Choosing an Automation Program Type Depending on the Task

1. Choosing an Automation Program Type Depending on the Task Madison Miner Software Engineer EDA, Inc.

2. Presenter background • EDA has been an automation consultant for over 21 years. • Madison has been a software engineer @ EDA for 9 years. • EDA has experience automating Solid Edge, SolidWorks, AutoCAD, Google SketchUp, MS Office and more. • EDA has automated quoting, drafting, design, engineeringand manufacturing.

3. Questions to be answered during this presentation: • What is possible with automation? • What are the different types of automation programs? • What are the advantages and disadvantages of each? • When should you use each type of automation program? • What problems has EDA solved using each type of program?

4. What is possible with automation? “Automation is to Engineering as Robotics is to Manufacturing." • Automate Repetitive Tasks • Setting file properties. Setting material weights, colors.Creating design tables. Updating part numbers. • Automate Revision Manager to batch move and/or rename files. • Automate Design • One simple part, a whole assembly, or an entire machine. • Automate Report and Drawing Generation • Word, Excel, PDF, DWG • Quotes, Proposals, Technical Data Sheets • Automate Order Entry and Quoting • For in-house sales people or customers

5. What are the different types of automation programs? • Console • Text-only interface. Runs outside SE on user’s computer. • Windows Form • Graphical UI. Runs outside SE on user’s computer. • Plug-In / Macro • Runs inside Solid Edgeon the user’s computer. • Web Form • Runs outside Solid Edgeon a web server.

6. Console Program • Advantages: • Simple to develop. • Easy to call from other programs. • Easy to pass parameters from other programs. • Disadvantages: • Not very user friendly. • Difficult for users to enter multiple parameters. • Cannot easily prompt for user input (no drop-down list, file select dialogs, etc.). • Can be challenging to keep program open after running. • Hard to update if used on multiple computers.

7. Windows Form Program • Advantages: • Easy to prompt users for input. • Can easily access files on local computer or network. • Disadvantages: • Hard to update if used on multiple computers. • Can be time consuming to create. • Can be difficult to call from Solid Edge. • Can be difficult to have the user interactwith Solid Edge while the program is running.

8. Plug-In / Macro • Advantages: • Called from inside Solid Edge. • Looks like an integrated component of Solid Edge. • Can be called at different stages during model development. • Can prompt the user to interact with the model, e.g., to select features. • Can be easy to develop (macro). • Disadvantages: • Can be difficult to develop (plug-in). • Hard to update if used on multiple computers. • Cannot restart Solid Edge when required.

9. Web Form • Advantages: • Easy to maintain. • Easy to deploy. • Easy to use. • If the program only generates .SAT or .DWG files,users do not have to have Solid Edge installed. • Easy to develop a high quality interface. • Can be used by mobile devices, Macs, Linux, etc. • Disadvantages: • Can be difficult to develop back end. • Internet connection required for use. • Can be troublesome supporting multiple browsers.

10. When to use a Console program • Programs that are called from other software. • Batch programs that operate on multiple existing files. • Programs that are called often and require little user input. • EDA has used a console program for: • PSM Updater: a program that takes a single argument (file name) and then opens that file, modifies the Bend Relief value and “Simplify B Splines” option, then saves and closes the file.

11. When to use a Windows Form program • Batch programs that operate on multiple existing files. • Programs that are not frequently updated. • Program that require multiple inputs from the user. • Programs that are accessed by a small number of users. • EDA has used a Windows Form Program for: • Revision Maker:Allows the user to select an assembly and a destination folder, search and replace file names in all linked parts, change exposed assembly variables then copies all linked files & creates a new revision.

12. When to use a Plug-In or Macro • Programs for which the user must interact with Solid Edge. • Example EDA Program: • Tank Evaluator: Fuel volume evaluation depending on tank tilt, user has to interact with model at several stages, to decide tank size, create tank shell, & perform a volume evaluation. Results of evaluation are written to Excel spreadsheet and saved.

13. When to use a Web-Based program • Programs with a large number of users (employees, engineers and/or customers). • Programs that are frequently updated. • Programs for inexperienced users or users that do not have Solid Edge installed. • Programs that need to support mobile devices, Macs, Linux, etc. • Example EDA Program: • AmeriTex Enclosures Configurator: Allows customers to design, build and order custom enclosures. Customers can download 3D models and 2D PDFs.

14. Choosing an Automation Program Type Depending on the Task Thank You! Questions? madison@edainc.netwww.edainc.net