SolidWorks® 2007 Bible

Chapter 24. Working with Tables and Drawings

IN THIS CHAPTER

• Driving the Bill of Materials

• Using Design Tables

• Using Hole Tables

• Using Revision Tables

• Using Gauge Tables and Bend Tables

• Using Weldment Cut Lists

• Using General Tables

• Tutorial: Using BOMs

• Tutorial: Using Hole Tables

• Tutorial: Using Revision Tables

SolidWorks enables you to place several types of tables on drawings, such as the Bill of Materials, or BOM. Design Tables that are used in parts and assemblies can also be shown on the drawing to create a tabulated type drawing. Hole Tables enable you to chart the center locations and sizes of holes for easy access to manufacturing data. Revision Tables can work with PDMWorks or by themselves to help you document the revision history of a drawing. General Tables are also available for any specialized items that are not covered by the other table types.

Driving the Bill of Materials

The Bill of Materials, or BOM, is one of the most frequently used types of tables that are available in SolidWorks. BOMs are intended for use with assemblies, but can also be used with individual parts for specialized applications. The types of information that you can expect to see on a BOM are item number, filename, quantity used, description, and any other custom property that you would like to add to it. A typical BOM is shown in Figure 24.1.

BOMs are made in one of two ways. The default BOM is made from a special SolidWorks table, while an Excel-based BOM is driven by Excel. While Excel has advantages and ...