Using Pro/BATCH to print .tif

[csmith-7]

I am attempting to use Pro/BATCH to print drawings to .tif. I am using WF 4.0 becuase WF 5.0 doesn't seem to come with Pro/BATCH (unless they put it in a different place or something?). I already have a printer (PMSLDOCS) that I use when I'm printing in ProE to create a .tif using ProE's built in .tif printer. This is what my .pcf file looks like:

! plotter: specify internal Pro/E plotter driver
plotter TIFF

! button_name: name as it appears in the print dialog
button_name PMSLdocs

! button_help: extended description
button_help Output drawing to PMSLdocs import area.

! plot_drawing_format: option to include drawing format
plot_drawing_format YES

! plot_segmented: generate a segmented plot
plot_segmented NO

! plot_roll_media: instruct printer to use it's rolled media
plot_roll_media NO

! generates the plot with a label
plot_label NO

! plotter_handshake: software = Xon/Xoff, hardware = hardware control
plotter_handshake software

! create_separate_files: combine pages into one file when using print to file
create_separate_files NO

! plot_with_panzoom: yes = use current zoom, no = plot full plot
plot_with_panzoom no

! plot_scale scale factor
plot_scale plot 1.0

! rotate_plotting: (Postscript) rotate plot 90 deg CCW when plotting portrait
rotate_plotting NO default

! allow_file_naming: yes = user may edit file name, no = use object name only
allow_file_naming NO

! plot_name: no = name files .plt yes = name files per type (.ps, .hp2)
plot_name YES

! interface_quality: 0= least overlap checking, 3= most overlap checking
interface_quality 3

! plot_destination: file, <printer name>, file_and_printer
plot_destination file

! plot_file_dir: location for saving plot files
plot_file_dir V:\

! pen_table_file: specify pen table file, including path
pen_table_file table.pnt

!paper_size: <paper size>, <variable> X Y units
!paper_size C default

!paper_outline:
paper_outline NO default

! plot_clip: plots a portion of the drawing. yes x1 y1 x2 y2, no, default
plot_clip NO default

! plot_area: set plot area automatically. yes x1 y2 x2 y2, no, default
plot_area NO default

! plot_access: how to handle file name conflicts: create, append, default
plot_access create

!plot sheets: current, range <low value> <high value>, default, all
plot_sheets all

This works great for printing in ProE. It creates a .tif file named drawingname_1.tif for the first page and _2 for the second and so on. When I try and use Pro/BATCH, and select this printer, it will only print the last one and will call it the paper size.tif. The pro_batch.log says it is a success for both files. See below:

-plot -object C:\Users\Csmith\Desktop\BATCH\testbatchpart.drw.1 -pcf P:\pro_standards\plotters\pmsldocs.pcf -paper FORMAT_SIZE -quality 3 -userscale 1.000000 -plotfile .tif

TESTBATCHPART - success

----- Result SUCCESS

-plot -object C:\Users\Csmith\Desktop\BATCH\testpartbatch2.drw.1 -pcf P:\pro_standards\plotters\pmsldocs.pcf -paper FORMAT_SIZE -quality 3 -userscale 1.000000 -plotfile .tif

TESTPARTBATCH2 - success

----- Result SUCCESS

In my option preferences, I have it to have an output file of create single file, filename *.tif

Can someone help me? I don't know what I'm missing. I just want to print 4000 dwgs to .tif..... Suggestions? Thanks!

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[danderson]

Christopher,

Do you have Distributed Pro/Batch Installed? From What I know this has replaced Pro/Batch.
It's a sperate install and is located on the install disk that you used to install Pro/E with (free)

Take a look at Document CS17665

https://www.ptc.com/appserver/cs/view/solution.jsp?n=CS17665

This can be used to do many things like print to a printer, export stp files,

you can setup a ttd file to do many things at the same time like (print to paper, export iges, export stp, export stl.

Sounds like in the near future we might even be able to run mapkeys or trail files.

Hope this helps,

Don Anderson

[csmith-7]

I have it installed but do not have a license for it. I called PCT and they said I would need to purchase one. My company currently does not want to purchase a license if I can use the free program. We will use this program once to print the 4000 drawing files I have and then most likely never again.

[MartinHanak]

Christopher,

you do not need to buy a license of Distributed BATCH. You can run Distributed BATCH on local machine without any license (set Default DSM to Standalone). In this mode you can print the 4000 drawing files from single machine. Of course you can split 4000 files into several "packages", for example 4 packages by 1000 files, and run Distributed BATCH on 4 local machines.

Martin Hanak

[csmith-7]

I thought this was the case also however, I called PCT after getting the following error when trying to open

Creo Elements Distributed Services: "DSM is unable to obtain a license to run. The application cannot start.". The fellow I talked to on the phone said that I needed DS_Manager_1 and DS_Service_1 on my lincense list to run this this program. How do I go about setting DSM to standalone?

[MartinHanak]

Christopher,

I translated my personal guide which I created in the past. You can download it and use it.

Martin Hanak

[csmith-7]

I really appreciate this however, when I start your guide, I run into a problem. I do not have the option to install "Creo Distributed Batch". I've attached two screen shots, one of the Creo/Wildfire 5.0 setup and one for the Distributed Services Setup. Neither one lists Creo Distributed Batch.

[MartinHanak · Accepted solution]

Christopher,

you have to launch setup.exe from original PTC installation package and do New Installation (not Update Installation !).

Yesterday I sent you the guide related to Creo Parametric 1.0. Today I am sending you the guide related to WF5.

Martin Hanak

[csmith-7]

Martin,

Thank you very much! I had to uninstall everything but I got it installed and running. I am currently getting the following error during operation "Connected to Creo Elements/Pro" FAILED "[-1] Error: General problem during data conversion.; C:\PCT\proeWildfire 5.0\bin\proe.exe" I am attempting to use plot_drw_to_pdf.ttd to just test and see if I can get it to work. I will then need to create a new .ttd to print to tif or can I somehow just use the .pcf file I currently use? Any suggestion on the error? Thank you!

Chris

[MartinHanak]

Christopher,

unfortunatelly I have never seen such error. You can apply the following information and hope that it will help.

Note 1

I do not use default installation path because of spaces in it. So I suggest to install ProE into C:\PTC\proeWildfire5

Note 2

If Windows Firewall is ON on your PC and you are not Administrator, then you need to define Exceptions in Windows Firewall for ProE processes and Pro/BATCH processes. The simpliest solution is to add your user account into Administrators group temporarily.

Note 3

I tested output using plot_drw_to_pdf.ttd on my PC succesfully.

Note 4

I do not know how to create TTD file for TIFF export.

Martin Hanak

[csmith-7]

1. I changed my directory to be the same as you specified.

2. I am an Administrator

Still get the same error. Thank you for your help though.