Property Tab Builder Overview

The Property Tab Builder is a stand-alone utility that you use to create a customized interface for entering properties into SOLIDWORKS files.

The tabs that you create with Property Tab Builder appear in the SOLIDWORKS software on the Custom Properties tab in the Task Pane. You can create different tab templates for parts, assemblies, drawings, and weldments.

With the Property Tab Builder, you can enter properties on the Custom and Configuration Properties tabs in the Properties dialog box in the SOLIDWORKS software.

In companies with multiple SOLIDWORKS users, typically an administrator creates the customized tabs. Users use these tabs in the SOLIDWORKS software to enter properties.

The installed version of the SOLIDWORKS software displays in the Property Tab Builder header. You can use this label to verify that you are creating a template for the version that the users have on their machines.

If you installed SOLIDWORKS Connected and saved the document with 3DEXPERIENCE Integration, and defined the property as Custom Property/All Configurations:

  • The property applies to all configurations of the part/assembly.
  • In the Task pane, Custom Properties is:
    • Blank if you did not define the property for the active document.
    • The value of the property in the active configuration.
    • *** if the property values are different for each configuration.
  • In an assembly, if you saved some parts with 3DEXPERIENCE Integration and some without, and if they share the same Property Tab Builder template, then the value of the property applies to:
    • All configurations for 3DEXPERIENCE files.
    • Custom properties for non-3DEXPERIENCE files.

Storing Templates

Save the tab templates in the same location as the properties.txt file. You can create multiple templates for each document type. The file extension indicates the template type:

  • .prtprp (parts)
  • .asmprp (assemblies)
  • .drwprp (drawings)
  • .wldprp (weldments)

To find the location of the properties.txt file, in the SOLIDWORKS software, click Options > File Locations. From Show folders for, select Custom Properties Files. The path appears under Folders.

To share the customized tab, store it on a network drive that is accessible by SOLIDWORKS users. Users can define their file location for Custom Properties Files as the network drive.