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CustomTools for SolidWorks

Focus on Real Design, Automate the Rest

Tired of spending too much time naming, printing, converting, copying or managing your SolidWorks data? Let CustomTools do it for you. CustomTools offers a suite of time saving tools fully integrated into SolidWorks that will help you to enhance your creativity and productivity.

CustomTools allows you to reduce repetitive and complex tasks and manage data so that it can be re-used across the entire enterprise, allowing you to work more intuitively, effectively, and accurately.

 

CustomTools Packages

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{tab title=CustomTools Basic}

CustomTools Basic:

Custom Property Management

ISSUE FACED in SolidWorks:

  • Limited functionalities in the Tab Builder and EPDM data card

  • Lack of data consistency

  • Offers the very basics

  • Custom properties are an important part of your data management

 

SOLUTION in CustomTools:
  • Search documents based on property value

  • Numerous tool available to customize your property pane

  • Search and link data with an external data source (e.g. ERP)

  • Copy cut list item properties as drawing properties

 

BENEFITS:

  • Easily customize your SolidWorks drawing template

  • Add numerous functionalities to SolidWorks and EPDM

  • Define your properties with consistency

  • Avoid unnecessary typing through automation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Printing & Conversion

ISSUE FACED in SolidWorks:

  • Done manually

  • Extremely time consuming

  • Files can easily be forgotten

  • Very limited functionalities

 

SOLUTION in CustomTools:

  • Associate a sheet format with a printer, paper size and orientation

  • Supports multiple printers

  • Batch print assembly drawings in 5 clicks

 

BENEFITS:

  • Drawings are always printed with right settings

  • Save considerable amount of time

  • All drawings related to the assembly are printed

  • Fully automate the printing of your SolidWorks files

 

 

 

Automatic File Naming

ISSUE FACED in SolidWorks:

  • File names must be manually typed

  • Document codes are shared manually

  • Unsafe and time consuming

  • Lack of file naming consistency between designers and files

 

SOLUTION in CustomTools:

  • Use a custom property value to name your documents

  • Combine multiple custom properties together

  • Document codes are automatically shared between users

  • Numerous tools available

  • Key-Value pair (codes)

  • Unlimited number of sequences

  • Sequences can freely be defined

  • Retrieve property value from the parent

  • Associate a project name/number to the file name

  • Generate a drawing per configuration

  • Save a property in UPPER CASE

  • Define preceding / trailing characters

  • Project or custom property specific sequence numbering

  • File name reflects changes in property value

  • Copy and rename existing drawings automatically

  • Supports virtual and internal components

  • Supports all SolidWorks file operations such as Form New Assembly

 
BENEFITS:
  • Automate the way that you are naming your files

  • Supports top-down and bottom-up design

  • Generate advanced file name easily

  • Eliminate file naming errors and duplicate file names

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Open Drawings of 3D Model

  • Quickly locate all drawings made from a part or assembly

  • Manage drawings based on model configuration

  • The drawing names and folder can differ from referenced model

  • Select a part within your assembly to open its drawings


Advanced Search

  • Search SolidWorks files based on property value

  • Fully customizable search pane including free search

  • Search files within a specific project

  • Extremely valuable for Workgroup PDM and SolidWorks users




Where Used

  • Locate in which assemblies and drawings a part is being used

  • Extremely valuable for Workgroup PDM and SolidWorks users

  • Select a part within your assembly to locate where it is being used

  • Avoid costly mistakes caused by changes to models being used in many assemblies

 

Quickly Insert Notes

  • Create your own note group of custom properties

  • Insert customized notes in your merged DXF / DWG files

  • No need to type over and over the same notes


Open Folder

  • Locate files in Windows Explorer

  • Open the folder of the selected SolidWorks file

  • Access the file in one click

  • Useful for instance to change a Read-Only mode

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{tab title=CustomTools Professional}

CustomTools Professional:

Generate Excel Report

ISSUE FACED in SolidWorks:

  • Limited functionality to generate Excel reports in SolidWorks or EPDM

  • Extremely time consuming method

  • Mistakes occur easily

  • For all those reasons, companies do not want to take them into use

 

SOLUTION in CustomTools:

  • Easily produce customized Excel report

  • Insert SolidWorks previews

  • Possibility to retrieve data from your ERP

  • Create drawing listings, BOM report, spare part list

 

BENEFITS:

  • Generate an Excel report with just 2 mouse clicks

  • Can serve many different use cases

  • Eliminate data entry errors

  • Fully customizable for your special needs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Custom Property Management

ISSUE FACED in SolidWorks:

  • Limited functionalities in the Tab Builder and EPDM data card

  • Lack of data consistency

  • Offers the very basics

  • Custom properties are an important part of your data management

 

SOLUTION in CustomTools:
  • Search documents based on property value

  • Numerous tool available to customize your property pane

  • Search and link data with an external data source (e.g. ERP)

  • Copy cut list item properties as drawing properties

 

BENEFITS:

  • Easily customize your SolidWorks drawing template

  • Add numerous functionalities to SolidWorks and EPDM

  • Define your properties with consistency

  • Avoid unnecessary typing through automation

 

 

 

 

 

 

ERP Link

ISSUE FACED in SolidWorks:

  • Not possible to link ERP items to SolidWorks models

  • Requires a lot of manual data typing

  • Time consuming

  • The same data is entered several times

 

SOLUTION in CustomTools:

  • Search and link item in your ERP with your SolidWorks model

  • Export your BOM directly to your ERP

  • Automate the creation of new items in your ERP

  • Supports most ERP systems

  • Business logic can be fully defined per customer's needs without need to tailor the product

 

BENEFITS:

  • Eliminate unnecessary typing

  • Integrate your design to the production

  • Eliminate data entry errors

  • Fully customizable for your special needs

 

 

 

 

 

 

Printing & Conversion

ISSUE FACED in SolidWorks:

  • Done manually

  • Extremely time consuming

  • Files can easily be forgotten

  • Very limited functionalities

SOLUTION in CustomTools:

  • Associate a sheet format with a printer, paper size & orientation

  • Supports multiple printers

  • Batch print assembly drawings in 5 clicks

BENEFITS:

  • Drawings are always printed with right settings

  • Save considerable amount of time

  • All drawings related to the assembly are printed

  • Fully automate the printing of your SolidWorks files

 

 

 

 

 

Copy & Rename Assemblies

ISSUE FACED in SolidWorks:

  • Very limited functionality available in the Pack & Go or Copy Tree

  • Parts from the design library are always copied

  • Limited file naming possibilities

  • Properties need to be updated manually

 

SOLUTION in CustomTools:

  • Use your own file naming rules

  • Modify and propagate custom property values

  • Exclude files from the design library

  • Update drawings with new property values

 

BENEFITS:

  • Easily reuse existing design data

  • Save time

  • Keep the folder structure under the main assembly

  • Rename your files based on your own naming convention

 

 

 

 

 

 

Project Tools

ISSUE FACED in SolidWorks:

  • No such tool available in SolidWorks / EPDM / WPDM

  • Defined by the user and managed manually

  • Folder and properties are defined manually

  • Time consuming

 

SOLUTION in CustomTools:

  • Name and save files based on project / sub-project

  • Define specific file naming rules based on the project

  • Assign default property value for part, assembly or drawing

  • Quickly select a project from the property pane

 

BENEFITS:

  • Documents are always saved to the right name and folder

  • Save and name files automatically without browsing for folder

  • Manage SolidWorks file references and properties based on project

  • Load default custom property value based on the project or user

 

 


 

Sheet Metal & Weldment Tools

  • Merge DXF / DWG based on the material / thickness

  • Automate the creation of DXF / DWG files from your parts or drawings

  • Copy properties of the cut list item as part/drawing custom properties

  • Cut list item is automatically updated on save operations

  • Supports multi-body parts

  • Automatically insert various custom properties to weldment cut list item

  • Automatically generate unique number for cut list items

  • Automatically insert sheet with flattened view without sheet format, 1:1 scaled and all annotations including dimensions and bend lines hidden

  • Manage cut list item custom properties


   

Bounding Box

  • Supports weldments, sheet metal, parts and assemblies

  • Updates automatically when 3D model geometry changes

  • Add bounding box properties such as dimensions to the file's custom properties

  • Possibility to define an offset

Open Drawings of 3D Model

  • Quickly locate all drawings made from a part or assembly

  • Manage drawings based on model configuration

  • The drawing names and folder can differ from referenced model

  • Select a part within your assembly to open its drawings

Advanced Search

  • Search SolidWorks files based on property value

  • Fully customizable search pane including free search

  • Search files within a specific project

  • Extremely valuable for Workgroup PDM and SolidWorks users

     

Where Used

  • Locate in which assemblies and drawings a part is being used

  • Extremely valuable for Workgroup PDM and SolidWorks users

  • Select a part within your assembly to locate where it is being used

  • Avoid costly mistakes caused by changes to models being used in many assemblies

Quickly Insert Notes

  • Create your own note group of custom properties

  • Insert customized notes in your merged DXF / DWG files

  • No need to type over and over the same notes

Open Folder

  • Locate files in Windows Explorer

  • Open the folder of the selected SolidWorks file

  • Access the file in one click

  • Useful for instance to change a Read-Only mode

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{tab title=Viewer}

A Powerful Viewer

  • Runs without SolidWorks installation

  • Offers all the viewing capabilities of eDrawings

  • View the CustomProperties

  • Batch printing

  • Locate where a model is being used

  • Open the drawings of the active 3D model

  • Advanced search tool
    A powerful viewer that uses e-drawings technologies and runs without SolidWorks installation. In addition to providing all e-drawings capabilities, you are able to batch print your documents (Note: the batch conversion is not available in the viewer). You can access the custom properties defined in your SolidWorks documents. You can also search documents based on their custom properties. The where used and open drawings features are also maintained in the viewer.

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{tab title=Admin Tool}

The Administration Tool

  • Manage the CustomTools database

  • Manage your CustomTools profiles, users, user group, permissions, dictionaries and languages
    This tools acts like a database server environment that can be used to managed your profiles and their rights. As it runs without SolidWorks installation, it allows access your dictionaries to non SolidWorks users. This can be very useful if your translations are managed outside the design department.

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{tab title=Additional Connectors}

Additional connectors

Exclusively available for every CustomTools package.

  • Enterprise PDM Connector
    Expand Enterprise PDM / SolidWorks functionalities
    Save time on certain SolidWorks daily routines
    Optimize your data management
    Automatic file naming and storing to correct vault folder

  • Workgroup PDM Connector
    Expand Workgroup PDM / SolidWorks functionalities
    Optimize your data management
    Ease the document searching in the Workgroup PDM vault
    Automatic file naming and storing to correct vault folder

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Stay Connected

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