Basic information calculated from SolidWorks such as mass, volume, surface area are available in the tool.

• Nested view, where subassemblies are indented
• Flat view, where subassembly structures are ignored (similar to a parts-only BOM)

You can sort the list by one property at a time. Basic calculated numerical data such as component mass, density, and volume are available in the tool. Additionally, you can create customized criteria which are dependent on several numerical values. If you defined noncalculated properties such as Vendor or Status in the component files, you can access those properties for modification and sorting.

If you sort by SW-Material, you can edit component materials directly from the list.

You can save the list information in a separate file such as a Microsoft Excel® spreadsheet or a text file.

In the graphics area, the software applies colors to the components based on the value of the property you are sorting by. The colors help you to visualize the relative value of the property for each component.

To activate the Assembly Visualization tool:

Open (install_dir)\samples\whatsnew\assemblies\visualize\food_processor.sldasm.

Click Assembly Visualization (Tools toolbar or Evaluate tab on the CommandManager).
The Assembly Visualization tab in the FeatureManager design tree panel contains a list of all components in the assembly, sorted initially by file name.

You can click to change the appearance of the list.

Icons in the list indicate the following:

To visualize the assembly:

1. At the top of the last column, click Mass to sort the components by mass.

2. On the left side of the panel, click the vertical bar.

The vertical bar displays a spectrum of colors from red to blue. In the graphics area, the components change to the color that is beside their entry in the Assembly Visualization panel. The colors indicate the relative mass of the components. The heaviest components are shown in red, the lightest in blue, and the others in shades in between.

3. To add another color to the spectrum:

a. Click in the blank area to the left of the vertical bar.

b. In the Color dialog box, select (yellow) and click OK.
A yellow slider is added to the spectrum. The parts change color in the graphics area.

Note: You can move the color sliders up and down to modify the spectrum. You can right-click a color slider and change its color or delete it. To return to the original two sliders, right-click any slider and click Reset all

4. Under the column headers, drag the horizontal bar down and position it below gear-caddy.

In the graphics area, the heaviest component, gear-caddy, is hidden.

5. At the bottom of the list, drag the horizontal bar up and position it above shaft gear insert.

The three components that weigh the least are hidden. Note that the spectrum adjusts to the visible components, showing their relative values.

6. Return the bars to their original positions:

a. Right-click the top bar and click Roll to Top.

b. Right-click the bottom bar and click Roll to End.

You can change the property used to sort components. You can select custom properties defined in the component files and create equations involving those properties.
To change the sorting property:

1. Click the arrow to the right of Mass.
   

   The flyout list contains some commonly used properties. You can also select from any other custom properties already defined in the components, as demonstrated in the following steps.

2. Click More.
3. In the dialog box, in Properties, select Cost.
   Cost appears in Column header.
4. Click Ok.

Cost appears at the top of the property column, and the components are sorted from highest to lowest cost. In the graphics area, the colors of the parts change accordingly.

Some components are in the assembly multiple times. For example, there are five rubber feet on the bottom of the base plate. Component rubber feet appear at the bottom of the list because it costs the least.

Now create and sort by an equation that calculates the extended cost for each part.

1. Click the arrow to the right of Cost.
2. Click More.
3. In the dialog box:
   a. In Properties, select Cost.
   b. In Column header, type Extended Cost.
   c. Select Use Formula.
   Cost appears in the equation box.
   d. In the equation box, type *.
   e. In Properties, select Quantity.
   The equation defines extended cost as cost multiplied by quantity.
4. Click Ok
   Extended Cost appears at the top of the property column and the components are sorted from highest to lowest extended cost. Component rubber feet moves up to the middle of the list. In the graphics area, the colors of the parts adjust accordingly.
   
   Note: You can right-click in the header area and select Unit Precision to change the number of decimal places.
5. Save the assembly.
   The custom column data is saved so it will appear the next time you access Assembly Visualization in this model. You can save the list information in a separate file.
6. In the header area of the list, right-click and click Save as.
7. In the Save As dialog box:
   a. For Save in, select My Documents.
   b. For File name, type my_food_processor.
   c. For Save as type, select Text(*.txt).
   d. Click Save.
   The text file contains a list with the information from the Assembly Visualization panel.
8. At the top of the panel, click Exit Visualization.
   The panel closes and its tab disappears.

Enhancements support complex sorting scenarios and provide additional display and save options.

Sorting and Column Options

You can build more complex sorting scenarios by doing the following:

• Adding multiple columns
• Adding multiple parameters to the sorting hierarchy
• Rearranging column position to change the order in which the parameters are sorted

Right-click a column header and select the following:

• Add Column. Adds a column to the Assembly Visualization list. You can then change which property is listed in the new column.
• Delete Current. Deletes the column you right-clicked. The minimum number of columns is three. The File Name and Quantity columns cannot be deleted.
• Add to Sort Hierarchy. Enables you to sort by the values in that column. A sorting widget appears under the column title. To remove a column from the sort hierarchy, right-click it and click Remove from Sort Hierarchy. When multiple columns have sorting widgets, the hierarchy of the sort is from left to right. Drag a column header to move a column left or right to move it up or down in the sorting hierarchy.
  Note: You can adjust the width of a column to fit the column contents by double-clicking the column separator.

Save and Display Options

With enhanced save and display capabilities, you can:

• Export the Assembly Visualization list in top-level only, parts only, or indented format when saving the list to a separate file. Right-click any column header and click Save as. Then in the Save As dialog box, select Top-level only, Parts only, or Indented.
• Save the Assembly Visualization view as a display state. Click the arrow to the right of the column headers and click Add Display State.
  
• Apply the same color to components that have identical values (for example, when components are sorted by a discrete property such as Vendor or Status). Right-click a color slider and click Group Identical. The software adds sliders as needed to apply a distinct color for each discrete value.
• Set the length of the value bars to be calculated as a percentage of the value for the highest-value component or as a percentage of the value for the entire assembly. Click the arrow to the right of the column headers, click Value Bars, and then click Component Driven or Assembly Driven