In this post, we’ll explore a common scenario that requires converting CAD file formats to either a PDF document or an image file format, allowing a broader audience to view the CAD artefact.
The Encodian Flowr ‘Convert – CAD‘ action allows you to convert DGN, DWF, DWG, DXF, IFC, IGS and STL file formats to either BMP, GIF, JPG, PDF, PNG or TIFF file formats, and is the perfect action within Microsoft Power Automate to deliver a solution for this requirement.
Common Challenges:
A manufacturing client of Encodian has 50 plants worldwide. A CAD plan of the plant is updated each time the plants are optimised, equipment is replaced, and maintenance work is carried out, which occurs frequently.
Many stakeholders in the organisation depend on the latest drawings but lack the licensing to view the native DWG files. Using Encodian’s ‘Convert – CAD‘, an automation is to be created to automatically create a PDF document rendition each time a CAD drawing is updated. Additionally, during conversion, we will configure the Encodian ‘Convert – CAD‘ action to re-colour the plans dynamically because some colours can not be easily viewed in PDF formats with white backgrounds.
Let’s build the flow!
A SharePoint Document Library will serve as the ‘drop off’ location for CAD files, which are to be converted and shared.
For this example, we have created two different folders in the same SharePoint Document Library, one named ‘CAD Files’ and the other ‘PDF Renditions’:
1. Create a new ‘Automated cloud flow‘
1.a. Flow name: Provide a name for your flow
1.b. Trigger: Select the ‘When a file is created (properties only)‘ SharePoint trigger action
1.c. Click ‘Create‘
2. Configure the ‘When a file is created (properties only)‘ SharePoint trigger action
2.a. Site Address: Select/Enter the relevant SharePoint site
2.b. Library Name: Select/Enter the relevant SharePoint document library
2.c. Folder: Select the folder containing the source CAD files, for this example, the ‘CAD Files‘ folder
3. Add the ‘Get file content‘ SharePoint action
3.a. Site Address: Set as per the value entered at step 2.a.
3.b. File Identifier: Select the ‘Identifier‘ property provided by the ‘When a file is created (properties only)‘ SharePoint trigger action
We’re now going to add the Encodian Flowr ‘Convert – CAD‘ action to create a PDF rendition with specific formatting options. Please configure as per your requirements:
4. Add the Encodian Flowr ‘Convert – CAD‘ action
4.a. Output Format: Select the desired output format. ‘PDF‘ has been selected for this example
4.b. Filename: Select the ‘File name with extension‘ property provided by the ‘When a file is created (properties only)‘ SharePoint trigger action
4.c. File Content: Select the ‘File Content‘ property provided by the ‘Get file content‘ SharePoint action
4.d. Background Color: Select the desired color, ‘Beige‘ has been selected for this example
4.e. Draw Type: Select ‘UseDrawColor‘
4.f. Draw Color: Select the desired color, ‘Black‘ has been selected for this example
4.g. Automatic Scaling: Select ‘Yes‘
4.h. Convert Model Only: Select ‘Yes‘
For a further detailed explanation of the configuration options, please refer to the Encodian Flowr ‘Convert – CAD‘ action documentation
Now that the CAD file has been converted, we can save the PDF file back to SharePoint!
5. Add the ‘Create file‘ SharePoint action
5.a. Site Address: Set as per the value entered at step 2.a.
5.b. Folder: Select the folder which will store the PDF files; for this example, the ‘PDF Renditions‘ folder
5.c. Filename: Select the ‘Filename‘ property provided by the Encodian Flowr ‘Convert – CAD‘ action
5.d. File Content: Select the ‘File Content‘ property provided by the Encodian Flowr ‘Convert – CAD‘ action
The flow configuration is now complete, and we can test by adding an example file to the ‘CAD Files‘ SharePoint folder:
And upon completion of the flow, we can see the new PDF document has been created:
This is the original DWG file (model):
And this is the PDF document created by the Encodian Flowr ‘Convert – CAD‘ action
As we can see, the CAD file has been converted to PDF and the format amended as specified (Background color).
Automating the conversion of CAD files to PDF format significantly enhances collaboration within organizations. By utilizing the Encodian Flowr ‘Convert – CAD‘ Power Automate action, stakeholders who do not have access to specialized CAD software can easily view and interact with important design documents. This workflow not only ensures that documents are accessible to all but also maintains the integrity of the drawings with specified parameters such as background and draw colours. As demonstrated, the process is straightforward, and the results are stored efficiently in SharePoint, making document management seamless and effective. This solution could form an essential pillar for fostering collaboration and informed decision-making among all your organizational stakeholders.
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