Creating a Custom Property in SolidWorks
Do you often find yourself needing to add specific information to your SolidWorks models that aren’t already included in the default properties? Don’t worry, SolidWorks allows you to create custom properties to meet your specific needs.
In this tutorial, we will guide you through the steps of creating a custom property in SolidWorks. Let’s get started!
Step 1: Opening the Custom Property Tab
To begin, open your desired model in SolidWorks. Once the model is open, navigate to the “File” menu at the top left corner of the screen and click on it.
From the dropdown menu, select “Properties”. This will open a dialog box with various tabs.
Step 2: Selecting the Custom Property Tab
In the Properties dialog box, you will see several tabs such as Summary, Configuration Specific, and Custom. Click on the “Custom” tab to access the custom property options.
Step 3: Adding a New Custom Property
Once you are on the Custom tab, look for an empty row with two columns labeled “Name” and “Value”. This is where you can add your custom property.
In the “Name” column, enter a descriptive name for your property. For example, if you want to add a property for material type, you can enter “Material Type” as the name.
In the adjacent “Value” column, enter the corresponding value for your custom property. Sticking with our previous example, if you want to specify that your model is made of aluminum, enter “Aluminum” as the value.
Note:
- Make sure that there are no spaces or special characters in your custom property name.
- If you want to link the custom property to a specific dimension or feature, enclose the name in square brackets. For example, “[Length]” or “[Diameter]”.
- You can also link the custom property to a global variable by entering “$PRP@Global Variable Name” as the value.
Step 4: Applying the Custom Property
After adding your custom property, click on the “Apply” button at the bottom of the dialog box. This will apply the custom property to your model.
Step 5: Displaying the Custom Property in Your Model
To display your custom property in your model, you can use a note or a balloon. Simply click on the desired location within your model and select either “Insert”, then “Annotation”, and choose either “Note” or “Balloon”.
Once selected, click on your desired location again, and a text box will appear. In this text box, type “$PRPSHEET:” followed by your custom property name enclosed in square brackets.
For example, “$PRPSHEET:[Material Type]”. This will display the value of your custom property in that location.
- If you want to display multiple custom properties together, you can separate them with a semicolon “;” within the square brackets. For example, “$PRPSHEET:[Material Type; Length; Diameter]”.
- You can also use different formatting options such as font size and color to enhance the visibility of your custom properties.
Congratulations! You have successfully created a custom property in SolidWorks and learned how to display it in your model.
Custom properties are incredibly versatile and allow you to add specific information to your models, making them more detailed and informative. Use this knowledge to enhance your SolidWorks designs and improve your workflow. Happy designing!