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Tools

Various tasks are facilitated with the help of the Tools module. These are described below:

Clean up project

Ribbon: Tools “ Project ” Clean up

Parts are cleaned up that…

  • are not installed.
  • are not in a relation.
  • are not used in a parts list.
  • are not used in dependencies of other documents.
  • have not used a CAD file of the document anywhere else.

Release project

Ribbon: Tools “ Project ” Share

If you have selected a container, the entire project is released.

Review project

Ribbon: Tools “ Project ” Review

This is used to check whether…

  • Non-project parts are installed.
  • Models without drawings are present.
  • Models have outdated drawings (drawing older than model).

At the end, the result is recorded in a log file that is displayed to the user.

Save as

Ribbon: Tools “ Project ” Save as

This command allows you to create additional files such as neutral formats (IGES or PDF) to the CAD files of an article similar to the “Save as” command within the CAD systems.
You can select individual documents or select a container before executing the command, then all documents within the container will be used. You have the option of saving the newly created files at the respective document and additionally sending them at the end, e.g. by email. An assistant guides you step by step through all possible settings and options.

Archive

Ribbon: Tools “ Project ” Archive

With the Archive command, a project folder can be archived.
A wizard guides you through the settings.

Restore

Ribbon: Tools “ Project ” Restore

With the Restore command, an archived project folder can be restored.
A wizard guides you through the necessary settings.

Update file properties

Ribbon: Tools “ Project ” Update file properties

With the command Update File Properties the properties of the selected files/containers are rewritten into the files. The assignment of document properties to file properties is done via the respective configuration files (aisSpeedy.ini, swxSpeedy.ini, seSpeedy.ini, dwOffice.ini).

Mass data import

Ribbon: Tools “ Project ” Mass data import

You can find this description under: speedyLOAD

Run macro

Ribbon: Tools “ Project ” Run Macro

The command enables the execution of a macro/script for all selected documents.
Depending on the macro definition, certain files of the marked documents are processed.

For each defined file type, a macro start command, a macro work command and a macro end command are executed.
This makes it possible, for example, to apply self-defined automatisms to the marked documents and their files.
In an included macro, for example, Solidworks drawings are automatically transferred to the eDrawing format.

The definition of the available macros is done in the subdirectory .\macros. In the configuration file macro.ini, the macro name, file filter, configuration parameters and the three work steps (start, run, end) are defined.
The three work steps that are called to process a file can be any programme files. For example, a self-created programme could be called up for complex further processing, a batch file could be started or a VBScript could be executed.

Configuration file

The macros are defined in the configuration file macro.ini.

[SYSTEM]
… System information on the configuration file. Do not change values.
[MACRO]
Macro name Name of the section in which the macro is described in detail.
…
[Macro name]
Name Name of the macro. Displayed in the selection dialogue
Desc Additional descriptive text. Displayed in the selection dialogue
Ext List of file extensions for which the macro is to be executed.
e.g. “.sldprt;.sldasm;.slddrw”.
For each file extension there is a corresponding definition in a configuration section.
CheckOut Defines whether the document should be checked out before the macro is executed. After macro execution, the document is automatically checked in again.
Values: 0 or 1
ReadOnly Defines whether the write protection should be removed before the macro is executed.
Values: 0 or 1
[MacroName.ext] Configuration section describing the macro commands per file type.
BeginCmd Start command is called once per file type, e.g. to initialise the application before processing.
e.g. “cscript.exe StartSolidworks.vbs” → Starts Solidworks before Solidworks files are processed.
RunCmd Work command is called per file.
e.g. “cscript.exe SaveAsExport.vbs %N %M 0 edrw” → Calls the script per file and passes parameters (see placeholder) to the script.
EndCmd End command is called once per file type to end the application after expiration.
e.g. “cscript.exe StopSolidworks.vbs” → Ends Solidworks after all files have been processed.

Placeholder

Defined placeholders in the macro description can be used to feed the programme to be called with information:

PlaceholderDescription
%M inserts the path of the macro files.
%N inserts the file name incl. path of the file to be edited.
%P inserts the path of the file to be edited.
%O inserts the current file name without extension into the command line.
%E inserts the current file extension (incl. dot) into the command line.
%L specifies the language in which the whole thing will be edited.

The subdirectory .\macros contains some example macros.

Create derived part

Ribbon: Tools “ CAM ” Create derived part

Creates a derived part from the selected CAD document. A derived part is a CAD part that references a CAD part.
The command is available for Solidworks and Inventor files.
A derived part can be used, for example, if a CAM software saves its data directly in the CAD file and the CAD model is already released.
By creating a derived part, a copy of the released part is created. The release does not have to be cancelled for this. CAM machining can now take place on the derived part.

A copy of the selected document is created. The new document receives a document number depending on the setting [CAM.derived.docno.pattern] (e.g. <dm_docno>_CNC).
If the command is called again for the original CAD part, the derived part is updated.

(see also CAM / HSMWorks)