats exectly what i was looking for now if only you can make it balloon leadered notes you'd be the man! smile

RE: linking balloons

Try InspectionXpert for SolidWorks if you want to create First Article Inspection forms and ballooned drawings directly from your SolidWorks drawings.  Dimensions, Notes, Geometric Tolerances, Hole Callouts, etc... are all supported.  Standard report formats such as AS9102 Form 3 and PPAP are also supported out of the box.  You can customize the report format also.

http://www.inspectionxpert.com/Events/Register/tabid/62/Default.aspx

Regards,
Jeff Cope

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