Modifying Custom Properties of PDFs Using PDF Plug-In (For SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional Only)

SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional lets users read or write custom properties of PDFs using the PDF plug-in.

The PDF plug-in also maps any user-defined custom properties that are written in the Custom tab of a PDF.

An administrator can map a variable to a supported Block name and Attribute name for a PDF. When a user adds a PDF to a vault and updates custom properties in the PDF, the updated custom properties appear on the PDF file data card. Similarly, when a user updates variable values on the PDF file data card, the mapped property values are updated in the PDF.

Property Mappings

Block name Attribute name Block name Attribute name
CustomProperty Title CustomProperty Keywords
CustomProperty Author CustomProperty Part Number
CustomProperty Subject CustomProperty Description

Mapping Custom Properties to PDF Cards

This example describes how to map the variable Title to the custom property Title.

To map custom properties to PDF cards:

  1. In the Administration tool, right-click Variables and click New Variable.
  2. In the dialog box, create a variable named Title.
  3. Click New Attribute.
  4. Under Selected attribute:
    1. For Block name, select CustomProperty.
    2. For Attribute name, enter Title.
    3. Enter the file extension that contains the property.
      For example: pdf.
  5. Click OK.
  6. In the Card Editor, open the PDF Card.
  7. Add an edit box and for Variable name select the new Title variable.
  8. Save the card and close the Card Editor.
When a user adds a PDF to the SOLIDWORKS PDM vault, the PDF file data card shows the Title variable. User can read/write the custom property Title to the PDF file data card.