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Creating “Bill of Materials” Worksheets on multiple Sheet Layers


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I'm trying to create a "Bill of Materials" worksheet for each of my different Sheet Layers.  I created the first one with no problems.  However, I can not figure out how to create the second one so that the parts shown on the second sheet layer start renumbering at "1" and allow me to call out the information for the parts on the second sheet layer.  When I use the "Detail Bubble" tool it starts with the next number from the first worksheet.  I have tried to create a new "Bill of Materials-2" worksheet resource and a "Part Info Record-2" but I can't figure out how to use the "Detail Bubble" tool with the new resources.  Any help would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks.

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I think you are misunderstanding what sheet layers are and the objects normally placed there. I know some folks draw directly on sheet layers, but those are usually extremely simple projects that don't involve scale in any way. Either that or we have a terminology problem. Maybe you can elaborate on how your file is set up?

 

If you are drawing with viewports on the sheet layers then the objects are not really on that layer, just the viewport is, and maybe a few title blocks and notes items. So trying to sort things by sheets is nonsensical. I recommend using design layers and/or groups of classes to separate the items you want to include in the worksheet. Note that if you list multiple layers or classes in the worksheet criteria they use OR logic rather than AND logic. Naturally nothing can be on multiple design layers or in multiple classes. 

 

I'm completely confused in how a Detail Bubble would be involved in this. Best I can say there is to repeat that viewports don't 'contain' objects.

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Rick, thanks for the reply. Let me explain what I’m trying to do.

 

I do the set design for our local high school drama department. I typically draw the set pieces on individual design layers, with several layers for each piece. I then use sheet layers with viewports of the design sheets to show the details of the set pieces. As you stated, I also place a title block and notes on the sheet layer.  I’m trying to add Detail Bubbles to the sheet layer to create a Bill of Materials for the detail items. The problem is when I create the second sheet layer for a different set piece I need to be able to create a new Bill of Materials for the items shown on that sheet layer.  If I can not do it in the same file I will just have to create a new file for each piece in order to use the Detail Bubble tool, or just create the worksheets manually with an object that will look like a detail bubble.  Is there a better way to accomplish what I’m trying to do? 

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Well, there are usually 3-30 ways to do anything. I can't think of a way that involves sheet layers or detail bubbles, but someone else might.

 

You may have already done some of this with layers. Can your BOMs be segregated by the layers? If so then you can just use that in each worksheet criteria. Or you can put things into counting classes and do it that way. (BOM1, BOM2... or Hardware-A, Hardware-B, Platform-A, etc.) In this case layers and classes are interchangeable. For most folks Layers are where something is and classes are what it is.

 

OR use a record to build a worksheet. Do you know much about records and worksheets? A simple version would be to create a record with 2 fields say "Name" and "Unit". The idea is the name is what the thing is (hinge) and the unit is where the thing is (SL wagon wall.) So then your worksheets can have a criteria that looks for the record and that the Unit field matches whatever you want to include in that BOM. With this the possibilities are nearly endless. I use worksheets for all sorts of things so I've gotten pretty comfortable with them. The drawback to this method is that if you don't attach the record and enter the proper data then stuff gets missed, so it works best with symbols that have the record already attached, like the lighting stuff.

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