Make changes to a table or a parts list

In tables and in parts lists, you can use the Table Properties dialog box to format all data columns, reorder all columns, and show or hide columns and rows. You can insert and delete columns and rows.

Insert a column or a row

You can insert columns to contain user-defined data, and you can insert empty cells to provide white space and to group table data.

  1. On the Data tab in the Properties dialog box, click a column or row in the table to activate it.

  2. (Insert a column)

    1. Click Insert Column .

    2. In the Insert Column dialog box, type the number of columns you want to add, and specify if the columns should be inserted before or after the currently selected column.

    3. Click OK to insert the column.

  3. (Insert a row)

    1. Click Insert Row .

    2. In the Insert Row dialog box, type the number of rows you want to add, and specify if the rows should be inserted before or after the currently selected row.

    3. Click OK to insert the row.

Tip:

  • Blank rows may be moved if you sort the table using the Sorting tab.

  • You also can right-click a column and choose Insert Columns on the shortcut menu to display the Insert Columns dialog box. You also can right-click a row and choose the Insert Rows command.

  • You can extract property text from the model and display its value in a user-defined column. See Extract model information using property text.

Edit data in a cell

You can edit data cells using one of these techniques:

Tip:

You can use the Clear Cell Overrides command on the shortcut menu to reset the values of cells that have been edited.

Delete a column
  1. On the Data tab in the Properties dialog box, click the column you want to delete.

  2. Click Delete Column .

Tip:

  • You can also right-click the column you want to delete, and then choose Delete Column from the shortcut menu.

  • To select more than one column, hold down the Ctrl key, and then click the columns you want.

  • To select a range of columns, click the first column, hold down the Shift key, and then click the last column.

Change the column order

On the Data tab, you can select and drag any column except the first column to change its display order in the table.

  1. On the Data tab in the Properties dialog box, click the column header to select it.

  2. Drag the column to the new location within the table and release the cursor.

Hide a column in a table

Use the Show Column option on the Format Column dialog box to hide and unhide a table column.

  1. On the Data tab in the Properties dialog box, right-click the column, and then click Format Column.

  2. In the Format Column dialog box, clear the Show Column check box.

  3. Click OK to update the drawing table.

Tip:

To show a column that currently is hidden, reset the Show Column option on the Format Column dialog box.

Change the column format

Use the Format Column dialog box to change the appearance of derived columns and of columns you insert.

  1. On the Data tab in the Properties dialog box, click the column you want to format.

  2. Click Format Column .

  3. In the Format Column dialog box, use the options to make your format changes. You can do such things as add, align, and position headers, hide columns, change column width, and align data within the table.

Tip:

  • You can place a header at the top of the column, at the bottom of the column, at both the top and bottom, or neither.

  • Each column header may have multiple lines of text.

  • Changing the column format will change all pages.

  • The alignment of each column header and data can be defined separately. For example, column 1 might have left justification for both the header and the data, while column 2 has center justification for the header and right justification for the data.

  • You can extract property text from the model and display its value in a user-defined column.

To learn how you can change the appearance of individual elements of a table--titles, columns, headers, and data cells--without changing the table style, see the Help topic, Formatting columns and data cells.

Hide or show rows

To hide and show rows, use the Hide command on the shortcut menu of the selected row to do both.

Move rows in a table
  1. On the Data tab in the properties dialog box, click the row you want to move.

  2. Specify the direction you want to move the row by clicking one of the following buttons:

    • Move Row Down

    • Move Row Up

Sort table contents
  1. On the Sorting tab in the Properties dialog box, from the Sort By list, select a column that you want to sort, and then select either Ascending or Descending.

  2. If you want to sort another column, from the Then By list, select a second column that you want to sort, and then select either Ascending or Descending.

  3. If you want to sort a third column, repeat step 2.

  4. Click OK.

Tip:

  • You can use Reverse Order Of Entries (Bottom To Top) to reverse the order in which the sorted data appears. You should set this option if you attach the table to the bottom edge of your drawing border.

  • You can add a column name to the Sort Criteria lists by first adding the column property on the Columns tab.

  • With respect to item numbers in parts lists on assembly drawings, there are two ways you can sort the columns.

    • You can select the Assembly Order criteria in the first Sort by list to match the order that is shown in Assembly PathFinder.

    • You can select the Item Number criteria to use the item numbers generated by the Parts List command.

Add a table title

To add and format a table title, use the options on the Title tab.

  1. On the Title tab in the Properties dialog box, type a table name in the Title Text box.

  2. If you do not want to add another title, skip to step 5.

  3. If you want to add a subtitle, you can press Enter to create a new line and then type another name in the Title Text box.

  4. Repeat step 3 to add any additional titles.

  5. Click Add Title .

  6. Click OK.

Tip:

  • A table can have up to 50 titles.

  • Multiple titles can be displayed sequentially in the table. The order in which the titles are created determines the order they are displayed in the table.

  • Each title may have multiple lines of text.

  • Use the Position option to specify whether to display the title as a header, a footer, both, or not at all.

Extract model information using property text

You can extract property text from the model and display its value in a user-defined column.

  1. On the Data tab in the Properties dialog box, click a user-defined column, and then click Format Column .

  2. In the Format Column dialog box, click Property Text .

  3. In the Select Property Text dialog box, select a property text classification, such as From Graphic Connection or From Graphic Connection To Part. This sets the source, or reference, from which the text will be extracted. It also determines which text properties are displayed in the Properties list.

    Tip:

    In a parts list, you cannot change the data source. It is always From Graphic Connection To Part.

  4. From the Properties list, select the property you want to use, and then click the Select button.

  5. Click OK to update the table with the derived model information.

Copy table contents to the clipboard

To copy, cut, and paste some or all of the table content, use the commands on the shortcut menu. The table borders and headings are copied along with the data in the cells.

  1. On the Data tab in the Properties dialog box, select the table contents that you want to copy.

  2. Right-click to display the shortcut menu.

  3. From the shortcut menu, choose Copy.

Tip:

  • When you copy table contents to the clipboard, you can use the Paste command to place the information into another application, such as a spreadsheet document.

  • To copy the entire table rather than selecting specific rows and columns, you also can right-click the table on the drawing sheet and choose copy from its shortcut menu.

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