Generating files (STEP, DXF, PDF, etc...)

[AlexLachance]

Hey guys,

We've had our whole process automated for a while but there are things which we'd like to improve upon or see how others handle.

For instance, every drawing saved will create a PDF on each save and a DXF if it is required/existant. The process is very streamlined and contains a few more levels of complexity to it but that is basically it.

For step files though, we proceed in a different manner, we use an excel file which reads file location and information and compares it to existing files. If the files aren't existing, it'll generate them, if they are existing and the files aren't outdated, it will not generate it. Everything is done sort of manually and it also requires a licence of SolidWorks when we run the darned Excel file to generate the step files using the existing SolidWorks files.

So, I was wondering, how is step generation handled on your end?

My end goal, if possible, would be to generate STEP files without requiring a SolidWorks licence.

My second end goal would be to automate this so that both purchase and production departments could tweak this as they wish without having to go through the engineering department.

[JSculley]

So, you create a PDF every time you save a drawing. Is there a reason you don't generate a STEP file (if needed) every time you save a model?

If you wanted to be fancy about it, it could be a macro feature in the model template that looks for the save event and acts accordingly.

[AlexLachance]

So, you create a PDF every time you save a drawing. Is there a reason you don't generate a STEP file (if needed) every time you save a model?

If you wanted to be fancy about it, it could be a macro feature in the model template that looks for the save event and acts accordingly.

Step files are only required on our end when the part is sent externally which is why most items do not require step files.

[JSculley]

Step files are only required on our end when the part is sent externally which is why most items do not require step files.

OK. So, you have non-SW folks determining which files will be routed externally, I assume. An app, or Excel macro using the SW Document Manager API can be used to alter custom properties in SW files without needing SOLIDWORKS. If there were a custom property in the file (e.g. STEP_REQUIRED), this could be used with my previous suggestion of a macro feature to ensure that any existing STEP files are replaced if the model is re-saved. Now you are left with the problem of how to handle things the first time a model file is saved and you don't know if a STEP file is required. You could presume the STEP file is required until the final determination is made, so SW always generates one on save. If a STEP file is not required, your non-SW users could use the app or Excel macro with the SW Document Manager API to change the property so that future saves won't regenerate the STEP. They (or the app/macro) could also delete the STEP file that was initially created but no longer needed.

[AlexB]

I don't think you'll get around the need for a license to create PDF, STEP, etc. files.

The way we handle things is that we trigger a PDM Task on a standalone virtual host PC when a drawing is issued. It automatically creates the PDF and places it where it needs to be. Any part file that is issued will have a STEP created and place where it needs to go too. The task will wait until a license is free to do the conversion though. A custom task add-in can also be scheduled to run in off hours so a license isn't consumed during the day.

[AlexLachance]

OK. So, you have non-SW folks determining which files will be routed externally, I assume. An app, or Excel macro using the SW Document Manager API can be used to alter custom properties in SW files without needing SOLIDWORKS. If there were a custom property in the file (e.g. STEP_REQUIRED), this could be used with my previous suggestion of a macro feature to ensure that any existing STEP files are replaced if the model is re-saved. Now you are left with the problem of how to handle things the first time a model file is saved and you don't know if a STEP file is required. You could presume the STEP file is required until the final determination is made, so SW always generates one on save. If a STEP file is not required, your non-SW users could use the app or Excel macro with the SW Document Manager API to change the property so that future saves won't regenerate the STEP. They (or the app/macro) could also delete the STEP file that was initially created but no longer needed.

That was my original idea unfortunately it was brushed aside. I have a property created inside every file to call out for a step file if it is necessary. Then people moved to the excel file because they had trouble accessing files to modify properties and other rather simple issues, so we were left with the workload because nobody wants to pick up additional responsabilities so they're left to the engineering department.

I'll try and see if I could tweak the Excel file so that it uses the SW Document Manager API to modify the properties but IMO I'll run into the same issue, which is that a file that is accessed by an engineer or draftsman cannot be modified.

We don't want to move onto PDM which is what would be required IMO to make things work properly.

[Frederick_Law]

I'll just create the STEP file for everything. The time you spend talking, thinking how to do it already costed more.
Hard drive space is cheap.

Vault (Autodesk) is setup to create PDF when drawing is Released.
Rev is added to file name. Only current Rev is kept. Old one are deleted.
Our VAR created the addin for Vault.
So we can add STEP if we needed.

DXF for punch/laser is created by iLogic/addin.

[SPerman]

A slight variation. Create the files automatically, but send the ones you don't need to a junk directory.

[AlexB]

Prior to using PDM to perform these conversions, we actually had a custom add-in that output everything to a common directory on a server. This did require the engineer to run it and export these files when it was "done".

It allows the user to select multiple file formats to export from the part, assembly, or drawing file. When it exports, it can determine if older versions exist in the live directory and move them to the archive directory essentially keeping everything as up to date. It hasn't been used for a long time (since 2018?) and probably needs to be updated to work again with our updated solidworks.

I'm not sure if something like this would be beneficial for your needs or not but it solved a similar problem for us.

[CarrieIves]

We don't have anything to automatically generate step files, but we do have a macro that saves it with the right filename to the right location. (I have gotten spoiled and hate having to actually hit file save as for things like STEP, PDF, STL) The engineer runs the macro at points when the step file should be generated (such as after the release is approved in PDM). At the companies I have worked at, usually, we generated a STEP and PDF that got attached to parts in whatever system we were controlling the releases (Agile, Windchill, etc.).

[AlexLachance]

Prior to using PDM to perform these conversions, we actually had a custom add-in that output everything to a common directory on a server. This did require the engineer to run it and export these files when it was "done".

It allows the user to select multiple file formats to export from the part, assembly, or drawing file. When it exports, it can determine if older versions exist in the live directory and move them to the archive directory essentially keeping everything as up to date. It hasn't been used for a long time (since 2018?) and probably needs to be updated to work again with our updated solidworks.

I'm not sure if something like this would be beneficial for your needs or not but it solved a similar problem for us.

It is how we are set-up and our server is rather large so I try my best to keep it at a moderate size by removing useless things and avoiding the generation of files that are not necessary. Our server is already well over 5TB of data and around 15-20% of it is CAD data. The larger it gets, the worse file indexation gets.

All files are generated automatically after each save so having Steps generated at each save is kind of out of the question concidering 95% of them would be useless and that generating them would also increase delays in saves.

I'm going to try and see if I can have the excel file we currently have set-up change the file properties using the SW Doc Manager API so that I can then have the automation be set for files with the property checked. That would most likely be the middle ground for all and would avoid the issue reoccuring for our department.