It is strongly recommended to define your general file naming rule, and also to use Sequence with it as this will enable many different CUSTOMTOOLS features.
Note that your first file naming rule does not have to be perfect. It can be easily adjusted later at CUSTOMTOOLS Options.
After the analysis, CUSTOMTOOLS may or may not have detected existing Custom Properties which values match (at least partially) with the document name.
Higher the match percentage is, the more that CustomProperty has carried your document's name across the analyzed models.
Whether that Custom Property has been just displaying the document name or has it been controlling the document filename, the wizard can not know.
You want to choose here a property that will control the filename when using CUSTOMTOOLS actions like Save As, Save As Copy, Replace Components etc.
You can also choose to create a new property that controls your filename. This property will be hidden for your old documents unless you select a CUSTOMTOOLS Project for them.
| File Naming Property | Contains all properties that match at least partially the document name; and < Create New Property > that enables defining new Property Name for the property that will control document file name. |
| Property Name |
Enabled only if < Create New Property > is selected as File Naming Property. Define the new Custom Property
that will control the document file name in various CUSTOMTOOLS actions, like Save As, Save As Copy, Replace Components etc.
Use a unique name that doesn't conflict with existing properties in ANY of your model documents. |
| Use automatic file naming |
Sequence will give a unique, next available number from the common pool on request.
It is very much recommended to have a sequence in your file name property, to enable fast and effortless workflow and bulk operations for entire assemblies and document sets.
You can easily tweak the sequence and even the file name property to cover almost any kind of file naming principle, but for starters it is important to have at least a simple sequence defined. |
| Use PDM Serial Number |
Available for SOLIDWORKS PDM analysis method only. You may choose one or more Serials found from the PDM Vault, and utilize those in file naming and CUSTOMTOOLS automation. Eventhough you might already be using PDM Serials via SOLIDWORKS PDM Add-In, it is still highly recommended to setup the serial also for CUSTOMTOOLS. |
| Create Seqeunce |
Selection visible for SOLIDWORKS PDM analysis method only; as an alternative for using PDM Serials. Otherwise following controls are always visible. |
| Format |
Not available when opted for using PDM Serial. Format of the sequence; possible starting characters, how may digits the serial should use, and possible ending characters. |
| Start Value |
Not available when opted for using PDM Serial. With six digit format (000001) and starting value of 1000, the next three sequence values will be 001000, 001001 and 001002. It is important to choose starting value and format so that the sequence will not produce values that conflict with existing file names. |
| Skip filename definition | Not recommended, but you can also skip filename definition. |