BOM Manager panel

The BOM Manager panel allows you to browse, create and edit bills of materials (BOMs) in the current drawing.

The configuration of a bill of materials can be saved as a template file and reused later in other drawings.

With the Bill of Materials Manager, you can:

  • Browse existing bills of materials in the drawing.
  • Create a new bill of materials using either a standard type (such as top-level, bottom-level, hierarchical) or an existing BOM template.
  • Edit bills of materials.
  • Add or remove columns (includes formula columns).
  • Move selected columns to new positions.
  • Rename the columns.
  • Configure how the BOM table is sorted.
  • Configure the footer value for each individual column.
  • Configure the units and how they are displayed for each column.
  • Configure the width of each column with column properties.
  • Configure the visibility of each individual column.
  • Filter the components with a filter expression.
  • Change the title of both the title row and the footer row.
  • Search for components in the table.
  • Highlight and select component instances.
  • Save the BOM configuration as a template file.
  • Load a BOM table configuration from a template file.
  • Place the BOM table in a drawing.
  • Delete BOM tables.
  • Configure which kind of objects should be present in the BOM table with BOM filtering mode.
  • BOM can include parts from other documents to the selection set.
  • BOM can exclude the current document to the selection set.
    Note: When a BOM table is created in a file that is a part of a BIM project, the filter settings, grouping mode and property set will be automatically extended to include non-mechanical objects, even if there are mechanical components in the model. In addition, the current project will be included in the BOM, and the current document will be excluded (as it will be added as a part of BIM project).

A Mechanical or Ultimate license is required to modify or create bills of materials. However, you can launch the BOM Manager using BMBOMTEMPLATEEDIT command, that requires either BIM, Mechanical or Ultimate license.

Note: BOM manager allows you to create a BOM table in any document, not necessary containing a mechanical assembly or a BIM model. In that case, the filter settings will be automatically adjusted to include all block references, xrefs and solids in the model.
  1. Menu
  2. Create a table
  3. Add thumbnails to new tables

Menu

Opens the main menu.

New BOM
Opens a submenu.
Note: The BOMTEMPLATE system variable defines the path to the file with default BOM template which will be used to create new BOM tables.
Note: If the BOMTEMPLATE system variable is empty or the path is not valid, the below default BOM configuration will be used.
  • Top level: Creates a new, top-level components only, BOM.
  • Bottom level: Creates a new, bottom-level components only, BOM.
  • Hierarchical: Creates a new hierarchical BOM, which contains all components with their subcomponents listed directly below.
  • Create from template: Opens a dialog box to select a BOM configuration template file.
  • Copy the current table: Adds a new BOM table using the template of the current table.
BOM tables in document
Opens a submenu.
  • Go to first table: Switches to the first BOM table in the document.
  • Go to previous table: Switches to the previous BOM table in the document.
  • Go to next table: Switches to the next BOM table in the document.
  • Go to last table: Switches to the last BOM table in the document.
  • <Name of the BOM>: Switches to the corresponding BOM table in the document.
Place BOM table
Starts the interactive placement of the table in the drawing. Multiple instances of a BOM table can be inserted into the document.
Export to CSV
Saves the content of the current BOM table to a CSV file.
Export to Excel
Saves the content of the current BOM table to a XLSX file.
Replace from template…
Replaces the current BOM configuration with the one from the template.
Save as template…
Specify the location of the BOM template file.
Save as default template
Specify the location of the default BOM template file, stored in BOMTEMPLATE system variable, which will be used to create new BOM tables.
Delete current BOM
Deletes the current BOM table from the document.
Delete all BOMs
Removes all BOM tables.
Set filter
Opens the Filter Configurator dialog box, which allows you to specify the filter configuration. For more information, see the related article Filter Configurator dialog box.
Selection set
Opens a submenu.
  • Entire model: The BOM table will be created for the entire model.
  • Subassembly: The BOM table will be created for a selected instance of a subassembly.
  • Drawing view: The BOM table will be created for the parts selected for the corresponding drawing view, regardless of their visibility in the viewport.
  • Layout viewport: The BOM table will be created for the selected layout viewport.
  • Custom selection: The BOM table will be created only for the selected parts.
  • Exclude current document: The BOM table will not include objects from the currents document.
  • Show selection: Shows the current selection for the BOM table.
  • Additional documents: The BOM table will include parts from other documents.
    • Add drawing or sheet set: The BOM table will include objects from the selected drawing or sheet set.
    • Add folder: The BOM table will include objects from drawings or sheets set which are present in a folder.
      Note: The user may include only the documents that match specified wildcards, entire BIM project or entire sheet set.
  • Edit: Allows you to edit the selection.
Refresh
Updates the current BOM and the list of all BOM tables in the drawing.
Update all
Updates all BOM tables.
Insert column after
Inserts a column from the Column selector after the selected column.
Insert column before
Inserts a column from the Column selector before the selected column.
Note: If no column is selected, a new column is added after the last column in the table.
Insert formula column
Opens a formula editor, which allows you to configure a formula column (see Formula Column dialog box article).
Insert template column
Opens a template editor, which allows you to configure a template column (see Template Column dialog box article).
Insert user fillable column
Inserts an user fillable column which can be used in formula and template columns.
Note: You can double-click any cell in a user-fillable column, a quantity column, or any other column excepts the Number, Thumbnails, and Component columns to insert or edit unitless values (numbers or text). The overridden values are displayed with a different font (Italic font and brand-blue colour) in the BOM Manager, and the BOM columns have a pen symbol in front of their title.
Edit evaluated column
Allows you to edit the selected formula or template column.
Insert thumbnails column
If a column is selected: Inserts a thumbnail column with default parameters after the selected column in the table.

If no column is selected: A new thumbnail column is added after the last column in the table.

Clear unused thumbnails
Removes blocks and attachments with thumbnail images that are no longer used.
Clear unused thumbnails with files
Removes blocks, attachments and files with thumbnail images that are no longer used.
Delete column
Removes the selected column from the table.
Move column left
Moves the selected column(s) one column to the left.
Move column right
Moves the selected column(s) one column to the right.
Make column visible
Shows the selected column in the associated table in the drawing.
Make column invisible
Removes the selected column from the associated table. Invisible columns remain visible in the BOM manager but are marked with a diagonal hatch pattern in the background.
Associated table
Synchronize associated tables (Alt + Ctrl + R)
Synchronizes the associated tables.
Hovering over a table name opens a submenu.
  • Fixed corner: Sets the fixed corner table to Top left, Top right, Bottom right or Bottom left.
  • Zoom to: Zooms to the table. If necessary, sets the table layout as the current one.
  • Select: Selects the table. If necessary, sets the table layout as the current one.
  • Delete: Deletes the table from the document.
  • Detach: Detaches the table. The table in the document is no longer updated when the BOM table is modified.
  • Fit row height: Sets the row height that fit the text.
Footer
Opens a submenu, for each of the selected columns.
  • No footer: Removes the footer function.
  • Sum: Displays the sum in the footer.
  • Average value: Displays the average in the footer.
  • Minimal value:: Displays the minimum value in the footer.
  • Maximal value:: Displays the maximum value in the footer.
Note: Only user-fillable columns and the quantity column with defined footers accept user values.
Note: It is possible to add footers to formula or template columns as well.
Sorting
Opens a submenu.
  • Natural order: Sort the table by the natural order of component instances in the document.
  • Automatic order: Sorts the table automatically.
  • Custom order: Sorts the selected columns in a manually order defined by the user. When parts manually arranged, their numbers are automatically regenerated. The numbers of child parts are updated accordingly.
  • Fixed order: The positions of parts in the BOM are remembered, and their numbers stay the same after update, regardless of added or deleted parts.
    Note: When the sorting mode is changed back to Auto, Natural or Custom, numbers are regenerated automatically.
Aggregate function
Opens a submenu.
  • No function: Removes the aggregate function.
  • Sum: Displays the sum of all values in the group.
  • Average value: Displays the average of all values in the group.
  • Minimal value: Displays the minimum of all values in the group.
  • Maximal value: Displays the maximum of all values in the group.
  • Total count: Displays the total number of encounters with the same value among the groups.
  • Average count: Displays the average number of encounters with the same value among the groups.
  • Minimal count: Displays the minimum number of encounters with the same value among the groups.
  • Maximal count: Displays the maximum number of encounters with the same value among the groups.
  • Least frequent value: Displays the value with least corresponding counts. If there are more than one value with the minimal count, then all those values are displayed.
  • Most frequent value: Displays the value with most corresponding counts. If there are more than one value with the maximal count, then all those values are displayed.
  • Concatenation: Displays a concatenation of all values in the group in ascending order, separated by a specified delimiter.
  • Concatenation with count: Displays a concatenation of all values in the group with their corresponding number of encounters in ascending order. Value and count pairs are separated by a specified delimiter.
Add thumbnails to new tables
Changes the setting to add thumbnail column to any new BOM table.
Display warnings
Controls the display of warning messages during the creation or updating of BOM tables.
Set default template
Sets a default template file for the BOM table.

Create a table

Note: The BOMTEMPLATE system variable defines the path to the file with default BOM template which will be used to create new BOM tables.
Note: If the BOMTEMPLATE system variable is empty or the path is not valid, the below default BOM configuration will be used.
Top level
Creates a new Top level components only BOM.
Bottom level
Creates a new Bottom level only components BOM.
Hierarchical
Creates a new Hierarchical BOM, which contains all components with their subcomponents listed directly below.
Create from template
Opens a dialog box, which allows you to select a BOM Table template (*.BOM) file.
  1. BOM Selector
  2. Refresh
  3. Place BOM table
  4. Category selector
  5. Column selector
  6. Insert column after
  7. Find
  8. Search
  9. Find previous
  10. Find next
  11. Select all found
  12. BOM title
  13. BOM table
  14. Bill of materials properties
BOM Selector
Selects the current BOM table. The selection is stored in the drawing. When the drawing is closed and reopened, the selected BOM is restored in the manager. When selected, the table is updated in the current state of the drawing.
Refresh
Updates both the current BOM and the list of all BOM tables in the drawing.
Place BOM table
Starts the interactive placement of the table in the drawing. Multiple instances of a BOM table can be inserted into the document.
Category selector
Select the category of the properties that are displayed in the column selector. The category can be added to the current BOM pressing button no. 9.
Column selector
Select the column to add to the current BOM.

You can type here the formula for a formula field. To add a formula, type an expression starting with ”=”. To add a template expression type “$”, to refer columns, use <>. For example, to refer to the Mass column you will type: “=<Mass>”.

When you add a formula field and press button no. 9 the Formula column_1 dialog box will appear.

Insert column after
If a column is selected, it will insert the column from the Column selector after the selected column in the table.

If no columns are selected, the new column will be inserted after the last column in the table.

Find
Toggles the search field on and off. When you toggle on this button, buttons no. 11, 12, 13 and 14 will appear.

If you click on the BOM Manager panel, you can toggle the search field using CTRL+F.

Search
Type a string to search and press Enter; wildcards are supported.
Find previous
Selects the previous match on the BOM table.

You can also use Shift+F3.

Find next
Selects the next match in the BOM table.

You can also use F3.

Select all found
Selects all the items searched in the search field.
BOM title
Displays the title of BOM table. You can type the name you want instead of <NAME>. Press Enter or exit the field to apply the changes.
BOM table
Displays the content of the BOM table.

Right-click a column label offers additional tools.

  • Add template column from selected: Opens a template editor to configure a new template column. The selected columns will be automatically added to the template expression.
  • Delete: Deletes the column.
  • Footer: Opens a submenu.
    • No footer: Removes the footer function.
    • Sum: Displays the sum in the footer.
    • Average value: Displays the average in the footer.
    • Minimal value:: Displays the minimum value in the footer.
    • Maximal value:: Displays the maximum value in the footer.
  • Sorting: Opens a submenu.
    • Automatic order: Sorts the table automatically.
    • Natural order: Sort the table by the natural order of component instances in the document.
    • Ascending order: Sorts the selected columns in ascending order.
    • Descending order: Sorts the selected columns in descending order.
  • Aggregate function: Opens a submenu.
    • No function: Removes the aggregate function.
    • Sum: Displays the sum of all values in the group.
    • Average value: Displays the average of all values in the group.
    • Minimal value: Displays the minimum of all values in the group.
    • Maximal value: Displays the maximum of all values in the group.
    • Concatenation: Displays a concatenation of all values in the group in ascending order, separated by a specified delimiter.
    • Concatenation with count: Displays a concatenation of all values in the group with their corresponding number of encounters in ascending order. Value and count pairs are separated by a specified delimiter.
  • Column role: Opens a submenu.
    • Number: The column will be used as a source of numbers by the BMBALLOON command.
    • Name: The column will be used as a source of names by the BMBALLOON command.
    • Quantity: The column will be used as a source of quantities by the BMBALLOON command.
    • Regular: The column will have no specific role.
  • Format: Opens the Format dialog box, which allows you to specify the format for the selected column(s). For more information, see the related article Format dialog box.
  • Set column filter: Opens the Column Filter dialog box, which allows you to configure the column filter. For more information, see the related article Column Filter dialog box.
  • Make column visible: Shows the selected column in the associated table in the drawing.
  • Make column invisible: Removes the selected column from the associated table. Invisible columns remain visible in the BOM manager but are marked with a diagonal hatch pattern in the background.
  • Fit column(s): Fits the width of the selected column(s) to their content.
  • Fit all columns: Fits the width of all columns to their content.
    Note: The column width automatically fits the content unless the width has been changed manually.
Right-click on cells offers additional tools:
  • Zoom to: Zooms to the select part(s) in the model.
  • Select: Selects the part(s). Replaces an existing selection.
  • Add to Selection: Adds part(s) to the selection.
  • Remove from Selection: Removes the parts from the selection.
  • Remove highlighting: Removes highlighting.
Bill of materials properties
Displays the BOM and columns Properties. The columns properties will appear after you insert a column on the BOM table.
Note: To remove the title or header row, the BOM title or all column headers must be empty. Also, titles entered from a command line will be trimmed to remove all leading or trailing spaces.

Add thumbnails to new tables

Changes the setting to add thumbnail column to any new BOM table.

You can set the width and height of the thumbnails in the Thumbnails size section.