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Options Setup Page
When you choose PDM Publisher from the dropdown in the new task dialog, you will be prompted a window that is similar to the one below:
Condition Options
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Export Location | Location where to export the files. The location can be within or outside the vault. It is important that the path does not end with a backslash (\). |
| File Formats | Specifies the available file formats to export documents to, including formats like PDF, DWG, DXF, U3D, and others. |
| Export document and its references to file formats individually | When enabled, affected document and its references will be exported to the selected file format individually. Make sure this option is checked to process single documents. If you only want the merged PDF of an assembly, you may uncheck this option to avoid saving individual PDFs in the export location. |
| Merge exported PDFs into one master PDF | Combines all exported PDFs of the affected assembly into one master PDF file, rather than keeping them separate. |
| Ignore sub-assemblies children when condition checks fail | When enabled, the children of, sub-assemblies that fail condition check, will be ignored (not processed). |
| Print top-level assembly document | Adds the top-level assembly to the processing queue. By default, this option is checked. |
| Work with latest version | Ensures that the task works with the latest version of the file, automatically fetching the most recent version from the PDM vault. |
| Quick view mode (Drawings Only) | Enables quick view mode for drawings to improve performance, especially for large and complex drawings. |
| Convert multiple configurations | If enabled, the task will attempt to export all part and assembly configurations. The configurations will be saved with the configuration name appended to the filename. |
| Ask user to select configuration on startup | If enabled, the task will prompt the user to select which configuration of the affected document to process on startup. |
| Archive all exported documents (.zip) | Packages all exported documents into a single .zip file for easy storage and distribution. |
| Export sheet metal parts to 1:1 flat pattern DXF | Exports sheet metal parts as DXF files in a 1:1 scale. The filename will have FlatPattern appended. |
| Use search to locate drawings | When enabled, the task will search in the Where Used for the first drawing that references the affected document. |
| Use Microsoft Print To PDF to save PDFs | When enabled, the task will use the Microsoft Print To PDF printer instead of SOLIDWORKS’s save as to save PDFs. |
Export History Settings
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Turn on activity tracking | Enables tracking of all task activity, generating a detailed log that documents each step performed during the task, which can be saved in the log folder. |
| Server-Synced Activity Logs | Syncs the activity logs with the server, allowing for centralized storage and review of the task’s history, including all performed steps. |
| Log Folder (Vault Only) | Specifies the folder within the PDM vault where log files will be stored. This ensures that logs are maintained in a secure location, following PDM’s file structure. |
BOM Settings
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Template | Specifies the BOM template to be used. Users can select from available templates in the BOM layout source. By default, the first template will be picked if not specified. |
| Calculation method | Defines how the BOM is calculated. Options include As Built and Show Selected. Learn more. |
Table of Content Settings
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Add table of content to merged PDF | When enabled, a table of contents will be automatically generated and inserted into the merged PDF, making it easier to navigate and reference the document. |
| Table type | Specifies the type of table to include: either a Table of Contents (TOC) or a Simple Bill of Materials (BOM). The BOM includes item descriptions and quantities. |
| Paper size | Specifies the paper size used for the table of contents or BOM in the merged PDF. Options include standard sizes like A4, Letter, and others. |
Watermark Settings
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Watermark | Defines the watermark that will be applied to the printed PDF documents. This can include both static text and dynamic expressions, such as filenames or dates. |
SOLIDWORKS Settings
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Use this version of SOLIDWORKS | Specifies which version of SOLIDWORKS to use for processing the files. Options range from specific years (e.g., 2018, 2019) to the latest version available. |
Miscellaneous Settings
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| PDF bookmarks | Allows you to define the text pattern for the bookmarks section in the merged PDF, making it easier to navigate between sections within the document. |
Ensuring Proper BOM Layout for PDMPublisher
In recent versions, we have started using the PDM BOM instead of the SOLIDWORKS BOM. PDMPublisher leverages the first BOM layout in your vault to calculate quantities. To ensure proper functionality, the layout must include a (Quantity) column and a (Configuration name) column. If you are experiencing errors related to the bill of materials layout, verify that these required columns are present in your BOM setup.
Important Notes About Creating Tasks
Please consider the following recommendations when creating a new task using PDM Publisher:
- Execution method
- In the execution method tab that appears on the blue left sidebar, please:
- Choose the radio box option “Let the system decide which computer to execute the task“.
- Choose one computer. We recommend that our customers opt for the server. The server needs to have a SOLIDWORKS PDM Client installed with a local view as well as SOLIDWORKS 3D.
- On the first page of the task, execute the task with a user that has the right workflow and file/folder permissions.
To change the auto-add extensions list,
- Go to the PDM Administration tool
- Right click on the username (or all users)
- Select Settings
- Click on the Adding Files selection and edit the file extensions
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Conditions Setup Page
Conditions can be added to a task to include or exclude files from being processed.
The task will only process files that evaluate any of the set conditions as true.
To add a condition, click the Add button.
You can also export and import conditions.
Condition Options
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Variable | Variable name with the run the condition on. |
| Condition Type | Operation type to process. |
| Value | Value to evaluate the condition against. |
| Configuration | Configuration: Specify the configuration from which to get the value of the variable. Use @ in general. |
Special Variable
The variable list in the condition column starts with several entries that are special variables. They contain:
- FileName: Filename of the file.
- Revision: Current revision of the file (What’s locally cached).
- Version: Current version of the file (What’s locally cached).
- Workflow: Name of the workflow the file is in.
- State: Name of the state the file is in.
Operation Types
| Operation | Description |
|---|---|
| TextEqualTo | Checks if the text is exactly equal to the specified value. Supports * as a wildcard. |
| TextNotEqualTo | Checks if the text is not equal to the specified value. |
| TextLengthLessThan | Checks if the length of the text is less than the specified value. |
| TextLengthBiggerThan | Checks if the length of the text is greater than the specified value. |
| TextContains | Checks if the text contains the specified value. |
| TextDoesNotContain | Checks if the text does not contain the specified value. |
| NumberEqualTo | Checks if the number is equal to the specified value. |
| NumberNotEqualTo | Checks if the number is not equal to the specified value. |
| NumberLessThan | Checks if the number is less than the specified value. |
| NumberBiggerThan | Checks if the number is greater than the specified value. |
| DateEqualTo | Checks if the date is equal to the specified value. |
| DateNotEqualTo | Checks if the date is not equal to the specified value. |
| DateLessThan | Checks if the date is earlier than the specified value. |
| DateBiggerThan | Checks if the date is later than the specified value. |
| YesOrNoEqualTo | Checks if the value is equal to either Yes or No. |
Annotations Setup Page
Notes can be added to converted PDF documents via this the Annotations setup page.
To add a note, click the Add or Import… button.
A note is defined by:
| Definition | Description |
|---|---|
| Location | Set the X and Y coordinates. X is a percentage relative to the width and Y is a percentage relative to the height of the sheet. |
| Value | The text area allows combinations of text and special values. The special values are evaluated for you during the task execution. |
| Sheet Placement | Defines which sheets the note will be placed on. Options include All Sheets, First Sheet, and These Sheets. |
| Sheet Names | Specifies the names of the sheets where the note will be placed. Names are seperated by , |
FAQ
Features
I'm getting some errors related to the bill of materials layout
In recent versions, we have started using the PDM BOM instead of the SOLIDWORKS BOM. PDMPublisher will leverage the first BOM layout in your vault to calculate quantities. The layout must include a (Quantity) column and a (Configuration name) column.
How does PDMPublisher calculate the BOM quantities?
PDMPublisher creates a Bill of Materials in memory from the top-level assembly. It ignores all suppressed, virtual, envelope, and components that are excluded from the Bill of Materials. Most of these settings come from the component properties dialog.
How do the conditions work?
Conditions are evaluated for the found PDM reference. If any of the conditions evaluate to true, the reference is added to the processing queue.
I cannot see the exported files!
Make sure the export location in some where in your vault (or outside your vault) where you have the workflow and folder permissions to add and edit files. The vault’s root folder is typically a folder that is locked for adding or editing files by PDM administrators.
I have created a task. How can I launch it?
PDMPublisher tasks can be attached to a workflow transition or triggered from the right-click menu on a file. You will find your created tasks under Tasks. In the right-click menu, tasks use the name defined the task setup page. See below: 
Installation
I'm unable to consume my license
Make sure your system/firewall allows for connections to be made to httsp://bluebyte.biz on port 443. Contact us if this problem still persists.
I’m running the add-in on assembly and it is not capturing all the references.
Make sure that the assembly and its references have local copies on the machine that runs the add-in. You can do that by doing a get-latest on the assembly and its references in the machine that runs the task. This is a by-design behavior of the PDM Publisher.
The task is unable to check in the log file.
This could be related to a number of issues. You may need to make sure the user running the add-in has proper file and folder permissions on the log folder. You also need to make sure that the txt file extension is NOT part of the auto-add user setting.