Bi-Directional Link to Microsoft Excel

In this tutorial, you have actually two targets:

• Adding the external data source connection to Microsoft Excel with the Administration Tool.
• Creation of the CustomProperty which value is linked with an external data source. In this case, you use the Microsoft Excel workbook as the data source.

During this tutorial you will use the following features of CustomTools:

• CustomTools Administration Tool. In this tutorial, the Administration Tool is used to create a link between CustomTools database and the Microsoft Excel workbook.
• Attributes. Item that makes link between CustomProperties and the SOLIDWORKS document properties.
• Database Search Groups. Profile specific options of CustomTools that are used to setup links to an external database where you can retrieve the custom property value from.
• CustomProperty Wizard. Wizard to create and edit custom properties.

Since you need to have a one Microsoft Excel workbook in this tutorial, create an Excel workbook like shown in the Picture 1. Put all the contents into the Sheet1 of the workbook.

Picture 1. Excel workbook needed in this tutorial.