How to Use BOM Templates in BricsCAD Mechanical

Quick answer: Save any BOM configuration as a template to create new tables from it later. The default template used for new BOM tables stores in BOMTEMPLATE.

What a Template File Contains

A template file holds everything needed: table type, title, filter, and the full set of columns with all their associated properties. Use <NAME> in the title as a placeholder for the assembly’s actual name, if your assembly is named “My Assembly” and the title is set to “Bill of Materials for <NAME>“, the resulting BOM title reads “Bill of Materials for My Assembly.”

File Format and the DXD Connection

BOM template files use a .bom extension by default, and are genuinely an extension of the Data Extraction Definition (.dxd) file format covered in depth on this hub’s DXD file editing page. That said, the two aren’t interchangeable in either direction: a .dxd file can’t be used directly as a BOM template, since it’s missing BOM-specific data, and a .bom file can’t define a DataExtraction template either.

Editing Template Files

Any text editor works, but Bricsys recommends using BMBOM or the BOM Manager to create and edit them instead.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use an existing DXD file from the BIM section as a BOM template directly? No, even though .bom files extend the .dxd format, a .dxd file is missing BOM-specific data and can’t be used as a BOM template as-is.

How do I make a BOM template’s title automatically reflect the assembly it’s applied to? Include the <NAME> placeholder in the title, it gets replaced with the actual assembly name.

What’s the recommended way to edit a .bom template file? BMBOM or the BOM Manager, though any text editor technically works since it’s a plain text format.

Where does BricsCAD look to find the default template for new BOM tables? The BOMTEMPLATE system variable.