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ECTR Client Converter (VEConverter) is a command-line executable used by ECTR for performing conversions from CAD file formats into SAP VE visualization file formats. It also supports tagging viewable elements with business data, using the Visual Enterprise metadata and identifier

features.

A detailed configuration guide can be found in SAP Note 2386992 as attached PDF document.

Prerequisite

VEConverter must be installed. Usually you find the VEConverter in the ECTR installation directory <ECTR path>\VEConverter


There are two main scenarios, how the VEConverter can be used:


During checkin

Make sure, that the call of the VEConverter is active with <script name="@PLM_VECONVDIR@\VEConverter.exe">, see line 11.

Prerequisite
            <checkin_rules>
                <save_direct>
                    <plmfile filename_pattern=".*\.preview\.jpg" workstation_application="EPJ" description="ECtr Preview (jpeg)"/>
                    <plmfile filename_pattern=".*\.preview\.gif" workstation_application="EPG" description="ECtr Preview (gif)"/>
                    <plmfile extension="jt" workstation_application="JTM" description="ECtr 3D Preview"/>
                    <plmfile filename_pattern=".*_mono\.rh" workstation_application="RHM" description="Monolithic RH"/>
                    <plmfile filename_pattern=".*\.vds" workstation_application="RHM" description="Monolithic VDS"/>
                    <plmfile extension="rh" workstation_application="RH" description="SAP 3D Preview"/> 
                </save_direct>
                <scripts>
                     <script name="@PLM_VECONVDIR@\VEConverter.exe">
                        <params>
                            <param name="convertfile"/>
                            <param name="$(masterfile)"/>
                            <param name="--output-directory"/>
                            <param name="$(add_dir)"/>
                            <param name="--output-format"/>
                            <!-- For Visual Enterprise before 9.0 use <param name="RH"/> -->
                            <param name="VDS"/> 
                            <param name="--sap-identifier"/>
                            <param name="DOCUMENT=$(doc_type)*$(doc_nr)*$(doc_part)*$(doc_vr)"/>
                            <param name="--sap-metadata"/>
                            <param name="DOCTYPE=$(doc_type)"/>
                            <param name="--sap-metadata"/>
                            <param name="DOCNUMBER=$(doc_nr)"/>
                            <param name="--sap-metadata"/>
                            <param name="DOCPART=$(doc_part)"/>
                            <param name="--sap-metadata"/>
                            <param name="DOCVERSION=$(doc_vr)"/>
                            <param name="--import-setting"/>
                            <param name="LoadExternalFiles=false"/>
                        </params>
                    </script>
                </scripts>
            </checkin_rules>


On Demand: Create Viewable on Client

A user can trigger a conversion of native CAD files into VDS himself with the menu function "Create Viewable on Client".


Make sure, that the menu function "fnc.generate.monolith" is in your configuration. By default this is delivered in the menu_macros.txt, see line 13.

menu_marcos.txt
? DOC_DOC                    = mnu.flyout.doc_doc
                                = fnc.doc.checkout
                                = -----------------------------
                                = fnc.doc.checkout(view)
                                = fnc.doc.cache.update
                                = -----------------------------
                                = fnc.doc.checkout.cancel
                                = fnc.doc.copy.as
                                = fnc.doc.change.multi
                                = fnc.doc.delete
                                = -----------------------------
                                = fnc.api.generic2(VE_CONVERSION)
                                = fnc.generate.monolith

There are additional settings in the <ECTR installation>\customize\config\default.txt to control the client conversion of CAD files, see preferences starting with "plm.ve.converter".

This conversion uses the VEConverter option "convertmanifest". The tagging is predefined using a fixed set of meta data, see example below:

        <PdmDocumentFromFile Id="d30" Name="10000021067swp000" PdmIdentifier="SWP000000000000001000002106700000">
            <Metadata>
                <MetadataGroup Name="SAP">
                    <MetadataKeyValues>
                        <MetadataKeyValue Key="DOCTYPE" Value="SWP"/>
                        <MetadataKeyValue Key="DOCPART" Value="000"/>
                        <MetadataKeyValue Key="DOCVERSION" Value="00"/>
                        <MetadataKeyValue Key="DOCNUMBER" Value="0000000000000010000021067"/>
                    </MetadataKeyValues>
                </MetadataGroup>
            </Metadata>
            <Identifiers>
                <Identifier Source="SAP" Type="MATERIAL">
                    <Field Name="NUMBER" Value="000000000000005262"/>
                </Identifier>
            </Identifiers>
            <AbsolutePath Path="C:\Users\userid\AppData\Local\Temp\10\SAP\ECTR\ectr\data\SWA000000000000001000002105700000\10000021067swp000.SLDPRT"/>
        </PdmDocumentFromFile>

(warning) In case you have configured the VDS generation "During Checkin" and the "On Demand" this results in double conversion, as it first creates "on demand" and then when checking in the converted VDS file, it creates another VDS file.

See Also

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