A Layman’s Guide To Creating PDF Files

(And Other Formats) From I-DEAS/NX

Drawings Using OOTB Teamcenter
By Larry Carpenter, P.E.
Siemens Healthcare
Molecular Imaging
larry.carpenter@siemens.com
 Siemens Healthcare − Molecular Imaging Division

• MI is a producer of SPECT and PET Medical

Devices.
• SPECT - Single Photon Emission Computed
Tomography
• PET - Positron Emission Tomography

• MI has 2 primary locations; Hoffman Estates, IL

(NW ‘burb of Chicago) and Knoxville, TN

• Our engineering department is spread out across

both locations using different CAD and database
systems.
• HES: I-DEAS 11 TDM (~ 30 users)
• KNV: Solidworks and TC Engineering 9.1.3
(~30 users)

• In process of moving to NX 6 and TC2007 for

everyone.
 The Need For It

1. Need to generate Postscript files from our CAD drawings for

upload to our ERP system (SAP) as part of our release process.
This includes I-DEAS, Solidworks, & NX.

2. Currently have a home grown semi-autonomous script to do this

for I-DEAS TDM, but it will not work within Teamcenter.

3. Users expect to retain this semi-autonomous functionality after

migration to Teamcenter from TDM.
 Requirements

1. Have PS file generation automated as part of the release

process in Teamcenter.

2. Would also like the option to export or generate other data

formats (JT for example) from Teamcenter to SAP in the
future.

3. Use existing software and in-house resources if possible.

 Tools At My Disposal

Here’s what I had to work with:

• Teamcenter 2007.1.4 (with Translation Management)

• Teamcenter Visualization 2007 (with Convert)
• Ghostscript
• Several freely available programming languages including
PERL.

Already had required licenses for everything. Didn’t need to purchase

anything new.
 Overview of Implementation — Step 1

Configure OOTB Translation Management to create CGM files from

I-DEAS and NX drawings within Teamcenter.
 Overview of Implementation — Step 2

Use command line TC VisConvert ‘prepare’ utility to convert CGMs to PS.

Better yet, write a script. Here’s a basic example,

 Overview of Implementation — Step 3

Create Workflow to automate everything.

For LOV syntax, see

For handler syntax, Support Material at
see Support Material end of this
at end of this presentation.
presentation.
 Now, Git’er Dun! — Step 1

Initiate Workflow on desired items.

 Now, Git’er Dun! — Step 2

Translation requests submitted. A ‘Do Task’ named ‘CGM Hold’ asks the
user to wait until CGMs are created before continuing with PS creation.
 Now, Git’er Dun! — Step 3

CGMs and associated dataset files are exported to filesystem. ‘Prepare’

script executes on CGMs to convert them to PS, renames them, and
places them in the specified directory.
DATASET File Example
 Other Conversion Formats

In addition to CGM to PS conversion, you can use ‘Prepare’ to convert

many other formats including PDF. See the documentation for a full list.

You can also use any software you desire. For example, we use
Ghostscript’s ‘pdf2ps.bat’ to convert PDFs to PS format for Solidworks
drawings.
 Importing the Converted Files to Teamcenter

You can add the ability to import the newly created files into Teamcenter
via the ‘import_file’ command line utility in your ‘Prepare’ script.
 Support Material - Submit to TS handlers

I-DEAS Drawings

NX Drawings
(UGPART)
 Support Material – EPM-run-external-command handler

This handler exports the CGM files to an OS directory and creates text
files containing information about the exported CGM files. The contents of
the LOV determines what is exported and what information those text files
contain. See BM IDE documentation for LOV options and syntax.
 Support Material – BM IDE LOV for
EPM-run-external-command handler
 Support Material – ‘Prepare’ Script

This script reads the exported text files and processes the exported CGM files
using the ‘prepare’ utility. This script can be whatever you want it to be and in
whatever language you want it to be in. I chose PERL since it’s a great text
manipulator, platform neutral, & was easy to learn.
For more information on ‘prepare’, read the
documentation located in the TCVis install
directory at,
<INSTLDIR>\Help\VVCP\vvcp_start.htm
A Layman’s Guide To Creating PDF Files
(And Other Formats) From I-DEAS/NX
Drawings Using OOTB Teamcenter
By Larry Carpenter, P.E.
Siemens Healthcare
Molecular Imaging
larry.carpenter@siemens.com