- [Instructor] Another tool you want to be aware of
when working with SolidWorks PDM
is the ability to leverage custom variables
and their attached attributes.
So in the past when using traditional SolidWorks PDM
we have the metadata in the background
that's controlled by our custom properties.
Let's take a look at this really quick.
So I'm going to open SolidWorks.
I'm going to just open up a file that I have in my vault.
Now in the past we would go to our dropdown from File,
look at properties,
and see in the custom properties
all of the property names that we can fill out.
The thing to be aware of is,
in SolidWorks we can link all of these properties
to their variables inside of the data card
and in SolidWorks PDM.
So for example let's take a look at the data card
for this particular part.
So I'm going to click on it, go to Show Properties,
and you can see here that we're looking
at material, vendor cost, project name,
who it was created by.
All of these various variables,
slash properties are being controlled here,
and they're linked to the internal part.
So I'm going to hit Cancel here.
We're going to jump into the SolidWorks administration tool
and look a little deeper into this.
So I'm going to log into my vault,
go down to my file cards,
and the SolidWorks part card.
So you can see here this is the card editor version
of the card that we were just looking at,
and if we go into the spaces for number and description,
we can see that these are all linked to variables.
So there are several variables
that come as a default in the installation,
but you also have the ability
to create custom variables
and link those to various attributes as well.
So for this one, it's linked to the first description.
If you look down, it shows an explorer,
updates in all configurations,
and uses a text value that we enter upon creation.
You can also have these values custom-generated
by serial numbers,
and other macros and things like that.
So let's jump out of this for a second
and look purely at the variables.
So if we scroll down,
we can see the variables here
in our administration tool,
and it lists all of them individually,
and we can select one and edit them one by one
if we care to.
I'm going to open up the major variables' area.
Here it lists all the variables,
and gives you the ability to edit them.
So let's say for example I wanted to create
another way of tracking my cost.
You can see here how this one is set up,
it's pretty simple.
I'm going to click on New Variable,
I'm going to add in Cost2.
Right here this option for version free,
as you change versions,
you can have different values for these variables.
So if you want a variable to be version free,
that means it doesn't change,
or cannot be changed with each variable shift,
then you select that here,
but we're just going to leave that unchecked for now.
The variable type is going to be text,
but you can see, you can have it be date,
a number, an integer number,
or a yes no.
We're going to stick with text.
For the attributes, these are the various pointers
that we're connecting.
We're going to go ahead and click New Attribute,
select spreadsheet,
and the attribute's name is going to be Cost2,
and we're going to use this
inside of SolidWorks drawings, assemblies and parts.
So you can see it's pretty simple,
now this gives us the ability to link the Cost2
to the various parts.
Click OK.
Now if we go back in our list,
we now have listed Cost2.
Let's go back into the variables.
And just make sure we've covered everything.
So we've also got a custom property link here
for our first one, so let's add that as well.
So we're going to add a new attribute,
it's going to link to our custom property.
Attribute's name will be Cost2,
and again we're going to make this available
to all of these SolidWorks drawings, assemblies,
and part files.
Go ahead and click OK.
Close this file,
I'm going to close this part that I was in.
Now that we've closed our part,
we're going to go back in and make sure
that the variable has been added.
So I'm going to open up the administration tool,
expand my vault,
look in my cards again for this example.
If I go to a part card and go into the editor,
here for Cost2,
now if I want to, I can go over to the variable dropdown
and instead pull it to Cost2
instead of the normal cost.
So pretty easy to add a variable.
Now it's your job to go and connect it
to various parts of SolidWorks
where you'd like to use it.