About Parts Lists

Explaining the types of information they can provide, format options, the use of filters, and other tips.

What's New: 2024.2

After you create a drawing, you can add a parts list. A parts list is generated from a bill of material (BOM) and shows all or specified parts and subassemblies listed in the BOM database. A parts list can display four types of information:

• Structured
• Parts Only
• Structured (legacy)
• Parts Only (legacy)

You can open the Bill of Materials dialog box from the drawing environment, and edit the assembly BOM. All changes are saved in the assembly and corresponding component files. To open a component from the Bill of Materials dialog box in a drawing, right-click a cell and select Open.

In the Parts List dialog box, you can save changes made to item numbers back to the assembly Bill of Materials. (Not applicable for legacy parts lists).

The Item Column displays item numbers as displayed in the Bill of Materials. The item number can be edited as needed in both the assembly BOM and in the parts list. Changes to item numbers in the assembly BOM are automatically updated in the parts list and balloons, except for values that have been specified as Static. To update the assembly BOM with changes made to item numbers in the parts list, click Save Item Overrides to BOM in the Parts List dialog box.

Tips:

• You can copy a parts list and paste it to another drawing sheet or another drawing. You can also drag parts lists. The parts list overrides are kept for legacy parts lists and are rewritten by local overrides for converted parts lists. If you copy a sheet with a parts list and balloons into another drawing, the parts list and balloons are also copied.
• Select one or more entries in the parts list or Bill of Materials Editor, right-click and select Open to open the associated component file.
• Select a single row in a parts list and in the canvas and the browser, the components cross-highlight. Use Ctrl+click to select multiple rows and see the components highlight in the canvas and browser.
• Double-click a row in a parts list to open the component model.
• Double-click open space in the parts list to open the parts list dialog.
• Place the cursor over any row in the parts list and all instances associated with that item highlight.

Parts list filters

Use parts list filters to filter rows out from a parts list. A filter is applied from the Parts List dialog after placing a parts list, or set in a parts list style. Items (rows) that are filtered as a result of applying a parts list filter do not appear in the parts list editor or the parts list in the drawing.

The following types of parts list filters are available:

• Ballooned Items Only
• Standard Content
• Item Number Range
• Purchased Items
• Assembly View Representation

Note: Parts list filters have no impact on parts list data. Parts list rows are removed from the table according to the filtering conditions, but values like quantity of parts are not changed.

Formatting parts lists

You can define a standard format for the display of your parts list. Use the Style and Standard Editor to add or edit parts list styles. You can define the appearance and display of the parts list for the current document.

If you prefer a different format for a specific parts list, you can modify the format on parts list creation or after you place the parts list in the drawing. Or, you can associate the parts list with a different style selected from the Style list on the Annotate tab.

Modifications to the parts list style do not affect the style library unless you click Manage tab Styles and Standards panel Save . Use caution when saving to the style library because the modified style replaces the library version and can affect other documents.

Modifying a parts list

You can modify the settings for a parts list after you place it in the drawing. Right-click the parts list in the browser or in the graphic window, and then select options to change the display of the parts list and perform the following operations:

Use Edit Parts List to:

• Add and remove columns in the parts list.
• Group rows into a common row.
• Sort the parts list.
• Export parts list data to an external file.
• Modify the table layout.
• Renumber items in the parts list.
• Add and remove custom parts to the parts list.
• Substitute the value of one property field into a different one. You can also substitute the sum of the values of one property field into another.
• Define formatting properties including units of measure.
• Change the parts list title and location of the title.

Tip: To enable stacking of fractional numbers, right-click the heading of a parts list column and choose Format Column. In the Format Column dialog box, select Stacked Fractional Text and click Stack Properties. Then select the stacking format and fractional text scale, and click OK in the Stack Properties and Format Column dialog box. All fractional numeric strings (in 1/2 format) in the selected column are replaced with a stacked fraction in the drawing.

Stock Number and Part Number property

Sometimes multiple components have the same Part Number, but must be treated as separate components. It is common for cut-length items such as tube and pipe, flexible hose, wires, and tape. A new BOM property, Stock Number, is added to all components to accommodate this intention.

The Stock Number column substitutes the Part Number column for parts lists to support the workflows of cut length items. Change the substitution setting in the Format Column dialog box.

Note: After setting up the substitution and group parts list rows according to the Part Number column, the grouping also calculates the Stock Number values that are defined in the BOM.

Publish DWF data

When you publish a drawing containing a parts list, it is also published to DWF file. Click File ExportExport to DWF or File Save As Save Copy As. Specify the DWF file type and appropriate options.

Legacy and Converted parts list

When you open a legacy drawing with a parts list, the parts list is not automatically converted. You can either keep the old parts list or manually convert the parts list.

The parts list conversion can change the parts list contents. BOM equivalency grouping, BOM quantity overrides, and BOM structure attributes are applied and merging is discarded on conversion.

When you convert a parts list, all parts lists and all balloons which use the same source are also converted. Parts list overrides are kept only for the selected parts list.

A converted parts list can take advantage of the BOM structure, BOM quantity overrides, BOM Item Numbers, and automatic equivalency merging of components.