Uneditable Custom Properties

[Uncle_Hairball]

Anyone know how to overcome a part with uneditable custom properties? This component came from a supplier.

[zwei]

Without looking at the file, I cannot prpoperly advise...

My first guess is that you had imported the part with 3DInterconnect which link the part to the 3rd party CAD file.
The custom properties are locked when the third-party CAD file and the SOLIDWORKS file are linked. To overwrite these properties, you must break the link.

Try turning off the 3D Interconnect and reimport the file again

[Uncle_Hairball]

Without looking at the file, I cannot prpoperly advise...

My first guess is that you had imported the part with 3DInterconnect which link the part to the 3rd party CAD file.
The custom properties are locked when the third-party CAD file and the SOLIDWORKS file are linked. To overwrite these properties, you must break the link.

Try turning off the 3D Interconnect and reimport the file again

Very good, that is the right answer. I hadn't noticed that it is a linked .step file.

Is there any way to break the link and turn it into a regular Solidworks part?

[JPARKER]

If you right-click on the features in the tree and select "Dissolve Feature" it will break the link to the original CAD file.

[SPerman]

Click on the properties for the part, and make sure there aren't "configuration specific" properties.

I've had the software create those when I did a "save as" on a part. Until I delete them, the print will not recognize the regular custom properties.

[Uncle_Hairball]

Yes, there is one configuration-specific property, but I cannot delete it either. I can add more, but cannot delete existing properties.

[Uncle_Hairball]

If you right-click on the features in the tree and select "Dissolve Feature" it will break the link to the original CAD file.

Worked perfectly. Thanks!

[SolidMuse]

If you do not wish to use the 3DInterconnect you can disable it in the SolidWorks Options.... By default it is toggled on when doing a new install of SolidWorks.

[Uncle_Hairball]

Now what??? I've got another imported part whose custom properties I cannot edit, but 3D Interconnect is turned off. Any idea how to make the custom properties editable?

[DanPihlaja]

If you do not wish to use the 3DInterconnect you can disable it in the SolidWorks Options.... By default it is toggled on when doing a new install of SolidWorks.

Just be aware that the algorithm for importing STP files (and the like) is different when you have 3D interconnect on (more robust) vs when you have it off.

(they may have fixed this, but they hadn't yet as of 2022 as far as I know).

Test this out on complex parts. There is a noticeable difference in the imported parts.

So I keep 3D interconnect on to use the advanced algorithm, and then immediately break the link.

[DanPihlaja]

Now what??? I've got another imported part whose custom properties I cannot edit, but 3D Interconnect is turned off. Any idea how to make the custom properties editable?

If you import a part into another part (using "Insert"-->"Part"), then there is a check box to import custom properties with it. This makes the imported custom properties un-editable.

Could this be the problem that you are having?

[Uncle_Hairball]

If you import a part into another part (using "Insert"-->"Part"), then there is a check box to import custom properties with it. This makes the imported custom properties un-editable.

image.png

image.png

Could this be the problem that you are having?

No, my parts' custom properties look normal, but are greyed out; cannot be selected.

I tried downloading and importing the .step again, but got the same results. I then tried your suggestion to enable 3D Interconnect and break the link, which gave me editable custom properties.

Thanks for the helpful advice. Now I can work around this problem.

[mp3-250]

Just be aware that the algorithm for importing STP files (and the like) is different when you have 3D interconnect on (more robust) vs when you have it off.

(they may have fixed this, but they hadn't yet as of 2022 as far as I know).

Test this out on complex parts. There is a noticeable difference in the imported parts.

So I keep 3D interconnect on to use the advanced algorithm, and then immediately break the link.

it is appaerently by design to have two algorithms for data imports.
3d interconnect link should be cut the moment you successfully import the data and you do not need it.