Using the $PRP prefix, you may connect the value of a drawing’s custom property to the drawing’s title block in SolidWorks drawings. To show the text in the data card, you may link a data card variable to the same custom property in SolidWorks PDM. Similarly, you can use a $PRPSHEET property link to display the value of a model’s custom property in the model’s drawing and data card.

$PRP – Property links within the drawing file

Property link setting:

There are attributes for the file itself in SolidWorks drawings and properties for the model or models contained within the drawing views. The connection is made using this example’s current drawing file’s characteristics, and “Current document” is the property link in question here.

The figure above shows a SolidWorks design file and the custom property “DocumentProperty” built for it. This custom property’s assessed value is “This is a document property.”

Look at the “Description” in the title block in the figure after this one. The “DocumentProperty” file custom property is associated with this annotation. The gray box with the text “$PRP:’DocumentProperty'” will display if you hover your cursor over the annotation in the sheet format. Editing the sheet format, selecting the annotation with the right mouse click, and selecting “Edit text in the window” from the context menu are alternative ways to view the link property setting. It indicates that a custom property contained in the SolidWorks design file is where the value shown is derived from.

$PRPSHEET – A link to the model’s properties for the selected view in the sheet properties. Property link configuration:

In SolidWorks drawings, you may set up sheet attributes like sheet name, scale, and projection type (first angle or third angle). One option is the “Use custom property values from the model presented in” setting. Choose the drawing view where the notes and annotations pull the data from the present model. Consider the view as a “portal” to your model, and the drawings’ annotations or messages are shared with the custom property values. Using the model attributes from the first view added to the sheet is the default configuration for this option. “Model in view indicated in sheet properties” is the property link in question here.

See the illustration below as an example. Observe how the title block annotation in the SolidWorks design is connected to the “Description” property value from the SolidWorks Ratchet part file. The gray box with the text “$PRPSHEET:’Description'” will emerge if you hover your cursor over the annotation in the sheet format. Once more, you may display the connected property differently by editing the sheet format, selecting “Edit text in the window” from the context menu when you right-click the note. As a result, the value presented is derived from the model displayed in the view chosen in the sheet attributes. The Link is called “$PRPSHEET,” for this reason.

Select “properties” from the context menu after a right mouse click anywhere on the SolidWorks drawing sheet (avoid selecting a view by accident) to get the sheet properties.

The graphic below shows the discussion that is being presented. Pay attention to the “$PRPSHEET” setting. Please be mindful that the scenes may differ substantially from drawing to picture.

To access the sheet’s properties, you may also right-click the feature tree’s sheet name and choose “Properties.”

To convert a model property to a drawing’s unique or configuration-specific property, utilize $PRPSheet in an attribute block. This property will be displayed on the drawing data card under the @ tab.

Despite not being a setting, the phrase “$PRPSheet” may imply that a property is being mapped to a drawing sheet. The only attributes that may be translated as properties are custom or configuration-specific attributes. Since a sheet is not a configuration, SolidWorks cannot map properties to it. If you enter data for each drawing sheet separately in the data card, the drawing sheet itself will remain unchanged. Values from the $PRPSheet may be shown in the sheet tabs. From the field’s properties menu on the data card, choose “Update in all configurations” to do this.

As a result, the value for that field will then be shown consistently across all sheet tabs, including the @ tab. The data card, not the design, must be changed to make modifications for this field.

Creating $PRP and $PRPSHEET Links in SOLIDWORKS

Custom properties related to drawings and SOLIDWORKS PDM data cards may be created using the SOLIDWORKS Summary Information dialog box.

To use a $PRP link to connect a drawing custom property to its title block:

1. In SOLIDWORKS, open the drawing and go to File > Properties.

2. In the Summary Information dialog box on the Custom tab, provide a property name and a value or text expression.

3. For example, enter Description for Property Name and Preliminary for Value / Text Expression.

In the drawing, edit the sheet’s format.

4. Embedding the link to the custom property in the title block should look like this:

$PRP:”custom property”

Using $PRP:”Description” as an example

The title block contains the value returned by the Description attribute. The title block text is updated when the value of the custom property changes.

Creating the $PRPSHEET Link

Using a $PRPSHEET connection, connect a model custom property to the title block of the model’s drawing:

1. In SolidWorks, open a model and select File, then select Properties.

2. In the Summary Information dialog box, under the Custom tab, provide a property name and a value or text expression.

For example, for Property Name, type Description, and for Value / Text Expression, type Preliminary.

3. Make a drawing from the model.

4. Change the sheet format in the drawing.

5. Insert the following link to the model’s custom property in the title block:

$PRPSHEET:”custom property”

For example, $PRPSHEET: “Description” displays the value of the model’s Description property in the title block. When the custom property value in the model changes, the title block text in the drawing is updated.

Conclusion

This article explains the essential differences between $PRP and $PRPSHEET linked properties. I hope you have a better understanding of what they are and how they apply to SolidWorks. With this knowledge, I hope you can start using tools to make working with SolidWorks easier and faster.