File Conversion Rule Editor

Defines the output filename and destination folder. If the destination does not exist, it will be created during the conversion process.

Click the button to add pre-defined attributes to the output filename and its destination path. The following options are available:

• Browse for folder: Opens a folder browser to manually select the target path for output files.
• Model Properties: Retrieve a value of the desired model property into the filename.
• Drawing Properties: Retrieve a value of the desired drawing property into the filename.
• Weldment Properties: Retrieve a value of the desired cut-list property into the filename.
• Cut-List Item name: Retrieves the Cut-List item name to the filename.
• Body Number: Add body number of the cut-list item into the output filename. Use this option to convert multibody parts into DXF/DWG format so that all cut-list items of the individual bodies get converted to separate output files.
• Source Filename: Retrieves the filename from the source document and inserts it into the output filename.
• Source Path: Retrieves the source document path and includes it in the target filename.
• Top Assembly Filename: Inserts the name of the top-level assembly into the output file name.
• Top Assembly Path: Inserts the path of the top-level assembly into the Target filename.
• Part Number: Retrieves the part number and includes it in the target filename.
• Source Configuration: Inserts the name of the model configuration into the output file name.
• Sheet Number: Inserts the sheet number of the drawing into the filename.
• Sheet Name: Inserts the sheet name of the drawing into the filename.

• Thickness: Add the sheet metal thickness to the output filename. The thickness value is determined based on the SOLIDWORKS Sheet Metal Parameters.

  

  When thickness is used in output filename, it’s always presented as a decimal number. The unit is determined by source model document properties and the number of decimals. Trailing zeros are never displayed and the decimal separator is always a dot (.). The unit is not included.

• Material: Add the source component material to the output filename. The SOLIDWORKS Cut-List-Item is the primary place to look for the material. The secondary place is the document itself.

  

  If the material is not specified for the Cut-List-Item or the document, the material is left empty in the output filename.

• Quantity: Add the total quantity of a component in the selected assembly into the output filename.
• Instance Number: Add the instance number of the component currently being converted into the output filename.
• Workgroup PDM File Revision: Inserts the Workgroup PDM file revision number into the output filename.
• Time: Inserts the current system time into the output filename.
• Date: Inserts the current system date into the output filename.

The backslash (\) after the source file path is added automatically when using source file path in the Target filename.

Illegal characters in the target path, including Property values, are automatically replaced by underscores (_) during the file conversion process.

Example: Instance Number and Quantity Attributes

Let’s say we have a sheet metal box assembly like shown in the following picture that has four pieces of the same, configured sheet metal plate used as side walls of a sheet metal box. Two of the sheet metal plates are bent from both ends and two of the plates are not bent.

The Sheet Metal Box assembly referred in this example.

In this case, you may want to convert the DXF files from the sheet metal parts so that the output file names contain the part’s instance number and total quantity of the parts in the whole assembly, like:

<Path>\DXF\<PartNumber> <Configuration> <Instance no> of <Quantity>.dxf

To include the instance number and part’s total quantity in the output filename, include the following attributes in the Target filename of the file conversion rule used to convert the files into DXF:

• Instance Number
• Quantity

So, the Target filename format in this example is {DRW_PATH}\DXF\{DRW_FILENAME} {SRC_CONF} {Instance number} of {Quantity}.

Full path including the filename of an assembly referred in this example is D:\Workspace\SOLIDWORKS Design\Sheet Metal Boxes\000003 Default.sldasm. Using the output filename mentioned above in the File Conversion Rule, the output files' paths including the filename will be as follows:

• D:\Workspace\SOLIDWORKS Design\Sheet Metal Boxes\DXF\000001 Default 1 of 2.dxf
• D:\Workspace\SOLIDWORKS Design\Sheet Metal Boxes\DXF\000001 Default 2 of 2.dxf
• D:\Workspace\SOLIDWORKS Design\Sheet Metal Boxes\DXF\000001 Bended 1 of 2.dxf
• D:\Workspace\SOLIDWORKS Design\Sheet Metal Boxes\DXF\000001 Bended 2 of 2.dxf

You can use ATR CustomTools Properties of the available scopes in the file conversion output path and filename. If the property value included in the target filename is overwritten during the batch operation, the changes also apply to the output path and filename of the processed file.

File conversion rules can have a dynamic output path and filename. Properties belonging to different property scopes are color-coded in the Target filename box for easier recognition. The following colors are used:

Color	Meaning	Example Blob
	Model property
	Cut-List property
	Drawing property
	Pre-defined function
	Invalid item

You can use Windows environment variables to define the target path of the file conversion. The percent signs (%) at both ends of the folder name mean the folder is defined as a local environment variable.

The example below saves the output files into the temporary folder of the currently logged-in user:

Complicated output path definitions can be implemented with ATR CustomTools Add-in scripts. For advanced conversion rule needs, contact ATR CustomTools support by email and specify your requirements as accurately as possible.

With ATR CustomTools, you can convert your SOLIDWORKS documents to the following file formats.

Selected assembly or selected individual parts. Determines the configuration of the 3D model which are processed with the file conversion rule.

ATR CustomTools file conversion rules can filter the model configurations to be processed. Filtering can be done by sheet names using boolean operators, which are considered pre-defined functions. Pre-defined functions are color-coded in the Named configuration box for easier recognition. The following colors are used to identify the blobs:

Color	Meaning	Example Blob
	Pre-defined function
	Invalid item

Sheets to convert. Determines how to choose the drawing sheets to be processed on the batch operation with this file conversion rule.

To process all sheets from all the drawings in the list, type an asterisk (*) into the Sheets which name contains box or leave the Sheets which name contains box empty.

When you have the After file is saved in SOLIDWORKS option selected, the following special behaviors are applied:

• The Save as Copy action: The file conversion is executed only for the copied part and the original part is not processed.
• Mirroring the part: The file conversion is executed on save of the mirrored part.
• Mirroring a component to make an Opposite hand version: File conversion is executed only for the new part and the source part is not processed.
• Toolbox parts: File conversion is not executed against the toolbox parts.

The Overwriting an existing file options are used to determine what to do on file conversion operation if a file with the same name already exists in the target path.

You can create DXF and DWG flat pattern documents directly from SOLIDWORKS parts without creating the SOLIDWORKS drawings first.

To do that, create a file conversion rule with output file type DXF or DWG and apply it to part documents (Parts).

When using the DXF/DWG file conversion rule, ensure that you have the default Drawings template file defined properly in the SOLIDWORKS Default Templates options.

The following examples show how the boolean operators can be used to determine drawing sheets' selection rules based on the sheet names.

• File Conversion Rules
• Use the file conversion rule in association with the Export profile
• Use the Overwrite Property Values feature in File Conversion to have a property based output path and filename