PDXpert PLM Software
On-line Help Guide
This help topic describes the current PDXpert PLM release. Earlier releases may be different. To view your release's version of this topic, open PDXpert and press the F1 key or select the Help menu.
Import a CAD BOM
Most CAD applications export a bill of materials (BOM) in a convenient plain text format called "comma-separated values" (CSV). PDXpert defines a standard set of column headers for importing the BOM into a PDXpert assembly record.
Use CSV when your CAD tool gives you the choice between exporting CSV and other formats like Excel. Editing the file in Excel may damage the CSV file if it contains text that Excel considers numbers and dates. For example, Excel may convert part number 00123 to123, or 2021-01 toJanuary 2021. Some versions of Excel can also have problems reading and saving ANSI Extended and Unicode characters.
If you want to import many BOMs from a data source like an ERP/MRP, use the Batch Importer tool.
The import file doesn't make any new parts; it makes relationships between an assembly and its immediate child parts (a single-level BOM).
All items must exist in the database, and are matched using the sameItem uniqueness system rulethat detects duplicate parts.
A BOM import can be performed only within the Markuplist, and only before the assembly's pending iteration is released. The imported BOM can include pending or released parts, but not canceled parts.
When you have your BOM file ready to be imported, make a new part record or open an existing pending iteration. Select the part's BOM page.
Within the Markup workspace, open the context menu, select theImport Markup from File command.
The Import Markup from File dialog opens.
Browse to your import file, and then click the Openbutton. Your file is imported into the Markup list.
Your import file must conform to PDXpert's standard import formatas specified below.
Always manually edit the BOM after importing a new file. Whenever a new file is imported, the BOM list is first reset to its starting contents.
If you discover an error after you accept the import, you can manually edit the records that you've imported, or import a new file to replace all edited rows on the markup.
Configure your CAD software to export its BOM using the following import format. The format can accept BOM files with very little information. Most columns are optional; if the column is omitted or the row's value is empty, the system uses default values as shown.
A column name — which your exporting software may call the column header orlabel — is recognized only if it exactly matches the column name shown. All non-matching column names are ignored.
Import files must have data in every row. Empty rows may cause an import to fail.
| Column name | Data type | Value if empty | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChildClass | string Part orDocument | Part | If not specified, then the child item's Class is a part. Only parts can be added to the BOM list; a document row is ignored. Unless your BOM data source includes documents in the file, this column can be omitted. |
| ChildOwner | Organizations member name | default member (always the Home organization) | Identifies the organization that is primarily responsible for the child item's specification and which issues the item Number. Unless theAllow partner parts on BOM system ruleis marked, this should be omitted. |
| ChildType | Part Types member name | default member | If not specified, then the appropriate type collection is determined by the child item's Class, and the default member of the resulting type collection is used to match the record's Type selection. Only parts can be added to the BOM list; a row with ChildClass of Document is ignored. |
| ChildNumber | string | row is skipped | REQUIRED: If the value is empty, the row is not imported. If the Find column is not included in the markup file, the ChildNumber value is used to identify differences between the previous BOM and the new import rows. |
| Find | integer ≥ 1 | last find-item + 1 when importing first iteration | This value is given to the Find row identifier. A parent assembly cannot have two rows with the sameFind number. The import file's Find value provides an anchor for comparing the imported BOM revision to the previous BOM. If you include a Find column, do not leave any row's Findvalue empty. When using a custom <span class="collection">Transforms</span> member, the import file must include a <span class="uicontrol">Find</span> column.</p> |
| Quantity | double ≥ 0 | 1.0 | This value is given to the row'sQuantity value, and represents the number of child parts required to produce a parent. |
| Unit | Unit of Measure | default member | Include this column only when the Lock part default unit of measure on BOM system rule is cleared (not enabled). In this case, if the value is empty, then the part'sDefault unit of measure is applied. |
| RefDes | string: length ≤ 32000 characters | no value | This value is the child part's RefDes ("reference designator") area, and should follow therules for reference designators. |
| Notes | string: length ≤ 32000 characters | no value | This value is the child part'sNotes area. |
| Per | string | Per Assembly | Must be assigned as Per Assembly,Per Setup, As Needed or remain empty. |
A minimal CSV import file can be quite simple if your system'sItem uniqueness specified by: system rulehas only the Number and Organization checkboxes marked. For example:
ChildNumber,Quantity
101012,1
100315,6
100917,1
110019,4
When an assembly is first released, its rows are established as anchors for tracking row changes in later revisions of the assembly. As a BOM file is imported into a pending iteration, each imported row to be compared to the previous iteration's content. Any changes in the row are marked as Add orRemove, as appropriate.
As noted in the table above, differences between from the released BOM iteration to its new iteration can be identified byChildNumber or by Find values.
If the import file includes the Find column, the system compares the previous row and the imported row at thatFind value. Mechanical BOMs often use the Find number to identify the part's location in the assembly, regardless of its part number.
To minimize the number of irrelevant changes on a new assembly revision, do not arbitrarily change the Find value on revisions to an imported BOM file. For example, new BOM components should not be inserted into the middle of the import list (which may change Find values in later rows), but added at the end.
- If the import file does not include the Find column, the system uses theChildNumber value to match the previous row and the imported row. Changes to a part number's quantity or other attributes are identified, and the Find value is ignored. This is used primarily in electronic assemblies, where the reference designators provide location information.
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