Design Tables in BricsCAD

Quick answer: A design table evaluates several global parameters at once, driven by a single configuration parameter called the configuration name. Build one from scratch in BricsCAD, or import it from a CSV file created in a spreadsheet program or text editor.

Creating a Design Table from a CSV File

The From file option of DESIGNTABLE imports a CSV file of parameter value sets (or creates one from scratch), adding its parameters to the Mechanical Browser panel and to parametric component properties.

The expected format:

Configuration_Name,Parameter1,Parameter2,...,ParameterN
Configuration_1,Value1Parameter1,Value1Parameter2,...,Value1ParameterN
Configuration_2,Value2Parameter1,Value2Parameter2,...,Value2ParameterN

The first row lists parameter names, comma-separated. The very first name, the configuration name, must differ from any existing global parameter in your drawing and can’t contain spaces. The other names in that row can match existing global parameter names. Every row after that lists a set of possible values, as strings or numbers.

For example:

Size,Length,Width,Height
Small,300,200,100
Medium,450,300,150
Large,600,400,200

Importing this creates a special global parameter named after the first column header, Size in this example, the configuration name, which drives the values of the other columns, the configuration-dependent parameters.

No Live Link to the Source CSV

BricsCAD doesn’t maintain an ongoing association with the CSV file used to build a design table. Editing that file afterward won’t update the design table automatically; use -DESIGNTABLEEDIT to replace it with a new or modified CSV instead.

Direct Lookup

Evaluate a configuration by either selecting the configuration parameter in the Mechanical Browser panel and typing the value you want into its Expression field, or selecting a value from the dropdown in its Value field.

Changing the configuration name’s value updates every configuration-dependent parameter automatically, pulled from whichever row in the table matches that value.

Reverse Lookup

You can also work the other way: select a dependent parameter directly and apply an expression to it.

• If that value matches one found in the design table, the configuration name and every other dependent parameter update automatically to match that row.
• If more than one configuration could match that value, BricsCAD picks whichever is closest to the current values of the other parameters.
• If no match is found, or if expressions on two or more dependent parameters don’t all correspond to values in the same row, the configuration name changes to “Custom” and the other dependent parameters stay as they were, representing a configuration that doesn’t actually exist in the table.

Adding a New Configuration

To save a “Custom” configuration into the table: right-click the configuration parameter in the Mechanical Browser and choose Save current configuration. It’s added as Configuration_N, where N is one more than the current number of configurations. To save it under a name of your own choosing instead, use -DESIGNTABLEEDIT.

Creating an Empty Design Table

Use the Empty option of DESIGNTABLE to start with a blank table and fill it in yourself. You’ll be prompted for the new design table’s name, its configuration name, and the global parameters that should depend on it.

Using a Parametric Component with Design Tables

Both the configuration name and configuration-dependent parameters can be used in assemblies. Once inserted, a component’s parameters include any exposed design table parameters, complete with a dropdown of available values, and both direct and reverse lookup work as usual. The design table needs to be associated with the component drawing first:

1. Open the drawing.
2. Check the Mechanical Browser panel for the current list of parameters and values.
3. Launch DESIGNTABLE and press Enter to accept the From file option. The Select design table file dialog opens.
4. Select the CSV file, then double-click it or click Open.
5. Check the Value property for each main parameter, choosing the defaults you want used when the component is inserted.
6. Check the Exposed property for each main parameter, all of them should be set to On.
7. Save the component drawing.

Other Design Table Actions

-DESIGNTABLEEDIT can delete a design table, replace one, link or unlink a parameter, add or remove configurations, and export a design table as a CSV file.

Frequently Asked Questions

If I edit the original CSV file after importing it, does the design table update? No, BricsCAD doesn’t keep a live link to the source file. Use -DESIGNTABLEEDIT to replace the table with a new or modified CSV.

What happens if I set a dependent parameter to a value that doesn’t exist in any row of the table? The configuration name changes to “Custom,” and the other dependent parameters keep their current values rather than updating.

Can the configuration name have the same name as an existing global parameter? No, it must be different from any existing global parameter in the drawing, and it can’t contain spaces.

How do I save a custom configuration under a specific name instead of the auto-generated Configuration_N? Use the -DESIGNTABLEEDIT command.