NX 3.0: GM DCS File Log Macro for Batch Execution

[ctlstevens]

Subject: NX 3.0 General Motors Toolkit - DCS File Log

How can I extract the DCS File Log from multiple parts using the General Motors Toolkit? I know how to do them individually, but I want to be able to extract and save the logs from multiple part files in a single step.

 

[Xwheelguy]

I doubt you'll find the answer you seek here but....

Within the toolkit directories, you can open some of the .dat files (I think .dat....maybe another file type) with Notepad or any text editor and within those files are usually contact phone numbers for the actual programmers of the toolkit. They MIGHT assist you in figuring out a way to do what you're wanting, if they're even still employed by GM.

Tim Flater
Senior Designer
Enkei America, Inc.

http://www.enkei.com

Some people are like slinkies....they don't really have a purpose, but they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down the stairs.

 

[DieMan44]

I use the GM toolkit for the same purpose also. I do not know if a batch extraction is even possible, but I'm curious to know myself.

 

[ctlstevens]

I've since been in touch with the GEES help desk at GM. I'm told that there isn't a way to batch export the DCS File Logs using the GM tool bar at this time.

Upon learning that, I have been playing around with Tools --> Macros within UG and have managed to create a macro to save the Log from the current part. The next problem to solve is that I can't figure out how to get the Macro to read the part number of the active file in order to save the Log file with the same filename.

I am thinking that it should be possible to create a batch file that would:

1) Create a variable out of the file name,
2) Remotely start the UG .prt file,
3) Execute the Macro and save the Log using a blanket filename
4) Close the .prt file,
5) Re-name the log using the file name variable,
6) Repeat this process with the next .prt file in the target directory.

It's a work in progress.

 

[Xwheelguy]

Yeah, DieMan44, the File Checker program might not even be capable of pulling that info for more than one part file at a time.

GEES is always a dead end unless you have a question about the way the toolkit operates as it is. In order to get help with the guts of the toolkit, you'll have to find a way to get in touch with the people that actually wrote the programs in the toolkit.

Tim Flater
Senior Designer
Enkei America, Inc.

http://www.enkei.com

Some people are like slinkies....they don't really have a purpose, but they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down the stairs.

 

[DavidTolsma]

The DCS file log information is stored as part attributes. You can extract the part attributes relatively easy.

The New DCS is based on Knowledge Fusion, so that will be a little different extracting the information.

-Dave Tolsma

http://Tolsnet.com/jobs

http://groups.google.com/group/NX_CAX/

http://groups.google.com/group/plm-exchange/

 

[hudson888]

When you say export file logs in what form to you export data. When you open one of these these from the toolkit there should be an information icon button that will send the contents to the info window from where you can save it as a text file. Would that do?

Could a macro or a Journal capture those clicks and be repeatable. If so then it is a matter of building code to open a list of files and output the contents, that is a little harder but quite possibly there are similar programs available that you could adapt to your needs.

One thing though GM use Teamcenter so it would make critical difference to know whether you're running this as a client of their database or in Native mode.

Cheers

Hudson

 

[ctlstevens]

When I open the part in GM UG, there is indeed an icon that pulls up a window that allows access to the log data in .txt format. I have written a macro that opens the log file, saves it using a generic filename and then closes the part. Seems to work well.

The problem I'm currently having is that when you launch the GM toolkit version of UG, you do that from within a sub-menu. I have found that I can launch normal UG (without the GM toolkit) using the command:

"C:\Program Files\UGS\NX 3.0\UGII\ugii.bat" -retrieve:filename.prt -keyrint_DCS_Log_File.macro

This launches UG and executes the macro. Unfortunately, the icon to display and print the log file doesn't exist in normal UG so the macro fails. What I need is a method to open a list of parts using an existing GM Toolkit UG session or a method of launching GM Toolkit UG without having to go through the menu.