The BOM booms again: CADPower Update: V 15.07
Bangalore, India
** CADPower V 15.07:
Ever since CADPower V15 released the first ever 4-in-1 BOM/BOQ, Data Extraction, Tabulation and Synchronization tool for the .dwg platform (see earlier posts here and here), we have been flooded with numerous requests and feedback to add new features.
The CADPower BOM tool today in V 15.07 is far more advanced and powerful that what it was in V 15.0 eight weeks back.
The BOM tool works mainly on blocks as their source data. Block names, attributes, scale factors and a host of other parameters defined parametrically in INI files are all used together to create meaningful derivate reports, in your drawing, Excel and other flat file formats.
What’s new in the BOM tool? Plenty!! We released V 15.07 of CADPower today, for AutoCAD and BricsCAD, and are pleased to announce new workflows and capabilities.
Enhancements in the BOM/BOQ Tool:
CP_BOM ( CADPower -> BOM/BOQ Tools -> Create Bill of Materials/Quantities ): Significant improvements have been made to the CP_BOM command.
- It is now possible to import any CSV file directly using CP_BOM command, not just the ones exported by CP_BOM. Earlier, this was limited only to ‘Attribute Extraction’ workflows.
- Two new BOM-types have been introduced. These are called ‘Count Attribute Values’ and ‘IndexedBOM’.
- The ‘Count Attribute Values’ method allows a bill of quantities to be generated based on the number of times a specific attribute value occurs. Attribute values can linked to a description and cost which are specified in the INI file.
- The ‘IndexedBOM’ method allows to aggregate, count and report drawing data which are labelled using baloon blocks.
- A baloon block is a symbol (block with an attribute) created to represent a single part or cluster assembly in the drawing (the references are named A, B, C…. 1, 2, 3…. and so on). For each of these indexes, a description can be specified in the INI file and data can be presented in tabular form. These kinds of drawings are used most often in the process industry.
- The CP_BOM dashboard has been re-designed and the names of the BOM workflows have been changed to better reflect what it does.
- The following are the descriptions:
- Attribute extraction: Single block name, multiple attributes extraction, tabulation, Excel CSV export/import (round-tripping)
- Multiple blocks, by Name : Quantity and cost estimation of blocks by name. Creates table in CAD, exports CSV data
- Attribute extraction (multiple blocks) : Multiple block names with common attributes extraction, tabulation, Excel CSV export/import (round-tripping)
- Count block scale factors : Useful for construction and similar professionals who use a single differently scaled block to cover an area of interest. The BOM is generated based on the count of specific X by Y scale blocks.
- Count attribute values:(described above)
- Indexed BOM: (described above)
- INI EDitor interface improved: The interface to edit the INI files have been vastly improved. There is now an option to add new sections into the INI file. The width of edit boxes for data entry is much better now.
Other fixes:
CP_ATTUPRIGHT: CADPower -> Blocks -> Attribute-related -> Make attribute readable:
A bug has been fixed in the CP_ATTUPRIGHT command.
The attributes now set themselves upright for all types of text justifications.
The process of setting an attribute text upright involves flipping the text by 180 degrees when it is not readable with the head upright.