What is a .fmt file? Is there a better way to create a BOM?

I am trying to find an alternative method for creating a Bill Of Materials (my employer did not renew the pro/report license, they didn't realize what it was).

While searching for an alternative method I found this in the help files:

To Define the BOM Format Using the system editor, create the BOM output format file.

Add the following option to the configuration file:

bom_format formatname.fmt

In Pro/ENGINEER, add user-defined parameters to parts and assemblies using the Tools > Relations > Parameters > Add Parameter.

Click Info > Bill of Materials. The BOM appears in the embedded browser and is written to file.

Note: Assembly members that are blanked on a layer or suppressed through assembly representation are listed in the BOM for the assembly as if they were displayed.

See Also

About Bill of Materials (BOM)

BOM and Mass Properties Behavior

What is a *.fmt file? I am starting think that there is a better system then what was set up at my place of employment, we use tables to create a BOM (repeat region) Does Pro E have a different way to do this?

If some one can point me in the right direction I am ambitious enough to solve problems, but some times I need a little direction.

Steve

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Steve
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: "Steve" wrote : I am trying to find an alternative method for creating a Bill Of : Materials (my employer did not renew the pro/report license, they : didn't realize what it was).

The first problem I have with solving this problem is that I don't know the extent of the damage from losing the license to Pro/REPORT. This loss is, you must realize, an unusual situation. At least since ver 2001, Pro/REPORT hasn't even been a separately licensed module. In the current rev., (Wildfire 2), it comes standard, as part of the package.

So, I'm sure that you are unable to create new BOM tables with repeat regions and 'report' parameters. But, questions are left open, for example: does this effect previously created BOM tables? do the fields continue to populate as usual? will they update when you change an assembly, such as, add/delete or suppress components? If you still have BOM table repeat region functionality, you may be able to do the following: select the BOM table (whole thing highlights red), go to the toolbar and pick 'Table>Save Table>As Table file'. This saves a *.tbl file which can be read into any drawing/format with 'Table>Insert>Table from file'. Browse to the location and you get a BOM table with your current assembly components listed. : : While searching for an alternative method I found this in the help : files: : : : To Define the BOM Format : Using the system editor, create the BOM output format file. : : Add the following option to the configuration file: : : bom_format formatname.fmt : : In Pro/ENGINEER, add user-defined parameters to parts and assemblies : using the Tools > Relations > Parameters > Add Parameter. : : Click Info > Bill of Materials. The BOM appears in the embedded : browser and is written to file. : : Note: Assembly members that are blanked on a layer or suppressed : through assembly representation are listed in the BOM for the assembly : as if they were displayed. : : See Also : : About Bill of Materials (BOM) : : BOM and Mass Properties Behavior : : : : What is a *.fmt file? : I am starting think that there is a better system then what was set up : at my place of employment, we use tables to create a BOM (repeat : region) : Does Pro E have a different way to do this? : : If some one can point me in the right direction I am ambitious enough : to solve problems, but some times I need a little direction. : Way too much rigamarole here! Yes, 'Info>Bill of Materials' will/can produce a text file that might be used to create a table. But the one thing you must be aware of, by now, is that the Help files are anything but tutorials: their relation to instruction is the same as those old BASIC books that told you the ddefinition of every 'keyword'. Pro/e, itself, is a holdover from those days, especially, since it takes much of its inspiration from Unix (a programmer's/administrator's system, not a user's system). So, to get the most complete help possible, you must violate the Unix sysadmins dictum to keep the users, AMAP, in the dark, and actually tell us about your problem (yeah, I know it's embarrassing ~ dumbshit cowboys, arrogant knownothing owners ~ by this standard of competence, achievement and survivability, we should all be dead). Yeah, I know, we save them, time and again, not necessarily to our credit.

David Janes

Reply to
David Janes

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