Organizer for purchased parts
Organizer for purchased parts
(OP)
I use many purchased (off the shelf) parts in my design. If the part has not been used before by anyone in my department, I model it (for complex parts I look on the web first) and save it in a "library" folder. Each manufacturer/vendor has its own subfolder. We have hundreds of models of purchased parts saved there and it become difficult to determine if a specific one has already been modeled before. I am looking for a smart way to search through these parts, maybe a software package to help me organize them, also a way to eliminate duplication.






RE: Organizer for purchased parts
Clamps
Bolts
Screws
etc...
Then maybe change the file name of the part to what it is. You could setup a Custom Property to give the proper Part number if that's what you need in your BOM.
You can change the location and the name using SW Explorer and be able to maintain the references of the parts your moving and changing their names.
Once you open up a part in SW Explorer. Do a Edit\Copy document - Click Find where used - Change the name and location - Click Apply. This is the short version of what to do. Please see help for clarifiaction.
See SW Website on how they organized all the models that were sent to them. That's the way I'm thinking - http://www.solidworks.com/pages/services/subscription/modellibrary/index.html
Regards,
Scott Baugh, CSWP

http://www.3dvisiontech.com
http://www.scottjbaugh.com
FAQ731-376
RE: Organizer for purchased parts
The Toolbox items are organized by Catalog - Chapter - Page, which in your case might be something like: Berg - PT items - roller chain sproket, and then finally stainless.
Since the organization is somewhat similar to the print or on-line catalog you may be getting the original dimensions from, it makes it less likely that you would have to search multiple folders to find your items.
When you use the `Add My Parts Wizard' function, you can add an entirely new Catalog for your purchased items or slip them into new chapters under one of the exisiting international standards.
DesignSmith
www.DesignSmith-Services.com
RE: Organizer for purchased parts
I hope this helps.
Bradley
RE: Organizer for purchased parts
I looked at moving to Access, but don’t think it will work any better for look ups. The ideal method would be an index, but I haven’t found an easy way to do that. This problem has been discussed in several forums as “part numbering”.