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FilePrinterAgent 2008

The FilePrinterAgent™ works by automating the format workflow that a user would employ to create viewables manually. It continually monitors source document file structures and when a source document is created or updated automatically starts the appropriate engineering application, loads the target source file, applies any client-specific formatting, and then exports viewables.

A robust error handling framework has been developed that allows the FilePrinterAgent™ to recover when corrupted source documents or unexpected events cause the source application to crash during processing. An extensive logging database is maintained that allows for on demand reporting of document processing history.

Viewable Document Automation Solution

THE PROBLEM: Companies need to produce viewable versions (i.e. PDF, DWF, DXF, etc) of engineering documents for use in downstream processes (operations, marketing, documentation, etc). There are a number of ways that this workflow is typically implemented:

1. Engineers manually create viewable every time a production document is created or revised. (From AutoCAD this is done with the plot/publish functionality)
2. Downstream users open engineering drawings and manually apply formatting logic.
3. Companies develop CAD program customization to trigger the creation of viewable on save of an engineering document or create an external application to generate viewables on a scheduled or triggered basis.

There are typically a number of issues with these workflows.

1. Due to the volume of drawings being maintained sometimes viewables are not created or updated to when drawings are produced or revised. This leads to erroneous/outdated information being used to generate work product in downstream processes.
2. Viewable formatting is inconsistent across users.
3. As many companies typically don’t have a core business focus on software development, maintaining in-house developed applications is a drain on resources that could be better used otherwise.

THE SOLUTION: The FilePrinterAgent™ allows a company to completely automate the generation of viewable documents. Deployed as a server application, it is configured to the monitor network shares where engineering documents are stored and will automatically create associated viewables anytime a source document is updated.

Out-of-the box the FilePrinterAgent™ provides functionality handle complex business logic in the generation of viewables. Clients can specify source-to- viewable sheet size matrices, identify “border” blocks that signify the boundaries of view areas,

The FilePrinterAgent™ supports all version of AutoCAD® including and beyond AutoCAD 2006 and all version of Autodesk Inventor including and beyond Autodesk Inventor 11.