7. Bill of Materials / Material Take Off

In this exercise, you will learn to

• How to create BOMs / MTOs with two different techniques.

Functions in use

• Parts list
• Data of model's visible parts
• Hide
• Restore
• Save

Open the model of your main assembly

• Open the model of your main assembly (EXP-MAIN.vxm) from the previous exercise.
• Open the basic browser by pressing B and find the segment Documents.
• The segment Documents divides into two main branches Model and Drawing.
• Search the folder of your project from the branch Model. Then double-click it to open the model.
• You can find more information about the browser here.

Function Parts List

• You can create different types of parts lists with the function Parts List.
• Tab Assembly > Parts List, in picture 1) or context-sensitive function: Parts List.
• The window Collect Parts List opens > Select Output format from the drop-down menu: Pipe comp. (1) to Excel, in picture 2).
• Select value Rollout to end to the field Rollout, in picture 3).
• Then click the button OK to start the generation, in picture 4).
• Select the target where to save the file piping.xls and save it.
• The parts list opens in Excel.
• Download this particular Excel file here. (62 KB)
• You can try other Output formats if you like.

Function Data of model's visible parts

• You can view the item data of the model's currently visible parts, modify them, and eventually export them to the Excel file.
• This function gives you more freedom and agility to create lists compared to the traditional Parts list function.
• Hide the building model EXP-BUILDING > Select it from the assembly or tree > Context-sensitive function: Hiding... > Hide (H).
• Tab Assembly > Data of model's visible parts, in picture 1).
• The window Part data of model's visible components opens, in picture 2).
• You can find extensive definitions of each button and function by clicking the Help button, in picture 3).
• Then we create a similar parts list than we did with the other function:

• Click the grey box from the bottom left corner. That is a quick filter, in picture 4). > The window Select the filtering condition opens, in picture 5). > Select the row Pipe components, supports, profile, in picture 6) > Enable the check-box Keep only filtered rows in database, in picture 7) > Close the window by clicking the OK button, in picture 8).
• Create a summary list from the visible rows in the database view by clicking the button Sum list of visible rows according to part codes, in picture 9) > The window Sum list data according to part codes opens, in picture 10).
• Export the list to the Excel file > Click the button To Excel-template, in picture 11) > Select the Excel template Parts_all.xlsx, in picture 12) > Open, in picture 13) > The Excel file opens.
• Download this particular Excel file here. (43 KB)
• This list contains also primary supports and profiles from the secondary supports. Save the Excel file to a suitable place. Close the file after you have viewed it.
• Close the windows Sum list data according to part codes and Part data of model's visible components by clicking the OK button at the end.