This page contains general tips for usage of all CustomTools products and terminology used in the products and their user interfaces and helps.
| 3D Model | Means a SOLIDWORKS document which type can be a part or an assembly. |
| Model | Same as the 3D Model. |
| x86 | 32-bit system platform. |
| x64 | 64-bit system platform. |
| sa user | System administrator account of the Microsoft SQL Server. |
| Sequence | The user defined serie of numbers used to generate e.g. the document codes. |
| Esc | Press the Esc key to cancel the operation of CustomTools command. |
| Enter | Press the Enter key to execute the CustomTools command or accept the changes. |
| Tab | Press Tab to jump into the next available control in the dialog box or in the side pane. |
| Shift + Tab | Press Shift + Tab to return to the previous control in the dialog box or in the side pane. |
| Alt | Press the Alt key to see the shortcut keys to the CustomTools commands. The letter underlined in the command name means the shortcut key.
In the SOLIDWORKS Add-In, press Alt + <shortcut key> to perform the command. |
To customize the list columns, right-click the list header row and select the desired columns to be shown.
When you have an assembly open you can use CustomTools commands for the desired part, sub-assembly or a drawing by right-clicking the desired document in the FeatureManager design tree or in the drawing area, and then selecting the desired CustomTools command.
Using CustomTools commands affects always to the selected entity. When nothing specific is selected the CustomTools commands affects to the active document.
The CustomTools Login dialog box stores the most recently used User name. That means the user does not have to type the user name again each time when logging into the CustomTools database.
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NOTE: Using the Logout command clears the stored login information and ends the currently existing database session, so the Login dialog box appear again when you start CustomTools next time. |
The CustomTools usage needs to have an active database and also an active database profile. In environment where is only one database and/or, the database have only one profile, the only database and its only profile is set as active automatically for the new user when the new user first time starts SOLIDWORKS with the CustomTools add-in.
If the environment have more than one CustomTools database located in the same SQL Server and/or the database(s) have more than one database profile, the Data Vault dialog box appear normally on the CustomTools startup to let the user to choose the active database and the active profile.
Tabs in CustomTools Options are shown based on the user rights. So if you do not see some specific options tab please contact your CustomTools administrator to get further information about your CustomTools environment related user right policies.
The Browse for Folder dialog boxes are used to select the desired folder to determine where to get files from or to determine where to save the output files to. You can find the following controls from the Browse for Folder dialogs:
| Select Folder | A tree view that represents the file system of your workstation. |
| Include Subfolders | Select this option to search documents also from the subfolders located under the folder selected in the Select Folder tree view. |
| Folder | Use the Folder box to type manually the path of the desired folder. |
| Make New Folder | Creates a new folder under the folder currently selected from the Select Folder tree view. |
You can re-arrange the columns shown in the lists like existing CustomProperties, File Conversion rules and so on, by draggin and dropping the desired columns from their current location to another. Click header of the column you want to move to another place in the list, hold down the mouse button, drag the column into a new place and drop it there. CustomTools stores the column locations as well so you do not have to re-arrange the columns again once you have done that once.
You can resize the projects tree view in the CustomTools Projects related Profile Options. Resizing the projects tree works by the same principle as the drag-and-drop feature does. Grab the right side border of the projects tree view panel (mouse cursor turns to vertical arrow with arrow head at the both ends) with the primary button of your mouse and hold down the mouse button while dragging to make the projects tree view wider or narrower.
| Toolbars | Enable/disable different toolbars from the Toolbars tab.
Select or clear the CustomTools option to show or hide the CustomTools toolbar. |
| Commands | Add or Remove commands
Select CustomTools from the Categories box and drag the desired commands into their places to add them or drag the desired command into the Customize dialog box to remove it. |
| Menus | Customize the CustomTools menu in the Menus tab.
Select CustomTools from the Categories box and make the desired changes. |
| Keyboard | Customize the keyboard shortcuts.
Select CustomTools from the Categories box, click the specific Shortcut(s) column and press the key combination to assign it to the selected command. |
| Mouse Gestures | Assign mouse gestures.
Select CustomTools from the Categories box and select the desired mouse gestures for the CustomTools commands. |
CustomTools creates a log file in relation to your batch print process you execute using the PrintAndConvert feature. The log file is created always when you execute a batch print operation. A log file called CustomTools print log.txt is saved into the following path in your local workstation:
C:\Users\<WindowsUserName>\AppData\Local\ATR Soft Oy\CustomTools
You can open the CustomTools printing log with for example the Notepad program included in your Windows operating system.
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NOTE: Only the batch printing operations are logged. CustomTools batch file conversion does not create a log file. |