Part III Of OpenBOM for Solidworks. In this part, we discuss how to work with assembly configurations and purchased assemblies.

1. In OpenBOM Part III
Purchased Assemblies & SWX Configurations
Steve Hess
Director of User Experience, OpenBOM
stevehess@openbom.com
August 5, 2020
© OpenBOM, 2020 (Newman Cloud Inc.)
Mastering SolidWorks BOMs

2. Webinar basics
You are all muted
Please type questions in the chat window or send to support@openbom.com
We will publish a recording following the event
I will share this deck with the playback.
This is meant to be a casual event….. And maximise use of time
© OpenBOM, 2020 (Newman Cloud Inc.)

3. About Mastering Solidworks BOMs in OpenBOM
Breaking into several “Episodes” as follows:
Webinar #24: New BOMs, Settings, Properties, Update OpenBOM, Save Item
Webinar #25: Part Classifications (Catalogs), Templates, Bi-Directional properties
Webinar #26: SolidWorks Configurations, Purchased Assemblies
Webinar #27: SWX BOM Maintenance
© OpenBOM, 2020 (Newman Cloud Inc.)

4. Webinar #26 (today) in particular
Quick Review of “BOM” command and what happens
Marking a SWX assembly as “Purchased”. Eg. making it a single line item in
the BOM
How do SWX Configurations (Parts and/or Assys) show up in OpenBOM
Best practices for SWX Configurations
© OpenBOM, 2020 (Newman Cloud Inc.)

5. Definitions:
Purchased Assembly: An Item like a pump, PCB, Cable or other Solidwork assembly which
has been modeled with all the levels and sublevels but you buy it as a single line item.
Configuration: The Solidworks “configuration” - specifically.
Catalog: A list of Items used by your company to make your products. Often called a
Classification or Inventory or an Item Master, this is a list of parts and sub-assemblies and
associated information needed to put your final product together.
© OpenBOM, 2020 (Newman Cloud Inc.)

6. OpenBOM for SolidWorks Basics
● OpenBOM requires the installation of an addin to create BOMs from Solidworks
○ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iz8YQy9trtU
● BOMs are created from SWX Assemblies only
● Individual SWX Parts may be saved to OpenBOM using Save Item Command
● OpenBOM for Solidworks integration requires a license
○ Free Trial or Professional User or above. www.openbom.com
○ Or, You may be a member of your Team or Company
● SolidWorks 2016 or later although some functionality works with earlier swx versions
● Solidworks PDM and Windows File Explorer addins are supported but not covered here
● Upload from Folders, Excel, other CAD also supported in other webinars
© OpenBOM, 2020 (Newman Cloud Inc.)

7. Lessons
Lesson #1 - (2 minute review) Create a BOM using the BOM command
Lesson #2 - Marking a Solidworks assembly as a Purchased Assembly.
What is the impact on OpenBOM? Two methods to do so (Envelope and
Hide)
Lesson #3 - How do Solidworks configurations influence OpenBOM.
Basically, what happens when I set a particular configuration? Part/Assy
Lesson 3A - Fixing a bad swx config condition issue which yields double
BOM entries
*Lesson #4 - Devilish details of working with Solidworks configurations. The
best practices to avoid problems down-the-road!
© OpenBOM, 2020 (Newman Cloud Inc.)

8. Live session….Lesson #1 Two minute review
○ Open -Wireless Router W26
○ Settings
■ Sign in
■ Save
○ Click BOM
○ Review the BOM (3 screws)
○ Unsuppress screw
○ Update BOM (4 screws)
○ Understand how Solidworks Items Catalog relates to BOM
○ → All Items went to Solidworks Items Category/Catalog
Prepare for the next three lessons
○ Open the Vanity_Assembly-W26.sldasm
○ Take a tour
■ Assembly config for Explode
○ Visit OpenBOM Settings
○ Make a BOM
○
© OpenBOM, 2020 (Newman Cloud Inc.)

9. Live session….Lesson #2 Marking an assembly as Purchased (2 methods)
○ Examine the Hinge_Assy entry in the BOM
○ See it has an assembly and sub-levels
○ That’s not how my purchasing team buys it, they buy it as a part
○ Open the hinge in SWX
○
○
○ Method #1 - Envelope
■ In Vanity assy
■ Set Hinge_Assy to Envelope
■ Click BOM
■ Hinge_Assy is now a single line item with no sub levels
■ This is easy and works if you do not have write access to Hinge_Assy
■ But needs to be set every time Hinge_Assy is used in another assy
■ Set Envelope to Off
○ Method #2 - Configuration->Hide
■ Open Hinge_Assy
■ Open Configuration properties
■ Set to “HIDE”
■ Save
■ Return to Vanity and click BOM
■ Examine the BOM
■ See that the hinge is an “assembly” but only one line item. No sub-levels.
■ Good if you have write access to Hinge AND you want the hinge to ALWAYS be a
purchased assembly. No matter where Hinge_Assy is consumed.
You now have a Hinge Assembly in Solidworks being managed as a single purchased Item in OpenBOM!
© OpenBOM, 2020 (Newman Cloud Inc.)

10. Lesson #3 How do Solidworks configurations influence OpenBOM
● OpenBOM makes a BOM based on the active configuration(s). In other words, we take the configuration(s) found in the structure
and add them to the BOM. Other configurations (if they exist) are ignored unless they are also instantiated into the assembly. So
be careful because each of your configurations will yield a unique part number if they are “On” in the assy structurer.
● Configurations have a number of settings that control Part Number. Open a configuration and RMB-Properties:
○ Document Name- Ok, but only for Default. If you set all configs to this you will get duplicate PNs
○ Config Name- Can be Dangerous but will be unique. Need to manage names like PNs
○ Link to Parent (Derived)- be care will create a duplicate Part Number
○ User Specified - Good. Ensure uniqueness. But there is a better way
● PRO TIP: Create a configuration specific property value called “Part Number”
● PRO TIP2: Use “Derived Configuration” alternate positions and exploded. Derived configs get PN of parent..
● There will be essentially two types of assembly configs: True configs (different items), Positional (for display)
○ Truly different parts get unique part numbers using the tip(s) above.
○ Positional configs should get a throw-away part number or use derived depending if you want it in the BOM.
○ If you have both displayed in your assy structure at the same time you may/will have trouble because OpenBOM will
create a sub-level BOM for each of them. This is basically bad data management (two things with same PN) but we know
it’s done so working on way to handle it.
Example: Look Countertop-W26.sldprt
● It has two configurations: WithCutOut and Default
● On a configuration RMB-Properties and look at settings. PN set to Document Name BUT let’s keep going….
● Each configuration has its own configuration specific Part Number as they are different parts!
● Goto Vanity and make a BOM
● Open the BOM
● Countertop has correct Part Number
● Use the Properties to change configuration to WithCutout
● Make a BOM
© OpenBOM, 2020 (Newman Cloud Inc.)

11. Lesson #3A Fixing a BOM with double entries from configs with same PN
Example: Open the Vanity top level BOM
● Drill down to Door-W26
● Notice that “Molding” has two entries….. Each with Quantity = 2
● Return to SWX file
● Open Door
● Open Molding
● Open Configs
● There are Long and Short
● Each set to use “Document Name”
● What did we say about this…. Can be bad , here it is. Both long and short are getting the same PN (Wrong)
● Create a Configuration Specific Part Number for Each -L, -S
● Save Item - to SolidWorks Items
● Save/Close
● Goto Top level
● Click BOM
© OpenBOM, 2020 (Newman Cloud Inc.)

12. Lesson #4 Assembly Configurations can be hard. Watch the details.
Very similar to Parts but have the extra confusion of “positional” configurations (ex. Alt position or exploded)
● Open Faucet_Assy
● Look at the Configurations
● This is poorly done because positional config is a full configuration and not a derived configuration
○ Notice Part Number set to document name. If both are used in my top level assy I will have an issue
with duplicate part number. AND A DUPLICATE BOM! More in next webinar on that.
● Look at properties. Each config needs a part number or move all positional configs as derived from Default.
FInally, If you do need both configurations in the same assy give them the same Configuration Specific Part Number BUT
OPEN WILL CREATE TWO BOMs with same PN so you will need to manage that.
Quick Example - more next week
Open Faucet
Goto Properties
Set Part Number for each config to PF1
Unsuppress second copy of faucet in alt position
● Click BOM
● Not two lines for “faucet”
More Next week.
© OpenBOM, 2020 (Newman Cloud Inc.)

13. Do’s and Don’ts
● Do always use unique part numbers. If you have Door.sldasm containing Door.sldprt OpenBOM
will give each PN=”Door”. So use one of the methods described in prior slide to set a unique part
number. Don’t rely on File Name. Consider non-intelligent part numbers.
● Do be mindful of your “Default Catalog” when Creating BOM
● Do read the messages, they say what is going to happen
● Do Use “BOM” (one click BOM & Catalog) and “Save Item” (for updating a catalog)
● Don’t use the “Catalog” command. It is being deprecated.
● If you use configurations spend time to understand this.
● → Stick to Default when possible

14. References
Solidworks first 3 minutes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iz8YQy9trtU
Blog/Video on Templates in Solidworks:
https://www.openbom.com/blog/video-openbom-solidworks-add-in-templates-can-save-tons-of-time
OpenBOM Webinars https://help.openbom.com/webinars/ (see #21,22)
OpenBOM Basics https://help.openbom.com/get-started/understand-openbom/
OpenBOM Help https://help.openbom.com/ - a great place to start
© OpenBOM, 2020 (Newman Cloud Inc.)

15. Questions / comments ?
Please send to support@openbom.com or use the Support feature in OpenBOM
© OpenBOM, 2020 (Newman Cloud Inc.)