How to Add Coversheet to CAD Part/Drawings

[AQ_10299550]

Version: Windchill 13.0

Use Case: I am trying to add the company coversheet to the CAD Parts/Drawings that we have but the error shows "ATTENTION: Failed to add coversheet Cannot find pdf content to apply coversheet for object EPM Document:"

Description:

"ATTENTION: Failed to add coversheet Cannot find pdf content to apply coversheet for object EPM Document:<part_name>"

[Catalina]

Hi @AQ_10299550 

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[AQ_10299550]

When clicking on the information page of the CAD part > Actions > Coversheet > (configuration for coversheet) > OK, I get the error that it is unable to find a pdf.

[BenLoosli]

Is that a company specific added option? I do not see that option in Windchill 13.0.2 CPS03 OOTB.

[AQ_10299550]

According to my colleague, this isn't out of the box, but this function is owned by PTC themselves so this shouldn't be company specific.

The coversheet and watermark function were added within the extension manager in windchill, this was added through Quick Links > Extension Manager > Install Extensions.

[HelesicPetr]

Hi @AQ_10299550 

It is Windchill extension app so in your case, there is just an error that the function can not do what you expect.

Exactly the error says that PDF can not be found so the EPMDocument does not have any PDF file to be processed by the tool. 

You have two options.

1. Create PDF in a Creo by you as an attachment or generate a Visualization that can create additional PDF file.

There can be some rule to generate PDF by visualization. You have to ask your Windchill administrator who is responsible for this. 

PetrH

[AQ_10299550]

Hello HelesicPetr, 

I am interested in the second solution that you have proposed. When generating a Visualization, would this be an automatic function that creates additional PDF files when published? 

If possible, do you have the documentation regarding Generating a Visualization as well as the mention of the rules to generate PDF by visualization?

[HelesicPetr]

Hello @AQ_10299550 

Everything is described in the Windchill Help Center

WVS Publish Rules

Using Conditions in Publish Rules

CS81396 - How to publish a WVS Representation with Additional File Types

PetrH

[BRAHIM]

Hello @HelesicPetr ,

Thank you for sharing this solution! I want to implement the second option you mentioned: Generating a Visualization to create an additional PDF file.

However, I am not familiar with the steps required to configure this.

Could you please provide more detailed instructions on how to:

1. Set up the rules for generating the PDF through visualization?
2. Verify that the EPMDocument is properly configured to include the PDF?
3. Ensure the visualization process is executed successfully within Windchill?

If there are any specific tools, settings, or configurations I need to ask my administrator about, I’d greatly appreciate the details.

Thank you in advance for your help!

[HelesicPetr]

Hi @BRAHIM 

Everything is described in the Windchill Help Center

1. Step one> Enabling Publish Rules

2. Step two> Define XML file with publish rule

XML Example 1, XML Example 2

CS81396 - How to publish a WVS Representation with Additional File Types for CAD Documents

3. Step three> test the visualization and check the additional files output.

PetrH

[Chris3]

Windchill extensions are here:

https://windchill-extensions.ptc.com/

[d_graham]

@BenLoosli 

I'm pretty sure they have purchased the "Watermark" extension as it states it's capable of

• Apply watermark as coversheet

I've dug into the utility Watermark Starter.  It uses pdfbox 2.0.24

I recently implement code using pdfbox 3.0.3 to Watermark pdf generated via publishing when the pdf is downloaded.

There's a lot you can do with pdfbox.

Watermarks

Cover Sheets

Add page numbers

Merge pdfs into one pdf

Scale the pdf

etc

Fun project.😊

[jbailey]

So there's actually two coversheet methods for the Wincom extensions. The coversheet with Watermark has to do with applying image based coversheets. Like a CUI coversheet, or a Classified coversheet that has text overlaid.  They also have a coversheet tool (which is the coversheet selection from the actions menu). That is basically a report builder that creates a PDF coversheet.

The Coversheet from watermark was an enhancement Wincom made for us- where a very specific coversheet was required to be added, size, color, formatting etc.

[d_graham]

@AQ_10299550 ,

Does this cad model (.prt) even have a pdf?

If yes, show us a screenshot of where you see this pdf.

It would have to be in attachments or a representation not the primary.

As @BenLoosli mentioned, I've never seen this "Cover Sheet" option either but I'd bet big money it uses pdfbox to add the cover sheet.

These bolt-on extensions that pertain to pdf manipulation use pdfbox.

FYI, you can write your own class that uses pdfbox APIs to add coversheets, watermarks, page numbers, etc.

[AQ_10299550]

Hello d_graham

I am trying to look into the pdfbox that @BenLoosli mentioned but I cannot find anything specific within the PTC knowledge base. Would it be possible if you can link the article or configuration manual to me?

[d_graham]

@AQ_10299550 

I think I’m the one that mention pdfbox.

It's a free open source API you just download it and hook it up to your IDE and have at it.

Javadoc too.

There's quite an archive there of previous releases.

I tend to go with the latest which as of now is 3.0.3.

Just do a web search on pdfbox. It’ll pop right up.

[joe_morton]

I think this is the issue. That extension should probably be run on the Drawing, not the Model. 

[d_graham]

@joe_morton , yeah, I mention that.

A good test would be to add pdf as an attachment to the model and try again.

FYI, I’ve dug into the wincom free Watermark, my recollection is it looks at Primary and published representation for the pdf. Not sure about attachments.

As I mentioned earlier, if it were me I just write my own utility to do whatever the company wanted and kick it off with a custom action.

Not sure what the Windchill extension costs but I’m thinking much more that writing your own utility.

[jbailey]

The cost isn't cheap for the bundles, however there is a lot of functionality that is available with these "out of the box" so you would be trading money for creating/maintaining/updating customizations vs paying for the extensions.

[d_graham]

@jbailey 

I hear loud and clear on the cost from wincom.  That's the main reason why I just wrote the utility myself.  Plus. if I need something the utility cannot do, well the utility I write can do whatever is needed.

James, just curiosity, what functionality are you using with the wincom utility?

I would spec out the requirements, write to code and be done with it.  No need to be spending on tons of money.

The watermark or coversheet can be whatever.  All a coversheet is, is a new Page inserted before the first page.

Under the hood the coversheet is no different than all the other pages in the pdf.  Meaning they are all the same Java object type and therefore all have the same capabilities. It's like all EPMDocuments are all the same Java object type and therefore all have the same capabilities.

An image, text, transparency, color, font, font size, can be placed on the page in any position you want and scaled as required.  The sky's the limit!

I did some work for a company that needed to watermark pdf files created via publishing, which meant watermark with PRE-PRODUCTION if the drawings state was not their release state.

They also need the display of the drawing on the pdf to be centered on the pdf.  I used pdfbox to do that to.

Why was centering required? Because of the years of Pro/E drawings they'd create from one start drawing that was never resized by adding a drawing format.  Don't ask.  When they explained what they'd done, I just replied, huh, I've never seen this technique before, but I guess you can do it that way.  They no longer do this for new drawing but there's a lot of legacy.

Multi-sheet drawing get page numbers added too.

They also wanted to merge multiple pdf files from different sources into a multi-page pdf.  So, we are doing this too.

No need to be concerned about upgrading/maintaining the utility.

I had a couple of "consultant" from a PTC partner raise an objection to customization in general during a meeting with a company once.  I just let them talk until they had nothing more to say. When they had finish, I asked, how many of you can write code.  They were silent.  I ask how many of you can compile code.  Again silence.

I then asked, what's this maintenance you're talking about?  What maintenance? Again, they were silent.

I turned to the decision maker and asked him, "It's your call.  What do you want to do?" He replied, how quickly can you get this customization on our production system, 😊

This same code has been moved from WC 10 > 11.1 > 12.1.

Maintenace.  Good grief.

Long live PdfBox 😊

[jbailey]

In the case of just watermark, coversheet I agree the code will probably be long lasting without mods, especially if you are not modifying any PTC provided files. My point was a general point about customization in general and the maintenance/security of customizations. If a company has access to a good programmer that does good documentation, then the risk is likely low. That being said, if a company doesn't have a programmer or it isn't easy to bring on consultant resources based on the organization using something like the Windchill extensions could be a good alternative. We use several of the extensions, and have been successful working with Wincom to get significant changes at no cost based on our expanding requirements.

The tools probably aren't right for everyone, but if they have the tools why not just suggest using them? That being said, I don't know if the OP just has beta versions of these and is just testing, or if they have production licensing.

[jbailey]

And tool usage as of now:

• Coversheet
• Watermark
• CAD Quick, Assembly where used
• Change Analysis
• Representation Export+
• Document Export
• PDF Quick Access 

Additionally, we will be rolling Out Promotion and Change Validate+

[d_graham]

@joe_morton ,

That was my point. 😊 

Seemed kind of obvious.