Backround:

• Our design work is 90% assembly modeling - we build pumping systems using pipes, pumps, valves, etc.... so we have a large (close to a thousand parts/assemblies, some of which have many configurations) library of standard, part numbered parts that we use in our system designs.
  
• System Frames are designed in house, and then fabrication drawings are sent to an outside shop for construction - the weldment cut lists on these drawings do not contain part number information as it is irrelevant to the frame builder - they only need the size & type of member on the list. When the frame arrives, it gets a single part number, irregardless of the components that make it up.
  
• We usually add pipe supports & brackets for control panels during the design process, with the intent for our mechanics to build them during production. The materials used are structural steel componants that have part numbers assigned to them. They are metered in 1/8" increments in our ERP system (ie. a 10 ft. lentgh of 2"x2"x1/8" Square Tubing would be p/n 1234.567.890 with a qty of 120.00"). These components must be accounted for in the BOM for a system.
  
• The components we use to make these brackets are modeled structural components, with massive design tables controlling configurations from 1" in length to 240" in length is 1/8" increments. This makes modeling brackets & supports a cumbersome activity .
  

The Goal:

I want to be able to model brackets & supports using weldment tools instead, but I need to be able to make the weldment integration into our BOMs as seamless as possible.

The problem...

I'm trying to update our weldment profiles so that they can be integrated for use with our existing BOM Templates. I am encountering a few problems...

The Length and Material properties are automatically inserted for the weldment members when a weldment part is created. I want the material property set to a specific value (ie. CS = Carbon Steel, CI = Cast Iron, GALV = Galvanized Steel, etc...). We do this in our other parts by simply setting the Material property value at the part level to whatever we want displayed in the Material column on the BOM. I tried setting this in the Weldment Profile, but it doesn't translate to the weldment part when the profile is used. The Weldment part overrides this value with whatever is set in the weldment part properties.

The length property is a similar issue - The "LENGTH" Property is set automatically when the weldment is created, but the "Length" column in our BOM looks at the "SWPIPELENGTH" property for it's value. I was hoping there was some method for making the two "equal", or somehow getting the "LENGTH" property to change to "SWPIPELENGTH" but I've thus far had no luck.

These are the only two sticking points I'm running into... any ideas?