What Drawing to BOM does
Drawing to BOM reads the parts table that is already printed on an engineering drawing and turns it into an editable bill of materials (BOM). You choose the drawing page, crop around the table, and MST’s OCR service returns the rows it can read. You then correct them in the browser and export the result.
It reads an existing table. It does not invent a BOM from geometry: a drawing with no parts table needs a separately authored parts list.
Inputs and outputs
- Input
- One PNG, JPEG or PDF drawing, up to 25 MB. For a PDF you pick the page; you then crop around the parts table including its column headings.
- Output
- An editable table with Item, Part number, Description, Quantity and Material columns. Export it as an Excel workbook (.xlsx) or as a CSV file.
How to extract a BOM from a drawing, step by step
- Choose a PNG, JPEG or PDF drawing, or select “Try a sample” to see the workflow first.
- For a PDF, select the page that carries the parts table.
- Drag the crop box around the parts table. Include the column headings and leave unrelated dimensions and notes outside the crop.
- Select “Extract BOM”. The drawing is uploaded to MST’s private GPU service for recognition; you can watch progress and cancel.
- Check every returned row against the drawing: part numbers character by character, quantities and materials. Rows with a low OCR confidence label are flagged for review.
- Edit any wrong cell, then export Excel (.xlsx) or CSV.
Supported file formats
- Drawing input: PNG, JPEG (.jpg, .jpeg) and PDF. The file type is checked from the file itself, and the maximum file size is 25 MB.
- PDF: unencrypted PDFs of up to 500 pages; one page and one crop are read at a time.
- Images: up to 60 megapixels. Export a smaller crop if an image is larger.
- Output: Excel (.xlsx, up to 500 rows) and CSV.
- Not read directly: DWG, DXF or native SOLIDWORKS files. Export the drawing sheet that carries the parts table to PDF or PNG first.
Limits to know before you rely on the result
- OCR can misread characters, for example the letter O and the digit 0. Treat every row as a draft until you have checked it. A confidence label is a prompt for review, not proof of engineering correctness.
- It reads a parts table that is already on the drawing. Missing geometry or hidden components are not inferred.
- Your original file and the recognized result are stored privately by MST. You can delete the server files from the tool; the handbook explains saved uploads and private receipts.
Frequently asked questions
What does the Drawing to BOM tool do?
It reads the parts table printed on a PNG, JPEG or PDF drawing and returns the rows in an editable table. You review and correct the rows, then export them as Excel (.xlsx) or CSV.
Is Drawing to BOM free?
Yes. Drawing to BOM is one of MST’s free engineering tools. You can try the built-in sample first.
Which file formats can I upload?
PNG, JPEG and PDF, up to 25 MB per file. PDFs can have up to 500 pages and you choose the page to read. DWG, DXF and native SOLIDWORKS files are not read directly; export the drawing sheet to PDF or PNG first.
What formats can I export?
Excel (.xlsx, up to 500 rows) and CSV. The columns are Item, Part number, Description, Quantity and Material.
Does it work on a drawing that has no parts table?
No. The tool reads a table that is already printed on the drawing. It does not infer components from geometry, so a drawing without a table needs a separately authored parts list.
How accurate is the extraction?
OCR can misread characters, so the result is a draft. Check every row against the drawing, especially part numbers and quantities. MST does not publish an accuracy figure for this free tool.
What happens to my drawing?
When you choose Extract BOM, the original file is uploaded to MST’s private GPU service and stored with the recognized result. You can cancel processing and delete the server files from the tool. MST states on the tool page that uploaded files are not used for model training.
How do I compare two versions of a BOM?
Export both revisions as CSV and use the free BOM Compare tool, which lists added, removed and changed parts.
About MST
This is a free tool from MST. MST AI Engineer has three modules: drawing to model, layout and connections, and mechanical assembly AI, which takes a P&ID gas-line diagram plus approved PDM parts and equipment rules and builds a native, editable SOLIDWORKS assembly, starting with semiconductor gas equipment. Learn about MST AI Engineer.