Elmo BoM is a Windows application that allows extraction of a rich set of metadata, such as properties from Autodesk Inventor and SolidWorks assemblies, parts and drawings, as well as block references and their attributes (if present) and external references, from AutoCAD DWG and DXF files.  It can also extract Bills of Materials (BoMs) from Mechanical Desktop and AutoCAD/Mechanical drawings, properties from AEC objects in Autodesk Architectural Desktop documents and Microsoft Visio documents.

After the user tells Elmo BoM where to start the search, and where to output the data, Elmo BoM will scan the specified folder and, optionally, all folders below it, and extract all of the following data into an XML or  tab-delimited text file:

• Assembly filename / DWG filename
• Part or subassembly filename / block reference name
• Number of instances of this part / subassembly that were found in the same assembly (always 1 in the case of AutoCAD block references)
• Type of object found (Assembly, component, block reference or external reference)
• AutoCAD handle (AutoCAD files only)
• X coordinate of insertion point (AutoCAD files only)
• Y coordinate of insertion point (AutoCAD files only)
• Z coordinate of insertion point (AutoCAD files only)
• Layer on which block reference is inserted (AutoCAD files only)
• All of the relevant metadata data for this component

Elmo BoM was developed with the non-designing users in mind.  Its purpose is primarily to allow those people to use of data that is generated, either automatically or manually, during the design process.  Those people may be involved in a wide range of business processes:

• Production & manufacturing
• Cost & estimating
• Sales & marketing
• Quality assurance
• R&D

Data exported by Elmo BoM can be used for a wide range of applications, among others:

• Build bills of materials
• Import bills of material into MRP / ERP systems
• Import data into cost product calculation systems
• User activity  reports
• "Where-used" reports
• Document catalogs
• Product catalogs
• Spare parts catalogs
• Whatever you can think of

Originally, the whole idea behind Elmo BoM was to use it as a showcase of our in-depth expertise on the management of one of your most precious assets: your digital design data.  We expect you to use Elmo BoM on a daily basis and, eventually, you're going to have support needs.  Or better yet, you'll think of something else you would like Elmo BoM to do for you.  Or even better yet, you'll call on us to discuss some other issues, critical or not, you may face in your business.  In any of those situations, we will gladly help you.  That's how we expect our investment - past and future - in Elmo BoM to pay off.

Although Elmo BoM is developed on specifications that should reflect the needs of most potential users, you may have specific needs that require special features and / or custom software development.  It is likely that our R+D department can help you in that respect:  Just send an eMail to info(at)elmosolutions.com , or call our toll-free number: (866) 522-3207, extension 211.

Elmo Solutions is the leader in the creation, management and publishing of digital design data.  Working mainly with SolidWorks and Autodesk technologies, Elmo Solutions offers a wide range of consulting, planning, software development, customization, training and implementation services and solutions for the manufacturing, building and construction and earth sciences industries.