Assembly Builder Overview

 Overview

The Assembly Builder lets you choose which components are available in each assembly so detailers see the parts they use. In release 3.0, it replaces the assembly template and the old parts list tag settings. Use the builder to manage components on individual assemblies and the Component Library to manage your company parts library.

What you'll learn

• Open the Assembly Builder from the Assemblies tab or from Project Settings
• Find assembly groups, assemblies, and component options in the builder
• Edit or remove a component line on a single assembly without changing your catalog
• Hide component options you do not use, such as two-gang mud rings, while keeping them stored
• Understand which changes belong in the Assembly Builder or the Component Library
• Export your parts list, add data, and re-import it

Before You Begin

The Assembly Builder is part of release 3.0. If your company moved over from an existing assembly template, your material sections arrived in a generic Other category. You can use them as they are. Contact your customer success manager (CSM) if you want those sections broken out for boxes and brackets.

Part 1 — Open the Assembly Builder

To open the builder from the Assemblies tab:

1. Click the Assemblies tab.
2. Click the builder button in the upper right corner of the Assemblies tab.
3. Click Project Settings in the lower left corner.
4. Open Trade Settings.
5. Click Assembly Builder, the third option down.
6. Look at the first column. It lists your assembly groups, such as lighting assemblies and in-wall assemblies. These match the categories on the Assemblies tab.
7. Click a group, such as in-wall. The second column lists the assemblies in that group.
8. Click an assembly, such as the duplex receptacle.
9. Review the components that make up the assembly and the options available in each component category.
10. Open a drop-down, such as brackets, boxes, or mud rings, to see the options for that category.
11. Check the box on the line item you want to change.
12. To edit the component name, tag, UPC, pricing, or install time, click Edit.
13. To remove the line item instead, use the removal option in the assembly's parts list.
14. Open the assembly, such as the duplex receptacle.
15. Click Manage Components.
16. Review the components added to this assembly at the top of the screen.
17. Review the material sections. If you came from an existing assembly template, you will see Other.
18. To remove a whole category from the assembly, such as brackets, uncheck it.
19. To limit the options within a category, uncheck the options you do not want available.
20. Click Update Selected Parts.
21. Open the Component Library.
22. Review your material categories and the options in each, such as brackets and mud rings.
23. Check the boxes on a category to see its components.
24. Use the add option on a category to add a single component by hand.
25. Fill in the name, pricing, install hours, and other details for the component.
26. Export your parts list.
27. Make your changes in the exported file.
28. Import the file back in.

To open it from project settings instead:

Note: The builder replaces the assembly template and the parts list tag settings. How parts populate inside each assembly has not changed, and all of your categories are still available.

Note: You can now change the order of your categories.

Part 2 — Read the Builder Layout

Part 3 — Edit or Remove a Component on One Assembly

Note: Deleting a line item here removes it from this assembly only. It does not remove it from your catalog.

Part 4 — Manage Components on an Assembly

For a standard single-gang duplex assembly, keep the single-gang mud ring options checked and uncheck the two-gang options. Detailers will then see only the selected options in the drop-down.

Note: Unchecked parts stay stored in the assembly. They are not shown when you detail, and you can turn them back on later.

Best practice: Limit each assembly to the product your prefab shop actually builds.

Note: Assign Components opens the same screen as Manage Components. Use that screen to add new selections to the assembly. The next videos in the set cover this process.

Part 5 — Use the Component Library

Use the Component Library to add and maintain components in your company parts library. Use the Assembly Builder to assign those components to individual assemblies.

To update many components at once:

Best practice: Add data to your exported parts list using the easy, medium, and difficult columns, custom columns, material cost per line item, and the UPC number. More complete data helps support ordering, installation, and fab shop outputs.

Quick Reference

Troubleshooting

Next Steps

Next video in the set: Creating a New Assembly.