Creating Parts Catalog's By Combining PDF's
I discovered a way to knock out Parts Catalogs for the company I work for. This shaves off ton's of time on creating a parts catalog for your companies products. Typically I export the artwork and combine it in Adobe InDesign, it is a combination of EPS artwork from the drawings, and AI and EPS artwork such as decals, and company logo.
The hyperlinks are created in the PDF file, therefore linked to the internal working of the file. Although that way takes quite a bit longer, there is not much difference in quality of the final work.
I have created parts catalogs by this method in as few as 2 hours. Posting these to your companies website can save many hours from customer calls.
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Step 1: Setting the drawing format of your parts catalog pages.
I setup a drawing format that is 11x17, it is divided down the middle so basically, it is two 8-1/2" X 11" portrait pages. The exploded parts are on the left and the BOM is on the right. You can include any commonly used icons, notes, etc... The revision block and title block will be removed later in Adobe Acrobat. (Note ! You will need Adobe Acrobat Full version, not the reader. Adobe Acrobat and Adobe Acrobat Reader are two different things.) (You can torrent Adobe Acrobat here... https://thepiratebay.org/search.php?q=adobe+acrobat&cat=0) I use Utorrent and A VPN.
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Step 2: Creating Your Exploded Drawing Views
This you already know how to do, or do you? Here are some tips on how I do the exploded drawings, it may help you or it may not. I have been doing exploded assy drawings for over 20 years now and have picked up some useful advice I can pass on.
• Set your drawing to fill an 8-1/2 X 11 Portrait size, not landscape.
• Create any hyperlinks inside your CAD system, so shop employees can click on the balloon automatically opening the respective PDF, rather than looking on the network for the PDF. (Notice the BLUE text, which is a hyperlink, linking it to the sub-assembly.)
Too easy right
• If necessary, stagger your exploded assembly to fit the page. The more you get it to fit better, the larger your drawing will be and more visible to other users.
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Step 3: Combining PDF's In Adobe Acrobat
Now that you have your drawings all exported to PDF's and available on a local or network drive, it is very simple from here.
- Open Adobe Acrobat.
- Click on Tools,
3. Combine Files.
4. Your screen should look like this...
5. You can either click on "Add Files", or drag PDF files to this window. I prefer to drag files from Windows Explorer into Adobe Acrobat.
6. When you drag the file and release it, it should look like this...
7. Click on the pages, and click expand. (Your pages will be 11x17 now, don't worry we will crop later.)
8. Now you can delete any unnecessary pages.
9. I like to add the sub-assemblies to the pages after this level of assembly in order, so I don't forget any or follow some sort of logic that makes sense to you.
10.Continue dragging in all of your files, when finished click Combine.
11.Now save your file, Adobe Acrobat will want to save it with the name Binder01.Pdf etc...
You can save it as whatever you like. I like to have a description and a part number in the filename.
Here is an example:
Parts Catalog, Kwik-Till 2-Section Drawn (55-5-00257).pdf
Noun, Then Adjective, if necessary more descriptors. (part Number).pdf
Similar to your typical hardware naming convention ie...
Bolt, HHCS 1/2-13x2-1/2 YZ8
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Step 4: Creating Copies of Parts Catalog Pages Before Croping
Now copy each page so you have 2 of each. If you happen to know a better way to do this let me know. I have tried other ways and lost some functionality of the PDF.
• View your PDF by clicking Page Thumbnails. (Delete any revision blocks, or title blocks Before next step)
• Hold down the control key on your keyboard and click and drag a copy of page #1. Make copies of all pages so there are 2 of each page.
• Save your file again
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Step 5: Cropping Odd and Even Pages to Divide
• Now select all your pages. and right-click "Crop"
• Fill in 8.5 for cell "Right", select from to range, and select Odd pages Only. Click ok
• Repeat Crop command and Fill in 8.5 for cell "Left", select from to range, and select Even pages Only. Click ok
• Save your file
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Step 6: Redirecting Hyperlinks
Now edit your hyperlinks to the Parts Catalog PDF, instead of a networked PDF file.
(Creating hyperlinks to all your subassemblies is also a quality check process to make sure you have all your subassemblies in the parts catalog.)
Before that, we need to see this as if it were a parts catalog so that the corresponding BOM pages coincide with the exploded assembly. If you have a cover for the parts catalog, this is easier. For the purposes of this tutorial, I will insert a blank page as the first page.
Insert blank page.
• Set display
• Set the same in properties of the file.
• Remember to save your file fo shizzle.
• Odd pages should have your BOM, Even pages should be your exploded view.
• Hover over your external hyperlink, and click "Edit Link"
• Click on "Actions tab.
• Delete the action that is there.
• Click
• This window will popup, scroll or search for you page that you want to link the balloon to and click "set Link"
• Done
• Save Save save your file.
• You can search using the find tool to set your link if you wish.
• Once you click "Set Link", the program will take you back to the page you were first at setting the hyperlinks.
• If it doesn't, click the "Previous View" button or Alt + Left Arrow Key on your keyboard.
• End
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Step 7: Creating New Hyperlinks
If you didn't create the hyperlinks in Solidworks, you can still add them in the PDF Parts Catalog pages.
(Creating hyperlinks to all your subassemblies is also a quality check process to make sure you have all your subassemblies in the parts catalog.)
Step 1:
Click "Edit PDF"
Step 2:
Single click on the page you wish to edit. The old mac watch icon spins meaning it is processing which page you are going to edit and loads it into memory.
Step 3:
Select the balloon text numbers and change the color to blue.
Step 4:
Click "Close" after you are done changing colors.
Step 5:
Save your file.
Step 6:
No select a balloon text item, and right click, and select "Create Link"
Step 7:
Select "Invisible Rectangle", and "Go to a page view"
Step 8:
Click Next.
Step 9:
Scroll or search for the page to set the Link
Step 10:
All done. Save and save often.
