What do you guys recommend for a library of commercial hardware? We are using DBWorks and would like to use custom properties information in our BOM's. Fixtures are where we need it for. Do not need it for injection molding. Currently we have been using a small custom library that one of the guys made and we keep adding to it. What about "Library for Standard Parts" by CadParts, Inc., or "SolidParts" by SolidPartners, Inc., or "SolidWorks Toolbox" by SW? Is there any different?
I have found that most of the libraries I have tried don't have any 'intelligent' custom properties loaded; therefore, you get a nice looking part, but it does not give you the required information for your BOM/drawing title. This means you have to open every part and add your own custom properties.
Having said the above, it must be hard for the library companies to determine what custom properties to add - after all, it seems that every company wants different info in the BOM.
I create my own stuff using design tables and use the following custom properties: Part Number/Drawing Number Description Material Size Mass
you should be able to find a good combo that works fast between the two.
I use the one from rds because my flow is design part, fill out props (they are already in the part temps with xx's as values) then detail. after I get one det finished you can suck out the props and blast them into another part, usually similar enough I only have to change the det #, maybe finish, maybe material, maybe qty reqd. It goes pretty fast that way. The trimech version allows you to mass change on a onesy scale. Very useful for things like mfg, date completed, detby, desby, checked by, etc. HTH I have heard that there is a new solidworks event scheduler to change props but I also hear it's kind of clunky.
At issue is not the underlying information but the format each company would like to use. (Other than description, vendor, vendor number, manufacturer, manufacturer number, and maybe material/finish/cost - there is not a whole lot of extraneous information that needs to be provided.
All the library companies have to do is create a simple parameter file that maps the schema of the database to the custom/configuration property of the users SW model. Much like web based part suppliers do when they ask you what CAD file format you want to use. This is set up once when a new user account is created on the website. Why not ask the user how they want to map the database values to custom/configuration files.
Most toolbox type programs generate the configuration of the part you want to use on the fly from a database.
Have the database generate a unique ID that identifies the part. Have each supplier supply a table that cross references the unique ID with their part number. This could also work with the Vendor information as well.
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