Is it possible to apply a new TEMPLATE to an existing part file?

[aliensquale]

Okay, sorry for another question guys but this one is driving me nuts and I can't find any documentation on if this is possible. I was messing around making making new sheet formats, drawing templates, and part templates.

What I did was make a part template that has a bunch of 'custom properties' in it. If you go to File.. Properties, then the custom tab, this is where I put a bunch of custom properties. I did this so that when I create a drawing from a part file it will automatically insert all the annoations into the sheet format section, such as material, finish, units of measurement, etc. etc.

So now I have a few questions..

1.) Since I have a whole bunch of older Solidworks part files that I made PRIOR to updating the Part template, is it possible to go back and update those part files to use the NEW part template? I don't see a way to do this.

2.) When making a part file, and if you specify the material type in the feature manager design tree, why doesn't it pull that material type into the drawing automatically? I needed to create a custom property in my part file called: Material and that is what I use to drive my drawing file's "Material" annotation. It would be nice to have the drawing automatically pull the material type that you specified in the design tree on the part file. If it can't do this, then what is the purpose of using a different material on the part file, just for visualization purposes on your model (such as realview, etc.)

Thanks again!

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

faq559-1429

 

[fcsuper]

In particular, there's a copy settings function here:

http://swtools.cad.de/freeware.htm

It's an excel file that will copy all the settings of one file to another file.

Matt Lorono
CAD Engineer/ECN Analyst
Silicon Valley, CA
Lorono's SolidWorks Resources
Co-moderator of Solidworks Yahoo! Group
and Mechnical.Engineering Yahoo! Group

 

[aliensquale]

great thanks guys!

just a quick note here on something I don't understand on drawings..

1.) where does the "Revision" number come from? I don't see that anywhere in the propeties box of the part file?

2.) what is meant by "Weight" on the drawing? that is an annotation that is left blank on my drawings and I don't really know what this means?

3.) what do you generally put down for "Finish" again, this is a setup as a custom property in the solidworks part model that is imported into the drawing, I just put in there for now "Debur all parts". But what should really be meant by this?

 

[fcsuper]

Finish is used in different ways, but most commonly it refers to the finishing process (electropolish, anodize, clean, passivate, etc). Surface or Surface Finish or Surface Roughness is the roughness of the surface, typically with the surface finish symbol (looks like a check mark) with a number (like 63) nested in the v of the symbol.

I've seen "Finish" used to mean both surface finish and finishing process.

My suggestion is the use the word SURFACE with the surface finish symbol, and to use FINISH with a field that can be filled in with text.

Matt Lorono
CAD Engineer/ECN Analyst
Silicon Valley, CA
Lorono's SolidWorks Resources
Co-moderator of Solidworks Yahoo! Group
and Mechnical.Engineering Yahoo! Group

 

[ctopher]

aliensquale,
Do you not know what "revision" and "weight" means, or you don't understand how to link the info to the model?

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

 

[aliensquale]

I understand the meaning of revision, but not weight.

and no I don't know how to link EITHER to the drawing.. where do you specify these properties, I don't see them in the part model either..

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

weight = mass

Density can be applied to a part model by assigning a material or assigned a density via the Tools > Mass Properties function.

The Revision and Weight can be set via File > Properties;
Revision in both Custom and Configuration Specific
Weight only in Configuration Specific.

 

[aliensquale]

oh okay thanks.

I thought revision would automatically update with each time you saved the model again... so I guess you need to go into the custom properties and manually enter the next revision number such as Revision 2, 3, etc.

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

Yes, unless you use PDM. It will/can automatically assign new rev.

Non-PDM users in this forum employ several different tactics.

 

[handleman]

Updating "revision" every time you saved would result in every one of my parts being released for the first time at revision 68 or something like that. Not so beneficial.

-handleman, CSWP (The new, easy test)