Drawing PDFs w/ Revision via Excel Tables and Power Query
Overview
This video demonstrates how to export Creo drawings to PDF with revision tracking using Nitro-CELL, Excel Tables, and Power Query. The workflow combines Nitro-CELL's drawing export capabilities with Power Query to dynamically pull revision data into the export process, ensuring each PDF filename or metadata reflects the correct revision level. This approach automates what would otherwise be a tedious manual task of exporting drawings one at a time and appending revision information. The video walks through setting up the Power Query connection, structuring the Excel table with drawing names and revision data, and running the export to produce revision-stamped PDF files.
Key Steps
- Set up a Power Query connection to pull revision data into the Excel workbook
- Structure an Excel table linking drawing names to their current revision levels
- Configure the Nitro-CELL export command to reference the table and include revision info in the output
- Execute the export to generate PDF files with revision identifiers in the filenames
- Verify the exported PDFs match the expected revision levels and output location
Tips
- Use Power Query's refresh capability to keep revision data current before each export run
- Ensure your Creo drawings are saved and up to date before exporting to PDF
- Establish a consistent naming convention that includes the revision identifier for easy file management