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PDMWorkgroup automatic pdf creation in specific directory

Question asked by Arnt Wiebicke on Apr 18, 2009
Latest reply on Apr 30, 2010 by Larry Zolla

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Hey guys,

I am currently running the task scheduler to copy all of our SW drawings into pdf to a specific directory on our server that everyone can access (Purchasing & Sales). This directory will always contain the latest copy of the SW drawing document. How can i ensure that when a user signs a drawing in that it automatically creates a copy as a pdf and overwrites it in the "PDF" folder. Using the automatic pdf creation in the Vault Admin doesnt really help since other people that dont have SW explorer or the vault viewer cant access them. Is this an API question? If so could anyone share the code since i am really new and dont know how to program all that well. I saw posted code in another thread for pdf creation.

Thanks a bunch,
Arnt.

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John McCall Apr 20, 2009 6:39 AM
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Hello,

I am in the same boat as you. How do you communicate with the other departments abot BOM.? Is it a excel spred sheet on the server and one folder holding all lastest pdf/dxfProfile drawings?

John
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- Arnt Wiebicke @ John McCall on Apr 25, 2009 5:13 PM
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  John,
  
  We currently use an ancient MRP system called Harris that we keep up to date for our BOM. We have no link between our PDM and MRP system and would be really powerful if we could link the BOM out of PDM to Harris. We have one folder on the server that we store all of our pdf's in. At the moment these are all SW pdf's but we are moving towards bringing all of our thousands of ACAD drawings into the same directory as pdf's. Some of ACAD drawings are done in paperspace and some in model space. since a lot of our drawings have differrent print scales it might be difficult to find a pdf converter that is intelligent enough to recognize the different sheet scales. Some pdf's might come in super small.
  
  Regards,
  Arnt.
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  - Anna Wood @ Arnt Wiebicke on Apr 25, 2009 9:19 PM
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    Does your Harris MRP system utilize a database to store its info? If it does, what is the database software, SQL, FoxPro or what?
    
    You can hook into any database and create custom programming to do what you want. It is a matter of how much your company wants to spend to get the programming done.
    
    You could also get programming done to handle your pdf creation/conversion needs in AutoCAD. Probably be a good idea to head over to the AutoDesk forums and ask you pdf conversion questions there. I bet someone has done it already for AutoCAD. What you need to do is not unique, there probably already is some off the shelf program written specifically for AutoCAd to handle your needs.
    
    I would be looking to find a programmer to develop the application/s you need.
    
    Cheers,
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    - Arnt Wiebicke @ Anna Wood on Apr 27, 2009 2:52 PM
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      Hey Anna,
      Dont want to divert of the topic that is discussed here with regards to Harris. I have another post running on it. Please come and see to discuss. With regards to the pdf creation i saw John handled it somehow at his company and i tried to get some answers from him. Again, thanks so much for your answers.
      Regards,
      Arnt.
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Jiral Parikh Apr 21, 2009 11:30 AM
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I think the best way to do this would be through PDMWorks server. Whenever server gets new drawing, it can create pdf file and save it to specific directory. This is not something you can do yourself if you are not good at programming. I have asked somewhat similar thing to our VAR and they quote us around $1000 to do this which is not bad.
I am still on SolidWorks 2007. So, there is a possibility of better way to do this with new SolidWorks version.
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- Arnt Wiebicke @ Jiral Parikh on Apr 22, 2009 1:42 PM
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  Well there sort of is but it doesnt serve any purpose for those that dont have the vault viewer. You can automatically create pdf's on sign when you turn on the function in the Vault Admin. This however is useful when you have SW explorer or PDMViewer. It doesnt actually save the file with a .pdf ending. I spoke to our VAR and it is possible by writing a custom script that listens to the triggers API function in PDMWorks and performs a custom task, like pdf creation, as the files are checked in. I still have problems to write these functions. Someone must know.
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  - Rui Santos @ Arnt Wiebicke on Apr 23, 2009 7:17 AM
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    Hello,
    
    I did this already in c#, and is working well for us.
    We are using PDMWorks for Workgroups.
    When we checkin, a trigger is initiated and if the document is a drawing, a pdf file is created for each sheet in the drawing. This is a standalone executable.
    Is this what you wanted?
    
    Regards,
    Rui Santos
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    - Jesse Seger @ Rui Santos on Apr 23, 2009 9:51 AM
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      Yes this is something very useful. Could you share some source code?? I'd like to build something similar. Thanks...
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    - Arnt Wiebicke @ Rui Santos on Apr 24, 2009 10:51 PM
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      Rui,
      
      Yes but the standalone executable should detect this automatically. Please let me know if you could share some of your knowledge with regards to automatic pdf creation. There are some other users that probably are in need as well. Right now i am running a task scheduler for the whole vault to create the pdf's which works for us. But no need too if the rescent revision is saved as a pdf file in a specific directory where we store all of our latest pdf files. I am currently in the process of reorganizing our Vault structure to use Lifecycles. If you have any info on that as well let me know and i can start a new topic to share information.
      
      Thanks in advance,
      
      Arnt.
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      - Rui Santos @ Arnt Wiebicke on May 7, 2009 3:57 PM
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        Arnt Wiebicke wrote:
        
        Rui,
        
        Yes but the standalone executable should detect this automatically. Please let me know if you could share some of your knowledge with regards to automatic pdf creation. There are some other users that probably are in need as well. Right now i am running a task scheduler for the whole vault to create the pdf's which works for us. But no need too if the rescent revision is saved as a pdf file in a specific directory where we store all of our latest pdf files. I am currently in the process of reorganizing our Vault structure to use Lifecycles. If you have any info on that as well let me know and i can start a new topic to share information.
        
        Thanks in advance,
        
        Arnt.
        
        Arnt,
        
        The standalone is called by the Windows Message Queueing to extract the pdf or any other files we need for our ERP system.
        We are planning for PDF, TIFF, DXF (SheetMetal), EDrawings, IGES and a CSV file that replicates the "structure" represented in Solidworks tree.
        The big condition here is that for TIFF, Sheetmetal DXF, Edrawings, Iges and CSV, a valid Sw license is necessary on the Vault PC.
        
        This will not be proprietary code, and I'm using open source libraries for the task, so I'll be making the code available some time soon.
        
        Regards,
        Rui Santos
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- Ronan Carrroll @ Jiral Parikh on Apr 25, 2009 12:34 PM
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  This would be very a useful type of feature. Is would be cool is some of you macro/programming wizzards could produce one, so pdfs, dxfs, iges ,....etc could be selected to be produced on checkin in external folders. Would save hours
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Rui Santos Apr 29, 2009 3:48 PM
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Right now I'm trying to revamp my code so it could be more "readable" and easilly mantained.
The idea is to be able to add functions later on, but I will start with the pdf saving, one file per sheet. Will only look at drawings. Appreciate inputs.
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- Rui Santos @ Rui Santos on May 7, 2009 3:52 PM
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  Rui Santos wrote:
  
  Right now I'm trying to revamp my code so it could be more "readable" and easilly mantained.
  
  The idea is to be able to add functions later on, but I will start with the pdf saving, one file per sheet. Will only look at drawings. Appreciate inputs.
  
  Hello to you all.
  As I told you, I've been trying to modify my code, and during the process I've come across some questions I'd like your help to answer...
  
  What is your standard for drawings? One drawing per Part/Assembly? Or you can have multiple parts in one drawing? If this is the case, would you like to have all the parts processed individually (I'm thinking on the line of getting a DXF from the sheetmetal parts, for example)...
  Please let me know, so I can find a solution more suited to the reality.
  
  Thanks,
  Rui
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Rui Santos May 22, 2009 6:16 AM
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Just to let you know that the tool source code to do the export after check-in is available in
https://sourceforge.net/projects/pdmworksexport/

Check it out, and help make it a better tool by adding your contribution.
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- Mike Pickering @ Rui Santos on Oct 1, 2009 7:33 AM
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  Hi, thanks for this.
  
  How do you make it work? I have downlaoded file.
  
  Thanks Mike
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  - 1-MJTLDW @ Mike Pickering on Oct 6, 2009 6:13 PM
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    Hi,
    
    Check PdmWorksBatchExport forum for more details.
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    - Ove Larsen @ 1-MJTLDW on Oct 28, 2009 7:46 AM
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      Hi,
      
      I can't find any more information in that forum...
      Can you give me a quick guide to get this to work?
      Will it work with Vista x64 non server? (My workstation)
      
      I tried to run the program, but it halts on some kind of timeout reasons.
      Please see the attached file.
      (MSMQ is up and running)
      
      If I understood correctly;
      The program will take the allready stored PDF files in the vault and save them to a folder of my choosing?
      
      Best regards,
      Ove-André
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      PDM_export_error.jpg51.1 KB
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      - 1-MJTLDW @ Ove Larsen on Oct 28, 2009 2:52 PM
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        Hello,
        
        Have you looked into sourceforge's project site? There is some basic how-to in the help section.
        
        It looks like the queue is empty, or the queue's name isn't correct.
        
        For what I know, it will run fine in Vista x64.
        
        The program doesn't go into the vault and copy the existing pdf's to another location. It looks for checked in drawings (posted automatically by Pdmworks's Vault software) and saves several formats of the drawings.
        
        Have you read PdmWorksBatchExport forum in Solidworks community?
        
        You can find some tips there.
        
        Hope that I have helped.
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        Brian Long @ 1-MJTLDW on Apr 19, 2010 11:09 AM
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        I am totally lost, could you please provide a more detailed steps in setting this up? Would be a great help.
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Markku Lehtola Apr 21, 2010 7:48 AM
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Hi,

I just did a fresh SW installation and also pdmw vault etc...I propably going to try my own tool with pdmw for pdf's when I have more time. You might want to try it as well...

http://www.markkulehtola.net/wb/pages/solidworks/swxx-tools/new-stuff/swupbb-2009.php

The idea is to create/update automaticly PDF's every time you press the "Save" on SW.

br
Markku
www.sloworks.fi
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Larry Zolla Apr 30, 2010 5:38 PM
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Hi Arnt,
I've been in the same situation several times in the past and there always seems to be a "Gotcha" or someone who has the wrong copy of a pdf and went and had parts made from it. Despite all your effort to keep things matched up and organized.
Maybe one they saved to their local drive.

Ask your VAR if you could visit a neighbor who does use the Workgroup Viewer ( the old name was: Advanced Server) Maybe a demo license could be made available.

You might also hook up with someone at a user group meeting who may want to talk about it with you.

It uses Internet explorer and does not need to be dedicated to any particular workstation. First come, first served so to speak and you can control access with a user name and password form within Workgroup.
-Larry
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PDMWorkgroup automatic pdf creation in specific directory

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