Property Keywords for Excel Templates

[Gyoung]

Hello all,

I'm just wondering if anyone has figured out how to find a list of the Teamcenter-based property keywords for Excel templates. I'm sure there is a way to figure this out, but I unfortunately could not find it.

Based off their documentation:

1. they tell you to encapsulate the property with braces ({ })

2. precede the property by a percent sign (%)

3. type in exactly how it is in the database.

Using the syntax {%Actual-Property-Name}

giving an example for {%object_type} forthe property "Type" (which is logical)

While giving other examples:

type -> {%object_type}

ObjectDescription - > {%object_desc}

last_mod_date -> {%last_mod_date}

Other than type, it doesn't seem to follow these 3 rules with every property with Teamcenter-based properties. I just have to trial-and-error ways to get the property to fill in.

I know NX has a list of $_SH_PART_NAME type codes, so I was just wondering if Teamcenter did as well.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Greg

[IonutBilibou]

Hello,

Have you tried to use the real name of the property displayed in BMIDE?

[RandyEllsworth]

There are two tables in Live Excel, the Rules Table and the Property Table. You can't use cut/paste. You can't remove, add or change the order of the Rules table columns. You can't apply formatting to empty cells. And many other restrictions. Some things they don't tell you is that you don't want to mix properties from the Item with the Item Revision as they should be organized on separate rows. If you want the rows to pack then the property should be in its own column as well. You can add processing options to the template by right-click > Edit Properties, Excel Template Rules, apply_packing (for instance).

I had to create a TransferMode, ClosureRule and PropertySet (PLMXML / TCXML Export Import Administration) before using Live Excel so that I could populate the Rules Table.

Properties use the internal name (BMIDE) and not the display name (RAC). Are you using custom Item types?

[jchurch]

Hi @RandyEllsworth,

I'm having a similar problem to the one @Gyoung started this thread on, so I was hoping I could get you to expand on your reply. I'm not trying to use Live Excel in my case, just trying to output a Static Snapshot of the structure manager onto formatting defined by an Excel Template in order to export a bill of materials outside of Teamcenter.

I think what I'm looking to do is fairly simple, and I made sure to comply with the pointers you mentioned (no copy/pasting in the table, using real property names, etc.) However, most of the properties I'm interested in will not export as intended. The only attributes I've had any luck with are {%item_id} and {%object_name}.

I'd like to be showing (at a minimum) the Teamcenter Find No., Unit of Measure, BOM line quantity, and Reference Designator on my BOM.

Using TC_display_real_prop_names,  it looks to me like these properties should be entered as {%sequence_no}, {%uom}, {%quantity}, and {%ref_designator}. However, when using that formatting I'm only outputting empty lines...any idea where I'm going wrong?

I've attached the template file I'm working with and the resultant output file, produced using a test assembly from the TC Structure Manager. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

[RandyEllsworth]

Hi @jchurch, there is a lot of work to do.

You're going to want to create a Transfer Mode and the transfer mode will likely need a Closure Rule and Property Set. The Transfer Mode is referenced in the Rule Table on the excel spreadsheet. Item properties and ItemRevision properties will need to be on separate lines and have their own column in order to be packed (see image).

You are trying to get BOM properties which don't exist on the Item or IR so you'll need to address that in your Property Set. The real names are something like bl_quantity.

Hope this helps.

[jchurch]

Thanks @RandyEllsworth; I'm only trying to export a static snapshot of the product structure...is a Transfer Mode/Closure Rule, etc. really necessary? I just want to apply formatting to a static image of the BOM structure to transfer the data outside of Teamcenter. I read around on the topic and Closure Rules usually seem to come up when people are looking to utilize Live Excel...which I am not.

I'd actually already attempted including the bl_ prefix per your suggestion...that's giving me the same results. I've attached that template file and resulting structure manager export as well. Is there something else I could be missing?

Thanks again!

[RandyEllsworth]

If all you want is a static report, and you don't want to configure a bunch of stuff, then why not use a canned report?

Send your BOM to Structure Manager. Right-click the top line > Generate Report

Select "PS - BOM Structure", Next

Select Report Style > ps_bom_report_excel.xsl, Next (Tip: check Create Dataset if you want to save it for later)

BOM Report in Excel.

It doesn't include all the columns you wanted, like UOM and Sequence, but you can modify the existing report to include them and save it as your own.

[jchurch]

Thanks @RandyEllsworth! That definitely looks like a viable option, and it solves a secondary problem I had; the "export to excel" function I was using will only allow you to save the spreadsheet outside of Teamcenter, and I'd prefer it to remain within the managed environment. "Generate reports" at least places the excel dataset into the Relations folder under the applicable Item Rev.

I'll try to customize the excel stylesheet to meet my needs...may have some additional questions for you as I go.

[jchurch]

Hi @RandyEllsworth; more to report on getting these BOM property values to print.

I tried your suggestion to use "Generate Reports" to output a static BOM meeting my needs, but that route looked like it was going to be much more complicated than setting up the "Export object to excel" template. I think the two files I already sent were almost there, barring some attribute syntax issues....

However, I still can't get even most of the OOTB BOM line attributes to print to an Excel output file. I tried stating the property names both with and without the {%bl_....prefix, and am not seeing any success. Is there somthing else I'm missing, to just export these property names to a simple static snapshot? I know using Live Excel is much more complicated, but that's not my goal here...just trying to set up a BOM template.

[RandyEllsworth]

To summarize what you've said and shown...
- Only the normal properties for Item Id and Description are working (properties on the Item).
- None of the %bl_* properties are working (properties not on the Item).
- A rule for navigating from the Item to the ItemRevision to the BOM is not needed.

Are you sure you don't need to specify a rule?

Try putting the %bl_ properties on a separate line than ItemId and Description (different object). They should each have their own column to allow packing.