I'd like to search for specific words that are on the drawing from outside SW. In other words, can I find a word on a drawing with a macro or some other device? I do not want to open any drawings to do this...
TIA
Steve C
I'd like to search for specific words that are on the drawing from outside SW. In other words, can I find a word on a drawing with a macro or some other device? I do not want to open any drawings to do this...
TIA
Steve C
You mean to find a word from notes only or everything like dimension, title block?
Hows about Google Translate apps by Google, Inc
Like specific words that would show up in a general note.
Steve C
Yes, you can write a macro to read the notes on dwg and search for a string (specific words)
But this must be done on the SW, not from outside SW as you mentioned
Yes, I kind of figured that, thanks. For some strange reason, I don't have SW Explorer loaded and thought it might work, too.
Steve C
What SW explorer has something to do with searching words?
I guess you're already aware of SW explorer must be installed in you computer in order to load it ?
If you use EPDM and indexing is set up for the vault, you can do a content search. SW Explorer has a similiar feature. I believe that any other method will require opening the drawing.
Jim,
I tried but am not sure if you can search text on the dwg from SW explorer?
This has been discussed here
I just tried it and it works. As long as the Windows indexing service is running and has been told to index the directories where the files are located, it will index the content of annotations:
If your workflow happens to include saving copies of drawings in PDF format, then you're in luck. You can set up windows search to index those files and search on their contents.
If not, the only other way I know to do it would be to write a macro that uses the document manager API to get the custom property info. Document manager can't get contents of notes and dimensions as far as I know, so this would limit the search to title block type info.
Agreed!
SaveAs PDF and use PDF "Fine" command is the answer to your question
Yep, all my title block info comes from our PDM system so that search is easy. It's the non-title block crap that has me.
Someone here mentioned the PDF search so I guess that's the answer.
thanks
Steve C
yes, here is a screen shot from PDF
Success, in part...
I am able to search PDFs for keywords. Now, to search 10s of 1000s of potential drawings
Steve C
I am not sure whether EPDM's indexing service can search contents of PDF files. If it can't, you will need to have your PDM admin change it to use Windows Search. Windows search is not able to search contents of PDF by default and needs to be configured to do so. See this article, which explains how to install the Adobe PDF iFilter which will enable searching on contents of PDF files. This would need to be done on your PDM server, so again, you'd need your PDM admin to set this up. And then of course you'd need to wait for the index to be updated in order for you to be able to perform the search.
Here are my PDM search settings. I believe these are out of the box settings. I don't think we've ever adjusted them. If I am right, you can see that indexing is off by default and when turned on will default to windows search.
If your workflow happens to include saving copies of drawings in PDF format, then you're in luck. You can set up windows search to index those files and search on their contents.
If not, the only other way I know to do it would be to write a macro that uses the document manager API to get the custom property info. Document manager can't get contents of notes and dimensions as far as I know, so this would limit the search to title block type info.