How do I set 'Follow Assembly Order' as default for BOMs?

SOLIDWORKS How To Questions
1

I have a long list of Windows Sticky Notes that I use to jot down changes I need to make to templates and such when upgrading SOLIDWORKS/PDM to improve the user experience.

Back in 2022 I added a sticky note with this text:

Enable 'Follow assembly order’ in template. See S-068439

We always use the ‘Follow assembly order’ option for our BOMs in drawings, so I want to make it the default. However, that solution ID doesn’t seem to exist anymore, and the setting does not get saved when you save a BOM as a BOM template.

Does anyone one know the secret contained in the missing Solution ID?

2

Aha! I found an old post of mine in the SWYMp where I copy/pasted the relevant bits from the Solution:

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S-068439

Starting in SOLIDWORKS® 2015, it is possible to save the ‘Follow assembly order’ option within the BOM template. The ‘Follow assembly order’ option is saved as BOM sort option.

In the SOLIDWORKS® 2015 help menu, refer to ‘Bill of Materials Sort’ and ‘Saving Sort Settings for BOMs’.

Follow these steps to save the ‘Follow assembly order’ option within the BOM template:

  1. Right-click a BOM table in an assembly or drawing and choose ‘Sort’ (or ‘Edit Sort’).
  2. Enable the option ‘Follow Assembly Order’ option. You can also select the ‘Follow Sub-Assembly Order’ if needed.
  3. Enable the ‘Sort save’ option ‘Save Current sort settings’.
  4. Click ‘OK’.
  5. Right-click the BOM table, choose ‘Save as’, and save the table as a template.

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3

I subscribe the solutions and kb articles I am interested about, and sometimes there is a mail notificatiin about them being retired, without a reason.

I think those solution may have unwanted side effects or they are no more supported on newer SW versions. who knows…

They could be hidden, but VARs only could access the content. I asked and sometimes got access to the content that way. Other times I was denied with a "the content is not meant for final users” trope. (it was a tool presentent to SW PDM users by a VAR at the annual SW event)