ABM options for members & material

These options control material information that may be included in an ABM when the " ABM " check box is checked.
  • ABM options found on a member edit window apply to that member's main material.
  • ABM options found on material edit windows apply to a submaterial. A member's main material is a special class of submaterial. Connection material and user created material (miscellaneous material) are other classes of submaterial.
  • Changing a member's main material at its material level also changes it at the member level and vice-versa.
  • Example: Suppose that " ABM " was checked when you opened this member or material edit window. You make changes to the " ID " or " Length " for the reported " ABM " name. However, when you select that same " ABM Name " on the ABM Report window then print the report, you don't see the changes you made to the material. You need to " Update ABM " before you will see any changes. If you print a report after you update, you will see the " ID " and " Length " that you expect.

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ABM:   or . When new members or materials are added in Modeling , this box is automatically checked or not checked per choices made on the ABM Qualifiers setup window. For a material that was added, for example, by adding custom members or custom components (which cannot be automatically qualified), you can manually check the material's " ABM " check box to qualify that material as a candidate for inclusion in the ABM.

  the " ABM " check box

If this box is checked ( ), the material is a candidate for inclusion in the new or updated ABM. In other words, the material will be included in the " ABM Candidates " list that can be found on the Populate ABM window. Also, if this is checked and an " ABM " name is reported, the " ID " and " Length " of the material can be changed for the reported " ABM " name.

Example 1: Suppose you change " ABM " to " ABM " then press " New " on the ABM Report window. The Populate ABM window will open after you have given the new ABM a name. The list of " ABM Candidates " on that Populate ABM window consists of all materials in the model that have their " ABM " check boxes checked.

Example 2: You find that an " ABM " check box is checked for a member main material . You change its state to unchecked ( ) on its material window, then look at its member window and find that the state of the check box has been changed there as well. Changing the state of an " ABM " check box on its member window also automatically changes the check box's state on that same member's main material window.

If the box is not checked ( ), the material is not a candidate for inclusion in the new or updated ABM.

Example: Suppose you change " ABM " to " ABM " for a material that has already been included in the same ABM that is reported here -- on your current material edit or member edit window -- as the " ABM " name. You open the ABM Report window then press " Update ABM ." The Populate ABM window will no longer include the material in its " ABM Candidates " list. When you generate a new report from the updated ABM, the material remains listed on the same page and line, but its quantity changes.

Status Update: ABM

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ABM: blank or a name (read-only). This reports the most recently created or updated ABM that is associated with the member main material or submaterial on whose material edit window or member edit window this information is reported.

  the ABM name

' blank ' indicates that an ABM that includes the material has not yet been generated.

' a name ' indicates that an ABM with the reported name includes the material associated with the member or material edit window that you are viewing this information on.

Special cases:

  • If multiple ABMs include the material, the name that is shown here is the most recently created or updated ABM.
  • If you are editing multiple materials or members, an " ABM " name is shown only if all items being edited are in that ABM.

Also:

  • A new ABM can be created by pressing " New " on the ABM Report window. All materials that are included in that report will have the ABM name reported here on their edit windows until such a time that a different ABM is created that includes the same materials.
  • To output an ABM report for the " ABM " name that is reported here, Modeling > Reports > Advanced Bill of Material > select that same ABM name as the " ABM Name " > " Print ABM Report ."
  • The " ABM " name that is reported here is reported as the ABM's " File name " on the material's General Information window.

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ID: ' N/A ' or ' page-line ' or ' system ID '. The entry made here applies to the material / member main material associated with the member or material edit window you are currently reviewing. If the material is included in the " ABM " whose name is shown next to this entry field, an unedited ID that is reported here tells you where that material can be found in that " ABM ." If you edit the " ID ," you need to Modeling > Reports > Advanced Bill of Material > " Update ABM " to see your change applied to the " ABM " name.

  N/A or page-line or ID  

' N/A ' (not applicable) is reported here when an ABM has not yet been created for the material. That is, when no " ABM " name is reported.

' page-line ' is the form of an unedited " ID " if the " Tracking ID Method " was set to ' Page / Line ' when the ABM was created. For example, an " ID " of ' 3-2 ' indicates page 3, line 2.

' system ID ' is the form of an unedited " ID " if the " Tracking ID Method " was set to ' System ABM ID ' when the ABM was created. For example, an " ID " of ' 3.2.0 ' indicates page 3, line 2, revision 0.

ABM Report Criteria: Tracking ID Method (page-line or system ID)
ABM Report Layout: ABM ID
Report Writer: ABM.Page and ABM.Line

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Note icon: Lets you add a note that will show up in the " ABM Note " column in the ABM report when it is printed. After " Update ABM " with the same " ABM Name " as the " ABM " that is entered here, the note that is entered here may be shown on the ABM Edit window and on Advanced Bill of Material Reports and on ABM Drop/Add Reports .

click to enter a note  

1 . Click the ABM note icon.

the ABM note icon

2 . Type the ABM note. For example, a finish note, part #, etc. Press " OK ."

ABM Note Edit  
ABM note:
Changed ID
 
 

3 . If the material you have specified this note for is included in the ABM and an " Order " has been set for the " ABM Note " column in ABM Report Layout and the ABM is up to date, then the note you typed in step 2 will be output to the ABM report the next time it is printed.

Also:

  • An alternative way to enter notes is to Modeling > Reports > Advanced Bill of Material > select the appropriate " ABM Name " > press " Review/Modify ABM " > type a note in the appropriate cell on the ABM Edit window.
  • Configuring notes to be shown on Advanced Bill of Material Reports and on ABM Drop/Add Reports and the ABM Edit window can be done in Modeling by choosing Reports > Advanced Bill of Material > pressing " Report Layout " > then setting an " Order " for " ABM Note " on the ABM Layout window.

Status Update: ABM Note

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Length: ' Standard ABM + Auto ' or ' Point to Point + Auto ' or ' Point to Point / Standard ABM + Auto '.

make choices to enter a length

' Standard ABM + Auto ' reports the " Length " that is shown for that material in the ABM. For a member main material, that reported length is the member's " WP to WP length: Actual " minus its left- and right-end " Minus dimension " plus any applicable length rounding specified in ABM Report Criteria , or it could instead be a " Length " that was entered in ABM Edit if the ABM was subsequently updated. You cannot change this length when "   Auto " is checked. However, the material's length may be changed automatically during an " Update ABM " if the actual length of the material in the model has changed. If an " ABM " name is not reported next to " Length ," the "   Auto " value is ' 0 '.

' Point to Point + Auto ' reports the " WP to WP length: Actual " if you are on a member edit window or the material window for a member main material. For a material such as a plate, the auto point to point length is the " Order length " of the plate. You cannot change this length when "   Auto " is checked. However, the material's length may be changed automatically during an " Update ABM " if the actual length of the material in the model has changed.

' Point to Point / Standard ABM + Auto ' lets you type an exact length that can apply to subsequently generated or updated ABMs regardless of whether ' Point to Point ' or ' Standard ABM ' is selected. The typed entry that you make will be exactly the length that is reported in any subsequently created or updated ABM that includes this material. Be aware that any length that is entered here will not be changed during an " Update ABM " even if the actual modeled length of the material changes. Also be aware that typing a length will also affect the unit weight calculation that is done when you create a new ABM (" New ") or " Update ABM ."

ABM Report Layout: Length
Alternative way to edit length: ABM Edit
Status Update: ABM Point to point

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