8.6.4. No bill of materials is created on the ortho drawing

Fixing Empty Bills of Materials on Ortho Drawings

In this article, you will learn how to troubleshoot the issue of empty Bills of Materials (BOM) in Plant 3D. Using the correct template file is crucial to ensure automatic data linking between the project database and your drawing.

Prerequisites

• The project was created using SuCri Module 4.
• You have access to the project directory in File Explorer.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Identify the Faulty Template: Check if the table structure exists in your current Ortho drawing, but no entries or item numbers appear. This indicates that the current drawing cannot establish a connection to the database.
2. Locate the Correct Template File: Navigate to the following path in your project folder: \Orthos\Styles\Default.
3. Select Template: Look for the file Ortho - A1 - Color Dependent Plot Styles.dwt. This template contains all necessary field definitions and style assignments.
4. Create New Drawing: Create a new Ortho drawing and explicitly select the aforementioned Ortho - A1 - Color Dependent Plot Styles.dwt as the basis.
5. Generate Data: After inserting the views into the new drawing, generate the Bill of Materials again.

   Expected Result: The BOM is automatically populated with all components contained in the 3D model and their corresponding item numbers.

Important Notes

• Always use the standard template delivered with the project to ensure full compatibility of the data fields.
• If you wish to make company-specific adjustments (e.g., your own logo in the title block), it is essential to create these based on the original file Ortho - A1 - Color Dependent Plot Styles.dwt.
• Do not use standard AutoCAD templates or templates from older Plant 3D versions without proper migration.

Troubleshooting

Should the BOM remain empty despite using the correct template, check the following points:

• Are the components in the 3D model correctly assigned to a pipe group?
• Was the Ortho view recently updated (command ORTHOUPDATE)?
• Check in the project folder under \Orthos\Styles\Default whether the template file has possibly been moved or renamed.