Cost table

Such a thing can be done. BUT, think about when changes in cost occur. You will have to open the part, the assembly, the upper level assemblies in order to roll up the cost. Will this be considered a revision? This kind of thing is better done outside SW by a program that can get the few drivers inherent in the part out through custom properties.

It's a lot simpler than that actually. These parts have no associated assemblies, nor any other parts or part files associated with them. They are simply frame rails for tractor trailers (i.e. channel shapes), but the material cost of steel is fluctuating so much these days we need to find a way to update just that cost, and not the labor. Yes I realize that every time I wanted to update the price I would have to go into the table and update it, but I would only need to change one number. I guess I just don't understand how Solidworks deals with Excel tables well enough to incorporate this yet. Nor how to input equations into the summary information table on the part.

Why not use the Excel BOM to generate an excel sheet of all the items. Create macros to add columns/multiply the values as you need them. Any price changes etc.. need only be changed in the Excel BOM without having to open/edit SW models.

Len

That's what I was thinking too, but I'm a dummy when it comes to the actual commands to use when I'm combining Solidworks and Excel. I have a table already built for ALL of the parts in Excel, however I don't know how to get Solidworks to import the actual weight of the part and figure from there...

If the parts are that simple and if you only use the default custom properties, not the configuration specific ones you can access and change them from a macro in Excel without opening the SW part. It would take a bit of API programming and I am sure there are some lurking here that could accomplish that in short order for a nominal fee.