Drawing Management - What's New?

Service Pack 2 2024 (V 2902)

Automatic itemisation by part groups with prefix

Since SP1, an item prefix can be defined for each part group in the parameter settings for Itemisation , provided that the generation of item texts is activated on the General tab. A part is then only uniquely identified by item prefix + item number. In this case, the parts are not only differentiated according to the item number as a number, but the item prefix is also taken into account during itemisation. This means, for example, that an assembly and a beam can have the same item numbers but different prefixes.

Previously, automatic itemisation by part group with prefix was not supported by the drawing management. As of SP2, this is now possible.

 

Attribute DOKUART (Document type) and HicadBIMConfig.exe

To ensure that the database with Drawing Management works error-free, all attributes and links required for drawing management must be available there. This is ensured by the HiCADBIMConfig.exe programme in the HiCAD exe directory.

Previously, the manual user definitions of the HELiOS attribute DOKUART were overwritten when HicadBIMConfig.exe was executed. As of SP2, this attribute is defined as an attribute of type Suggestion list when HicadBIMConfig.exe is executed, so that the manual definitions are retained when the programme is executed again.

Service Pack 1 2024 (V 2901)

Documents for general files

Previously, only the active sheet was taken into account when creating external documents, such as PDF files. From SP1, this can also be done for all sheets. For this purpose, the Configuration Editor at PDM > Drawing Management > External production documents has been expanded to include the following settings:

Two new document attributes are also available in this context:

If the new attributes are to be displayed in title blocks or in the HELiOS results lists, you must adjust them manually.

Managing general 3-D parts via part filter

In the Configuration Editor at PDM > Drawing Management, you can set whether general 3-D parts should also be taken into account when managing drawings. With SP1, the new option Via filter is available here.

With this setting, only the general 3-D parts that meet the part filters defined in the Favourites file Steel Engineering > Drawing Management > General parts (BIM-3DPartFilter.xml) are taken into account.

The preset part filters can be customized using the Find function (in the transparent toolbar).

ISD default setting for general parts in the Drawing Management

 

If, for example, you also want individual standard parts and standard part groups to be taken into account, open the Favourites file Steel Engineering > Drawing Management > General parts as shown above and change the file accordingly.

Then save the modified Favourites file under the same name.

Simplified handling when referencing in project structures

When working with referenced detail drawings, project structures are often used, i.e. main projects and sub-projects. This has been simplified with SP1. The project of the article master is now automatically entered as the project of the documents.

This affects the functions under Reference part, Save, Detail drawing in the context menu of assemblies.

Major Release 2024 (V 2900)

Remove parts from production drawings

Instead of detailed drawings, overview drawings are often created in practice, which contain, for example, all the beams or plates used in the model. If the initial model is changed, then existing overview drawings can be updated, but the subsequent creation of a detail drawing for a beam or plate shown in the overview is not directly possible. Sometimes, however, it is desired to remove certain parts from the overview drawing and create a detail drawing afterwards. In this case the function Remove active part list from production drawing provides a remedy.

Proceed as follows:

 

Click here to see an example.

 

The function Remove - Active part list can only be called up if a corresponding overview drawing is open.

Processing sheet metal developments in production drawings

When working with sheets without using the Drawing Management, the sheet development can be processed without changing the original sheet. This was previously not possible in the Drawing Management, i.e. developments in the production drawing were blocked for editing. From HiCAD 2024 this is now supported. For this purpose, the new parameter Allow processing of sheet developments is available in the Configuration Editor at PDM > Drawing derivation > Production drawings. The default setting is No.

If the setting is set to Yes, then you have the option of subsequently processing the development in the production drawing, for example, filleting or chamfering sheet edges etc. or inserting holes. The original model in the model drawing remains unchanged.

 

If the parameter is set to Yes, external part data in DXF format for sheet metal parts cannot be created automatically. This means: If the configuration parameter Create DXF data under External part data (PDM > Drawing Management > External production documents...) is set to Yes, it is not evaluated. In this case, the message shown appears when HiCAD is started.

Releasing assemblies with already released parts

If an assembly contains sub-parts whose drawings have already been released, then as of HiCAD 2024 the drawings of these parts are no longer loaded in the background when the assembly is released. This leads to a performance increase.

Automatic BOMs for itemised source models

Excel BOMs can now be created and managed automatically for model drawings that are itemised source models. For this purpose, the settings in the Configuration Editor at PDM > Drawing Management > External production documents have been extended.

 

Create BOMs

This setting determines whether or not Excel BOMs should be automatically generated for certain model drawings.

The following settings are possible:

  • None

    Excel BOMs are not generated automatically. This is the default setting.
  • Upon Checkup and Release

    The Excel BOMs are created automatically when checking and releasing drawings.
  • Upon creation and update

    The Excel BOMs are created automatically when creating and updating drawings.

  • Automatically upon Release
    The Excel BOMs are created automatically upon release of drawings.

List of model drawings with external BOM

Here you define for which drawings external BOMs are to be created and managed. At present, this is only possible for itemised source models, i.e. for the model drawings in which the parts are itemised (see document attribute ITEMISATIONMODEL).

 

In HELiOS, the generated BOMs (Document type Others) are stored in the Bills of Materials subfolder of the respective project, e.g.

When saving the itemised source model, these BOMs are automatically updated.

 

Please note:

Updating manually created production drawings

Production drawings that are created manually with the function Drawing Management > Workshop > Drawing > Manual settings can now also be updated with this function when changes are made in the model drawing. Previously, the Drawing Management > Workshop > Drawing function had to be used for this.

 

Drawing Management