Hello, the generation of PDFs under PDM has recently been a bit random:
Either the PDF is not generated at all.
Either the PDF does not replace the existing one, so it leaves the old version of the plan, which is particularly problematic, would there be a checkbox somewhere in PDM or a Windows option (10-64bits) for this particular case?
PDM version 2019.
Thank you
Hello
I think you should dig into the rights of the location of PDFs.
We use this function, and the problems you encounter appear with us when the user does not have delete and write rights on the folder or when the pdf is opened elsewhere (the preview in a windows explorer is considered an open file :( )
Hello
thank you for your answer,
We have the rights to write on our server, no worries on that side and yes it seems logical if the file is already open in acrobat it can't be replaced but in this case it's not the case.
I think I just found the reason for the problem, it is in the add-ins I load, especially the toolbox, you have to load it but uncheck the start box, at first glance it seems to come from there! Why it remains a mystery...
I'll see in time if that's the only reason...
Hello
Are the PDFs generated by a user's workstation (the one who triggers the task) or a dedicated station?
Hello
In theory they are generated on the workstation that creates the request (task host configuration), but it happens, why I don't know, that they are generated on another workstation in use.
Hello
It is in the properties of the task that you must set the parameter to run the task on the workstation where it is launched.
The configuration of the host only allows you to enable the workstation to allow it to perform tasks.
For the problem with ToolBox, wouldn't it be a SW message that would block the process? (such as an acknowledgment message)
We've always had problems with the automatic generation of pdfs (and we still have some).
In the end, to limit the risk of bad pdfs, you must:
-Generate the pdf in the EPDM vault. and do it on a dedicated station (it avoids having the pdf file blocked by someone, but it requires you to have an EPDM + Solidworks license in addition). (research: there must be one or two topics on the subject in this forum)
-If you want to have pdfs that only use the latest version of the files, set up EPDM & the dedicated workstation so that there are only files in the latest version on it
The build script is quite incomprehensible for those who are not demigods of VBA + EPDM. But changing two or three parameters in it allows you to force certain things and get pdfs that are more in line with what you want.
Hello,
What I have put in place, which works very well:
Generating PDFs in a buffer folder on the server, I had problems saving, but I removed the "silent" function and since then it works not too badly.
Then, and this is beyond my skills, our IT has set up a mill that checks in this folder every X minutes to see if there is a plan to replace in the base of plans.
Wholesale:
- Workflow that starts a job automatically
- Task that saves the pdf with the characteristics of the document in the name of the pdf in the temporary folder : "NUMBER PRODUIT_REVISION_DATE REVISION_MASSE.pdf
- If item not in the ERP => PDF transferred to sub-folder ERROR
- If the article is present in ERP and PDF is read-only, the PDF remains in the buffer folder until the pdf to be replaced is available for writing again
- If article present in ERP => PDF transferred to the PDF database then Revision, revision date and mass updated in the process in ERP
Same thing, I created tasks with automatic sending of PDFs to the metodes service via Outlook for editing the index.
The possibilities are quite unlimited with PDM tasks in VBA, personally I have never learned VBA and I struggle to find my answers but it is done.
The number 1 episode of the PDM task hack => the change of PDM version, going from 2017 to 2018 blew me up!! When IT told me that we were going to move on to 2020 soon, I laughed yellow haha!!
I also have other hacks where the task connects to the PDM to extract the name of the active config, to generate the PNGs of files with several configs while deleting the configs I don't want to generate PNGs for (I just have to put a $ behind it and it doesn't generate a PNG)
I don't know if I'm clear in everything I say but it works very well. The IT part that updates the variables is not necessary in your case, only it solves the problem of read-only.
There is something you can also do at the server level, normally, you should be able to define the permissions by users, it must be said that ordinary users do not have write access to your plan file, which forces PDF openings in read-only. To be seen ...
Example of the simple PDF generation routine