Have you ever wanted to add a custom property in your SolidWorks drawing? Custom properties can be a useful way to add specific information to your drawings, such as part numbers, revision numbers, or bill of materials (BOM) data. In this tutorial, we will walk you through the steps of adding a custom property in SolidWorks drawing.
Step 1: Opening the Drawing
To begin, open your SolidWorks drawing file. This can be an existing drawing or a new one that you create from scratch. Once the drawing is open, make sure you are in the “Edit Sheet Format” mode by selecting it from the “View” menu.
Step 2: Accessing the Custom Properties
In the “Edit Sheet Format” mode, go to the “File” menu and select “Properties.” This will open up the “Custom Properties” dialog box.
Adding a New Property
To add a new custom property, click on the “Add” button in the dialog box. This will bring up another dialog box where you can enter the details of your custom property.
- Name: Enter a name for your custom property. This could be something like “Part Number,” “Revision,” or any other relevant information.
- Type: Select the type of data you want to associate with this custom property.
Options include text, number, date, and more.
- Value/Expression: Enter the value or expression that you want to assign to this custom property. For example, if you are adding a part number, you could enter a specific part number here.
You can also choose whether this custom property should be linked to individual views or the entire sheet. This can be useful if you want certain properties to update automatically when changes are made to specific views.
Editing Existing Properties
If you already have custom properties in your drawing and want to edit them, simply select the property you want to modify from the list in the “Custom Properties” dialog box. You can then change the name, type, or value as needed.
Step 3: Placing Custom Property on Drawing Sheet
Once you have added or edited your custom properties, it’s time to place them on your drawing sheet. Exit the “Edit Sheet Format” mode by selecting it from the “View” menu again.
To place a custom property on your drawing sheet, go to the “Insert” menu and select “Annotations” > “Note.” Click on the location where you want to place the note and a text box will appear.
Inside the text box, type an “@” symbol followed by the name of your custom property enclosed in quotation marks. For example, if your custom property is named “Part Number,” type “@\”Part Number\”” (without quotes) inside the text box.
The note will now display the value of your custom property. You can format this note as needed using SolidWorks’ annotation tools.
Step 4: Updating Custom Properties
If you need to update a custom property at any point, simply go back to the “Custom Properties” dialog box by following Step 2. Select the property you want to update and make any necessary changes.
Conclusion
Adding a custom property in SolidWorks drawing can provide valuable information and streamline your documentation process. By following these simple steps, you can easily add and edit custom properties in SolidWorks drawing, enhancing the overall clarity and professionalism of your designs.
Remember to save your drawing after making any changes to ensure that your custom properties are retained. Now you can take advantage of custom properties to create more informative and detailed drawings in SolidWorks!