Can't get design properties to appear on drawings

[MitchL]

I've been using Geomagic since the Alibre days, and I've *never* gotten fields to flow properly from my parts into the drawings. I've been through the help files and searched the forum, now I'm asking .

I'm currently on the latest and greatest Geomagic.

Steps I've followed:

- I've filled in most of the information in my part's properties via the Gem/Properties button (author, material, part name, comments, revision, dates, etc.).
- I've saved the design.
- Create a drawing (various ways, but I usually right click on the top of the design explorer and "Make a drawing of this design")
- Selected a template (usually "ANSI B" for my printer, but I've tried others).
- A dialog pops up that lets me fill in the DWG# and other fields -- first sign of trouble, I thought this was supposed to flow from the design? I've tried both "OK" and "Cancel" at this point.
- Picked the standard views, placed them on the page.
- Saved the file.

I believe I've done everything I need to do in order to get the information I've stored in the part file to flow into the drawing, but those fields are maddeningly blank.

Things I've tried:

- When I click "Manage Design Properties" I see my fields. So, the data _is_ there in the drawing, it's just not appearing on the printed page.
- I've tried exploding the template and adding fields that I know are filled in (like material) to the current drawing. When I place these fields on the drawing it just says "Material" or "Scale" or whatever (not the value of the field).
- Similarly, if I double-click on a field (after exploding the symbol) I get a "field text" dialog. I can change the type to "Design Property Value" and pick name (Created Date, for example). The text in the dialog reads: "Default value for Design Tag is Blank. Appropriate value will be set on view creation."
- So, I tried deleting my views and recreating them. The value in the field just changes to whatever the field's name is (Created Date, Part Name, etc.).
- I have only one configuration for this part.
- I've tried making my own template (by modifying one of the standards).

I'm stumped. I must be missing something simple and fundamental, especially since this has never worked in the many years I've used Alibre/Geomagic. In the past it hasn't bothered me, but for my current hobby project I want my drawings to be detailed, proper, and pretty (and use the whole process to generate BOMs, estimate weight and cost, etc.).

Help an "old newbie" out? .

/Mitch.

 

[Jimpulse]

When you explode the drawing template and select one of the field labels (typically "DRAWN", "DATE" or "DWG.NO.") and then click the Right mouse button you will notice that the selected field has it's TYPE set as "User Input". If you select the "Design Property Value" radio bttn, a drop down list will appear that has a list of properties that you will recognize as matching the the names on the PART's properties list. Of course, this means that you will be editing the template and should save it to another file name and all that goes along with creating your own drawing template file.
I don't believe that the Default drawing templates have the Design properties linkage configured...at least not on the few that I have tried.

 

[DavidJ]

Fields have to be in TEMPLATES - they don't work if put directly in the drawing.

That has caught me out a few times, as it is easily forgotten.

 

[MitchL]

Thanks all, I've got fields on my drawings now!

The key missing piece of knowledge was to create and save the template, then apply the new template to my drawings.

This is excellent - my drawings actually have titles, names, and dates on them (small victories, right? ).

/Mitch.

 

[JMm]

Im not sure what i am missing. But for me it is not working. It is set up in the template like this, i clicked material as an example. It does grab the configuration name. but it does nothing with the properties table of the part/configuration.

why doesn't it do anything with the properties? it clearly sees the part and configuration, otherwise it would not have the correct configuration name.

i saw someone saying click the gem, but i am not sure what that means or where that is supposed to be.

 

[DavidJ]

Gem disappeared quite a while ago. Is material set in the part? (the drawing populates with data from the 3D model that 'Design Properties' for the drawing points to).

 

[JMm]

The material is not set with the material library, but it is set in part properties i dont know if that is the correct way. but i would also like the other info from the properties to show up in the drawing. Where do i find the design properties of the 3D model of the drawing.

i do have the 3d part in the drawing, if that is what ou mean. a.k.a. it has vieuws and annotations.But i would expect the data from the properties to show up in the drawing right?

 

[DavidJ]

I suggest that you send your template to Support to be checked out.

 

[DavidJ]

If you made edits to template after creating the drawing, they will not be reflected until you re-apply the template to the drawing. I usually switch to another template then switch back.

I have found that if your model is saved in a 'special' location (e.g. in the Dynamic part library) the population of properties in a drawing don't work.

 

[JMm]

I did some testing with new parts, and new assemblies. and it did work.
saving or 'save as'' my old parts and assemblies and refreshing the drawing did not work.

I think it had to do with my order of adding the info, i created parts -> created assembly -> created BOM -> edited the BOM with the info, which does not transfer down to the parts(could honestly be a very nice addition, filling in the BOM which transfers that info to your part properties as it is avery repetetive task most of the time).

after that i noticed i had to add the info in the part properties so that is what i did. Then it did not add the properties to the drawings.
after restarting alibre, i could refresh the drawing and it added all the properties to the drawing.

ive tried recreating the bug, but unfortunately i cannot recreate it. i dont understand why. but it works now after restarting alibre.