How to Check the Log File for the DWG Parser

How to Check the Log File for the DWG Parser

To review the log file for the DWG Parser, follow these steps:

  1. Go to the server and log in as the user that the Bamboo.DocumentParserService is running as.

2.From the Start menu, click Run

3.In the Run dialog enter %temp% to go to the temp directory for the logged in user.

4.Open the BambooSolutions/DocumentParsers folder there.

5.View the log file titled Bamboo.DocumentParserService.log.txt

NOTE: If there is a license issue with DWG Parser, it will appear here but not to the SharePoint end user. For the SharePoint end user, the symptom of a license issue is that no block attributes are extracted.

Highlights of DWG Parser

Highlights of DWG Parser

Use SharePoint as an inexpensive repository for AutoCAD™ drawings with DWG Parser. Use SharePoint’s full featured document management along with collaboration tools such as project and task management.DWG Parser extracts title block information for use in SharePoint document library properties. Combined with other Bamboo products, it enriches SharePoint to support capabilities normally associated with expensive drawing management systems.

  • Existing drawing management systems include many mature features to support DWG drawings, but they are limited in enabling companies to extend the collaboration of these AutoCAD™ drawings to user groups outside-the-firewall (i.e., suppliers and vendors).

  • Today, AutoCAD™ users must upload their DWG files to SharePoint and manually enter any metadata, such as title block attributes, in the properties of the file in a document library. This process is both time-consuming and error-prone, resulting in increased difficulty in locating a DWG file when filtering the document library by a particular property that does not have the correct data.

  • DWG Parser uses a server-side service and web parts to allow the user to define the attributes to be extracted from a title block and the SharePoint document library properties to be populated when the DWG file is added to the repository. This automatic extract of title block attributes aids viewing, searching and eliminates manual data entry error.

Error using client side of DWG

Error using client side of DWG

8308_Capture_PNG-725x0.pngPROBLEM: Client crashes with an error when using the client side of DWG Parser. We have had this error reported when running the server part on WSS 3.0 SP2 on Windows Server 2008 R2 64x.

SOLUTION: Make sure the NT Service called Bamboo.DocumentParserService is running on your Web Front End (WFE) server.

DWG Configuration Overview

DWG Configuration Overview

How to configure your server to parse drawing files.

Creating Document Library Content Types – The capabilities and limitations of the DWG Parser Solution Accelerator are closely tied to its use of SharePoint content types to achieve the mappings between title block attributes and SharePoint data columns. It is important to have a fundamental understanding of the concept of SharePoint content types in order to get the most out of the DWG Parser product.

Content Types in SharePoint allow you to define the meta-data that is stored with an item of a particular type. The References section, located at the end of this document, contains step by step instructions for creating a new content type. You can also get general information regarding content types online from the MSDN link also provided in the References section.

NOTE: DWG Parser only works with Document Library-based content types. Mappings based on other content types are not allowed by the DWG Parser Configuration Application. Those content types will not appear in the list of available choices.

Running the DWG Parser Configuration Application – Launch the DWG Parser Configuration by clicking on either the Desktop shortcut or Programs menu shortcut created during the client install process. The shortcuts will be titled Bamboo DWG Parser Client Application. Once the application launches, the Main Menu is displayed.

DWG001.jpgThe main menu screen provides you with two options.

  1. You can define a new extraction mapping
  2. You can remove an existing extraction mapping

The user interface is designed to work like a standard wizard; successive screens guide you through the configuration process. Click the Next text or arrow icon in the bottom right corner of each screen to advance to the next configuration step. Use the Go Back link or arrow icon at the top right of the screen to return to the previous configuration step. The Cancel link and icon aborts any pending new or removal operations and returns you to the Main Menu screen.

Read more on each topic:

Define New Extraction Mapping

Define New Extraction Mapping

Step Action Result
1. Click Define a new extraction mapping on the main menu. The Content Type retrieval screen is displayed.
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2. Enter the URL of the appropriate SharePoint server or site in the address field. The imported DWG title block attributes are mapped to the Content Types associated with this site.
3.

Select the preferred option for verifying user credentials by clicking on the Interactive User or Custom Account radio button.
* If you select Custom Account, you must also enter the user account information.

  • Enter the user account’s Username.
  • Enter the user account’s Password.
  • Enter the user account’s Domain.
4. Click Next to advance to the next step. The Content Type selection screen is displayed.
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5. From the dropdown list, choose the specific Content Type that will be used to map imported DWG title block attributes.
6. Click Next to advance to the next step. The drawing file selection screen is displayed. sa03048.jpg
7. From the dropdown list, choose a drawing file that contains one or more DWG title blocks.
8. Click Next to advance to the next step. The title block selection screen is displayed.

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9. From the dropdown list, choose a title block used in the selected drawing file.
10. Click the individual checkbox next to a block attribute to select it.
OR
Click the Check all attributes checkbox to include all listed attributes in the extraction mapping.
11. Click Next to advance to the next step. The attribute mapping selection screen is displayed.
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12. Click on a block attribute to select it from the Block Attributes list.
13. Click on the corresponding SharePoint column to select it from the SharePoint columns list.
14. Click Map to in order to add this pairing to the Extraction Mapping.

The attribute-to-column pair is added to the Mapped Attributes and Columns list.

  • To remove a mapped pair:
    • Click on the pair in the Mapped Attributes and Columns list.
    • Click Remove.
15. Click Finish to save the Extraction Mapping.