PAC4SWX Overview

On this site I offer some of my shareware programs for SolidWorks. Here is one of them:

Another remark: I'm german, so beware of my english :-)) Any hints, remarks, corrections or translations to other languages are really welcome to the author pac4swx@swtools.cad.de

What is PAC4SWX?

PAC4SWX is a tool to print and convert SolidWorks drawings and batch convert models (therefore the name PAC4SWX - Print and convert for SolidWorks). With PAC4SWX you can choose multiple drawings from your filesystem and print or convert all sheets of all drawings in one step. PAC4SWX will take care of the different sheet sizes.

In SolidWorks there are no functions which lets you process all sheets in drawings with one click. At this point you want to try PAC4SWX: with many ideas from experienced SolidWorks users this program was designed to help you in your process to print and convert huge numbers of drawings and sheets.

PAC4SWX will also help to convert models. You can choose a bunch of parts or assemblies or parts and export them to standard formats like STEP, ACIS, Parasolid and much more. You can even batch convert your documents (models and drawings) to eDrawings or PDF without the need for the new Taskplaner in SolidWorks 2004. You can also run user defined macros with all documents in batch mode.

PAC4SWX is shareware

A program like PAC4SWX is quite large to generate and I have spent a lot of time to bring it to this point of usefulness. Therefore I decided to make PAC4SWX a program which requires a license to use. You may download this tool and test it for 30 days with full access to all functions before you must register and buy a license.

If you have questions regarding the registration please read REGISTER_US.TXT, if you want to order PAC4SWX please read ORDER_US.TXT. Please also read LIZENZ_US.TXT

Installation and function summary

The compiled program pac4swx.exe is distributed with a complete install program. Simply download the install program, run the setup_pac.exe and follow the install procedure. Please scan the downloaded prog for viruses, I'm using Norton Antivirus and McAffee but you never know ... PAC4SWX should run from any directory including a network drive.

The install procedure is in both german and english.

The first public version 1.0 was published in April 2001 with full support for german and english menus and GUI. The sources are not provided, but if you want to have access to the sources in visual basic 6 you may contact the author (but it will cost a few or some more euros :-))

The main features

• Windows like user interface
• Generate drawing lists to print or convert using an explorer-like interface or reading files with list
• Generate lists by dragdrop from file manager (Explorer) and sorting
• Directory favorites for frequently used folders
• Filter sheet for processing depending on their sheetnames. You can enter up to two "must contain" and up to two "may not contain" filters
• Pre- and postfix for filenames
• Automatic convert drawing views to use "high quality"
• Run user defined macros in batch mode
• MultiJobs
• Option to use active SolidWorks drawing instead of PAC list
• Open drawings view-only (very useful for huge drawings)
• Open drawings read-only
• Preview selected SolidWorks document
• Optional: Suppress all warnings and error dialogs when batch converting
• Optional: ignores header and footer (useful with SolidWorks 2001Plus, i.e. if you generate prints or TIFF to archive and wont care if header/footer is set by a previous user of that drawing)
• Optional: Close SolidWorks after processing list (useful to free the license of SolidWorks after an unattended job is completed)
• Optional: Restart SolidWorks every ... drawings (useful to avoid memory overflow when processing huge lists of drawings)
• Ignores printer options saved with SolidWorks2001Plus and uses the user options from PAC4SWX
• many userdefinable options for printing the various sheet formats, i.e. printer, sheetsize to print to, scale, line width etc.
• complete user defined TIFF export options from within PAC4SWX
• Option for generating TIFF based on sheet size 
• multiple user options for converting output of TIFF, DXF and DWG
• save TIFF, DXF or DWG in folder of drawing or all in one folder
• save Parasolid, ACIS, STEP, IGES, STL or VRML in folder of model or all in one folder
• save eDrawings, PDF (if SolidWorks 2004 is installed) or JPEG from parts, assemblies and drawings in folder of document or all in one folder
• save and read all settings from configuration files
• shareware which means you may test all functions for 30 days for FREE
• multi-language support, you may change the language of the user interface without the need to restart (german and english language-files are supported)
• select SolidWorks version if multiple version are installed

If you like to make another language port you may translate all of the text in paclng_user.ini and send it to me, I will make another option in the prog.

Working with PAC4SWX

PAC4SWX is a windows look-and-feel program and runs on any platform, where SolidWorks will run. There are no special hardware or software preferences. PAC4SWX needs to have access to the visual basic 6 runtimes; these will be installed by the setup routines if necessary. ACP4SWX may be installed on a network drive.

Using PAC4SWX with SolidWorks

PAC4SWX opens one document in the list (called the PAC-list) after the other. For each drawing all sheets will be printed or converted with the chosen options. After successful processing the drawing will be closed.

You may select to use the active SolidWorks document (hopefully a drawing) to process by simply checking the option in the main dialog or Edit-Menu. The drawing will not be closed after processing. 

Follow these simple steps to work with the PAC-list:

Preparation

Choose comfortable options for printer, TIFF-export parameters and the options for DXF and DWG-export in PAC4SWX. You may save all those parameters on an user-base under Options/Save preferences. For the DXF/DWG export parameters the SolidWorks parameters will be used.

Step 1

Generate a list with all drawings you wish to process by using the explorer-like interface in PAC4SWX or read in a file with the filenames. You may save this list for later use using File/Save as ...

If you want to add one or more drawing right before another one in the list just select this entry. If no entry is selected in the PAC-list all new entries will be added at the end of the list. To deselect all entries right click anywhere in the listbox.

Step 2

Print or convert all sheets of all drawings in the list with one single click on the command button.

Feedback

If you have any questions regarding the use, registration, licensing or ordering of PAC4SWX which isn't covered in the support-files you may contact me by mail mailto:pac4swx@swtools.cad.de Also if you have any ideas for other tools or just a comment your mail is very welcome.

If you made any other international language ports I would be glad if you send them to me, I will include them in the package and offer them on my website with a special credit for you.

(c) 2001 - 2005 Stefan Berlitz

WARRANTY DISCLAIMER

The software is provided as is without warranty of any kind. To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, the author further disclaims all warranties, including without limitation any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and noninfringement. The entire risk arising out of the use or performance of the product and documentation remains with recipient. To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, in no event shall the author be liable for any consequential, incidental, direct, indirect, special, punitive, or other damages whatsoever (including, without limitation, damages for loss of business profits, business interruption, loss of business information, or other pecuniary loss) arising out of this agreement or the use of or inability to use the product, even if the author has been advised of the possibility of such damages.

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