AutoCAD Export

The AutoCAD Export node automates the process of generating PDF, DWF, or other export formats from AutoCAD drawing files (.dwg). It uses the MinuteView DWG Processor (MinuteView.Indexer.Dwg.exe) to perform the actual publishing operation on the server — ensuring consistent, unattended exports that replicate what users would do manually in AutoCAD or TrueView.

---

Overview

This node is used to automatically publish AutoCAD drawings to standardized output formats (e.g. PDF, DWF, DWFX) as part of a workflow. It supports both basic and advanced configuration, allowing you to control:

• Which layouts or sheets to plot
• Output format (PDF, DWF, DWFX)
• Plot styles (CTB/STB)
• Custom sheet size and plot settings
• Layout inclusion/exclusion rules

The export process is executed via a background call to the MinuteView.Indexer.Dwg.exe utility, which handles DWG plotting on the server using Autodesk TrueView or AutoCAD-based components.

---

Input Parameters

Field	Type	Required	Description
Local File Full Path	Text	✅	The absolute local path of the .dwg file to export. This file must exist on the server where the workflow is executed.
Export Type	Picklist	✅	Determines the type of file to generate. Typical values: PDF, DWF, or DWFX.
Advanced Plot Settings	JSON / Text	❌	(Optional) Provides a JSON configuration that defines custom plotting rules, sheet sizes, CTB files, and whitelisted/blacklisted tabs. Used to override the default layout settings.

---

Output Parameters

Field	Type	Description
PublishedFiles	List of Strings	A collection of full file paths for the published output files (e.g. generated PDFs).

---

Example Usage

Basic Example

Publish a single DWG file to a PDF using default plot settings:

Field	Value
Local File Full Path	C:\Projects\Drawings\LayoutA.dwg
Export Type	PDF
Advanced Plot Settings	(leave blank for default)

Result: A PDF file will be created in the same directory as the DWG file.

---

Advanced Example (Custom Plot Settings)

{
  "controls": {
    "Control Property": "A1"
  },
  "rows": [
    {
      "Sheet Size": "A1",
      "What to Plot": "Model and Paper",
      "Pdf File": "Single Pdf",
      "Settings File": "Custom.ctb",
      "Plot Style CTB": "MyPlotStyle.ctb",
      "Whitelisted Tabs": "Sheet1,Sheet2",
      "Blacklisted Tabs": "Preview"
    }
  ]
}

This configuration tells the task to:

• Match the "A1" sheet size
• Use a custom CTB plot style file
• Publish only whitelisted sheets (Sheet1 and Sheet2)
• Combine outputs into a single PDF file

---

How It Works (Technical Details)

1. Validation – The node validates that the required fields (Local File Full Path and Export Type) are provided. If the DWG file does not exist at the specified path, the task fails immediately.

2. Configuration Loading – If Advanced Plot Settings are provided, they are parsed as JSON into an internal configuration (AdvancedSettings object). The node matches the control property (e.g. “Sheet Size”) against the configuration rows to determine which plotting rules to apply.

3. DWG Processor Execution – The task launches the external DWG Processor (MinuteView.Indexer.Dwg.exe) using command-line arguments:

   --operation=publish 
   --input="C:\Projects\Drawings\LayoutA.dwg" 
   --settings="{...json...}" 
   --exportType=pdf

   • The DWG Processor performs the actual plotting.
   • Standard output from the processor returns a JSON array of published file paths.

4. Timeout Protection – The process is monitored with a 3-minute timeout. If it does not complete in time, the process is forcibly terminated (using taskkill /PID /T /F) and the task returns a timeout error.

5. Result Handling – On success, the list of published files is added to the workflow’s data context (PublishedFiles). The Local File Full Path parameter is removed from memory for cleanup.

---

Logging and Error Handling

The node produces detailed log entries throughout the process. Common log events include:

Level	Message Example
INFO	AutoCADExport task started - Beginning PDF creation process
INFO	Publishing settings: Sheet Size=Layouts, What to Plot=Model and Paper
ERROR	AutoCAD file not found at specified path
ERROR	DWG processor failed: Missing TrueView installation
WARN	DWG processor returned success but no output

All messages are written to the WorkflowLogger for later viewing in the Job Report.

---

System Requirements

To use this node, the server must have:

• Autodesk TrueView (or AutoCAD) installed

• MinuteView.Indexer.Dwg.exe present in:

  [MinuteView Automation Installation Folder]\DwgIndexer\MinuteView.Indexer.Dwg.exe

• .NET 8.0 Runtime (for the automation host)

• Sufficient permissions to access and write to the target directory

---

Typical Use Cases

• Automatic PDF publishing of DWG files when Vault jobs are triggered
• Batch DWF generation for document control
• Integration with document management workflows (e.g. send generated PDFs to SharePoint or ACC)
• Pre-approval drawing exports for review workflows

---

Troubleshooting

Issue	Possible Cause	Resolution
Task fails with “Local File not found”	Incorrect file path or missing file	Verify the full DWG path exists on the server.
“DWG processor executable not found”	MinuteView.Indexer.Dwg.exe missing	Reinstall or copy the missing file into the DwgIndexer directory.
“Timed out after 3 minutes”	TrueView not installed or heavy drawing	Confirm that Autodesk TrueView is installed and accessible to the service account. Increase timeout if needed.
“Failed to parse advanced plot settings”	Malformed JSON	Validate that Advanced Plot Settings is a valid JSON structure.
No files generated	Invalid CTB file, wrong layout selection	Check your CTB path, and verify whitelisted layouts exist.

---

Developer Notes

• Class: MinuteViewAutomations.Tasks.Actions.CAD.AutoCAD.AutoCADExport
• Inherits: BaseTask
• Core Method: Execute(JobTask, Automation, string workingFolder)
• Helper Method: CallDwgProcessorForPublishing()
• External Dependency: MinuteView.Indexer.Dwg.exe
• Timeout: 3 minutes (extendable in code if required)

---

✅ Status Messages:

• Completed — Success; output files created.
• Fail — Unhandled error or file not found.
• Timed Out — DWG processor exceeded timeout.

---

⚠️ Areas to Confirm

• [ ] Default list of supported Export Types (PDF, DWF, DWFX?)
• [ ] Exact output directory behavior (same as input or configurable?)
• [ ] Whether TrueView 2024+ is officially required, or AutoCAD LT/Full is sufficient