Is there a way to create one gigantic PDF file for a top-level assembly that includes all of the sub-assembly drawings and part drawings?
The assembly relationships are shown in Workgroup PDM, so it seems reasonable for a macro to crawl the tree based on a starting document and then create a single PDF file (or maybe a folder of PDF files?) that completely describes the assembly.
That would work for me. Can you point me to that tool / macro?
Task scheduler is tantalizingly close to being able to do it without modification - except for one problem.
The "export workgroup pdm files" will find and export as pdf, all files within a project except for referenced parts used in other projects. This is a great way to do what you are asking for except for that problem. I could not believe it would work that way but it was verified by our VAR.
I agree! I thought a generic Task Scheduler was my ticket, but I think that's a case of "Close, but no banana."
Each of my Workgroup PDM "Projects" has more than 1 "top level assembly", so it's not as simple as just exporting everything, and each assembly will probably have at least a few links outside of it's own particular project. (I.e. In a sister project.) If somebody knows how to hack the task scheduler, it does seem awfully close!
Using SW and Acrobat API yes. I know Jason Kerns did it, but using the BOM to search part numbers recursively, not the reference structure.