The additional options for the DWG documents provides some advanced options for the file conversion rules which output file type is DWG.
General options:
Fonts
Determines the font family used in the output documents.
Generate file from assembly according to the sheet metal part thickness
Select this option to generate the DWG documents from the sheet metal parts based on their material and thickness. Output documents of a file conversion are then created by the sheet metal part materials and the thicknesses so that each different material and/or thickness of a sheet metal have one dxf file where all parts with the same material and thickness are included in.
NOTE: Selecting this option makes the DWG rule to apply to the parts instead of the drawings. The drawings could not be selected when this option is selected. So if you want to convert drawing documents into the DWG format, do not select this option.
DWG documents creation from the models cannot be automatic so, the Run automatically on Save operation option in the Add/Edit Batch File Conversion Rule dialog box cannot be selected if this option is selected.
Example:
A user runs a DWG file conversion with the Generate file from assembly according to the sheet metal part thickness option selected, against a little assembly called 000008.sldasm. CUSTOMTOOLS Print/Convert generates the output DWG files in this case like described in the following table:
The Target filename format string referenced in the following example is
Component Properties
Output
Component Name
Material
Thickness
Included in DWG File
000001.sldprt
Copper
0.75 mm
000001-Copper 0.75.dwg
000002.sldprt
Copper
0.75 mm
000001-Copper 0.75.dwg
000003.sldprt
AISI 1020
1 mm
000003-AISI 1020 1.dwg
000004.sldprt
Copper
1 mm
000004-Copper 1.dwg
000005.sldprt
AISI 1020
0.75 mm
000005-AISI 1020 0.75.dwg
000006.sldprt
Copper
1 mm
000004-Copper 1.dwg
000007.sldprt
Copper
0.75 mm
000001-Copper 0.75.dwg
NOTE: Having the Material or the Thickness attribute missing in the File Conversion rule's Target filename box could cause errors during the file conversion process because of the attempts to create duplicate output files.
Additional options for parts:
Bend line options for parts available in the DWG file conversion rules' Advanced Options determines whether or not to show the bend lines in the DWG files created from parts by the CUSTOMTOOLS batch file conversion. With the Bend line options, you can also define the note added in association to the bend lines shown in the drawing sheet created.
Show only silhouette edges
Select the Show only silhouette edges option to keep only the silhouette lines of the cut features in plates processed on the DWG file conversion.
The Show only silhouette edges option is useful especially with the plates that have countersunk holes or holes that have other special features like chamfers or fillets. With plates having the special holes the Show only silhouette edges option makes the File Conversion feature to keep only edges of the actual holes in the drawing sheet generated and the outer bounds of the special features are excluded.
Show bend lines
The Show bend lines option determines whether or not to show the bend lines in the DWG files created from parts by the CUSTOMTOOLS batch file conversion. Select this option to show the bend lines and if you do not want to show the bend lines, clear selection of this option.
Show bend notes
The Show bend notes option determines whether or not to notes associated to the bend lines in the DWG files created from parts by the CUSTOMTOOLS batch file conversion. Select this option and define the note format in the Bend note format box to add customized notes associated to the bend lines. Clear selection of the Show bend notes option if you do not want to add notes associated to the bend lines.
Bend note format
Use the Bend note format box to define format for the note added in association to the bend lines shown in the DWG files created by the CUSTOMTOOLS File Conversion.
Click the > button associated to the Bend line format box to add pre-defined attributes to the note:
Orientation, if part is not sheet metal
In the Orientation, if part is not sheet metal box, you can select the view orientation of the SOLIDWORKS non-sheet metal part document to be used while the part is being converted to the DWG format.
NOTE: The Orientation, if part is not sheet metal option is required. Saving the Advanced Options of the selected DWG file conversion rule is not possible if nothing is selected in the Orientation, if part is not sheet metal box.
Pre-Defined Attributes for Bend Line Formatting:
Bend Direction
Add direction of a bend to the bend note.
Supplementary Angle
Add supplementary angle of a bend to the bend note.
Complementary Angle
Add complementary angle of a bend to the bend note.
Bend Radius
Add radius of a bend to the bend note.
Bend Order
Add the bending order number of a bend to the bend note.
Bend Allowance
Add bend allowance length of a bend to the bend note.
By definition, the bend allowance is the arc length of the bend as measured along the neutral axis of the material.
Additional options:
Save created temporary drawing
Select this option to save the temporary drawing created during the SOLIDWORKS Part document conversion to the DWG format. When this option is not selected, the temporary drawing is deleted after the conversion process.
Drawing filename
Determines how the target path and filename are generated for the temporary drawings saved on the file conversion. Click the button to select pre-defined attributes to be included in the saved drawing's target path and filename.
Pre-defined attributes added in the Drawing filename box are color coded to indicate the scope of the attribites selected. To learn more about the color codes, please refer to the Drawing Filename Blob Colors section lower in this page.
Overwrite an existing file
Select an action to do for the drawing files that already exist in the target path specified. To learn more about the options for this, please refer to the Overwriting an existing file section lower in this page.
Leave created drawing opened
Select this option to leave the output document open in the SOLIDWORKS after the file conversion.
Display Note Template to every view
Select this to add a custom notes on the top of the drawing views generated by the file conversion output file. The note templates are retrieved from the notes created with the Notes feature.
TIP: It is recommended to add some identifier to the temporary drawing's filename to make it easier to recognize and to avoid overwriting of the production drawings by the temporary ones.
Exporting Splines:
Export all splines as splines
All splines in the source documents are exported into the output files as splines.
Export all splines as polylines
All splines in the source documents are exported into the output files as polylines.
Drawing Filename Blob Colors:
File conversion rule could have a dynamic output path and the filename. Properties that belong to the different property scopes, are color coded in the Target filename box so that you can recognize the parts of the target path and filename easier. The following colors are used to identify the blobs:
Color
Meaning
Example Blob
Model property
Cut-List property
Drawing property
Pre-defined function
Invalid item
If you get the invalid item blob into the target filename, please ensure that the item selected in the target filename exist and also check the spelling of the target filename item names.
Overwriting an existing file:
The Overwriting an existing file options are used to determine what to do on file conversion operation if the file with the same name already exist in the target path.
Always
Overwrites existing files without any prompt during the batch operation.
Never
The existing files are never overwritten during the batch operation.
Prompt
The user gets prompted to decide whether or not to overwrite the file that already exist.
Common controls:
Reset All
Resets all additional options to their default settings.
button to select pre-defined attributes to be included in the saved drawing's target path and filename.
