NXTdim Inventor Batch Publish Manager
INDEX
Batch Publish Manager
This section provides a complete overview of all the configuration options for NXTdim Inventor Batch Publisher
(Administrator Guide)
and
This section describes all the functionality in NXTdim Inventor Batch Publisher.
(User Guide)
Batch Publish Manager Desktop shortcut 
Batch Publish Manager Inventor Main Panel
Administrator Guide - Batch Publish Manager
The 'Batch Publish Manager’ is a standalone application for batch exporting and printing Inventor documents. Two different launch cases are distinguished:
| Active document | When launching the command while documents are opened in Inventor, the Batch Publish Manager will automatically load the document and related files. |
| No open documents | If there are no open documents in Inventor, then Batch Publish Manager will behave in the same way as when started from the desktop. |
After installation, before you can use the Batch Publish Manager you will need to set your preferences. The settings for this application can be subdivided into two categories:
Publish Options
The Publish Options are used when publishing documents and their underlying components in one or more export formats to one or more locations in batch. Once defined, the settings can be exported and imported on other systems.
Print Options
The Print Options are used when printing drawings in batch to specified printers and sheetsizes per document. Once defined, the settings can be exported and imported on other systems.
Publish Options
‘Publish to Network Location Options’ provides an overview of all configuration settings for publishing Inventor documents. The dialog has a tab for every Inventor document type on which the export type can be specified. Using checkmarks one or more export types can be marked as default.
Furthermore, the dialog allows to create a collection of Network Locations and a collection of Filenaming Schemes . After which they can be assigned to the export types. This specifies to which directory should be published and using which file name.
Frequently used export types include: 'PDF' for drawings, 'Flat Pattern DXF' for Sheet Metal parts or a 'Pack and Go', which generates a zip-file in which all files are collected associated to a certain assembly or drawing. This allows for opening the files outside of your company.
Export Type
The ‘Export Type’ column shows which export types will be created during publishing.
Export Settings
After a certain export type is checked, the 'Settings' button located behind can be used to modify the available export settings. Generally, the same options are available as for a manual export.
File Naming Scheme
In the Filenaming Schemes column a scheme can be selected that determines the file name of the export document. The default scheme is ‘Filename.Extension’. For a Part named Sample.ipt, this would result in: Sample.ipt.dwfx
Publish Location
In the ‘Publish Location’ column can be chosen from one of the available Network Locations in the dropdown list. This way it can be determined to which folder the export type will be saved. After adding files to the 'Publish' section, there is always the possibility to override the default configuration.
Parts
On the 'Parts' tab the standard export type for Inventor Part documents is set.
Sheet Metal Parts
On the 'Sheet Metal Parts' tab the standard export type for Inventor Sheet Metal Parts documents is set.
Assemblies
On the 'Assemblies' tab the standard export type for Inventor Assembly documents is set.
Drawings
On the 'Drawings' tab the standard export type for Inventor Drawing documents is set.
Presentations
On the 'Presentations' tab the standard export type for Inventor Presentation documents is set.
Network Locations
To publish documents at least one file location must be specified. From the Publish Options dialog you can launch the ‘Network Locations’ command. Here a collection of folders can be specified to which the documents should be published (exported).
Click ‘New’ to add a new location to the collection. The screen below appears
Publish Location
| Name | Enter a descriptive name for the Publish location |
| Folder | Browse to the folder where the published files should be stored. This may be located on a local or network drive. After selecting the folder, the program determines if you have the proper read/write-rights on this folder. |
Options
| Skip Document | Skip the file if a document with the same name already exists. |
| Overwrite Document | Overwrite the existing file if a document with the same name already exists. |
| Add Counter (_1, _2) | Adds a numeric suffix (_1,_2,..) to the file name if a document with the same name already exists. |
| Add Timestamp | Adds a timestamp to the file name if a document with the same name already exists. |
After one or more ‘Network Locations’ are added, they can be assigned to one or more export documents. Existing 'Network Locations' can be changed by clicking 'Edit'. The ‘Network Location Collection’ contains in the end all folders to which documents can be exported.
A green checkmark in front of ‘Network Location’ indicates that you have sufficient permissions to write to this folder. A yellow warning symbol indicates that the permissions are insufficient to successfully export to this location. A red cross symbol is shown when the specified folder could no longer be found.
NOTE:
After starting the ‘Publish’ command, NO message will be displayed if a specific ‘Network Location’ has insufficient writing permissions, or the folder no longer exists. Documents exported to these folders will be omitted.
Filenaming Schemes
In the 'Filenaming Schemes’ dialog you can specify different schemes that will determine the file name of exported documents that are published to a specific Network Location.
The ‘Filename-Project-Material’ scheme for example, incorporates the iProperty ‘Material’ in the file name. This results in a file name of the following form: ‘Sample-00001-RVS 304.dwfx’. The iProperty ‘Material’, however is only present in Inventor Parts and Sheet Metal documents. It is hence very important to take the document type into account when selecting/creating a scheme for a document.
From the Publish Options dialog you can start the ‘Filenaming Schemes...’ command, after which the ‘File Naming Scheme Collection’ dialog appears.
In the 'Filenaming Schemes Collection' dialog you add and define custom schemes used to determine the file name of the exported documents. The default scheme, hence, the default file naming convention is Filename.Extension
For example, an Inventor Part with filename Sample.ipt is exported to a SAT-file. The exported file name will become Sample.ipt.sat After having defined the File naming schemes; they can be assigned to different types of exports.
Click 'New' to create a new File Naming Scheme.The window below opens:
Expression Builder
| Name | Enter a clear and descriptive name for the File Naming Scheme. |
 | The file name can be build-up from standard iProperties and Custom iProperties. Select the desired iProperty from the Property list and add it to the expression with the button behind the list. |
Sample
You want the exported file name to consist of the current file name followed by the revision number. The file name and revision number must be separated by a dash “-“ .
- First, name the scheme with a self-chosen name. For example: Filename-Rev
- Next, use the Expression Builder to create the desired formula. In the Property list many different iProperties that may exist in an Inventor document are given. After selecting a property, click the button behind the list to add the selected property to the formula.
- The added properties will always be placed between brackets - < and >. Any signs that you may place between the properties will show as such in the file name. Please do not include characters that are not allowed in file names such as: ?!@#$%^. When an illegal sign is specified in the scheme, it will be replaced by a "+".
- You can also incorporate ‘Custom iProperties’ in the formula by placing the name of the ‘Custom iProperty’ between brackets. For example the Thickness of a Sheet Metal Part can be included in the file name by typing: <Thickness> in the formula.
- A number of examples of Filenaming Schemes:
- <Project>_<Filename>-<Revision>
- <Project>-<Filename>-<Thickness>mm-<Revision>
- PDF_<Filename>
Print options
The ‘Print Options’ dialog allows you to assign default Inventor sheet sizes to a printer in the Printers collection. When adding 2D drawings to the 'Print' section in the 'Batch Publish Manager', every sheet in the drawing is assigned to a printer, based on the Sheet size. The Paper size associated with a specific printer is set in this dialog. Only standard Paper sizes are supported. A drawing sheet where the Size is set to 'Custom Size' cannot be printed using the 'Batch Publish Manager'.
In case multiple printers are added to the Printers collection are associated to the same Paper size, then you can select the printer that will be used by default behind the paper size. After a drawing is added to the 'Print' section, the printer can still be changed. In this case you 'override' the settings in this dialog box.
A green checkmark in front of the Paper size indicates that the Paper size has been associated to a printer and that the printer can be found. A red cross indicates that the printer could not be found and that hence the settings for the Paper format are invalid.
The ‘Import’ and ‘Export’ buttons can be used to import and export the settings, including the 'Printer' collection. In this way all workstations in your organization can easily be provided with accurate settings. Note that the printers defined in the collection need to be installed on the system.
| Printers | Create different printer configurations. |
| Import | Import Print Options |
| Export | Export Print Options |
| Sheetsize | This column contains all paper formats that may be assigned to a printer. |
| Printer | Assign in this column a paper format to a printer. |
| Print Processor | Choose the desired Print Processor. Printing Inventor drawings using the Apprentice Drawing Print Manager is much faster then using the Inventor Drawing Print Manager. The Apprentice Drawing Print Manager however, cannot be used for Inventor documents with linked or embedded graphics. If you have images loaded in your drawing (for example a logo in the Title Block) then you need to use the Inventor Drawing Print Manager. |
| Printing Order | Choose the option 'By File Name' to change the print order to alphabetical order. |
| Number of Copies | Enter in the default number of copies to be printed. |
Assigning Paper formats to a Printer Configuration
After a printer configuration has been defined, Paper formats and printer configurations can be linked. Choose in the Printer column one of the available printer configurations.
Scaled printing
Sending a drawing with a certain sheetsize (e.g. A3) to a 'Printer' set to a different size (e.g. A4), the drawing will be scaled automatically using 'Best Fit'.
Printers
In the 'Printer Collection' dialog, printers to be used within the 'Batch Publish Manager' can be configured.
Click 'New' to add a new printer. The screen below appears.
| Name | Specify a descriptive name for the Printer Configuration (for example: HP Designjet plus 42 - A0) |
| Device | Select one of the printers installed on your system |
| Paper Tray | Choose the desired paper tray. By default, the settings from the printer driver will be used. |
| Default Print Size | Select the paper size to which you want to print. |
| Colors | Choose between gray scale and color print. |
Click 'Ok' to add the 'Printer' to the 'Printer Collection'.
Existing printers can be modified using the 'Edit' button or be removed using the 'Delete' button.
User Guide - Batch Publish Manager
The ‘Batch Publish Manager’ is a standalone application for batch exporting and printing Inventor documents. Two different launch cases are distinguished:
| Active document | When launching the command while documents are opened in Inventor, the Batch Publish Manager will automatically load the document and related files. |
| No open documents | If there are no open documents in Inventor, then Batch Publish Manager will behave in the same way as when started from the desktop. |
After installation, before you can use the Batch Publish Manager you will need to set your preferences. The settings for this application can be subdivided into two categories:
Publish Options
The Publish Options are used when publishing documents and their underlying components in one or more export formats to one or more locations in batch. Once defined, the settings can be exported and imported on other systems.
Print Options
The Print Options are used when printing drawings in batch to specified printers and sheetsizes per document. Once defined, the settings can be exported and imported on other systems.
Adding from an Inventor Project
Before you can add Inventor documents from an Inventor project to the ‘Batch Publish Manager’, the command 'Set Project' must be used to activate a certain project. This step can be ignored in case you want to publish or print from Autodesk Vault. When you login from the ‘Batch Publish Manager’ in Autodesk Vault, automatically the Inventor Project present in Vault's root folder will be used.
Set Project
After the ‘Set Project’ command is started, the ‘Project Setting’ dialog prompts, in which all available Inventor Projects are shown. A project can be activated by double-clicking on it or by selecting a project and pressing the button 'Activate' at the bottom of the window.
After activation you will see a checkmark appearing in front of the Inventor Project.
The active project is shown in the status bar in the left lower-corner of the ‘Batch Publish Manager’
Add Files
The 'Add Files' command from the 'Add from Project' section on the ribbon is available when an active project is selected and you are not logged-in in Autodesk Vault. On command lauch, the ‘Project Browser’ will be displayed.
The ‘Project Browser’ shows all project locations, such as ‘Workspace’ and ‘Libraries’ in a tree-view. The contents of the selected directory is shown in the main window. To navigate, users may use either the tree-view or the window. Within the window, folders can be opened by double-clicking on them.
At the bottom of the main window a filter can be selected to only view Inventor documents of a specific type. You can multi-select files holding CTRL or SHIFT.
Click 'OK' to close the ‘Project Browser’. In case one or more 2D drawings were selected you will be prompted with the dialogbox shown below, in which you'll be able to choose if the selected documents should be added to the 'Publish' and/or 'Print' section. By adding the drawings to both sections, the file will be printed and converted to one or more supported export formats (PDF, DWG, etc.) in one single batch process.
The documents are automatically checked for printing/plotting and/or exporting. To gather files from multiple directories, rerun the command for each directory.
Adding files from Autodesk Vault
Before being able to add Inventor documents from Autodesk Vault to the ‘Batch Publish Manager’ the 'Log In' command must be used to establish a connection with the server. Subsequently, use the commands Add Files and/or Add Related Drawings to select Inventor documents from Vault.
There are two important conditions that must be met, to use the Batch Publish Manager combined with Autodesk Vault:
- Every file in Vault must have a unique filename.
- One Inventor Project file must be available in the root directory ($) in Vault.
Log In
The ‘Log In’ command in the Vault panel on the ribbon provides access to the ‘Log In’ dialog for Autodesk Vault.
You will be presented with a dialog in which you need to specify your username, password, server and database. The button behind the 'Database' field allows you to select from a list of all available Vaults on the specified server. Select the database to which you want to login, alternatively the database name may be directly typed into the text field.
The statusbar in the right-lower corner of the Vault Window displays the current connection details.
Add Files
The 'Add Files' command in the 'Add from Vault' panel on the ribbon becomes available after logging in to Autodesk Vault. After launching the command, the 'Vault Browser (Add Files)' dialog is opened.
The ‘Vault Browser’ displays the folder structure as shown in the Vault Explorer. The contents of the selected folder will be displayed in the main panel. Columns can be added and/or removed to show and hide (ir)relevant information.
Column Chooser
To add columns, right-click on the column headers and choose 'Column Chooser’.
A table is displayed with all fields that may be added.
Drag the desired field to the top row of the window to add a column.
Removing a column is done by dragging it away until a cross appears, then release the mouse-button.
Filters
The window allows for filtering on column values. By right-clicking on the symbol top-right in a column, you will be presented with a list of all unique values in the column.
After you've selected a value from the list, the window will be filtered. A filter can be removed by disabling it at the bottom of the window. Multiple filters may be active at a time.
Context Menu
Using the context menu the so-called ‘Group By Box’ can be shown; this is the gray bar at the top of the window.
By dragging a column to this 'Group By Box' the window will be grouped by the unique values in the column.
In the main window you may multi-select files pressing CTRL or SHIFT.
Uses
After a file has been selected in the window, the relationships with other files are shown in the 'Uses' panel. It is possible to customize the displayed columns.
Click 'OK' to close the Vault browser. In case one or more 2D drawings were selected you will be prompted with the dialogbox shown below, in which you'll be able to choose if the selected documents should be added to the 'Publish' and/or 'Print' section. By adding the drawings to both sections, the file will be printed and converted to one or more supported export formats (PDF, DWG, etc.) in one single batch process.
The selected Inventor documents and all related files are downloaded to a temporary folder and subsequently added to the 'Print' and/or 'Publish' section. The checkboxes on the documents are automatically enabled. To gather files from multiple directories, rerun the command for each directory.
Search
Basic
The basic search searches a specified set of properties for a text string. Use the basic search field to locate any file item, on simple search criteria.
When a search is performed, the main view displays the results of the search. Clear the search field, click New, to display the main view.
Advanced
The Property list contains the properties associated with the files stored in the current vault and the items in the item master as well as the properties associated with change orders.
- From the Property list, select a property for which to search.
- Select a conditional statement from the Condition list.
- Enter a value for the selected property that corresponds to the condition set for the search.
- Click Add to include the search in the list of search criteria. If more than one search is added to the criteria list, the search combines the criteria and performs an AND search.
- You can replace one search criteria with another. Specify the property, condition, and value for the new criteria. Select the existing criteria to replace and then click Replace.
- To eliminate search criteria from the advanced search, select the criteria from the list and then click Remove.
When a search is performed, the main view displays the results of the search. Clear the search field, click New, to display the main view.
Add Related Drawings
The ‘Add Related Drawings’ command allows to easily add 2D drawings related to a certain Inventor Document to the 'Batch Publish Manager’. The ‘Add Related Drawings’ command from the 'Add from Vault' section on the ribbon is available when logged in to Autodesk Vault.
Starting the command will open the ‘Vault Browser (Add Related Drawings)’-dialog. The ‘Vault Browser’ shows the folder structure as shown in the Vault Explorer. The contents of the selected folder will be shown in the main window.
Column Chooser
If desired, columns can be added or removed to display more or less information. To add columns, right-click on one of the column titles.
Next, choose ‘Column Chooser’. A table containing all available field will be displayed.
Drag the desired field to the top row of the window to add the column.
To remove the column: drag it away until a cross is displayed, then release the mouse-button.
Filters
The window allows for filtering on column values. By right-clicking on the symbol top-right in a column, you will be presented with a list of all unique values in the column.
After you've selected a value from the list, the window will be filtered. A filter can be removed by disabling it at the bottom of the window. Multiple filters may be active at a time.
Using the context menu, the so-called ‘Group By Box’ can be shown; this is the gray bar at the top of the window.
By dragging a column to this 'Group By Box' the window will be grouped by the unique values in the column.
Related Drawings
After a file has been selected in the filebrowser, drawings associated to underlying components will be shown as 'Related Drawing'. In this window it is also possible to add and remove columns.
‘Related Drawings’ by default are shown in a ‘Tree View’.
You may change, however, between the ‘Tree View’ and the ‘List View’.
All related 2D drawings will automatically be checked to print or publish to multiple export formats with the ‘Batch Publish Manager’. If needed you may uncheck certain checkboxes.
Context Menu
In the ‘Tree View’, using the context menu, drawings can easily be deselected or reselected.
The context menu is displayed when right-clicking on a file.
‘Select From Here’ and ‘Unselect From Here’ can for example be used to, respectively, select and deselect only the underlying drawings from a certain assembly.
Example
You first deselect all drawings by right-clicking anywhere in the window and choosing ‘Unselect All’.
Then, you right-click on an assembly choosing ‘Select From Here’.
The result is a selection of all underlying drawings of the chosen assembly.
Click 'OK' to close the Vault browser. In case one or more 2D drawings were selected you will be prompted with the dialogbox shown below, in which you'll be able to choose if the selected documents should be added to the 'Publish' and/or 'Print' section. By adding the drawings to both sections, the file will be printed and converted to one or more supported export formats (PDF, DWG, etc.) in one single batch process.
The selected Inventor documents and all related files are downloaded to a temporary folder and subsequently added to the 'Print' and/or 'Publish' section. The checkboxes on the documents are automatically enabled. To gather files from multiple directories, rerun the command for each directory.
The ‘Add Related Drawings’ command only allows for adding 2D drawings to the 'Print' and/or 'Publish' section. Using the Tree View of the 'Publish' section other Inventor components can be marked for export.
Search
Basic
The basic search searches a specified set of properties for a text string. Use the basic search field to locate any file item, on simple search criteria.
When a search is performed, the main view displays the results of the search. Clear the search field, click New, to display the main view.
Advanced
The Property list contains the properties associated with the files stored in the current vault and the items in the item master as well as the properties associated with change orders.
- From the Property list, select a property for which to search.
- Select a conditional statement from the Condition list.
- Enter a value for the selected property that corresponds to the condition set for the search.
- Click Add to include the search in the list of search criteria. If more than one search is added to the criteria list, the search combines the criteria and performs an AND search.
- You can replace one search criteria with another. Specify the property, condition, and value for the new criteria. Select the existing criteria to replace and then click Replace.
- To eliminate search criteria from the advanced search, select the criteria from the list and then click Remove.
When a search is performed, the main view displays the results of the search. Clear the search field, click New, to display the main view.
Publish Section
In this section you set the documents to be published to one or more export formats. The settings specified in Publish Options are automatically added to the right Inventor documents. All Inventor documents in the 'Publish' section will automatically be marked for publishing (exporting).
'Overrides' can be applied on a document-by-document basis, to customize the default settings. In case you select an extra export format for a certain document, a red cross will appear in the document list.
A red cross indicates that not all settings for the specific document are correct. For the extra selected export format, a 'Publish Location' needs to be specified.
After a Publish Location’ was assigned, the symbol will turn green indicating that all errors are resolved.
If you would start to 
‘Publish’ while there are unresolved issues (red crosses) in the document list, only the documents with correct settings are published.
The power of the "Batch Publish Manager" lays in the fact that all underlying documents can be published in one single batch process. Marking also Inventor Parts for export, will also generate the associated export format for this type of file. Similarly, assemblies, sub-assemblies and consumed parts can be marked for export.
Context Menu
By right clicking a document the context menu is displayed, containing several filters. This allows to quickly check and uncheck, a specific type, a specific level or all the underlying documents.
Remarks
- The commands in the context menu only work on the underlying documents of the document you right-clicked on, not on all documents in the tree-view.
- A ‘Pack & Go’ can be generated of the main items in the view. This is not possible for underlying documents.
The following example contains Sheet Metal documents on various levels.
The filter ‘All Level Sheet Metal Parts’ checks all Sheet Metal documents in the structure. If desired ‘overrides’ to the default settings can be made here.
Publish Panel
Collapse All / Expand All
Use the ‘Collapse All’ and ‘Expand All’ commands to quickly gain an overview of all documents and their dependencies.
Add Filter / Remove Filter
Using ‘Filter Add’ and ‘Filter Remove’, you can quickly select and deselect documents based on the field 'Location' or 'Design Status'.
Remove
‘Remove’ will remove all documents from the 'Publish' section at once. To only remove selected documents use the 'Remove' option from the context menu.
Print Section
In this section you specify how 2D drawings need to be printed. When a 2D drawing is added to the 'Print' section, the sheetsize of all sheets in the document is read and the associated printer, as set in the Print Options is assigned. If in Inventor the drawingsheet has been marked as 'Exclude from Printing' then it will not be printed by the 'Batch Publish Manager'.
Right-clicking on a document will display the context menu in which all ‘Quick Select Printer’-options and a set of filters are available. In an easy manner, all underlying drawingsheets can be (un)checked for printing or only drawings of a certain sheetsize or printer (un)checked can be checked.
Remark
- The commands in the context menu are only applied to the underlying drawing sheets of the document that was right clicked on.
Using the printer list, per drawing sheet you are able to override the default setting, hence selecting a different printer for the current batch.
The number of copies can be adjusted per drawing sheet, to allow deviations from the default value.
Print Panel
Collapse All / Expand All
Use the ‘Collapse All’ and ‘Expand All’ commands to quickly gain an overview of all 2D drawings and its dependencies.
Quick Select Printer
Drawing sheets are assigned to a printer based on the paper size as defined in Print Options. Using ‘Quick Select Printer’ the default can be overridden for a specific drawing.
You could for example assign all or only selected drawing sheets to a different printer. This can be useful when you would like to force all sheets to A4 paper regardless of the sheet size.
Overrides on the printer can be removed by clicking 'Reset to Default' inside the ‘Quick Select Printer’-dialog. All drawing sheets will be reassigned based on the Print Options.
Using the options ‘Set Sheet Size to Printer’ and ‘Set Selected Sheet Size to Printer’ all or only selected drawing sheets of a specific paper size can be assigned to a different printer.
Filter Add / Filter Remove
Using ‘Filter Add’ and ‘Filter Remove’, drawing sheets can be quickly selected and deselected based on a set of criteria. Filters can be combined in many ways. For example: check all sheets with 'Design Status' 'Released', then uncheck all sheets with 'Location' equal to 'Library'.
It is also possible to check or uncheck drawing sheets of a certain paper size, or sheets set to a specific printer.
Remove
‘Remove’ will remove all drawings from the 'Print' section. To only remove selected drawings, use the 'Remove' option from the contextmenu.
Start Publish
By clicking on the ‘Start Publish’ button the batch process is started. First, the 2D drawings will be send to the different printers, then Inventor will be opened in the background to generate the export formats.
After the ‘Print and ‘Publish’ processes are finished, the printed documents can be found in the printer and the published documents on the defined locations.
The filenames of the published documents are generated according to the Filenaming Schemes.
When starting the ‘Batch Publish Manager’, you can choose to run the publising process in the background.
When done the ‘Batch Publish Manager’ will give a sign, in the system notifications, the processing is completed.
Remove All
By choosing ‘Remove All’ all documents are removed at once from the ‘Print’ and ‘Publish’ section.
Columns
In the ‘Print’ and ‘Publish’ sections you can modify the view by adding and removing columns and displaying more or less information.
Column Chooser
Right-click on one of the column titles and choose 'Column Chooser' in the context menu.
To add a column drag one of the fields in the table to the desired location in the table.
To remove the column, drag it away from the table until a cross appears, then release the mouse-button.
Views
The ‘Print’ or ‘Publish’ section can be hidden by clicking on the cross symbol in the corresponding section. Alternatively, it can be managed using the 'Visible Sections' in the ‘View’ ribbon.
On the 'View' ribbon under ‘Split Sections’ you may choose a ‘Horizontal Split’ or ‘Vertical Split’. Especially the ‘Vertical Split’ may be useful for low-resolution screens.
