OLE

[sbmathias]

We want to be able to print a complete "family tree" of a product assemblies easily, which we are told is not part of the out-of-the-box SW05 bag of tricks. One potential solution for us is to link a set of drawing files to an MS Word document. When the drawing file changes, the change gets reflected in the linked image when the Word file is opened. We link in one drawing sheet per Word page, and then can use the printer driver to print double-sided and 2-up or 4-up to keep the paper usage down. All is wonderful, right?

Well, almost. The main problem is that the Word documents get HUGE - 56MB for an assembly with only 45 unique parts. This takes a long time to open, and usually ends up with printing problems. We aren't sure why the Word files get so large. We are linking, not embedding (so things will update properly), so all that should be stored in the Word doc is 20 or 30 pointers to the source files.

Anyone have any ideas on why our wonderful idea isn't quite as wonderful as we had imagined? Or, does anyone have any suggestions on how better to easily create the printouts that we need?

 

[J-C]

Can you not use the task Scheduler to batch print? There are also some low cost user made batch print programs out there too.

Jason

UG NX2.02.2 on Win2000 SP3
SolidWorks 2005 SP5.0 on WinXP SP2
SolidWorks 2006 SP1.0 on WinXP SP2

 

[sbmathias]

I somehow can't find much information on Scheduler (I'll keep looking), but I'd imagine that I somehow need to tell it all the things I want to print. To do this, someone/something needs to traverse the structure tree of the top level assembly (just like the BOM does!), something that my VAR said isn't part of the SW bag o' tricks.

The printing isn't the big problem - I can set up a print job or two and go to lunch or home for the night. The problem is how to have some way to find all the component parts of an assembly and then print all those drawings out.

 

[rgrayclamps]

Hi, sbmathias:

I do not think there is such software off shelf that meets your needs. It depends on your SW data structure and your filing systems.

If you know SW API plus VB, you can do almost anything you want. Otherwise, you need to hire a programmer to write a custom appication program for you.

Alex

 

[sbmathias]

That's what my VAR told me, essentially. I'm truly surprised that SW doesn't include this functionality. The routines are there to generate the BOM, so it seems like it would be a small leap indeed to be able to generate a list of drawings to print out.

 

[J-C]

Not as easy as you think. There is no link in the part/assy files that tells them there is a drawing file somewhere. You could have several drawing files created off just one part file for different purposes.

The Task Scheduler I mentioned is part of the Solidworks Office Pro license. It will allow you to browse a folder of drawing files and print them all. Assuming that all your drawings related to one project are together.

Some PDM programs will do what you want as well (Print a project, print a group, etc.)

No CAD programs that I know of do this without custom programming.

Jason

UG NX2.02.2 on Win2000 SP3
SolidWorks 2005 SP5.0 on WinXP SP2
SolidWorks 2006 SP1.0 on WinXP SP2

 

[Stoker]

1) If your files are all in the same folder then the task scheduler will do what you need.

2) If your files are spread amongst multiple folders, but there is a consistent naming scheme then this is no problem with a bit of VBA. Almost all of the code needed is already there in the API help. There are examples showing how to get document dependencies (which you will need to get a list of all the files being called up in your main assembly) as well as printing. You simply loop through all the dependent documents, find the related drawing, open it up and print.

Finding the drawing is the issue. If the naming scheme and file locations are consistent then this is really easy and the program would take less than a day's work to create. Note that the drawing file name doesn't have to be the same as the part/assembly file name, but there does have to be a consistent format. The location of the drawing file with respect to the model file also needs to be consistent as well.

3) If your files are spread amongst multiple folders and there is not a consistent naming scheme you need to develop and enforce some standards...