Automation Tip
Nitro-BOM Performance Tips
Overview
Nitro-BOM is an awesome tool for extracting Creo Parametric Assembly BOM data to Microsoft Excel.

The larger the Creo Assembly ... the more time Nitro-BOM saves.

Here are a few tips to keep your productivity up when using Nitro-BOM for to extract Assembly BOM data to Excel!
Export ONLY what you need...
Nitro-BOM by default will try to export
- every Model,
- every Parameter, and
- every Value
to Excel...

As a result, the total amount of data involved is important to consider when using Nitro-BOM and Excel.

As the number of models increase and the number of unique Parameters also increase... expect the export and validation of your data to take longer.

Here are a few tips to keep things moving quickly!
1
Use a Parameter Map!
The Parameter Map Tab is used to define which Parameters you want to limit for export and are crucial to keeping things moving quickly during export operations!

Note: a Parameter Map is not use for import operations, but is used for the refresh of the BOM data being exported.

You must "apply" the Parameter Map setting in the application to force Nitro-BOM to apply the Parameter Map.

Key things to remember:

  • The more total data you have (models X parameters)
    • the longer it will take for an export operation to occur
    • the longer it will take to validate and update during import operations
  • Parameter Maps reduce the amount of data being exported by limiting each model query to only the Parameter Names in the Parameter Map
When things feel like they are taking too long to export/import, chances are applying a Parameter Map is the solution!
2
Disable the ALL_PARAMS Report (when not needed)
If you are only interested in export BOM data ... and are not going to be modifying any data after export... then...

Simply disable the ALL_PARAMS report export option.

This will speed things up considerably by avoiding the detailed reporting and formatting specific to the ALL_PARAMS Report when exporting BOM data to Excel.
3
Disable Force Export ALL Params
If you are using a Parameter Maps for filtering your BOM Report Columns, be sure to disable the Force ALL Params to be Exported option.

If this is enabled, the Parameter Map is still applied, but ALL of the parameters are still being retrieved for export and formatting in the ALL_PARAMS report.
4
Disable Colorize Reports
Colorized reports are nice, but they can add to the processing time if you use this option for export.

Since Nitro-BOM exports to native Excel Tables for ALL standard BOM Reports, Excel Table Styles are an option for presentation.

Nitro-BOM will preserve your Excel Table Styles upon a later export to the same Table in Excel.
5
Use NITRO_BOM_FILTER to avoid unnecessary item(s) reporting
There are many situations where CAD geometry from other sources needs to be brought in Creo from other systems (e.g. vendor or customer data) but partially reported, or not at all.

Nitro-BOM automatically checks for special model parameter (NITRO_BOM_FILTER) that you can add from Nitro-BOM, or manually in Creo, to optionally control the reporting of model content to Nitro-BOM exported reports.

  • NITRO_BOM_FILTER = NOWALK -> will report a sub-assembly, but not any content within it to the Nitro-BOM report(s)
  • NITRO_BOM_FILTER = NOREPORT - this not report any item that contains this value
The Nitro-BOM export setting Apply Nitro-BOM Filter must be enabled for the NITRO_BOM_FILTER options to be applied.

6
Remove Unused/UnModified Rows from ALL_PARAMS prior to Import
As of Nitro-BOM 8.5, to improve the speed, the ALL_PARAMS Report will only report back the components that are in the ALL_PARAMS Report for Import of changes (whether flagged for change or not).

If you want additional import/export performance for ALL_PARAMS modifications, simply delete rows that are not being changed prior to import. The reporting back after Import operations will go much faster to the ALL_PARAMS Report.

All of the components can be obtained easily by executing a standard export again.
7
Productivity Increased!
Use All Params Batching
Working with a very large assembly?

Need just a few changes to specific models?

Use Batch Export / Import to quickly filter exports for only the content you need!
1
Batch Export / Import saves time!
Nitro-BOM has the ability to batch export and import to the ALL_PARAMS Report.

The All Params Batching Tab contains special batch Import / Export options that enable you to filter BOM content by Model name(s).

You can use wildcards to define single or multiple match conditions for the models to process.

Batch processing also works with the Active Model, content in the Working Directory or within a Windchill Workspace.

Key things to remember

  • Batch Processing only works with the ALL_PARAMS Report
  • Parameter Maps reduce the amount of data being exported by limiting each model query to only the Parameter Names in the Parameter Map
2
Time Saved!