Dumbing down projects to send to customers to protect intellectual property.

[sstrecker]

We often have customers ask for our electrical schematics in CAD.  I usually send out PDFs, but sometimes they insist because they want to make modifications to thier drawings.  We don't want to upset good customers, but, we also don't want to send an entire project file with manufacturer's part numbers, database, etc.  Is there anyway to dumb a project down to protect intellectual property when e-mailing a project to a customer?  The only thing I can think of is to open each page and "save as" version 2000.  That is time consuming since there could be upwards of 20 sheets or more per project.

[dougmcalexander]

If you send only the .DWG files your customer only has AutoCAD blocks and layers, just like any other AutoCAD file. Do not send the .wdp file, or any other support files. Do not send the catalog database either. The only info they will have us attribute values.

Or you could save as DXF and dumb down even more.

[ccad2509]

this is what i do

1 create a pdf of my project

2 run that pdf back through a pdf to dwg converter

this effectively strips evething out down to dumb lines arcs and circles

the pdf to dwg converter i use is print to cad

http://www.backtocad.com/engl/engl-pdf-dwg.html

its about 200USD

that way my clients get a dwg but i retain the inteligent dwgs

[OP21]

You could batch convert your dwgs : Go to menu / File->Dwg Convert, add/create your batch and run...  Whether or not saving as a v2000.dwg will "dumb down" enough maybe convert into dxf...

Don't send out the associated project files (.mdb.wdp...etc) if they use electrical...  If they use plain AutoCAD, they'll have to put in some extra work to extract and compile block data...

If there is a need to track changes (if you round trip the dwgs) you can go to the Project pull down menu, select Mark/Verify dwgs this allows some tracking should these dwgs come back into your possession...

This opens another discussion of how much are your dwgs worth?

If it is a good customer, and you have a great 1on1 relationship and by sharing dwgs fosters repeat business, then maybe its ok.  Entertain the option of making them sign a non-disclosure agreement where you will share the dwgs provided the client is the only one who will use the dwgs and not share with a third party.

If you have to work with consultants then maybe write something into the contract that only pdf documents are provided.  If they object, then include a price adder for the dwg files... They want them....they'll need to pony up the $...

You worked many hours creating a complete and accurate project, giving dwgs away opens the door for someone to re-use and build elsewhere... why not... it saves them a ton of hour$.

I've had discussions with others explaining it's not only the project hours spent and charged to design and deliver but many non-chargeable hours creating block libraries and your parts database.  These are your design tools used by you to be competitive.  Give-aways should have a value association (cost)...

Hope this helps... If it did please Accept as Solution and Kudos are always appreciated!

[dougmcalexander · Accepted solution]

Consider saving a copy of the DWG files. Open each file and use the Special Explode command on the Conversion menu tab to explode all drawing elements into dumb lines, circles, rectangles, and text. You can use a window to select all.

If you know how to write a script you can create one to run the Special Explode with windowed coordinates. Execute the script project wide using project utilities.

[sstrecker]

Hey that works!  I didn't know about "special Explode".  Thanks!

[dougmcalexander]

Glad I could help. Yes, Special Explode has been there for many years. I think most people don't notice it. I try to make mention of it in all my classes. You can use it to create dumb details. Copy footprints to the margin and scale up for a detail. Use Special Explode to remove the intelligence so the BOM doesn't have a double quantity of those components.

[testsubject]

Or if you use Paperspace for you titleblock like I do, just create a new viewport to zoom into for greater detail and this will not double up your parts.

I find it easier because I do not have to create the scaled larger set each time I make an edit to the original...

😉

[sstrecker]

You know, I was using paperspace for title blocks like our mechanical guys do.  But production is demanding dimensioned panel layouts and I found it too dificult to get everything scaled up and if I had to zoom out a viepport, things went screwey.  So, I recently went to model space exclusively. 

Thanks!