3DQuickPress V3 Training Notes PDF

Copyright 2006 3D QuickTools Limited.
Confidential Documentation
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3DQuickPress Fundamentals
This chapter describes enhancements to 3DQuickPress fundamentals and user interfaces in the
following areas:
User Interface
Navigator
Smart Sketch
Measure
Feature properties
New utilities
User Interface
3DQuickPress Standard View
A new toolbar for the display of model view has been added. All the views and sketch
Top View
Copyright 2006 3D QuickTools Limited. Confidential Documentation

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Front View
Rear View
Left View
Rigth View
Cyclic between Isometric,

Trimetric & Dimetric View
Navigator
A navigator panel is added to facilitate switching of document windows thought out 3DQuickPress
design workflow.
For Punch Design For Die Set Design For the reference planes
selection of Die set structure

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Click/Double Click on:
. Open/Edit UC assembly
. Open Punch Design Assembly
. Open/Edit MC assembly
. Open Strip layout
. Open/Edit LC assembly
. Open/Edit Unfold Part
Click on:
. Open Upper Die set
. Open Middle Die set
. Open Strip layout
. Open Lower Die Set
. Open the whole die set

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Click close to:
. Upper Die set Top Face
. Punch Backup Top Face
. Punch Length/Punch Holder top

face
. Punch Holder Lower face
. Stripper Backup top face

The bolded bar ------- tells user the selected
. Stripper top face
reference plane.
. Material thickness
. Z-Datum/Die face
. Penetration Depth
. Die plate lower face
. Stripper lower face
. Lower die set Bottom face
Smart Sketch
Smart Sketch
By using Smart Sketch to create sketch, the coordinate system is favored to Tool Designer. The
following example illustrates the benefit of Smart Sketch.

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if the view is rotated to
Sketch environment created
designers favor. The sketch
by QP Right Sketch
relation is not conformed to
SolidWorks Default right
screen orientation.
view. The orientation is
Horizontal and Vertical
not comfortable to
becomes misleading.
designer.
Measure
3DQuickPress geometry can be measured without export when unfolding part and strip layout
design.
To measure distance:
1. RM select Strip layout and click Measure
2. Select the geometries you want to measure.

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Feature properties
Feature properties is available for all features with corresponding information
Cutting features Bend features
Total cutting length Bend angle
Cutting force Bend allowance
Centre of cutting force Bend radius
Bounding box size Over Bend angle
Bend width
All other features For all selected geometries in graphic

window
Projected Perimeter

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Minimum bounding volume Minimum bounding volume
Surface area
New utilities
File properties editing
Show/Edit File Properties in the context of assembly
Enquiry mode View file properties of selected component
Grouping Filter the file properties by groups to facilitate editing
o <All Exist> Display all existing file properties in the selected

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component.
o <All Groups> - Display an editing page containing all groups.
Edit Edit the group configuration file which is located in <3DQPinstallation

path>/AFP_Group.txt
Properties Edit configuration specific properties or File propertes
Apply Apply the table content to select components and keep on editing
Exit Exit the function
Legends File properties is new to the selected component
File property exists in the component

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Read LED table content was changed.
Green LED Apply is successful
To assign Material Properties to all the punches:
1. Click to launch File Properties Editor
2. Click on the pull down button to select Title block
3. Fill in the table as following
4. Window select all the punches
5. Click Apply
To check file properties of component:
2. Click
3. Click on any component

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To add a group for customer information:
2. Click Edit button
3. Add the following lines in Note Pad.
#Customer Info.
Customer Part no.,text,
Customer name,text,
Description,text,
4. Save and exit note pad
5. Click Exit button to exit File Properties Editor
6. Click to launch File Properties Editor to re-initialize the group file.
7. Click Grouping list button
Balloon Sorting
See detailing
Assembly Design Tools
Assembly Design Tools is a collection of utilities to make design in the context of assembly
easier. The dialog box has 2 main regions: A Simplified Assembly Tree and Commands.

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Use of Assembly Design Tools
Only the component Highlighted in Simplified Assembly Tree will be

deleted.
Delete
To delete a part:
Component
1. Select any component from graphic window
2. Click Delete Component
To delete a sub-assembly:
1. Select any part from graphic window and Click
2. Select its parent in Simplified Assembly Tree
3. Click Delete Component

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Note: Undo is available in SolidWorks after delete.
Isolate a component from like parts.
To add clearance to a guide lifer

Isolate
component
1. Select one of the component from graphic window
2. Click
3. Click
4. Input a new filename and the component is isolated. And clearance

can be added without affecting other component.

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This command highlights all the instances of the selected component in the
Search identical
assembly. It is useful before you isolate a part. Just click the parts parent
components
and look for the assembly instances, if multiple instances are found, you
need to isolate the parent before the part is isolated.
To search identical components:
1. Click and select the component
2. Click and all the identical components are highlighted.
Promote selection Select a sub-assembly to pattern or translate is tedious as it requires the

selection of the sub-assembly from SolidWorks assembly tree. It is much
convenient if selection of sub-assembly from graphic window is supported.
To translated a sub-assembly by selection from graphic window:
1. Click and select the component

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2. Promote the selection by clicking one level up
3. Click Exit and the component still in selected mode
4. Click Xform component to move the sub-assembly
Die set structure Editing
Modify die set structure file is a new user interface to edit die set structure file. It includes lower
parallel and calculation of shut height.

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Propagate parameter change
Propagate 3DQuickPress parameter / Solidworks dimension change to all document
Most of the components are driven by common parameters like stock thickness; width Or any user
defined global parameters like fitting clearance

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Edit System Dimension
Check it to change 3DQuickPress related parameters
Uncheck it to change any parameter
System Dimension
List box to select 3DQuickPress parameters
User Dimension
Input any non-3DQuickPress parameters name
Input value
The new value for the parameter
Highlight
Highlight all the dimensions going to update
To change cutting clearance for all piercing punches:
1. Click
2. Check Edit System Dimension
3. Select C3 from list box
4. Input 0.06mm
5. Click Highlight to find out all dimensions
6. Click OK to finish
Unfolding
Change of Part thickness

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My Blanks
Lock Feature
User Defined Feature
Surface Tools
Change of Part thickness
Part thickness is allowed to change and the modification will propagate to strip layout. For punch
design and die set, use Propagate 3DQuickPress Dimension to update all SHTTHK parameters
To change the material thickness:
1. Update the model by editing SolidWorks features
2. RM select Unfold and click Material Thickness
3. Go to strip layout and rebuild
4. Go to punch design and rebuild
Remark: 3DQuickPress does not update the exported faces. User have to modify the punch
according to the new thickness. SolidWorks feature offset option should be used.
My Blanks
My Blanks is a new intermediate stage before strip layout design. It allows user to touch up the
blank geometries.
To create My Blank:

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1. RM select My Blanks and click Add My Blank
2. RM select My Blank 1 and click Edit Sketch
3. RM select My Blank 1 and click My Current Blank
Lock Feature
Unfolding in 3DQuickPress is an iteration process. Every time we enter and exit User Assist
Recognition mode, 3DQuickPress now locks the feature which is recognized in the previous iteration.
This enhancement can shorten the turn around time a great deal.
User Defined Feature
Simple branch transformation no longer requires reference face. Vectors are used to assemble the
branch to the User Defined Feature.

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Point to point translation also possible by selecting from to points in each box.

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Surface Tools
Create faces from 3DQuickPress geometry for User Defined Feature blank faces and intermediate
step
Create faces to patch the holes of the selected faces or edges
To patch a hole:
1. Click
2. Select faces and edge to indicate which hole to patch
3. Click OK to finish.

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Create faces to patch the notch of the selected faces & edges
To patch a notch area:
1. Click
2. Select faces and select at least 3 edges which must include start, end of the notch

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For both features, a planar face will be created if the selected faces are co-planar. Otherwise, a
Fill surface will be created with 3DSketch. Here is an example of 3D patch for notch.
Strip layout
Station Layout
Edit blank layout
A new method to Edit Blank Layout

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Entities - Select entities from blank. If Use Mid Point is
checked, mid point will be used for selected lines.
Virtual mid point will be used if 2 points were selected.
Entities Positioning - Set the position of the selected

entities
o Set X coordinate of selected point
o Set Y coordinate of selected point
o Set minimum distance of the selected

entities
o Set the angle of selected entity/entities
o Set X coordinate of 2nd point relative to the

1st point selected
o Set Y coordinate of 2nd point relative to the

1st point selected
Blank Positioning set position of the selected blanks
o Disable Drag Disable move of the blank by

drag and drop.
o Enable Drag Enable move of the blank by drag

and drop.
o Center to Origin- centering the selected blank to

origin.
o Move the selected blanks to absolute X by

using the 1st selected point as reference
o Move the selected blanks to absolute Y by

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using the 1st selected point as reference
Nesting Multiple blanks nesting. (works for like parts
only)
o Specify the minimum distance between

blanks
o The incremental angle for the calculation,

the small the angle is, the longer is required to
get the result.
If entities from multiple blanks were selected, 3DQuickPress always use the 1st selection as
reference and move the blank containing the last selected entity
Entities selected
Blank 1 Blank 2
1 Point
Line

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2 Points
Point Point
Point Line
Line Point
Line Line
To manually align 2 blanks:

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1. Create a new strip layout and insert Manual Blank 1.SLDPRT and Manual Blank 2.SLDPRT
to Blank Layout Folder
2. Right click Blank Layout and to enter Edit Blank Layout environment.

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3. Click Line segment at A and key in 90 degree, Press Enter to update Manual Blank 2
4. Click to clear current selection
5. Select center of Manual Blank 2 and input X=0, Y=0
To create 2 up die blank layout for the following unfolded part:
1. Click to unfold the part.
2. Click to create a new strip layout

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3. Insert the same unfolded part to Blank Layout Folder
4. In Edit Blank Layout environment, the 2 blanks are overlapping initially right after the 2nd
blank is inserted.
5. Select any entity and click Enable Drag.
6. Drag the selected blank so that the 2 blanks are displayed properly.
7. Select any entity from the 2nd blank

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8. Check Nest box and input 3 mm for the blank distance, 5 degree for the incremental angle.
9. Click Do Nesting to let 3DQuickPress work out the nesting result.
10. After the result is displayed, click Center to Origin
12. Right click on Strip Layout Design Manager and select Edit Strip Parameter

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13. Select Fix Orientation; 5 mm for stock margin; 3 mm for minimum station distance
(same as the setting in nesting minimum blank distance); 4 for number of

station; and click Optimize.
14. Click OK to finish strip layout design for nesting result.

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Notching punch Design
A new design environment is used to design notching punch. Different display mode is available.
Once Notch Design Button is pressed, the strip will be hidden and only the blanks or stock is left
for punch design.
Display stock
Display the reference face of stock, it is good for loop selection.
Display parts
Display the reference faces for station 0 and 1
Set notching punch
Select reference faces and convert it to notching punch
To design notching punch by the new mode:

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1. Click Notching Punch Design to enter Notch Punch Design Mode
2. Click on Display Stock Sheet
3. Create a duplication of the stock sheet by offset face at a distance of zero
4. Click on Display Stock Sheet to Hide Stock Sheet
5. Create reference faces based on SolidWorks features Insert Planar faces
6. Mirror the reference faces
7. Select all the faces and click Set Notching Punch and Strip Layout Design have the notching
punches added to Unprocessed Features folder

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In-place Bending
In order to facilitate complicated bending or forming, designer will bend the part and then flatten it
after forming, the bend is not part of the feature in the part. In-place bend works like SolidWorks
Sketched Bend

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In-place Bend Types The bend is apply to the stock or
part
Parameters-Enter the bend position, angle, and internal

bend radius
Bend Allowance-Input the bend allowance calculation

method
The following deep draw part has a hole which should be pierced after forming in order to keep the
precision. Although the blank result from 3DQuickPress is in pear shape, we use a projection for the
blank as the final size of the part will be cut to size after forming.

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PRL
Functional Grouping
The Round and Rectangular grouping is retired and the new grouping method is based on the use of
PRL.

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PRL properties manager was re-designed for ergonomic reason less mouse travel and occupies less
space in general usage.

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Input file name for the UDC
Select the 3DQuickPress feature type for linking purpose.
Feature
Station
For the selection of Feature/Station to be linked
For the selection of 3DQuickPress strip layout geometry
For the selection of SolidWorks geometry
PRL Type Button to browse PRL outside system path
For the selection of functional group
For the selection PRL under the functional group
Round Type & Rectangular type should be selected

manually. Or the root file of the PRL have file
properties Shape = O or Shape = R for round and
rectangular respectively.
Bounding Box/Circle preview
When inserting UDC, bounding box and circle with centre will be displayed for rectangular and
circular type correspondingly.

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New PRL wizard
PRL wizard is introduced to make the design of PRL much easier then before.
To create a new PRL:
1. Click 3DQuickPress, 3DQuickTools, Utilities, PRL Wizard.

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2. Select Create New PRL

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3. Select User Defined and input PRL Name = DB-2A. Unit = mm

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4. Select existing Function Group Inserts

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5. Select Copy from, Check Open for Edit and click Finish button to start PRL design.

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6. A Utilities Panel is shown to assist the design of PRL.
Table Driven PRL
PRL Table Design Wizard
PRL Table Design Wizard is a tool mainly used to design PRL Table. It is composed of 2 sections.
The 1st section is to design the Table Header which works like the fields of database. The 2nd section
is for the contents of the table.

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A - Switching between mm &
Inch
B - Switching Header design

and Table content input
C - Header input area
D - Command area
E Table Content Area
Search all dimensions in

the current row
Move current row

up/Down
Delete the table content
Save all data
Reload Header and Table

content
Import Header from

selection
Insert/ Delete Row
Fill in current Item by

current SolidWorks values
Update SolidWorks by
current Item

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Append a new column

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An * shows in left hand side
indicate that the dimension
name of the parameter was
modified. It can be cleared by
the pop up reload button.
The Type Parameter control the way the

dimension is updated. Click on the cell will
pop up and check box with 2 items.
1 = Any component has this parameter name

will be updated
3 = Update only applies to all parameter with

the same name in the specific part.
5 = Update apply to all parameters with the

same name and feature name.
7 = It is unique
To add a table to die insert Fillet and Chamfer:
1. Click 3DQuickPress, 3DQuickTools, Utilities, PRL Wizard.

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2. Follow the sequence to get the Die insert Edit PRL Library, User Defined mm. Select
the group and PRL to be edit.
3. Click Exit to exit the PRL setting pallete.
Launch PRL Table Wizard
4. Click 3DQuickPress, 3DQuickTools, Utilities, PRL Table

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5. Double Click at A and select chamfer dimension at B
6. Click to import this dimension to Header
7. Double click the fillet at C and select the fillet dimension.
8. Click to import this dimension to Header
9. Change the description to Chamfer Distance and Fillet Radius
10. Click Table to add Items to the table
11. Click the 1st column and click to bring in the Item.

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12. Create 3 Items for this PRL Small, Medium, Large
13. Highlight the Medium Item and click to test the update.
14. Click to save the Header and Table.
Punch Design
Z Bend
A new folder is created in Bending PRL to support Z bend.

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To create a Z Bend tool set:
1. Click Insert Z Bend
2. Select the static bend as 1st bend and select the 2nd bend

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3. Click OK
Round Extrude
Round Extrude is a new group under PunchDesignTemplate. It is direction depended.
The punch is driven by the parameters from the unfold feature
RndExtOD= Round extrude outer Diameter
RndExtID= round extrude inner diameter
RndExtHeight = round extrude total depth
RndExtPiercingDia = Round extrude pre-piercing hole diameter
The tool set for round extrude is driven by both die set structure which provide the material
thickness and drive the punch length and insert height

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Round punches
A new folder Round Punch is created for commercial round punch in order to support assembly.
A dummy part called RP.sldprt is the round punch driven by catalog. When Round punch is created,
RP.sldprt will be replaced by the round punch generated by the catalog.
Force non-circular cutting punch to Round Shank can be done by selecting PRL from Round punch
folder. Commercial catalog is used to select round punch type.
Die set Design
Die set structure new user interface
L = Stripper stroke
S = Total Shut height

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Macro feature for hole creation
In order to update hole-size automatically when component configuration is changed, SolidWorks

Macro Feature is used.
Pre-Define hole information
4 different hole-types can be assigned to a component according to the start, middle and end
positions.
Counterbore
Countersink

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Hole
Tap Hole
The holes generated by a component

when it is inserted are based on the hole-
type assigned. For the case of a Socket
Head Cap Screw, a counter bore or a
blank hole is assigned to the 1st region. A
clearance hole is assigned to the 2nd
region and a Tap Hole is assigned to the
3rd region.
Hole size is determined by 2 methods Dimension mapping and Configuration mapping.

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Dimension Mapping
Top Clearance hole
Select Start/Middle/End position hole type
4 Basic Hole types
For all Vertical dimension, Datum plane have to be assigned for the
automatic depth generation
Standard Component Library
A new module is designed to provide the creation and editing of standard die set components from
commercial catalog.
To create a component:

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1. Select commercial catalog.

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2. Select component type

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3. Created SolidWorks Part File

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4. Edit dimension of created component

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5. File properties and catalog number are created and ready for BOM

- 61 -
Detailing
Balloon Sorting
Depth indicator
Advance Hole Table
Hole table utilities allow user to change the decimal place of the hole position and automatic extract
the manufacturing information of the hole which is classified by face color.

- 62 -
To create Advance Hole Table:
1. Select a Hole Table which generated by SolidWorks
2. Modify the content from the Hole Table Editor
3. Click OK to update the Hole Table

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Copyright 2006 3D QuickTools Limited.

3DQuickPress Standard View

Copyright 2006 3D QuickTools Limited. Confidential Documentation

Cyclic between Isometric,

Copyright 2006 3D QuickTools Limited. Confidential Documentation

. Open Punch Design Assembly

. Open Strip layout

. Open/Edit Unfold Part

. Open Upper Die set

. Open Middle Die set

. Open Strip layout

. Open Lower Die Set

. Open the whole die set

Copyright 2006 3D QuickTools Limited. Confidential Documentation

. Upper Die set Top Face

. Punch Backup Top Face

. Punch Length/Punch Holder top

. Punch Holder Lower face

. Stripper Backup top face

. Die plate lower face

. Stripper lower face

. Lower die set Bottom face

Copyright 2006 3D QuickTools Limited. Confidential Documentation

1. RM select Strip layout and click Measure

2. Select the geometries you want to measure.

Copyright 2006 3D QuickTools Limited. Confidential Documentation

Feature properties is available for all features with corresponding information

Cutting features Bend features

Total cutting length Bend angle

Cutting force Bend allowance

Centre of cutting force Bend radius

Bounding box size Over Bend angle

All other features For all selected geometries in graphic

Copyright 2006 3D QuickTools Limited. Confidential Documentation

File properties editing

Show/Edit File Properties in the context of assembly

Enquiry mode View file properties of selected component

Grouping Filter the file properties by groups to facilitate editing

o <All Exist> Display all existing file properties in the selected

Copyright 2006 3D QuickTools Limited. Confidential Documentation

o <All Groups> - Display an editing page containing all groups.

Edit Edit the group configuration file which is located in <3DQPinstallation

Properties Edit configuration specific properties or File propertes

Exit Exit the function

Legends File properties is new to the selected component

File property exists in the component

Copyright 2006 3D QuickTools Limited. Confidential Documentation

Green LED Apply is successful

To assign Material Properties to all the punches:

1. Click to launch File Properties Editor

2. Click on the pull down button to select Title block

3. Fill in the table as following

4. Window select all the punches

To check file properties of component:

1. Click to launch File Properties Editor

3. Click on any component

Copyright 2006 3D QuickTools Limited. Confidential Documentation

1. Click to launch File Properties Editor

2. Click Edit button

3. Add the following lines in Note Pad.

Customer Part no.,text,

4. Save and exit note pad

5. Click Exit button to exit File Properties Editor