Design & Engineering Workflow AutomationPurpose
1.2. Enable automated generation of comprehensive material lists for model makers and procurement.
1.3. Achieve automated aggregation, classification, and formatting of bill of materials (BOM) from source documents.
1.4. Automate the process for accuracy, speed, and elimination of manual transcription or data entry.
1.5. Ensure automated integration of material list outputs with downstream inventory and ordering systems.
Trigger Conditions
2.2. File creation or update in a collaborative design platform (e.g., Autodesk BIM 360, Revit, SolidWorks PDM).
2.3. Automated email receipt of a design attachment with specific subject line or content.
2.4. Periodic scheduling (e.g., daily at midnight) for batch processing of recent design files.
2.5. Automated API call from a project management tool signaling design phase completion.
Platform Variants
• Feature/Setting: Model Derivative API to parse and extract material data; configure GET job/:urn endpoint.
3.2. AutoCAD Web API
• Feature/Setting: Use Data Extraction API; POST to /dataextraction to automate BOM from .dwg files.
3.3. Revit API
• Feature/Setting: Extract Material Takeoff schedules; automate via MaterialQuantities property or filtered collector.
3.4. SolidWorks PDM
• Feature/Setting: Task Add-in with API to automate reading and exporting BOM for each checked-in file.
3.5. Onshape API
• Feature/Setting: BOM export endpoint; automate GET /api/assemblies/{did}/{wid}/bom to fetch materials.
3.6. Google Drive API
• Feature/Setting: Watch files (files.watch) for upload events; trigger automated processing pipeline.
3.7. Dropbox Business API
• Feature/Setting: /files/list_folder/continue webhook to automate ingest on file change event.
3.8. Microsoft OneDrive API
• Feature/Setting: subscribing to delta changes on folder; automate flow on file additions for design documents.
3.9. Zapier
• Feature/Setting: New File in Folder trigger; automate cloud-to-cloud handoff for parsing routines.
3.10. Integromat
• Feature/Setting: Watch Files in Google Drive; automate scenario for parsing and transformation.
3.11. AWS Lambda
• Feature/Setting: Automatic invocation by S3 event to automate parsing of uploaded design files.
3.12. Azure Logic Apps
• Feature/Setting: Automated workflow orchestration; trigger on Blob Storage upload, parse and output BOM.
3.13. Docparser
• Feature/Setting: Automated parsing rules for extracting structured material lists from PDF drawings.
3.14. UiPath
• Feature/Setting: Automate desktop extraction of BOM from local design files using Document Understanding.
3.15. Blue Prism
• Feature/Setting: File Watcher automation to trigger parsing routines on local or network file change.
3.16. M-Files
• Feature/Setting: Automated metadata-driven workflow; file type triggers automatic BOM extraction.
3.17. Smartsheet
• Feature/Setting: Data Shuttle; automate material list population from structured design file exports.
3.18. Monday.com
• Feature/Setting: Automate board item creation when new BOM details are parsed from files via API.
3.19. Quickbase
• Feature/Setting: Pipelines to automate ingest and transformation of parsed material list data.
3.20. Google Apps Script
• Feature/Setting: Automated script watches Google Drive, triggers regex-based extraction for BOM.
Benefits
4.2. Automates integration with procurement, inventory, and project management for real-time workflows.
4.3. Automator accelerates model-making project timelines through instant, accurate BOM outputs.
4.4. Automating ensures consistency, version control, and compliance in material tracking and documentation.
4.5. Automation enables scalable, repeatable processes suitable for both small and large-scale design operations.