NX_BOM

Generate a Bill of Materials (BOM) Excel file directly from a Siemens NX assembly using custom part and assembly attributes.

Overview

NX_BOM is a Visual Basic .NET NXOpen journal designed to automate the creation of BOMs for Siemens NX assemblies. It extracts user-defined attributes from all parts in the assembly, structures them into a BOM, and outputs the result into a formatted Excel file using a customizable template.

This tool is especially helpful for teams standardizing BOM reporting, automating repetitive documentation, or integrating attribute-driven data into downstream manufacturing and quoting workflows.

Features

• Scans all components in a Siemens NX assembly and collects:
  • Detail Number
  • Quantity
  • Description
  • Material/Ordering Number
  • Dimension
  • Heat Treat
  • Comment
  • Change
  • Owning Component (Parent)
• Generates an Excel BOM file (.xlsm or .xlsx) using a template for consistent formatting.
• If a BOM already exists, adds a new sheet instead of overwriting.
• Supports attribute grouping, quantity aggregation, and parent-child hierarchy tracking.
• Compatible with the Siemens NXOpen API and Excel via COM automation.
• Output file is saved in the assembly’s directory for easy access.

Requirements

• Siemens NX (with NXOpen support, tested with versions 1847+)
• Microsoft Excel (with macros enabled, for .xlsm output)
• Network access to the Excel template path (default: \\server\files\lib\macros\NX\TEMPLATES\STOCKLIST-STARTER.xlsm)
• Windows OS (required for COM automation with Excel)
• [Optional] Modify templatePath in NX_BOM.vb to point to your preferred BOM template

Setup

1. Download or Clone the Repository

   git clone https://github.com/DWeller1013/NX_BOM.git

2. Configure the Template Path

   Edit NX_BOM.vb and update the templatePath variable if your template is located elsewhere.

3. Place Script Where Needed

   Place the NX_BOM.vb file in your desired scripts/journals directory accessible from NX.

4. Set Up NX Environment

   • Ensure you have appropriate permissions to run journals in NX.
   • Load the journal using the NX Journal Editor or via the NX menu:

     Tools > Journal > Play
     

Usage

1. Open the Target Assembly in Siemens NX

2. Run the Journal

   • Play the NX_BOM.vb journal.
   • The script will prompt for a part file if none is open.
   • It will scan the assembly, compile attributes, and output the BOM to Excel.

3. Find Output

   • The BOM Excel file will be saved in the same directory as your NX assembly.
   • If a BOM already exists, a new sheet will be added to the file.
   • Sheet names follow the format BOM-00X.

Example Attribute Mapping

NX Attribute Title	Excel BOM Column
Detail Number	Detail Number (A)
Description	Description (C)
Material/Ordering Number	Material/Ordering Number (D)
Dimension	Dimension (E)
Heat_Treat	Heat_Treat (F)
Comment	Comment (G)
Change	Change (H)
Parent Component Name	Owning Comp (I)

Customization

• Excel Template: Adjust templatePath to use your own BOM format.
• Attribute Names: Update attribute titles in the code if your organization uses different naming conventions.
• Additional Columns: Extend the AssemblyComponent class and Excel-writing routines to support more metadata.

Troubleshooting

• Ensure Excel and network template paths are accessible from your machine.
• NXOpen API errors typically indicate version or permissions mismatches.
• For debugging, use the Guide.InfoWriteLine or Echo subroutines in the code to print diagnostic output.

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Author: DWeller1013
Project: NX_BOM