Hi all designer friends!
I wanted to start a little debate on your ways of managing CAD files , especially on SolidWorks. To get your opinions on the different ways to use the software and your design procedures.
- What do you name your parts, assemblies and MEP files: part name or number for example?
-How do you file them in the files?
- How do you fill in the rooms in custom properties ; Part Name? References?
-In MEP, what information do you find essential to fill in the cartridge? Do you know the difference between a MEP for a part, an assembly MEP, a welded construction, a pre-project plan?
For my part, I often stumble over part numbers and the naming of parts and assemblies files. I know that some people just name their files with a number but it can be complicated to easily find the parts when you walk around in the windows browser. Most of the time I start a design without having a name or number, so I name my parts and assemblies on the fly, and then fill in a more appropriate name and a custom property number. I find it a bit chaotic but I haven't found any other solution. You still have to find your way around at the end of a design and that everything is well organized in its place.
What are your opinions and experience on this subject?
Hello Ronathan,
For the naming of the files, I use the part number (or assembly) and then the description.
Number: 123456-78
Description: Test part
File Name: 123456-78_Pièce-test
The same goes for the assembly and drawing, the difference is quick thanks to the icons.
After that, you can manage it in the way that works best for your business.
For file filing, you can manage by type of part (plastic part, sheet metal, machined, etc.) or otherwise by project.
The disadvantage of sorting by project occurs when you have a part that is mounted on several projects, so it is difficult to find it at a glance.
For properties, you can create different properties in your part templates that you can fill in later, in the "File Properties" tab or in the property editor.
If you fill in the properties correctly on the 3D (part or assembly) you will be able to retrieve this information on the plan.
As far as the cartridge is concerned, you can refer to ISO 7200 which is a recommendation standard for the data that is necessary for a plan.
You can also create different templates for parts, assemblies and welded constructions with information present on some plans and not on others. It's up to your company to know what you want to display in addition to the 7200's recommendations.
If you use one of the solidworks PDMs (Workgroup or Standard PDM) you can easily manage the renaming once your part is in the vault, but I advise you to have correctly filled in the name of each part as well as the properties before making it available to other employees.
Have a good day to you.
3 Likes
We follow what the customer asks...
Personally, I prefer to use only the number:
- it allows you to retrieve it in the cartridge and be sure to have the right value;
- the other properties being filled in.
We make special machines, so a lot of parts that are rarely reused.
In product design, where there is less movement in the files (following a wild design review or abrupt change of CDC), why not add the designation.
Now the question arises as to how to number... I like to put in 000 the main asm, in 100/200/etc the s/ens, in x01/x02/etc the parts constituting the s/ens x00.
When we don't have the deal number, the numbering method, we do as you do: naming in a hurry (part1, part2, room3, etc.) then renumbering either via Solidworks Explorer or by typesetting to take away (@Zozo_MP: I'm preparing a guidebook...).