Component Properties

Component properties and context menus are located in the Mechanical Browser panel.

Component context menus display when you right-click the component. Component properties display automatically when selecting one or more components in the Mechanical Browser panel.

Components can be: Main, Insert and Subcomponent. If Mechanical blocks and entities are enabled, they also will be listed as components in the browser.

Type of component Rendered visual style Wireframe visual style Hidden
Component without subcomponents * * *
Component with subcomponents * * *
Standard part component
Mechanical block
Mechanical external reference
Mechanical entity

* External components have a green arrow: or .

Context menus
Main Component context menu Right-click the main component name:
  • Update: updates the hierarchy of mechanical components for the current drawing in case referenced drawing files of sub-components have been modified.
  • Visual Style: All by Viewport: applies the current Visual Style to all components in the assembly (see the SHADEMODE command).
  • Switch all to local: switches all components to internal components (see the BMLOCALIZE command).
  • Switch all to external: switches all components to external components (see the BMEXTERNALIZE command).
  • Add new parameter: creates a new parameter in the assembly.
  • Custom properties: allows you to define custom properties for the drawing. If there are per-instance property sets, a submenu opens:

    Toggle property sets that should be applied to the root component only, or select Configure to open a dialog to configure custom properties.

    If no per-instance property sets are present, the Mechanical Properties dialog box opens.

  • Select all: select all components with the same definition.
  • Select same: select all components with the same name and the same parameter values.
  • Highlight all: highlight all components with the same definition.
  • Highlight same: highlight all components with the same name and the same parameter values.
  • Create exploded view: create a block with an exploded representation of the current assembly.
  • Renumerate child nodes: renumerates all child nodes according to their types.
  • Renumerate child nodes continuously: renumerates all child nodes with continuous numeration when applicable.

    For example, top-level components will get continuous numbers, but the numeration of their subcomponents will not be changed.

  • Collapse all: collapse the main component and all components and subcomponents.
  • Expand all: expand the main component and all components and subcomponents.
Component context menu

Right-click a component name.

External components context menu (left), local components context menu (right):

  • Open: opens the referenced drawing (see the BMOPEN command).
  • Open a copy: opens a copy of a component insert as a new drawing (see the BMOPENCOPY command).
  • Update: reloads all referenced components from external files and update BOM tables (see the BMUPDATE command).
  • Replace: replaces a component insert (see the BMREPLACE command). Replacing a local insert turns it into an external insert.
  • Replace all inserts: replaces all inserts that refer to the same source (see the BMREPLACE command). Replacing local inserts turns them into external inserts.
  • Switch to local: switches an external component to an internal component (see the BMLOCALIZE command).
  • Switch to external: switches an internal component to an external component (see the BMEXTERNALIZE command).
  • Set material to component: assigns a physical material to a local component.
  • Remove material from component: removes the physical material definition from a local component.
  • Component's BOM status: parameter to control the appearance of the component in BOM tables.
  • Dissolve: dissolves a mechanical component inserted in the current drawing (see the BMDISSOLVE command).
  • Custom properties: opens a dialog to configure custom properties.
  • Unlink: breaks the connection between a component insert (for example a Window) and a 3D solid (for example a Wall) retaining the opening.
  • Hide () / Show (): hides or shows the selected component.
  • Make component standard: transforms the component in a standard component.
  • Make component non-standard: transforms the component in a non-standard component.
  • Exclude all inserts from section: sets the Sectionable property of all similar inserts to NO. Defines whether an insert is affected by the VIEWSECTION command.
  • Visual Style: displays the Visual Style menu. All Visual Styles that are saved in the current drawing are available.
    • By parent component: renders the selected component according to the shademode of the parent component (see the SHADEMODE command).
    • All by Viewport: renders all components according to the current viewport shademode (see the SHADEMODE command).
  • Zoom to: zooms to the selection set.
  • Select: selects the component.
  • Select all: selects all components with the same definition.
  • Select same: selects all components with the same definition and the same parameter values.
  • Highlight all: highlights all components with the same definition.
  • Highlight same: highlights all components with the same definition and the same parameter values.
  • Delete: removes the selected component and its subcomponents from the assembly.
  • Renumerate similar nodes: renumerates all nodes of the same type and the same level.
  • Renumerate child nodes: renumerates all child nodes with respect to their type and name.
  • Renumerate child nodes continuously: renumerates all child nodes with continuous numeration, regardless of their names.
  • Collapse all: collapses the main component and all components and subcomponents.
  • Expand all: expands the main component and all components and subcomponents.
Subcomponent context menu External subcomponents context menu (left), local subcomponents context menu (right):
  • Open: opens the referenced drawing (see the BMOPEN command).
  • Open a copy: opens a copy of a component insert as a new drawing (see the BMOPENCOPY command).
  • Hide () / Show (): hides or shows the selected subcomponent.
  • Exclude all inserts from section: sets the Sectionable property of all similar inserts to NO. Defines whether an insert is affected by the VIEWSECTION command .
  • Visual Style: see Component Visual Style.
  • Zoom to: zooms to the selection set.
  • Select all: selects all components with the same definition.
  • Select same: selects all components with the same definition and the same parameter values.
  • Highlight all: highlights all components with the same definition.
  • Highlight same: highlights all components with the same definition and the same parameter values.
  • Renumerate similar nodes: renumerates all nodes of the same type and the same level.
  • Renumerate child nodes: renumerates all child nodes with respect to their type and name.
  • Renumerate child nodes continuously: renumerates all child nodes with continuous numeration, regardless of their names.
  • Collapse all: collapses the main component and all components and subcomponents.
  • Expand all: expands the main component and all components and subcomponents.
Component parameter context menu Right-click a parameter:
  • Link to parameter: create a link between one or more component parameters and assembly parameters.
  • Collapse all: collapse the main component and all components and subcomponents.
  • Expand all: expand the main component and all components and subcomponents.
Properties
Main component properties Click the main component name:
  • Name: type a name for the main component. By default, the name of the main component equals the file name.
  • Description: optional description of the main component.
  • File: shows the path and name of the drawing.
  • Extension type: allows you to identify the component as a Face Feature, a BIM Component or a Sheet Metal Feature.
  • Insert as: select Internal Component or External Component.
  • Sectionable: defines whether the component is affected by the VIEWSECTION command.
  • Standard component: defines whether this component is a standard component or not.
  • BOM status: defines the behavior of this component in a BOM table.
  • Material: material of the main component.
    The Name, Density, and the optional Description are defined in the Physical Materials dialog box.
    Select the Material node and perform one of the following:
    • Click the Browse button () to open the Physical Materials dialog box and choose a material in the Project or Central database list.

      The Density property of the selected material is used by the BMMASSPROP command.

    • Click the Clear material button ().
      The Material field now reads <Inherit>. When the component is inserted in an assembly, the Material definition is copied from the main component of the assembly.
  • Custom properties: custom properties assigned by the user, both for all components and for root component only. Click the Browse button () to open the dialog to configure custom properties.
Component insert properties Click the component name:
  • Type: type of the component. Shows one of the following types: Mechanical component, Mechanical block or Mechanical Entity.
  • Name: type a name for the component. By default, the name of the component equals the source file name.
  • Component name: name of the component as defined in the source file.
  • Description: description of the component as defined in the source file.
  • Visible: allows you to show or hide the component in the assembly.
    Choose between:
    • Click the Visible field, click the down arrow button and choose Yes or No.
  • Sectionable: defines whether the component is affected by the VIEWSECTION command.
  • Standard component: defines whether this component is standard or not.
  • BOM status: defines the behavior of this component in a BOM table.
  • Visual style: allows you to control the visual style for the component. By default, the visual style is inherited from the viewport.
    Click the Visual style field, click the down arrow button, and choose a visual style in the list.
  • File: shows the path and name of the referenced drawing.
  • Material: shows the material of the component. For top-level inserts of mechanical blocks or entities, allows you to set a material for that particular instance, therefore overriding the component material.
    If set to <Inherit>, the material is copied from the main component.
    If the material is defined explicitly in the source file, this material is used.
  • Parameters: shows the insert’s parameters.
  • Custom properties: shows the insert’s custom properties. By default, properties are inherited from a corresponding component. For top-level inserts, any of those properties could be overridden with a desired value.
Subcomponent properties Click the subcomponent name:
  • Name: name of the component as defined in the source file of the parent component.
  • Component name: name of the component as defined in the source file.
  • Description: description of the component as defined in the source file.
  • Visible: allows you to show or hide the component in the assembly. Click the Visible field, click the down arrow button and choose Yes or No.
  • Sectionable: defines whether the component is affected by the VIEWSECTION command.
  • Standard component: defines whether this component is standard or not.
  • BOM status: defines the behavior of this component in a BOM table.
  • Visual style: allows you to control the visual style for the component. By default, the visual style is inherited from the viewport.
    Click the Visual style field, click the down arrow button, and choose a visual style in the list.
  • File: show the path and name of the referenced drawing.
  • Material: show the material of the subcomponent.
    If set to <Inherit>, the material is copied from the main component.
    If the material is defined explicitly in the source file, this material is used.
  • Custom properties: shows the insert’s custom properties. By default, properties are inherited from a corresponding component. For top-level inserts, any of those properties could be overridden with a desired value.
Selection methods
Select component(s) in the model The component(s) highlights in the Mechanical Browser.
Click a component in the Mechanical Browser panel The component highlights in the drawing. Press the space bar to select the component. If the Always synchronize selection option is enabled in the Mechanical browser options setting, the component will be selected in the drawing automatically.