Export to PDF - multiple Inventor drawings

[0x3FA5]

Hi,

We have 50+ Inventor drawings in the dwg format.

How do I export these files to pdf, without opening each one and exporting individually?

The products we use:

Inventor 2021 Pro

Vault 2021 Basic

Thank you.

[swalton]

I don't know of an out-of-the-box solution with Inventor.

Maybe one of the tools on the Autodesk App Exchange will be what you need.

https://apps.autodesk.com/INVNTOR/en/List/Search?isAppSearch=True&searchboxstore=INVNTOR&facet=&coll...

I've never used Vault Batch Plot, but it might help too.

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/vault-products/learn-explore/caas/CloudHelp/cloudhelp/2019/EN...

[NigelHay]

I've been using Drawing Porter from the Autodesk ap store (free download). That lets you compile a list of drawings then automatically & quickly opens the drawing, prints it & closes it again. Print to PDF is one of the options.

[0x3FA5]

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@NigelHay wrote:

I've been using Drawing Porter from the Autodesk ap store (free download). That lets you compile a list of drawings then automatically & quickly opens the drawing, prints it & closes it again. Print to PDF is one of the options.

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Unfortunately, the Drawing Porter is not exactly solving the problem - Export to PDF option implies that it supposed to pick up the file name from the file itself. But the app requires to enter the file name manually every time it is about to save PDF - which is not better than opening each file in Inventor without the app.

[NigelHay]

That's strange, when I use it, I compile the list in Drawing Porter, set the destination directory, click 'export to PDF' & it just does it. The PDF ends up with the Inventor drawing file name.

[0x3FA5]

Interesting..

Can you please provide step by step instructions of what you are doing?

[0x3FA5]

what printer do you have set?

[NigelHay · Accepted solution]

I open Drawing Porter &, for a random bunch of drawings, I manually add drawings to the 'IDW's Found' area.

In the print & export options, I select our PDF printer (we use Cute PDF) & tick the 'export to PDF' button. Set the destination folder.

I click the 'Export to DWG/PDF/STEP/SAT' button.

The export notification box opens to show progress, when it shows export complete, the PDFs are done.

If the drawings are for 1 assembly you can select the assembly & let Drawing Porter find all related drawings.

[0x3FA5]

B E A U T I F U L !

It worked.

Thank you!

[A.Acheson]

@0x3FA5 

Message 12 of 16 in the link below  is an ilogic batch tool I am using. It does take a bit more work if you are looking to change its functionality but it has the ability to be customized.It has a Batch PDF rule at the moment that runs from a drawing.  I also have customized the version I use to update the revision block, watermark (do not print), change title blocks etc. 

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/inventor-forum/does-inventor-have-anything-like-ptc-s-creo-mapkeys/m-...

[0x3FA5]

So using your solution, I need to open each of 50+ drawings individually and run the code from drawing already opened in Inventor.

[A.Acheson]

Once you select all the drawings and run the rule the code opens each drawing one by one performs PDF export and whatever else you need to do then closes each drawing. No user input required after you press go.

 
I assume drawing porter works on similar principle but opening the drawing isn’t visible but is happening in the background. 

[NigelHay]

Drawing Porter works the same way. If you have Inventor open & visible you can see each drawing opening momentarily, then closing. It can also be set to physically print the drawings or create STEP & SAT files or any combination of those actions.

[Anonymous]

There is also an app called Fyenite which should be able to accomplish this. I believe it can also do STL, STP and a few other formats.

[Riaz_Mohamed]

Here is an example of exporting multiple inventor files to PDF. Is this what you are looking for?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ucmaVPf3Ow 

[Julius_TemplePQ8AZ]

click on File - Export - PDF - Options (on bottom right conner) select "All Sheets from Print Range - Click OK. this should save all you Drawings to PDF.