Mechanical catalog in MDB and XML and...?

I'm trying to find out if the catalogs in the Mechanical section are something we can use for something. Is it possible to setup some rules – for example can it be setup to show a list of the available sizes of duct(without going the the Manufature catalog...), and is it possible to get it to select the correct bend radius for the selected size…
I have tried using the delivered UK_DW144.mdb.  it works fine with one value per size but i can't get is to with multiple systems per systems per size.
(Example with 2 diffent Elbow radius, each is created as a system- so one system is call "80" and the other "80-R1". The naming is the same in both the Elbow and duct table)

Elbow table: 

'ID;Product Code;Manufacturer;Type;Material;D1;D2;standardAngle;ANGLE;R/D;R;L1;L2;EndType
1;80;Noro;PRESSED AND FOLDED BENDS 90°;GALVANISED;80;80;90;90;2;160;0;0;"fl-6;fl-6;"
17;80-R1;Noro;SHORT PRESSED AND FOLDED BENDS 90°;GALVANISED;80;80;90;90;1;80;0;0;"fl-6;fl-6;"

Duct table:
'ID;Product Code;Type;Manufacturer;Material;D1
1;80;Round Elbow;Noro;GALVANISED;80
82;80-R1;Round Elbow;Noro;GALVANISED;80

Problem is that is seams to just pick the first in the row with the same dimension without looking at the "Product Code".

I have tried to find some information / guides in how to get started – but failed… Is there somewhere I can read more about setting this up? 

  • I'm not sure I understand exactly what it is you're trying to do, but in order to filter query values the object does have to use a manufacturer's catalog.

    For reference, you can add the Radius parameter to the query criteria in order to get a record specific to that Radius value in UK_DW144.xml file:

    <QueryCriteria   NumOfParams="3" Param1="ANGLE" Param2="D1" Param3=”R”/>

     

    However, in the latest ABD you no longer have to manually edit the XML to do so (although you still can):