IsoDraw commandline?

[ptc-953343]

Are there any IsoDraw users out there? I see it is labeled an Arbortext
product (rather than PTC) so I think this is a valid question here 😉

Anyway, I'm looking for documentation on command line parameters. I didn't
find anything in the help file.

..dan

[thendricks]

IsoDraw is under the Arbortext brand, which is part of PTC (think GM > Chevy > Cobalt).

In regards to the commandline, are you trying to start IsoDraw from a command line, or are you trying to run a command line from IsoDraw?

[ptc-953343]

I have a script that launches IsoDraw and I don't understand the
parameters that are being feed. Plus I would just like to know what is
available.

IsoDraw7.exe new-graphics\MQC4C-A1-NFM-000-02-001.cgm
c:\temp\FileName-fix.txt "Text_Excerpt" -macro "open-text-file-cgm"

> IsoDraw is under the Arbortext brand, which is part of PTC (think GM >
> Chevy > Cobalt).
>
> In regards to the commandline, are you trying to start IsoDraw from a
> command line, or are you trying to run a command line from IsoDraw?
>
>

[douglaswade1]

I can explain it. Call me tomorrow.

Douglas Wade
661 972-2201

[steve.thompson4]

Understand it may be a bit of effort, but if you post it here, or at least where we might find "Help" to cover it, it would be appreciated.

Steve Thompson
+1(316)977-0515

[gary.t.nadeau]

I agree. Please post to the list. A lot of us are what Ed referred to as "lurkers". We are here and reading the threads.

Thanks,
Gary Nadeau
Tech Lead - Data Support
Boeing Defense, Space & Security - St. Louis

[Alessio]

Hi,

it is not very long ago that other places for "lurkers" 🙂 - and active
participants as well - have been made available on PlanetPTC
(

[thendricks]

Here is what you are looking for. Note that you may need to change the name of your exe file based on your version.

The question is typically:
I need to start a batch process from the commandline. Is that possible using the macro language or the Batch Tool? How?

Our answer should be like:
Yes, it is possible to either invoke macros from the commandline or to control the Batch Tool by doing so.

1.) how to start a macro from the commandline
Any macro can get invoked by the use of this commandline syntax:

IsoDraw7.exe" {<illustration_file> [-macro <"macroname">]}

For IsoDraw7 use the following syntax:
C:
CD ptc
CD Program
IsoDraw7.exe C:\Convert\m_test.iso -macro"Debug"

Using that syntax, you might call IsoDraw and open any particular illustration to apply some changes, defined in a macro, to it (like deleting unused pens) and after that save the results.

2.) how to start the Batch Tool from the commandline
The Batch Tool is implemented as a plugin to IsoDraw. These plugins are located in the extensions folder and it is possible to send commandline-events to them by the use of this syntax:

IsoDraw.exe -ext <plugin_name> <arguments>

The argument string will be sent directly to the plugin, which processes it then. The arguments-string of the Batch Tool is build like this:

-s "srcPath" quoted path of source folder
-d "dstPath" quoted path destination folder
-f format format options (see kIsoFormat_Standard)
[-c] scale scale (optional, default 100%)
[-m] "macro" quoted path marco to be excuted on each illustration (optional)

Where the possible format identifiers are:

Standard 0
Iso0400 1
Iso0300 2
Iso0260 3
EPSF 4
AI_1_1 5
AI_88 6
IGES 7
DXF 8
HPGL 9
CGM 10
PICT 11
TIFF 12
BMP 13
PCX 14
CALSRaster 15
TEXT 16
INT 17
MIF 18
Iso0500 19
Iso0500Packed 20
DWG 21
SVG 22
JPEG 23
PNG 24
WMF 25
Iso0600 26
Iso0600Packed 27

As a result, the commandline to initiate an export of a source folder 'd:\sources\dxf' into a destination folder 'e:\destination\cgm' and a call of a macro 'CleanupPens' for each file, will need to look like:

IsoDraw6.exe -ext batch6.isp -s"D:\sources" -d"e\destination\cgm" -f10 -m"cleanuppens"

[ptc-953343]

Thanks for the info. Are these the only options available? For instance I
was looking for a -silent option that might stop IsoDraw from actually
drawing the screen and taking over control when it is running.

..dan

> Here is what you are looking for. Note that you may need to change the
> name of your exe file based on your version.
>
> The question is typically:
> I need to start a batch process from the commandline. Is that possible
> using the macro language or the Batch Tool? How?
>
> Our answer should be like:
> Yes, it is possible to either invoke macros from the commandline or to
> control the Batch Tool by doing so.
>
> 1.) how to start a macro from the commandline
> Any macro can get invoked by the use of this commandline syntax:
>
> IsoDraw7.exe" {<illustration_file> [-macro <"macroname">]}
> For IsoDraw7 use the following syntax:
> C:
> CD ptc
> CD Program
> IsoDraw7.exe C:\Convert\m_test.iso -macro"Debug"
>
> Using that syntax, you might call IsoDraw and open any particular
> illustration to apply some changes, defined in a macro, to it (like
> deleting unused pens) and after that save the results.
>
> 2.) how to start the Batch Tool from the commandline
> The Batch Tool is implemented as a plugin to IsoDraw. These plugins are
> located in the extensions folder and it is possible to send
> commandline-events to them by the use of this syntax:
>
> IsoDraw.exe -ext <plugin_name> <arguments>
>
> The argument string will be sent directly to the plugin, which processes
> it then. The arguments-string of the Batch Tool is build like this:
>
> -s "srcPath" quoted path of source folder
> -d "dstPath" quoted path destination folder
> -f format format options (see kIsoFormat_Standard)
> [-c] scale scale (optional, default 100%)
> [-m] "macro" quoted path marco to be excuted on each illustration
> (optional)
> Where the possible format identifiers are:
>
> Standard 0
> Iso0400 1
> Iso0300 2
> Iso0260 3
> EPSF 4
> AI_1_1 5
> AI_88 6
> IGES 7
> DXF 8
> HPGL 9
> CGM 10
> PICT 11
> TIFF 12
> BMP 13
> PCX 14
> CALSRaster 15
> TEXT 16
> INT 17
> MIF 18
> Iso0500 19
> Iso0500Packed 20
> DWG 21
> SVG 22
> JPEG 23
> PNG 24
> WMF 25
> Iso0600 26
> Iso0600Packed 27
>
> As a result, the commandline to initiate an export of a source folder
> 'd:\sources\dxf' into a destination folder 'e:\destination\cgm' and a call
> of a macro 'CleanupPens' for each file, will need to look like:
>
> IsoDraw6.exe -ext batch6.isp -s"D:\sources" -d"e\destination\cgm" -f10
> -m"cleanuppens"
>
>

[ptc-953343]

Is there anyway to connect these communities instead of creating multiple
places I have to check and manage?

..dan

> Hi,
>
> it is not very long ago that other places for "lurkers" 🙂 - and active
> participants as well - have been made available on PlanetPTC
> (

[thendricks]

Not that I am aware of. A silent function would be great, as I have used the commandline approach in batch running thousands of files. Unfortunately, I lose my computer during the process.

[ptc-953343]

yep, exactly the problem I'm seeing

Any idea if IsoDraw plays well when run asa chron job/service on a
server? If it starts in the background to say convert a bunch of files
nightly, does it require a monitor/display device to work?

..dan

> Not that I am aware of. A silent function would be great, as I have used
> the commandline approach in batch running thousands of files.
> Unfortunately, I lose my computer during the process.
>

[ClayHelberg]

To keep your computer usable while the batch runs, you might try using
the windows "start" command with the /LOW switch, which sets the
priority of the process to low (equivalent to IDLE). If you want to
suppress the command window as well, add the /B switch. For full
details, open a Windows command prompt and type "help start".

--Clay

[thendricks]

I have to run another batch pretty soon so I'll experiment again. Seemed like the problem I had was that I was using the commandline to open a particular file and run a macro. Each time the command was actually run, the IsoDraw window would again pop up and take front-and-center.