I find myself with a whole database of old Solidworks plans on which the line thicknesses are quite badly configured and which are not very readable after printing (slight difference between strong and thin lines).
I modified the document templates so that the new plans are readable but that doesn't solve the problem of all my existing database which remains alive since we still make on occasion on a certain number of old plans AND that we use as a basis for new similar cases (via Project Manager).
Therefore, when I want to apply the new stroke weight values, I have two options:
- Create a new plan, copy the views from the old plan, and overwrite the old plan with the new one
- Open the drawing options and change all the values by hand.
Neither of these two options are super convenient or fast. When there is only one plan and/or it is particularly important, I correct the problem but more often than not I leave things as they are even if it is not fully satisfactory.
Do you think it would be possible to create a macro (or other?) that would allow you to apply predefined line weights to a previously existing plane? (ideally with one click, or in batches let's be crazy!)
To complete what Yves says, there is certainly the INTEGRATION utility (probably the reference utility but you have to spend some time to configure it correctly) but also another COPYOPTIONS utility that is faster to implement.
For COPYOPTIONS:
You open one of your last drawings (with your new standards of "skin" and therefore line thickness), you choose the active document as the referenced document and then for the documents to be modified you select according to your choice:
- a drawing directory : for mass processing
- multiple files, if your files are in several different directories.
- the active document if you have the file to modify open in SW: very practical and fast if you want to modify your documents on a case-by-case basis.
If you have modified your cartridges , and update them you can even (via this utility) make an automatic change
Integration seems to be the most relevant solution, especially because of its management of batch processing, especially since I installed it on my machine (well, there are so many Axemble tools that I don't know them all ^^).
I've started to play with it, but at the moment it's not working the way I want it to. I did a simple thing to start:
- condition: systemic
- action: swPageSetupPrinterThinLineWeight = 0.2 (and other values for other line sizes)
Only, the conditions and operations are "successful" but when I open the test file, nothing seems to have changed.
If anyone has an idea of where I'm going down, I'm taking my .mcact file and an excerpt from the report as an attachment...
If you want to get an overview of what the "Integration" utility can do for you, you can watch the presentation video. This tool is really interesting and powerful for processing batch files.
I can't open your config file, I'm in V2012 and you're probably in V2013.
I've been looking since my version how to do it and keep you informed but I have the impression that the V2013 version does more than my "poor" 2012 version.
Have you checked that your Drawing file is not read-only?
Hi, thanks for the macro suggestions, but I'm going to use the CopyOptions (conclusive trial) and Integration utilities (it should work, but I can't do it yet). It's more versatile and easier to use if I want to hope that my colleagues will use it one day. :)
@flegendre: I confirm that I'm in v13, both for SW and for utilities. I checked, my plan file that I use for testing is not read-only, it was worth checking even if I assume that Integration would have reported something AND I modified the condition to limit the scope to the plans. No improvement.
I've attached a print Integration screen, if you can't open my v13 project. Maybe you'll see something I missed. :)
From your latest model, you follow Pascal's explanation and you create a standard of dressing (thanks Pacal for the tip).
From integration, you choose the operation "LOAD A SKINNING STANDARD" and you select your standard file (".sldstd" type file) that you have just created and that's it.
I did a test it works at home.
The moral of this story: " together we are stronger!!!!!!!!!!!!! "
Perfect! The combination of Integration + Loading a Skin Standard works perfectly. :) And it seems faster than CopyOptions (once the settings are done).
Thank you all for spending time searching. Another trick question for very soon. :)