Grouping a part list using more than one criterion requires sorting the list of elements in the correct order. Starting with Select Series 4, ProStructures provides the opportunity to sort the bill of material using two or three criteria. This document explains how to set up this sorting option and shows two samples.
Name of columns required
For this sorting option one needs to know the name of the columns that shall be used for sorting a list.
You can either open the part list MDB file with Microsoft Access or you can use a table feature built into the part list functionality.
Open the dialog box settings via menu settings/default part list assignment and tolerances and tick the box edit part list data in a table.
Open the dialog box settings via menu settings/default part list assignment and tolerances and tick the box edit part list data in a table.
Back in the main dialog you can reach the table by double clicking any entry.
Every name of a column can be used for the sorting. Name, position number and material are some common choices.
Creating the variable for the sorting
Open a part list definition file via the menu settings/edit part list definition.
The sorting option will be defined as a user variable.
The new user variable must be named as MYSORTORDER.
By double clicking the new variable can be edited.
The actual definition is the name of the columns divided by a plus sign and as a text definition.
Sample one is a single part list for only plates. The list has a group header for thickness and material.
Only sorting the list by position number would result in a very unorganized list and the grouping would not work as supposed to.
Only sorting the list by position number would result in a very unorganized list and the grouping would not work as supposed to.
Using MYSORTORDER with the definition "HIGH+MATERIAL+POS_NUMBER" creates a neat list and the grouping is working properly.
Sample two is an ordered list for shapes.
MYSORTORDER is defined as "NAME+MATERIAL+POS_NUMBER". The result is a list which is grouped in blocks with all shapes with the same name and material and each block is shown in the right order of position numbers.