Accessing DXF files after publishing via CAD worker

[uklemme]

I am using Windchill PDMLink Release 13.0 and Datecode with CPS 13.0.1.0

I'd like to ask if it is possible to access .dxf files that were published / created by the CAD worker? Can they all together be found in some folder respectively is there any chance to extract all of them to a local drive?

[avillanueva]

They are accessible on the representation section under Content tab. Right click on the representation and you should see a submenu called files. They should be listed there and you can download the file that way. All of this content typically goes into the vaults and is not accessible directly if that is what you are asking. 

If you download or save the representation as a .pvz, it is essentially a zip file. Extracting that locally, you should see the dxf file there. Another option is to use a package, grab a bunch of items to create the package zip for download. The .pvz representations are there also as zips within zips. 

Thingworx Navigate can be configured to access the related content including these published files. We ended up creating our own custom app for extracting content to a zip download based on a list of numbers input. Short answer, possible yes. Some things might require some work or customization to extract in mass. 

[uklemme]

Hi,

thanks for your reply. You are right: The perfect thing would have been to really locate them in a vault directory and collect them somehow.

From my perspective the publish rule says that both pdf and dxf are being published. The WVS monitor reports a successful creation of the dxf. But we are not seeing them in the submenu "files"; there we only have the published .pdf file. And to add one more funny thing: in Navigate we see both pdf and dxf. Is it possible that this is the result of different publish rules which are executed at certain events? 

[avillanueva · Accepted solution]

I would check your publishing rules but odd that you can see PDF but not DXF in submenu. Here is what my rules produce on Release of a drawing:

I've seen configuration where folks like to put additional published content outside of the representation so it would appear on the main page in attachments section. Navigate does not care where the files are as it can search all of it.  How many representations do you have?

[uklemme]

Thanks for your interesting input.

I heard of an exception that was configured related to the naming of the files. This results in different names for pdf and dxf files when using Navigate. In WC the name of the pdf is different.

If you like you might have a look at the current publish rules:

<rules xmlns="http://www.ptc.com" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.ptc.com PublishRulesSchema.xsd" evaluate-rules-on-republish="true">

<authoring-application name="PROE">

<additional-files name="proe_to_pdf">

<!-- only default='true' files will be generated at this time -->

<file output-prefix="dxf" default="false" type="dxf" display-label="DXF"/>

<file output-prefix="pdf" default="true" type="pdf" display-label="PDF"/>

</additional-files>

<additional-files name="proe_to_dxf">

<!-- only default='true' files will be generated at this time -->

<file output-prefix="dxf" default="true" type="dxf" display-label="DXF"/>

<!-- file output-prefix="pdf" default="false" type="pdf" display-label="PDF"/ -->

</additional-files>

<additional-files name="proe_to_dxf_and_pdf">

<!-- only default='true' files will be generated at this time -->

<file output-prefix="dxf" default="true" type="dxf" display-label="DXF"/>

<file output-prefix="pdf" default="true" type="pdf" display-label="PDF"/>

</additional-files>

<additional-files name="proe_to_stp">

<!-- only default='true' files will be generated at this time -->

<!-- file output-prefix="pvz" default="false" type="pvz" display-label="PVZ"/ -->

<file output-prefix="step" default="true" type="step" display-label="STEP"/>

</additional-files>

<additional-files name="proe_to_pvz">

<!-- only default='true' files will be generated at this time -->

<!-- file output-prefix="pvz" default="true" type="pvz" display-label="PVZ"/ -->

<file output-prefix="step" default="false" type="step" display-label="STEP"/>

</additional-files>

<additional-files name="proe_to_pvz_and_stp">

<!-- only default='true' files will be generated at this time -->

<!-- file output-prefix="pvz" default="true" type="pvz" display-label="PVZ"/ -->

<file output-prefix="step" default="true" type="step" display-label="STEP"/>

</additional-files>

<!-- Additional files declared inside an authoring application can only be referenced by the authoring application itself. -->

<condition name="is_drawing">

<and>

<attribute name="epmdoc_CADName" regex=".*\.[dD][rR][wW]"/>

<!-- <attribute name="epmdoc_docType" value="Drawing"/> -->

<not>

<or>

<attribute name="epmdoc_lifeCycleState" regex="[rR]eleased"/>

<attribute name="epmdoc_lifeCycleState" value="RELEASED"/>

<attribute name="epmdoc_lifeCycleState" regex="[pP]rototype*"/>

<attribute name="epmdoc_lifeCycleState" regex="PROTOTYPE*"/>

<attribute name="epmdoc_lifeCycleState" regex="[pP]rodu[ck]tion"/>

<attribute name="epmdoc_lifeCycleState" regex="PRODU[CK]TION"/>

<attribute name="epmdoc_lifeCycleState" regex="[fF]reigegeben"/>

<attribute name="epmdoc_lifeCycleState" value="FREIGEGEBEN"/>

<!-- attribute name="epmdoc_lifeCycleState" regex="released|prototype|production" /> <attribute name="part_name" regex="01-52.*\.asm"/ -->

</or>

</not>

</and>

</condition>

<condition name="is_released_drawing">

<and>

<attribute name="epmdoc_CADName" regex=".*\.[dD][rR][wW]"/>

<!-- <attribute name="epmdoc_docType" value="Drawing"/> -->

<or>

<attribute name="epmdoc_lifeCycleState" regex="[rR]eleased"/>

<attribute name="epmdoc_lifeCycleState" value="RELEASED"/>

<attribute name="epmdoc_lifeCycleState" regex="[pP]rototype*"/>

<attribute name="epmdoc_lifeCycleState" regex="PROTOTYPE*"/>

<attribute name="epmdoc_lifeCycleState" regex="[pP]rodu[ck]tion"/>

<attribute name="epmdoc_lifeCycleState" regex="PRODU[CK]TION"/>

<attribute name="epmdoc_lifeCycleState" regex="[fF]reigegeben"/>

<attribute name="epmdoc_lifeCycleState" value="FREIGEGEBEN"/>

<!-- attribute name="epmdoc_lifeCycleState" regex="released|prototype|production" /> <attribute name="part_name" regex="01-52.*\.asm"/ -->

</or>

</and>

</condition>

<!-- condition name="is_proto_drawing"> <and> <attribute name="epmdoc_CADName" regex=".*\.drw" /> <attribute name="epmdoc_lifeCycleState" value="prototype" /> </and> </condition> <condition name="is_prod_drawing"> <and> <attribute name="epmdoc_CADName" regex=".*\.drw" /> <attribute name="epmdoc_lifeCycleState" value="production" /> </and> </condition -->

<condition name="is_prt_or_asm">

<and>

<attribute name="epmdoc_CADName" regex=".*\.[aA][sS][mM]|.*\.[pP][rR][tT]"/>

<not>

<or>

<attribute name="epmdoc_lifeCycleState" regex="[rR]eleased"/>

<attribute name="epmdoc_lifeCycleState" value="RELEASED"/>

<attribute name="epmdoc_lifeCycleState" regex="[pP]rototype*"/>

<attribute name="epmdoc_lifeCycleState" regex="PROTOTYPE*"/>

<attribute name="epmdoc_lifeCycleState" regex="[pP]rodu[ck]tion"/>

<attribute name="epmdoc_lifeCycleState" regex="PRODU[CK]TION"/>

<attribute name="epmdoc_lifeCycleState" regex="[fF]reigegeben"/>

<attribute name="epmdoc_lifeCycleState" value="FREIGEGEBEN"/>

<!-- attribute name="epmdoc_lifeCycleState" regex="released|prototype|production" /> <attribute name="part_name" regex="01-52.*\.asm"/ -->

</or>

</not>

<!-- <attribute name="epmdoc_docType" value="CAD Part"/> -->

</and>

</condition>

<condition name="is_released_prt_or_asm">

<and>

<!-- <attribute name="epmdoc_docType" value="CAD Part"/> -->

<attribute name="epmdoc_CADName" regex=".*\.[aA][sS][mM]|.*\.[pP][rR][tT]"/>

<or>

<attribute name="epmdoc_lifeCycleState" regex="[rR]eleased"/>

<attribute name="epmdoc_lifeCycleState" value="RELEASED"/>

<attribute name="epmdoc_lifeCycleState" regex="[pP]rototype*"/>

<attribute name="epmdoc_lifeCycleState" regex="PROTOTYPE*"/>

<attribute name="epmdoc_lifeCycleState" regex="[pP]rodu[ck]tion"/>

<attribute name="epmdoc_lifeCycleState" regex="PRODU[CK]TION"/>

<attribute name="epmdoc_lifeCycleState" regex="[fF]reigegeben"/>

<attribute name="epmdoc_lifeCycleState" value="FREIGEGEBEN"/>

<!-- attribute name="epmdoc_lifeCycleState" regex="[pP]rototyp" /> <attribute name="epmdoc_lifeCycleState" value="PROTOTYP" / -->

</or>

</and>

</condition>

<!-- <condition name="is_prod_prt_or_asm"> <and> <attribute name="epmdoc_CADName" regex=".*\.asm|.*\.prt" /> <attribute name="epmdoc_lifeCycleState" value="production" /> </and> </condition> <condition name="is_proto_prt_or_asm"> <and> <attribute name="epmdoc_CADName" regex=".*\.asm|.*\.prt" /> <attribute name="epmdoc_lifeCycleState" value="prototype" /> </and> </condition> -->

<!-- Following conditions are evaluated based on the order they appear in this file -->

<!-- if condition="is_drawing"> <publish on="checkin" additional-files="proe_to_pdf" /> <publish on="create-representation" additional-files="proe_to_pdf" /> <publish on="schedule" additional-files="proe_to_pdf" /> <publish on="unknown-source" additional-files="proe_to_pdf" /> </if -->

<if condition="is_released_drawing">

<publish on="checkin" additional-files="proe_to_dxf"/>

<publish on="create-representation" additional-files="proe_to_dxf"/>

<publish on="schedule" additional-files="proe_to_dxf"/>

<publish on="unknown-source" additional-files="proe_to_dxf"/>

</if>

<!-- if condition="is_released_drawing"> <publish on="checkin" additional-files="proe_to_dxf" /> <publish on="create-representation" additional-files="proe_to_dxf" /> <publish on="schedule" additional-files="proe_to_dxf" /> <publish on="unknown-source" additional-files="proe_to_dxf" /> </if -->

<!-- if condition="is_prod_drawing"> <publish on="checkin" additional-files="proe_to_dxf_and_pdf" /> <publish on="create-representation" additional-files="proe_to_dxf_and_pdf" /> <publish on="schedule" additional-files="proe_to_dxf_and_pdf" /> <publish on="unknown-source" additional-files="proe_to_dxf_and_pdf" /> </if> <if condition="is_proto_drawing"> <publish on="checkin" additional-files="proe_to_dxf_and_pdf" /> <publish on="create-representation" additional-files="proe_to_dxf_and_pdf" /> <publish on="schedule" additional-files="proe_to_dxf_and_pdf" /> <publish on="unknown-source" additional-files="proe_to_dxf_and_pdf" /> </if -->

<!-- if condition="is_prt_or_asm"> <publish on="checkin" additional-files="proe_to_pvz" /> <publish on="create-representation" additional-files="proe_to_pvz" /> <publish on="schedule" additional-files="proe_to_pvz" /> <publish on="unknown-source" additional-files="proe_to_pvz" /> </if -->

<if condition="is_released_prt_or_asm">

<publish on="checkin" additional-files="proe_to_stp"/>

<publish on="create-representation" additional-files="proe_to_stp"/>

<publish on="schedule" additional-files="proe_to_stp"/>

<publish on="unknown-source" additional-files="proe_to_stp"/>

</if>

<!-- if condition="is_proto_prt_or_asm"> <publish on="checkin" additional-files="proe_to_pvz_and_stp" /> <publish on="create-representation" additional-files="proe_to_pvz_and_stp" /> <publish on="schedule" additional-files="proe_to_pvz_and_stp" /> <publish on="unknown-source" additional-files="proe_to_pvz_and_stp" /> </if> <if condition="is_prod_prt_or_asm"> <publish on="checkin" additional-files="proe_to_pvz_and_stp" /> <publish on="create-representation" additional-files="proe_to_pvz_and_stp" /> <publish on="schedule" additional-files="proe_to_pvz_and_stp" /> <publish on="unknown-source" additional-files="proe_to_pvz_and_stp" /> </if -->

</authoring-application>

</rules>

[uklemme]

Hi avillanueva,

I think we have to investigate a little bit more here. It must have to do with this misterious exception.

Thanks for your insight!

[mmeadows-3]

Have you confirmed dxf is defined in the preference?

https://www.ptc.com/en/support/article/CS263409

Never mind, that isn't what I thought it was.  There might be some useful insights in the article though.

[avillanueva]

Just noticed my DXF files are actually a zip of DXF files. I also did not have those listed in that preference, only PDF. Yet still downloadable. Perhaps zip is always allowed. 

[joe_morton]

If the drawing has multiple sheets and you request a DXF, Windchill produces a ZIP file. Each page gets created as it's own DXF. If the drawing is a single page, you'll get just 1 DXF file (no ZIP).

At least, that's what I've seen on our system