Conversion Wizard

INTEGRATED PARTNER SOLUTIONS, INC.

Step One: Create Table for Parts Open the Conversion Wizard from Standalone and configure it as follows (or very similar to as follows):

By using the [X] Convert all database option you can then use the [X] Add custom condition option to filter for only converting the Parts . We always recommend converting Parts before Assemblies. By providing the number 10 for the Number of workstations argument, you are allowing the process to divide the total quantity of Parts within your database into 10 “batch sections”. Valid arguments are between 1 and 25 for dividing the “batch sections” to be processed.

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INTEGRATED PARTNER SOLUTIONS, INC.

Select the [ Create query table] button to allow the utility to run (can take a few minutes). At this time, it is not converting anything; it is instead creating a table within the database that will be used for supporting the conversion process. For example, if the database has 10,000 Part records and the user set the Number of workstations argument to 10 , then the table would have 10 rows where each row has a range of records that represent 1,000 Part records. Once this process is completed, a dialog like the following will be displayed:

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INTEGRATED PARTNER SOLUTIONS, INC.

Step Two: Run Wizard from created Table Using Standalone , run the Conversion Wizard again and configure it like the following options and when ready, select its [ Load query from WS table ] button:

NOTE: Even though the above process is being started from within Standalone , this workstation must also have the applicable CAD application installed on it that is required to convert the CAD Part files.

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INTEGRATED PARTNER SOLUTIONS, INC.

A dialog will be displayed listing the quantity of rows from the table that can be individually selected for processing from one or more workstations.

For this example, the dialog displays the 10 rows of Parts created in step one. The NUMBER_OF_FILES column shows the number of Parts from each row. For this example, the database is a small test database so there are not very many Part records to be converted. The SIZE_IN_KB displays the total size of all the Parts within each row. The CONVERSION_TASK column displays the unique name of each row. The TASK_QUERY column displays the query that the application will execute when processing each “batch section”.

Select one of the rows (any row that still needs to be converted) and then select [ OK ].

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INTEGRATED PARTNER SOLUTIONS, INC.

The selected row’s TASK_QUERY contents will be automatically populated within the [X] Add custom condition within the utility:

Select the [ Start conversion ] button. The current workstation will be assigned the selected batch of Parts , and the conversion process will begin. When finished, the information text file will be automatically opened:

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INTEGRATED PARTNER SOLUTIONS, INC.

Step Three: Other Workstations or Future Runs From a second workstation (or from the same workstation after it has finished the first row of Parts ), run the Conversion Wizard from Standalone and select the [ Load query from WS table ] button again:

Rows which have an assigned WORKSTATION value should not need to be selected again. Select one of the other rows and select [ OK ]. The selected row’s TASK_QUERY contents will be automatically populated within the [X] Add custom condition within the utility allowing you to select the [ Start conversion ] button. By separating the Parts into “batch sections” and then processing each row, you can assign multiple workstations to execute the Conversion Wizard at the same timeframe knowing that they will not attempt to convert the same Part . The “batch section” also allow smaller groups of files to be processed with each run of the Conversion Wizard, as opposed to trying to convert every single registered Part during a single session.

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INTEGRATED PARTNER SOLUTIONS, INC.

After Parts: Assemblies (with associated Drawings) Once the Conversion Wizard has been run for each row of Parts , start over at Step One, except this time set the [X] Add custom condition argument to be Assemblies . Create a table with “batch sections” of Assemblies and allow the desired workstations to process one row of Assemblies at a time. Once the Conversion Wizard has been run for each row of Assemblies , you may need to address Drawings (it depends on the environment/options). If so, start over at Step One, except this time set the [X] Add custom condition argument to Drawings . Create a table with “batch sections” of Drawings and allow the desired workstations to process one row of Drawings at a time.

Special Option: Number of files to convert on each SW run

On the right side of the Conversion Wizard is a special option to be familiar with:

This option controls how many files will be converted before the Conversion Wizard forces the 3D CAD application (SolidWorks for this example) to exit and restart. Forcing the 3D CAD application to exit and restart will help with stability and memory issues. If the 3D CAD application is crashing frequently or the workstation is running low on memory, setting the option to restart more frequently (a lower number) can help. This option is typically set to somewhere around 100. NOTE: There should be no need to manually restart the processes during the Conversion Wizard when configured this way. For example, if the Conversion Wizard is processing a batch of 500 Parts and this option is set to 50, the Conversion Wizard will automatically restart the 3D CAD application 10 times and process all 500 parts without any intervention from the user.

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INTEGRATED PARTNER SOLUTIONS, INC.

Special Option: Execute Macro The [X] Execute Macro option is rarely used but does offer additional custom actions to be addressed during the conversion process (which can add overhead). For example, swapping out the entire Drawing template file or swapping out a logo image within the Drawing template file are possible considerations. The important thing to remember is that its three arguments must be properly identified: • Macro File (Use the button to select the physical macro file.) • Module ( Macro11 for the example below). • Function ( Main for the example below).

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