The entry point for all configuration operations for BOMs, balloons, and parts lists is the BOM Settings dialog box, which contains a list of available component properties.
You can drag-and-drop properties to make them visible within parts lists, balloons, and the Component Properties sections of the Part Reference (for non-mechanical structure parts/assemblies) and Properties (for mechanical structure parts/assemblies) dialog boxes. These properties appear in the BOM automatically. If necessary, you can add properties to the BOM directly.
You can create user-defined component properties. We recommend that you use the predefined component properties USER1 to USER8 and customize them instead. If you use AutoCAD Mechanical toolset with Autodesk Vault, the predefined component properties have more built-in support than user-defined component properties.
You can customize component properties to contain a specific data type. For numeric data, you can set the precision and specify whether the property is summed in BOMs and Parts Lists. You can customize the caption of a property, which appears as the column heading in BOMs and parts lists. You can also customize component properties to:
We recommend configuring component properties before you start drawing. If you add component properties after you create a BOM, the BOM may contain inconsistent data.