Settings for External Production Data

For the parts of the production drawings of the current model drawing, different file formats can be automatically created, managed in HELiOS and linked accordingly.

This is possible for the following formats:

Different file formats can also be created for complete production drawings. Possible formats are PDF, DWG and DXF.

In addition, Excel BOMs of certain model drawings can also be created automatically and managed together with the production drawings in HELiOS.

 

To ensure that the file format smentioned above can be created you need to specify the settings in the Configuration Editor at PDM > Drawing Management > External production drawings accordingly.

 

The topics:

External part data

Here you specify which CAM data are to be created for the parts and under which circumstances the CAM data creation is to take place.

Create CAM data

This setting determines whether the CAM data are to be created automatically or not.

The following options are possible:

  • Manual
    The creation of the CAM data must be carried out manually. For this to happen, use the Production function in the same-named function group. This is the default setting.
  • Automatically upon Release and Checkup
    The CAM data are created automatically upon Checkup and Release.
  • Automatically upon Release
    The CAM data are created automatically upon Release.

Important:
Only those CAM data will be created that you explicitly selected in the settings. For instance, if all settings for the Create ... data parameters have been set to No, no CAM data will be created. This applies both to the automatic and to the manual creation, i.e. even the Production function will then generate no CAM data.

CAM data for unprocessed sheets

One distinguishes between sheets with identical cross-sections (unprocessed sheets) and processed sheets.

  • As "cross-sectionally identical" (unprocessed) are considered all sheets with at least one bend zone, parallel front edges of the flanges (width of flange) and without any further processings such as bores, subtractions etc.
  • All other sheets are considered non-identical and processed.

The CAM data for unprocessed sheets parameter allows you to determine whether the "unprocessed" sheets are to be considered for the creation of the CAM data or not.

Create DSTV-NC data

DSTV-NC files of the parts can be created either

  • Only for beams or
  • For beams and plates.

The default setting is No, i.e. d.h. no DSTV-NC files fill be created.

Create DXF data

Here you specify whether the DXF data are to be auto-generated as well.

This is possible for

  • All sheets and plates,
  • Only Sheet Metal (sheets), or
  • Only SE (Steel Engineering) plates.

The default setting is No, i.e. d.h. no DXF files fill be created.

 

If the parameter Allow processing of sheet developments is set to Yes, external part data in DXF format for sheet metal parts cannot be created automatically. This means: If the configuration parameter Create DXF data under External part data (PDM > Drawing Management > External production documents...) is set to Yes, it is not evaluated. In this case, the message shown appears when HiCAD is started.

DXF export Favourite

Here you can select the Favourites for DXF file creation. the ISD defaults have been set here. Choose Sheet Metal > Sheet development > Extras > Sheets to define further Favourites that will then also be available in the Configuration Editor.

Create NCW/NCX data

NCW files can be created for

  • beams and plates or
  • only for beams.

The default setting is No, i.e. d.h. no NCW files fill be created.

For the NCW export two same-named files (*.NCW and *.DXF) will be created. These files have the same document number and are linked to each other via the "NCF-DXF data" link. To be able to distinguish the documents they are assigned the Sheet number 1 (NCW) and 2 (DXF), respectively. When the attribute Document type is added in the the HELiOS result list the different will become apparent.

Create STEP data

Collect part types for STEP export

Here you specify whether the STEP data are also to be auto-generated. The default setting is No.

If you set the parameter to Yes, you can select the part types to be considered for the STEP export from a selection window that you open in the Collect part types for STEP export row:

Article attributes for CAM documents

Here you determine which article attributes are to be assigned to the CAM document attributes when the CAM data are created.

To transfer article attributes of the semi-finished product to CAM document attributes, click on the button and define the desired assignments. Each assignment must be written in one line, as shown below.

Article attribute;Document attribute

For instance, if you want to assign the article attribute DESIGNATION of the semi-finished product to the CAM document attribute COMMENT, you must do it like this:

Automatic CAM data export

If this parameter is set to Yes, the CAM data are automatically exported from HELiOS to the Windows file system to the folder specified at Windows export path when creating/updating the CAM data.

Depending on the file type, the files are stored in a separate sub-folder, e.g:

The files are automatically named according to the configuration file BIM_PDM_CAMExport.ftd (in the HiCAD sys directory). Default setting is the part attribute Item number.

The default setting for automatic CAM data export is No.

Important:
The files exported to the Windows file system are not managed in HELiOS.

Windows export path

Here you specify the path for automatic CAM data export.

 

Example 3: Create / Manage Production Data

External documents, general

In practice, it often happens that overview drawings of a model drawing are created manually in a separate sheet area. These drawings contain, for example, sectional views, cut-outs, shortened views, detail views, etc., and are intended to illustrate how the model is realized. These sheet areas are not taken into account when creating external production documents. In order to be able to manage these documents together with the corresponding model in HELiOS, HiCAD offers the possibility to automatically create a PDF, DXF and/or DWG file of the respectively active model or sheet area directly when saving a model drawing.

The document attribute DOKUART defines for which documents external documents are to be created automatically when saving the model drawing. Click on the symbol and then enter the desired document types. Each document type must be in a separate line, for example:

For example, this list would have the effect that for all documents with the document type (attribute DOKUART) Drawing, Example 1 and Example 2, external documents can be created automatically. * In this context, please also note the settings for the drawing number generation.

Here you determine which document attributes are transferred to the external files. To do this, click on the symbol and then enter the desired attributes, whereby each attribute must be written in a separate line

The attributes listed in the figure are pre-set. You can change this list individually.

 

To enable the automatic creation of documents for the document types listed above, you must specify the desired parameters at PDM > Drawing Management > External production documents - DXF drawing data:

If all parameters are set as desired in the Configuration Editor, the next time HiCAD is started with Drawing Management, the following procedure is carried out:

Further information can be found here.

External drawing data / Drawing data export

Here you specify whether DXF, DWG or PDF files of the production drawings are also to be auto-generated. Possible settings are as follows:

Default setting is No.

Similar to the external part data, drawing data can also be automatically exported from HELiOS to the Windows file system. For this purpose, the parameters

are available. Depending on the file type, the files are stored in a separate sub-folder, e.g:

The files are automatically named according to the configuration file BIM_PDM_WSDExport.ftd (im HiCAD sys-Verzeichnis). The default setting for the designation is:

Article master attribute COMPONENT_DRAWINGNUMBERTEXT Part attribute Item number.

 

Important:
The files exported to the Windows file system are not managed in HELiOS.


If you select Upon Checkup and Release or Upon Release, the files will already be entered upon creation and update into the database as Empty documents.

 

With the parameters PDF-/DXF-/DWG files for general documents you specify whether PDF/DXF and/or DWG files of the active sheet area are automatically created when saving a model drawing with the document type listed under List of manual document types for external documents.

Postprocessor for PDF creation

When creating a PDF, a Postscript file is first created - as with the HiCAD Spooler - and then converted into the PDF format. The following prerequisites must be fulfilled for this:

C:\Program Files\gs\gs10.01.2\bin\gswin64c -dNOPAUSE -dBATCH -dPDFA -sDEVICE="pdfwrite" -sOutputFile="<FilePath><FileName>.pdf" <CurrentFile>

Monochrome PDF data

PDF creation can alternatively be done in black and white. To do this, simply activate the Create monochrome PDF data checkbox.

BOM data

Excel BOMs, too, can be created and managed automatically.

Create BOMs

This setting determines whether or not Excel BOMs should be automatically generated for certain model drawings.

The following settings are possible:

  • None

    Excel BOMs are not generated automatically. This is the default setting.
  • Upon Checkup and Release
    The Excel BOMs are created automatically when checking and releasing drawings.
  • Upon creation and update
    The Excel BOMs are created automatically when creating and updating drawings.
  • Automatically upon Release
    The Excel BOMs are created automatically upon release of drawings.

List of model drawings with external BOM

Here you define for which model drawings external BOMs are to be created and managed. At present, this is only possible for itemised source models, i.e. for the model drawings in which the parts are itemised (see document attribute ITEMISATIONMODEL).

 

In HELiOS, the generated BOMs (Document type Others) are stored in the Bills of Materials subfolder of the respective project, e.g.

When saving the itemised source model, these BOMs are automatically updated.

 

Please note:

Requirements for a Smooth Operation (DrwMan) • Drawing Management Settings in the Configuration Editor (DrwMan) • Important Information(DrwMan)