What Are SolidWorks Custom Properties?

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What Are SolidWorks Custom Properties?

When working with SolidWorks, custom properties play a vital role in organizing and managing your design data. Custom properties allow you to add specific information to your parts, assemblies, and drawings, making it easier to search for and retrieve crucial details about your models.

The Importance of Custom Properties

Custom properties are essentially attributes or metadata that can be associated with different elements in SolidWorks. They can be used to describe various aspects of a model, such as its name, description, material, supplier information, and more. By adding custom properties to your models, you can create a comprehensive database of information that is easily accessible within SolidWorks or even through external tools.

Benefits of Using Custom Properties

1. Enhanced Data Management:

  • You can easily search for models based on specific custom property values.
  • Custom properties enable efficient data organization and retrieval.
  • They allow for better collaboration by providing detailed information about the design intent.

2. Improved Documentation:

  • Custom properties can be automatically linked to drawing title blocks, streamlining the documentation process.
  • You can generate bills of materials (BOMs) with custom property values included.

3. Automation and Configuration:

  • You can use custom properties in equations and design tables to drive parametric changes automatically.
  • By linking custom properties to configurations, you can create intelligent models that adapt based on selected options or variations.

Adding Custom Properties

Adding custom properties in SolidWorks is a straightforward process. To get started, follow these steps:

  1. Open the model or drawing file in SolidWorks.
  2. Go to the File menu and select Properties.
  3. In the Custom tab, click on the Add.. button.
  4. Type in the name of the custom property and specify its value.
  5. Click OK to save the custom property.

You can repeat these steps to add multiple custom properties as needed. Remember that custom properties can be set at different levels, including part level, assembly level, and drawing level.

Accessing Custom Properties

To view or edit custom properties associated with a SolidWorks model, follow these steps:

  1. Select the model or drawing file in SolidWorks.
  2. In the resulting dialog box, navigate to the desired custom property tab (Summary, Configuration Specific, or Custom).
  3. You can now view or modify existing custom properties as required.

In Conclusion

SolidWorks custom properties are an essential tool for efficiently managing and organizing design data. By leveraging this feature effectively, you can enhance your productivity, streamline documentation processes, and automate design changes. Make sure to explore and utilize this powerful functionality within SolidWorks for a more efficient design workflow.