How to Add Custom Lengths to a SolidWorks BOM {Two-Minute Tut!}

Shhhh, in all actuality, this will not only show you how to add custom lengths to a Bill of material (BOM), but will allow you to harness the almighty power of custom properties in SolidWorks. It’s quick, it’s easy and it’s this week’s two-minute Tut.

Often, the shop or purchase department need a little extra info to manufacture or order the part. Looking through a bunch of drawing sheets to find it is grueling, but having it in the BOM makes it very clear.

Oh, and one added benefit? You may have a blast creating a bunch of drawing views to dimension one little length. This, however, can save you time, pages and dealing with large drawings by moving the info to the BOM. Let’s do this.

Here are the steps:

1. Create a Design Table
2. Add the configurations and length property to the design table
3. Start a drawing
4. Add a column for the length property

Now let’s lay it out:

1. Create a Design Table
   Select, Insert, Table, Design Table. Leave it on Auto Create and select the dimension defining the length when the dimension box pops up.
   
2. Add the configurations and length property to the design table
   Add some configuration and the $PRP@LENGTH property, as shown below.
   
3. Insert a BOM
   In the part (or drawing), insert a BOM. Insert, Table, Bill of Material. Click OK (the green check.)
4. Add a column for the length property
   Right click on the BOM and select Insert, Column… in the selection box that pops up. select the LENGTH property from the pull-down.
   

That is it! If you change the length for that configuration or add other configurations, the column will update. You can do this for any type of property you need to add to a Bill of Material. Some examples?

• Thickness
• Area
• Notes
• Build Sequence
• Made from
• Cage Codes
• Serial Numbers
• Reference Drawing
• Color

Really, it could be anything.