Drafting Toolkit
The Drafting Toolkit is the in-Rhino interface for read-only Epicor lookups and for publishing Epicor-driven data onto drawing layouts. The same workflow was demonstrated to the department in 2024 as the “Epicor toolkit” (Grasshopper definition + Synapse panel); it now lives under the Drafting tab of the shared Engineering Toolkit. See Engineering Toolkit (Setup) for installation, Synapse, and first-run login.
Linked layout fields (do not edit by hand)
- Schedule and BOM placeholders on layouts (e.g. G00 general requirements, BOM pages) are driven by fields/variables tied to data the toolkit writes into the Rhino file—not ordinary static text. 1
- Do not edit those values manually in the layout. Manual edits are overwritten the next time you run the toolkit and publish.
- To change what appears, fix the source of truth (Epicor and/or the material schedule / transmittal process) and refresh via the toolkit (see below), then publish again.
Epicor connection (first use)
- The toolkit talks to Epicor over the network for read-only operations (faster than repeating the same lookups in the Epicor client for many tasks).
- First load: you may be prompted for Epicor credentials; complete the login flow once the connection is established. Cached credential behavior is described on Engineering Toolkit (Setup).
Part lookup
- Reverse lookup: Search when you do not yet know the part number—filter by class (e.g. sheet goods), then narrow with search terms to match description and attributes. 1
- Forward lookup: Enter a known part number to pull current part attributes from Epicor.
- Each successful pull shows a cache timestamp (when that read completed). Use it to know how fresh the data is.
- Forward lookup can also prepare layer structure for the material so modeling stays aligned with downstream expectations.
- For hardware modeling and shared blocks, see Modeling Toolkit.
Job BOM lookup
- Query by job to pull the live BOM for that job from Epicor.
- Open jobs only: Closed jobs are ignored to limit data volume—if a lookup returns nothing, confirm the job is open and bombed as expected. 1
- The BOM view can show quantities, UOM, descriptions, and a cross-reference to the material transmittal / approval view the PM maintains (see Project Materials Dashboard). Use it to see whether a line is approved before you model it.
- Header metadata typically includes: time the BOM was cached in the tool, and the most recent Epicor change-log activity for that job—useful to spot stale BOMs.
- Publishing to a layout: Choose the target layout page (e.g. a 200-level BOM page), set class filter (full BOM vs hardware-only where available), then publish so tags/descriptions on the sheet update from the cached BOM. 1
General requirements / material schedule (transmittal)
- Query by project to pull the material schedule the PM maintains (FSC, fire rating, moisture, emissions, etc., as applicable). 1
- Publish to the appropriate layout (commonly G00) to refresh that page.
- Roles:
- Project Manager: Owns accuracy and completeness of material schedule / transmittal data in Epicor (and related dashboards).
- Lead engineer: Uses the toolkit to pull current data and publish to the drawing set so cover sheets and schedules reflect what is in Epicor. Engineers adding BOM lines that are not on the schedule should coordinate so the PM can update the schedule (alerts/workflows may apply—confirm with PM/Epicor practice).
Cache, refresh, and Epicor changes
- Data shown in the toolkit is as of the last lookup for that job or project. If someone changes the BOM in Epicor, the Rhino UI does not auto-update until you re-run the same lookup and refresh the cache (then republish if needed). 1
- Use timestamps in the UI to confirm freshness before you rely on BOM or schedule content for release decisions.
Restoring Model/Layout Space
- Template Tab: 2 Use Template tab in Drafting Toolkit to restore model and layout spaces.
- Restore Model Space: Pulls in and merges all latest data from the template - adds missing layers, geometry, etc. You can turn on/off specific items to restore.
- Restore Layout Space: Pulls in latest versions of layout pages from template. Hover over pages to see descriptions (e.g., “Master Parts List”, “Fabrication Drawing”, “G00 General Schedule”). Can choose specific pages to restore.
- After Modeling Changes: 2 Good practice - after making changes to model space (importing geometry, modeling new parts), click the reset button to ensure toolkit grabs the freshest data from model space.
How do I set drawing variables (submittal scope, project metadata)?
Drafting Toolkit → Setup tab. The submittal scope is auto-populated from the filename; override any field manually. Publish changes to write variables to Rhino Doc UserText. These variables populate throughout all drawing layouts.
Epicor Metadata & Submittal Scope
- Auto-Assignment: 2 By default, toolkit automatically assigns submittal scope to match the file name (e.g., file
1091.008_FE→ scope1091.008). Assumes you’ve intentionally named the file following conventions. - Submittal Scope vs Actual Job Number: 3 Important distinction - Submittal scope is what appears on all pages as page titles (e.g., “Judd.MT.7”). This may differ from the actual Epicor job number (e.g., “9194.M.004”). For catalog items or special cases, you may want submittal scope to be the catalog name while actual job pulls different metadata. If you enter actual job number, it will pre-populate metadata but may not print correct name on pages.
- Metadata Fields: 2 These fields control variables that populate throughout drawings:
- Submittal scope (auto-assigned from filename, or manually set)
- Project/job description (pulled from Epicor if job number entered, or manually filled)
- Client (pulled from Epicor if job number entered, or manually filled)
- Quantity (pulled from Epicor if job number entered, or manually filled)
- Issue date (pulled from Epicor if job number entered, or manually filled)
- Manual Override: Override values manually if needed. For catalog items, you may need to manually fill all fields.
- Group Submittals: Specify multiple job numbers for group submittals.
- Default View: 2 Setup tab shows Epicor metadata expanded by default, submittal scope hidden (can expand/collapse as needed).
How do I populate the T00 (Title/Project) page?
Drafting Toolkit → Project tab → Publish Changes. Manually fill fields not tracked in Epicor (architect, project address). The toolkit auto-populates project metadata from Epicor for the rest.
How do I populate the G00 (General Requirements/Schedules) page?
Drafting Toolkit → Schedules tab. Enter the project number, select the G00 layout, and publish. Data is pulled from the Material Transmittal Log. If a material doesn’t appear, the PM may not have added it to the TRA yet — communicate with your PM. See Material Transmittal Log.
How do I publish BOM data to the pick list (L001)?
Drafting Toolkit → Schedules tab → BOM section. Enter the job number, cache the data, review the data table, then publish. Can filter to hardware-only or show the full BOM.
How do I handle a group submittal in the toolkit?
Set submittal scope to PROJ.GS.001 format, then specify the individual jobs covered (e.g., 1091.008, 1091.009, 1091.010). BOM pulls will cover all specified jobs.
Tags Tables & BOM
- Pull material tags from Epicor (General Material, Finish, Veneer, Solid Wood).
- BOM filters out hardware/manufactured materials by default.
Data Table
- Review materials, quantities, approval status.
- Publish changes to update layout.