Auto-Configure

Automate SW designing to generate models quickly

(www.auto-configure.com)

Version 3.0.0.9

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Auto-Configure
Software Product License Agreement
Notice: Read this before installing the software. Carefully read the terms and conditions of this agreement before opening the product package. Opening the package indicates your acceptance of these terms and conditions. If you do not agree with the terms and conditions of this Agreement, promptly return the package unopened to the place where you obtained it. Definitions The Software Product is licensed (not sold) to you. The Software product includes all copies of the Software Product and its related supporting materials. License Auto-Configure (we, our, us) grants you a personal, non-transferable, and non-exclusive license to use the Software Product in the specified quantity only. You may not: 1. 2. 3. 4. distribute, sublicense or copy any portion of the Licensed Software product: modify or prepare derivative works from the Licensed Software Product: transmit the Licensed Software product electronically by any means: or use the Licensed Software product in multiple computer or multiple user arrangements unless that use is covered by individual license for each computer or user. 2. To get media warranty service during the 90day warranty period, you may return the Product (postage paid) with a description of the problem to the place where you obtained it. The defective media on which the Licensed Software Product is contained will be replaced at no additional charge to you. 2. If you do not receive media that is free from defects in materials and workmanship during the 90-day warranty period, you will receive a refund or credit to your account for the amount you paid for the Licensed Software Product returned.

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You agree that the Licensed Software product belongs to us and you agree to keep confidential and use your best efforts to prevent and protect the contents of the Licensed Software Product from unauthorized disclosure. Limited 1. For 90 days from the date of shipment, we warrant that the media (for example, CD) on which the Licensed Software Product is contained will be free from defects in materials and workmanship. The warranty does not cover damage caused by viruses, improper use or neglect. We do not warrant the contents of the Licensed Software Product (it is furnished "AS IS" and without warranty as to the performance or results you may obtain by using the Licensed Software Product) or that it will be error free. You assume the entire risk as to the results and performance of the Licensed Software Product.

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Termination This Agreement is effective until terminated. You may terminate it any time by destroying the Licensed Software Product. It will also terminate if you do not comply with any term or condition of this Agreement. You agree upon termination to destroy the Licensed Software Product. General You are responsible for installation, management and operation of the Licensed Software Product.

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Table of Contents
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Introduction .................................................................................................................................................................. 4 Welcome to Auto-Configure................................................................................................................................... 5 List of features ............................................................................................................................................................. 6 Installation ..................................................................................................................................................................... 8 Registration ................................................................................................................................................................... 9 Activation .....................................................................................................................................................................10 Auto-Configure concepts .......................................................................................................................................11 How to use Auto-Configure? ................................................................................................................................12 Component Information Tab ...............................................................................................................................14 Feature Information Tab ..................................................................................................................................15 Dimension Information Tab ...........................................................................................................................16 Custom Property Information Tab ..............................................................................................................17 Annotation Information Tab ..........................................................................................................................18 Annotation Group Information .....................................................................................................................19 Drawing Sheet Information ............................................................................................................................20 Drawing View Information .............................................................................................................................21 Export Model Data to Excel .............................................................................................................................22 How to enter model parameters in Excel for multiple designs? ....................................................24 How to configure designs? ..............................................................................................................................25 Logs and Settings .................................................................................................................................................26 Auto-Configure Settings ...................................................................................................................................27

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1 Introduction
Standardizer
Tabulated list of model parameters modify name & value Add / modify / Delete custom properties Suppress features and components Change color of features and components Formats drawing views automatically Saves and restores annotation position Create and apply annotation group (group annotations on its type) Update drawing sheet name and view name Update drawing sheet scale and view scale Powerful UI Reports sources of errors

Configurator
Standard Excel Interface Use Excel formulae to compute parameter values No setup time Ease of data storage in Excel format Quick generation of multiple configurations Define generated file name and location in Excel Control configurations to keep in generated models Completely extensible and robust Simple and friendly interface Built-in reporting mechanism Color coding for quick understanding Can be directly integrated with SAP/PDM systems and more.

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2 Welcome to Auto-Configure
Auto-Configure
A new dimension in product configuration, standardization and automation Automate repetitive tasks quickly to generate accurate models Tools to quickly update model parameters Options to auto-format model drawings Powerful interface to Standardize design Excel interface to interact and store design rules for future use Quick and accurate models with formatted drawings

Why Auto-Configure?
Increases productivity Reduces error in designing Allows design standardization Easy design reproducibility Saves design knowledge (standards) in Excel; thereby keeping CAD model simple

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3 List of features
Standardizer
Feature Error Reporting Number of sketches which are not fully constrained Preview sketches which are not fully constrained Edit sketches which are not fully constrained Rebuild errors and warnings Standardization Set component color Set component suppression Set feature color Set feature suppression Set dimension name Set dimension value Add/Modify/Delete custom property Set annotation color Set annotation font Set annotation layer Add/Remove annotation group Set annotation group types Set annotation group color Set annotation group visibility Set sheet name Set sheet size Set sheet scale Set view name Set view scale Save / Restore annotation position Auto-Format drawing views Quick & automatic preview Part Assembly Drawing

Configurator
Feature Model Parameters Configure components suppression Configure features suppression Configure dimension value Configure configurations (Create/Delete/Keep) Configure custom property value Configure drawing view name Configure sheet name Configure view scales Configure sheet scales Configure sheet size (height & width) Configure annotations Rebuild errors and warnings Additional Configure file name Configure file location Part Assembly Drawing Referenced Model Referenced Model Referenced Model Referenced Model

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Export to additional file Formats PDF IGES STL JPG BMP TIFF Support Win XP Win VISTA Win 7 32 Bit 64 Bit
New Features

All Sheets

Active Sheet Active Sheet Active Sheet

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4 Installation
Install Auto-Configure using the installation program. The installer will create all required directories and install Auto-Configure on your system.

System Requirements
Microsoft Windows XP, VISTA or Windows 7 operating system (32 bit / 64 bit) Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 or above Microsoft Office 2003 or above SolidWorks 2009 or above Other system requirements as per SolidWorks

Software Installation
Insert the Auto-Configure CD-ROM in the CD drive of your system. If auto run is not set, then: Launch the Setup program. Windows Start-> Run-> Browse (Browse to E:\AutoConfigureSetup.exe assuming E is your CD drive). Select Platform type (32 Bit / 64 Bit) and click Install Respond to all the setup program prompts Click Close
Select Platform Type and click Install

The installation program automatically creates the required directories in your system. Start SolidWorks Auto-Configure User Interface shall be loaded in the task pane manager on the right of the SolidWorks screen. In case Auto-Configure is not loaded, then Click Tools->Addin

Check the check boxes in front of Auto-Configure. (if Auto-Configure is not listed then contact Auto-Configure team by sending an email to support@autoconfigure.com )

Select Auto-Configure checkbox to load the Addin

Click OK

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5 Registration
Register Auto-Configure program by entering correct information in registration form on Auto-Configure panel. (Please note that you should be connected to a valid internet connection to register your product. Also, your information shall be used to identify your license and hence should be accurate.) Enter accurate information in the registration form and click Register. This information shall be used to identify and register your copy of the product. This is a onetime process and it generates a valid license key for you to use. Once registered, the program runs on a trial license wherein you can standardize and configure only SolidWorks Parts. Please send this license key to activate@autoconfigure.com to get a valid license code for activating your license.

Enter your contact details and click Register

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6 Activation
Activate License by entering valid License code (received from Auto-Configure team) to use the product on all SolidWorks model types. Enter license code in the registration form Click Activate Once activated, the license can be extended by sending request to activate@auto-configure.com. (Please note that the license key and license code combination is unique to your system and it cannot be used on multiple platforms. The license is non-transferrable.) In case of any issues or support, please send a mail to support@auto-configure.com .

Enter license code and click Activate

Auto-Configure License status shall be automatically Auto-Configure displays the number of license days left along with the license status in the status bar on its user interface.

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7 Auto-Configure concepts
Auto-Configure is a technology which allows easy integration and control of CAD data with standard RDBMS systems like MS Excel. The technology supports bi-directional flow of data from CAD to Excel and vice versa.

CAD Model

USER

Standardization

AUTO-CONFIGURE

Design Rules Configuration Parameters MS Excel

CAD Platform

Parameters Design configurations

Configured Designs
In addition to the Configurator, it has a built in standardizer which allows you to quickly standardize your model. The parameters of the standardized model then can be directly exported in MS Excel. Once this is done, you can use the Excel template and your standardized model to generate multiple designs by defining configurations inside Excel file. You can also use Excel formulae to derive various model parameters. Features of Auto-Configure Excel Template: a) Auto-Configure creates an index sheet (named Auto-Index) in the excel file. This sheet has a list of all the referenced models along with a link to their respective sheets. b) Each referenced model parameters are stored in a different sheet. c) Each sheet lists custom properties, features, dimension properties, referenced components along with their corresponding values in the current configuration. d) The first 5 columns (in each sheet except Auto-Index sheet) are used to store parametric information of the model. These columns are locked and hence cannot be modified. e) Apart from the first 5 columns, each column represents a design. f) The sheet tabs are color coded as per the type of model as follows: S. No. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. g) h) i) Model Type Main Assembly Sub Assembly Component Part Drawing Sheet Tab Color

The driven parameter rows are marked in red and are locked. This is valid for both driven dimensions and driven custom properties. The parameter values are populated in the current model unit. In addition to model parameters, Auto-Configure adds following 8 properties to each model: S. No. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Property File Name Folder Name Description Author Creation Date Revision Number Comments Additional Copyright Auto-Configure 11 | P a g e

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8 How to use Auto-Configure?

Load SolidWorks files in Auto-Configure interface by clicking on the browse button on Auto-Configure user interface (on files tab). Click Browse. Select File dialog box shall be opened. You can filter the selection type to Parts, Assembly or Drawings from the File Type list box in the Select File dialog. Select SolidWorks Files and click OK. Auto-Configure shall open the SolidWorks files and load their information.

Click Browse and select SolidWorks files

Alternately, Right Click on File tab and click Add SolidWorks Files. Select File dialog box shall be opened. Right Click on File tab and click Add Current Model to add the current model into Files tab. Add Current Model option is only enabled if any SolidWorks model is active. Auto-Configure loads information of all the referenced files automatically when it loads the SolidWorks files. Thus, when you select an assembly, information of all its subassemblies and parts is automatically being processed by AutoConfigure. Select File Name of any model; Right Click on File tab and click Remove Selected File to remove the selected model from AutoConfigure File tab. Please note that removing the selected model from Auto-Configure also closes the model in SolidWorks. Please save the model before using this command.

Right Click on Files tab to see Browse options

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Auto-Configure lists all the referenced files in the SolidWorks Files list box. (You can check the Hide References checkbox to hide all the referenced files of the model.) These files are automatically being exported /configured by Auto-Configure when the user exports / configures the model. Once the files are loaded, populate and clear buttons are enabled automatically. Click Populate button. Auto-Configure extracts the model information and stores it. Auto-Configure checks (and counts) sketches which is not fully defined and populates the count in the Files grid. In addition, the last column in Files tab indicates the number of rebuild errors and warning which are associated with this model. In case there are rebuild errors in the model, the cell is shown red color. In case there are rebuild warnings in the model, the cell is shown in yellow color. Please note that the configured results may not be as expected in case there are rebuild errors and warnings in the model. Once the model information is populated, you can view it by double clicking the model in the SolidWorks Files List Box. Double Click model in the Auto-Configure SolidWorks Files List. Auto-Configure shall populate following information in various tabs: Components in the Assembly Features in each Assembly Dimensions of each model Any Annotation information Custom properties of the active configuration Mates information Drawing Sheet Information Drawing View Information

Auto-Configure lists all referenced models

Auto-Configure tabs have multiple functions to quickly standardize your model as per requirements.
Double click on File Name to populate information tabs

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9 Component Information Tab

Component Information tab can be used to view, suppress and change appearance of any component of the model. The tab lists all the components of the assembly and subassemblies contained in the model. Click Component Tab Clicking on any row highlights the component in the SolidWorks graphics area. Suppress / Un-suppress Components You can suppress any component by selecting the check box in front of the component name in AutoConfigure Component Data. Changing color of a component You can change the color of any component (however deep in the subassemblies) by simply clicking the colored button in front of the component name. Select Color dialog shall be opened when you click on the colored button in front of the component name. You can select the color and click OK. The color shall be updated in the SolidWorks graphics area. Referenced Configuration The list also displays the referenced configuration of this component in this model. Constrained Status The list also displays the current constrained status of this component in this model.
Select Component Tab to see component information

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10 Feature Information Tab

Feature Information tab can be used to view, suppress and change appearance of any feature of any component of the model. The tab lists all the components of the assembly and subassemblies contained in the model in the component combo box. You can select any component to view its features and their properties. Click Features Tab Clicking on any row highlights the feature in the SolidWorks graphics area. Select component from Component Name combo box The features of this component are listed in the grid. The referenced configuration of this component is also displayed. Suppress / Un-suppress Features You can suppress any feature by selecting the check box in front of the feature name in Auto-Configure Feature Data. Changing color of a feature You can change the color of any feature (however deep in the subassemblies) by simply clicking the colored button in front of the feature name. Select Color dialog shall be opened when you click on the colored button in front of the feature name. You can select the color and click OK. The color shall be updated in the SolidWorks graphics area.

Select Feature Tab to see feature information

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11 Dimension Information Tab

Dimension Information tab can be used to view and edit dimension of any feature of any component of the model. The tab lists all the dimensions of the assembly and subassemblies contained in the model. The tab also lists all dimensions of mates (Distance Constraints in the assembly/sub-assembly). Click Dimensions Tab Clicking on any row highlights the dimension in the SolidWorks graphics area. Change dimension name You can update the name of any dimension by entering new name in Dimension Name column of the Dimension Data. You can enter recognizable names to critical (configurable) dimensions. Changing dimension value You can change the value of any dimension by entering the new value in the Dimension Value column of the dimension Data. The dimension name and value gets updated as soon as the value is changed in the cell.

Select Dimension Tab to see dimension information

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12 Custom Property Information Tab

Custom Property Information tab can be used to view, edit, add and remove custom properties in the model. The tab lists all the custom properties for the active configuration of the model. The tab also has a configuration list box to list the various configurations stored in the model. Click Custom Property Tab The custom properties in the active configuration shall be listed. The configuration Name list shall contain names of all the configurations in the model. Select configuration from the configuration name list. The custom properties of the selected configuration shall be populated in the list. Please note that you can change the Name and value of the custom property in the table. The resolved value is automatically computed and hence cannot be set. The properties with resolved values computed from SolidWorks parameters are marked in red.

Select Custom Property Tab to see information

Add Custom Property Select any cell in the custom property table and click right mouse button. Click Add Custom Property command in the context menu. A new row shall be added in the table. Enter the property name and value in respective columns and Auto-Configure shall automatically add the custom property in the selected configuration. Delete Custom Property Select the custom property cell in the custom property table and click right mouse button. Click Delete Custom Property command in the context menu. The custom property shall be removed from the list and the model. Please note that delete custom property cannot be undone.
Right click to add/delete custom property

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13 Annotation Information Tab

Annotation Information tab can be used to view and edit annotations in the model. The tab lists all the annotations of the model. This tab also lists Annotation Group Data which can be used to standardize drawing annotations and apply design rules. Click Annotations Tab The annotations in the model shall be listed. These annotations can be notes, symbols, dimensions, centerline, datum origin, leader and soon. Clicking on any row highlights the annotation in the SolidWorks graphics area. You can change the name of an annotation by entering a valid name in Annotation name column. Please note that SolidWorks does not allow you to use some special characters in names (like @, / and .) You can assign a layer to an annotation by selecting the name of the layer in the Layer Name list box cell. You can assign a color to an annotation by clicking on the Color column of the annotation. You can set Font, Font Size and Font Style to an annotation by clicking on the Format column of the annotation. You can save position of an annotation by clicking on the save button. You can restore position of an annotation by clicking on the restore button. Annotations with saved positions only can be restored. Please note that Annotations having no format properties have their format cell grayed. Save and restore positions are especially useful once you have formatted your annotations completely. Auto-Configure shall automatically restore the position back to its saved position even if the annotations are scattered (by operations like scaling sheet or scaling drawing views)

Select Annotations Tab to see information

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14 Annotation Group Information

Annotation Group Information can be used to categorize annotations into various groups based on their types. This functionality can help you in selective formatting of annotations. Annotations Group Grid Auto-Configure allows you to group model annotations based on their types. Hence group properties can be simply applied to all the annotations of selected types. This concept is similar to concept of layers but is extended to set format information (font, size, effects etc.) to the group along with color and layer. Annotations in various groups can be hidden to make the drawing readable. The user can then set annotation properties on the visible annotations only. Right Mouse click on the grid allows you to add / Remove (selected) group. Set Annotation Group Name
Right click to Add/Delete group

Right click in annotation type column to select the associated annotation types in this group You can select multiple annotation types for a group All annotation type which are associated with some group in the list are marked in red. Click Close (or press Esc) to close selecting annotation types. Select layer for this annotation group. Select color for this annotation group. Select Format (Font, Size and effects) for this annotation group. Click Save to save all the selected groups in Registry. Click Apply to apply group properties to the model.
Right click in Annotation Type column toselect type

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15 Drawing Sheet Information

Drawing Sheet and View information tab can be used to format various drawing sheets and drawing views in a SolidWorks drawing document. Sheet Data Grid Select a row and the corresponding drawing sheet shall be automatically activated in the SolidWorks graphics area. This grid lists all the drawing sheets available in the model document along with their names, scales, sheet width and sheet size. You can change the sheet name by entering appropriate name in sheet name column. The sheet name is automatically updated in all the other information grids (like annotation grid and view grid) You can change the sheet scale by entering a numerical sheet scale value in sheet scale column. You can change the sheet size (height and width) by entering the appropriate numeric values (in meters) in the corresponding columns.

Select Sheets and Views to see information

Right click in format views column to set the format view parameters You can set values for horizontal & vertical distances between views and between view and edge (values should be in meter) or You can select Auto-Compute to allow let program compute the values automatically. Select Format Along X if you want to format views along X (horizontally). Select Format Along Y if you want to format views along Y (vertically). Click Save if you want to save this setting for future documents. Click Close to close setting format options. Click Format Views to format views as per your options. Click Save to save position of all annotations in this sheet. Click Restore to restore position of all annotations in this sheet.
Right click in Format views to set formatting options

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16 Drawing View Information

Drawing Sheet and View information tab can be used to format various drawing sheets and drawing views in a SolidWorks drawing document. View Data Grid Select a row and the corresponding drawing view shall be automatically activated in the SolidWorks graphics area This grid lists all the drawing views available in the model document along with their names and scales. You can change the view name by entering appropriate name in view name column. The view name is automatically updated in all the other information grids (like annotation grid) You can change the view scale by entering a numerical view scale value in view scale column. You can check Use Sheet Scale checkbox to allow the view to use the sheet scale. You can check Use Parent Scale checkbox to allow the view to use the parent view scale. Click Save to save position of all annotations in this view. Click Restore to restore position of all annotations in this view.
Select Sheets and Views to see information

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17 Export Model Data to Excel

Auto-Configure allows you to export and store your model data in Excel format. The Excel file has all the parameters of all the parts and sub-assemblies referenced in the model. The Excel file is formatted so as to minimize effort of the user.(Refer to Auto-Configure concepts for more details). Click XL Export button The model information (including list of components, their features, dimensions, constraints, annotations and custom property) is exported in an Excel file. The Excel file is stored in temporary file location (default value is Auto-Configure install location\output\). The Excel file has Auto-Index worksheet which lists all the components (Assemblies/Parts/Sub Assemblies) present in the model along with the sheet name where information for that component is stored. The sheet names are linked to the corresponding sheet. (The components are listed such as they appear in the feature manager except that the main model is listed last) Note: Change the names of the various parameters (dimensions) of the model using associated Tab prior to exporting the model to excel. This shall help you in identifying the critical (or varying) parameters in the Excel file.
Auto-Index worksheet listing all references in the model

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Click on Sheet Name link in front of model name The sheet with model information shall be activated (as shown below). This sheet lists all parameters (features, dimensions, custom properties) in this model. It also lists the various features in the model along with their suppression state in the referenced configuration. In case of assembly, this sheet has a list of components present in the assembly along with their sheet names and links to these sheets. Each sheet is colored as per the type of model for which it contains the information. For more information, check Sheet Tab Colors.

Auto-Configure generated Excel Worksheet containing all model parameters

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18 How to enter model parameters in Excel for multiple designs?

Once the excel file is saved, you need to enter the model parameter values as per the new configurations desired. This is required in each sheet (except Auto-Index worksheet) in the Excel File. Each design is saved in one column of each Excel Worksheet in the Excel File. For example, the first design configuration shall start in Column F in each of the worksheets on the Excel File. The rows marked in red are computed by design and hence cannot be altered. You should leave them blank. The values of File Name and Path (Rows 1 & 2) are mandatory for each design and in each worksheet (you can skip the file name and path for components which are pattern instances). You can only enter the varying parameters values in the Excel file. Auto-Configure does not change the parameter value if the value is not specified in the Excel File. All instances of a component with same name and location shall be saved as configurations in the corresponding model file. A Pattern (either feature or component) is a feature where same model is referenced multiple times. You can define variations of component pattern instances (which shall be saved as different configurations). You can use Excel formulae to add any rule in the Excel Worksheet (as shown below).

Add model parameter values in various columns to configure

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19 How to configure designs?

You can start configuring designs from Excel file as soon as your design is populated and your Excel file is ready. Please make a copy of the original design file (by using pack & go) prior to configuring your designs. Select an existing Excel File Click select XL button (highlighted in red) in the Files tab to select the Excel File. Excel File Name is automatically shown in the cell prior to it. Start with new Excel File Export the Excel File using XL Export button. The name of the file is updated in the table as soon as the Excel file is saved. Open Excel File Right Click on Excel File Column and click Open Excel File.

You can open the file and enter the configuration details as discussed in previous chapter. Click Configure button Auto-Configure closes the model document and starts configuring design. All the relevant files are saved in the folders defined in the Excel files with the names in defined in Excel file. Auto-Configure checks for any rebuild errors and any sketch which is not fully constrained in the model. In case there is any error, Auto-Configure prompts to optionally stop (and fix the model). Auto-Configure calculates the total configuration time (time till model configurations are generated once configure button is clicked) and displays it once the configuration process is completed.

Click Select XL File button to select existing Excel file

Click Open Excel File option to open the selected Excel file

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20 Logs and Settings

See Auto-Configure log Click button to toggle show / hide of Auto-Configure log. The log file is automatically saved in the Auto-Configure working directory. Auto-Configure Settings Click button to set Auto-Configure settings. Auto-Configure Help Click button to see help.

About Auto-Configure Click button to see About dialog. This dialog lists the product information and license information. You can use license information from this dialog to contact Auto-Configure with any support issues.

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21 Auto-Configure Settings
Click Auto-Configure Settings Set Working Directory Click Working Directory tab Auto-Configure saves all Excel files and the log file in the working directory. By default, Auto-Configure creates an output directory in Auto-Configure installation location and sets it as the working directory Check / Uncheck Populate component pattern instance in Excel and grid Checking this option populates data for each instance of component pattern in Data grid and Excel. By default, this option is checked. button to open settings dialog

Enter / browse for working directory

Format Drawing Views Settings Set parameters to auto-format drawing views Parameters include: Horizontal distance of view from edge Horizontal distance between views Vertical distance of view from edge Vertical distance between views Set options to auto-format drawing views Options include: Auto-compute horizontal distance of view and edge Auto-compute vertical distance of view and edge Auto-compute horizontal distance between views Auto-compute vertical distance between views Format along X (horizontally) Format along Y (vertically)

Set format view settings

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Configurator Settings Check additional file formats in which you want your models exported during configuration. Additional file formats include: Bitmap Jpeg Tiff PDF IGES STL
Set configurator settings

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