To Publish a Part, an iPart or an Assembly to a Content Center Library

What's New: 2027

Use the Publish Guide to publish parts, iParts or Assemblies to a Content Center user library. The published part is saved as a part family to a selected category.

To Publish a Part and an iPart to a Content Center Library

  1. Open a part or iPart to publish, and click Manage tab Content Center panel Publish Part.

  2. In the Publish Guide dialog box:

    • Select a Content Center user library to publish to.
    • Select the language for the published part.
    • Click Next.

  3. Select Category to publish to, and click Next.

    Note: If the selected category requires authoring, you must author the part or iPart as the first step.

  4. Map category parameters to the parameters of the published part, and click Next.

    Category parameters that require mapping are marked with a yellow background.

    Tip: You can map parameters of different data types. Ensure that the parameter values are convertible (for example a string value must be convertible to a numeric value).

  5. Specify the family key columns. Move at least one item from Table Columns to Key Columns. Then click Next.

    Note: Key columns specify a family member when you insert it from Content Center to an assembly or part file.

  6. Set the family properties, and click Next.

  7. Review the family thumbnail image. If appropriate, replace the default image.

  8. Click Publish to publish the part.

To Publish an Assembly to a Content Center Library

  1. Open the assembly you want to publish and click Manage tab Content Center panel Publish Assembly.

    Note: You cannot publish unresolved assemblies.

  2. (Optional) To publish multiple datasets, click Add Template to add another template for multi-template publishing.

    Note: You cannot map properties when using multi-template publishing.

  3. (Optional) To attach supporting documents, click Add Document and select a PDF or TXT file. To remove an attached document, click X.

  4. Click Add Category to specify a category for the published assembly.

  5. Click Add Column to add columns to the family table.

  6. If the published document contains Model States, select the property to map them.

  7. In the next dialog, select the key column or columns.

  8. Set the family properties and click Finish.

Batch Publish

The Batch Publish wizard now supports publishing assembly files in addition to part files. The wizard uses the same Publish Guide as the Publish Assembly command.

Modify family properties and family table

You can edit published assemblies the same way you edit published parts. You can modify:

If the family does not use multi-template publishing, you can map Model States. Use the combo box to switch between Model States.

Insert an assembly from Content Center

You can insert a published assembly from Content Center into your current assembly.

Note: Save your assembly file before inserting an assembly from Content Center.

Insert options

When you insert an assembly, you can choose to insert it:

Custom components in inserted assemblies

If the inserted assembly contains custom components (components that do not originate from Content Center), the Family File Naming dialog appears with the following options:

To Publish an Assembly a Content Center Library

Open the assembly you want to publish.

Note: You cannot publish unresolved assemblies.

  1. On the Manage tab, in the Content Center panel, click Publish Assembly.

  2. (Optional) To publish multiple datasets, click Add Template to add another template for multi-template publishing.

    Note: You cannot map properties when using multi-template publishing.

  3. (Optional) To attach supporting documents, click Add Document and select a PDF or TXT file. To remove an attached document, click X.

  4. Click Add Category to specify a category for the published assembly.

  5. Click Add Column to add columns to the family table.

  6. If the published document contains Model States, select the property to map them.

  7. In the next dialog, select the key column or columns.

  8. Set the family properties and click Finish.

Batch Publish

The Batch Publish wizard now supports publishing assembly files in addition to part files. The wizard uses the same Publish Guide as the Publish Assembly command.

Modify family properties and family table

You can edit published assemblies the same way you edit published parts. You can modify:

If the family does not use multi-template publishing, you can map Model States. Use the combo box to switch between Model States.

Insert an assembly from Content Center

You can insert a published assembly from Content Center into your current assembly.

Note: Save your assembly file before inserting an assembly from Content Center.

Insert options

When you insert an assembly, you can choose to insert it:

Custom components in inserted assemblies

If the inserted assembly contains custom components (components that do not originate from Content Center), the Family File Naming dialog appears with the following options:

Use Batch Publish to publish parts or iParts

Batch publish creates publishing definitions and saves them in tasks. The tasks can be published in a batch process or saved and published later. Existing Publish Task definitions can be modified until the publishing process starts.

Step 1: Run the Publish guide

  1. Click Manage tab Content Center panel Publish Part for an active open part. Or, click Batch Publish to select a template from the local drive to publish. The Publish Guide dialog box displays
  2. The Publish Guide dialog box displays any tasks you have or are preparing to publish. Click New Task.
  3. The Publish Guide displays the list of read/write libraries that can be published to. From the Select Library to Publish To list, click the drop-down arrow to select a library to publish to.
  4. Click the drop-down arrow to select a language.
  5. To publish a part selected from location on the local drive, click Browse next to the Select Part File for Publish field. Then select a part. Click Next to continue.
Note: To publish a part that is opened in a part file, click Manage tab Content Center panel Publish Part .

Step 2: Select Category to publish to and specify options, if available

  1. Click the down-arrow, and select a Category to publish the Family to.
  2. Click Next to continue.

Step 3: Map Family Parameters

Map template parameters to category parameters. The Category parameters that require mapping are displayed in a light yellow background.

Note: Thread parameters are premapped automatically for fasteners in the Publish guide. You can change the mapping, if appropriate.

Step 4: Define Family Key Columns

Define at least one Key column to Publish.

  1. Highlight a Table Column and click the > arrow to add as a Key Column.
  2. To remove a Key Column, highlight the Column and click the < arrow to remove it from the list.
  3. Click Publish or Next to continue.

Step 5: Define Family Properties

  1. Click Publish or Next to continue to select a thumbnail image.
  2. To select a thumbnail image, click Browse in the Load Alternate Thumbnail Image field.
  3. Click Publish to publish the part.
Note: To continue publishing additional parts in one session click New Task in the Batch Publish dialog box.
Tip: You can delete read/write part families. In the Content Center Editor dialog box, select the family to delete, right-click, and select Delete from the menu.

Publishing Authored parts

Publishing an Authored Part is the same as the previously explained, except the Category is automatically selected. For more information about Authored parts, see Authoring parts.

The following applications require parts to author:

Parent topic: About Content Center Publishing and Authoring

Parent page: About Content Center Publishing and Authoring