#### Output to an RTF or a PDF File

If the File check box is marked, PC-DMIS sends the output to a file. It can be saved in either a Rich Text Format (.rtf) or Portable Document Format (.pdf) file. The filename is initially generated and formatted to have the same name as the part program plus an appended numerical index before the extension. Although PC-DMIS generates this initial file name, the name does not need to follow the default format and may be changed.

Appending a File:
If Append is selected, PC-DMIS adds the current data from the inspection report to the selected file. Note that the complete path must be specified; otherwise, PC-DMIS will assume the same directory as the part program. Also, if the file does not exist, it will be created when generating the report.

RTF Limitations Using Append: Due to a limitation with how the RTF driver works with PC-DMIS's template approach to reporting, when appending to an RTF file, PC-DMIS only sends the contents of the TextReporting object, regardless of any other objects that may exist in your current report template.
Additionally, if you choose to append to an RTF file, it must be to a file that you have always used with the Append option. You cannot append to an RTF file that you first used with Overwrite or Auto.

Overwriting a File:
PC-DMIS overwrites the selected file with the current inspection report data. Note that the complete path must be specified; otherwise, PC-DMIS will assume the same directory as the part program. Also, if the file does not exist, it will be created when generating the report.

Prompting for a Destination:
If Prompt is selected, PC-DMIS will display a Save As dialog box through which you can choose the destination file for the report.

Using the Auto Option:
PC-DMIS generates the report filename automatically using the number in the Index box. The name of the generated file name will have the same name as the part program appended by the numerical index and extension. Also, the generated file will be located in the same directory as the part program. If a file exists with the same name as the generated filename, the Auto option will increment the index value until a unique file name is found.

Note: After the report prints, PC-DMIS internally updates the value in Index to the next number. It also changes the filename in the Print Options dialog box, so that it shows the newly incremented filename.

Rich Text Format (RTF):
If the Rich Text Format (RTF) option is selected, PC-DMIS generates the report using the Microsoft Rich Text Format (.rtf file) for interchanging documents. Images in RTF reports will have a light border around them.

By default, PC-DMIS generates RTF reports using an Amyuni RTF converter. This essentially orders information inside several text boxes inside the RTF file. This is needed for accurate positioning of report template elements inside the RTF report. To properly view the report, you should use Microsoft Word and set the document's view to Print Layout. If you find editing the report in this format difficult to work with, you might want to consider generating an old style RTF report.

Generating an Old Style RTF Report

PC-DMIS provides a way to generate an old style RTF report, such as used in version 3.7 and earlier. To do this, follow this procedure:

1. 1. Close down PC-DMIS.

   2. Launch the PC-DMIS Settings Editor.

   3. Inside the Settings Editor, expand the Printing section, and find the DoNotUseAmyuniRTF setting.

   4. Set the Current Value to 1, click Save Setting, and click OK.

Note: This setting only works if the RTF output is done using the File | Printing | Report Window Print Setup menu option. If you have inserted a PRINT/REPORT command (Insert | Report Command | Print Command) and you want that command to generate your RTF output, set the value to 2.

1. 5. Restart PC-DMIS.

   6. Make sure the Report window is set to print the report in a text-only format. To do this, right-click on the white-space at the end of the Report window and select the Use Text Mode Dimension Reporting check box. See "Changing the Report Window's Contents" in the "Reporting Measurement Results" section for more information.

Intended Uses of RTF Reports

As the RTF file type implies, an RTF report is primarily intended as a file format for interchange of text-based reports as shown below:

Sample text-based report using the default.rtp report template

RTF files containing graphical elements, such as those based off of the CADonly.rtp, TextOnly.rtp, and other similar templates, will take an extended amount of time to create, the files may become quite large, and the graphics may not look as good as with other file formats. For these reasons, the PDF format is recommended over the RTF format for graphical reports.

Portable Document Format (PDF):
If the Portable Document Format (PDF) option is selected, PC-DMIS generates the report using the Adobe Portable Document Format (.pdf file) for electronic file sharing. Dimensions in PDF format will not have the default blue background color or display the dimension symbol.

Note: If not already installed on your computer, you will need to install the free Adobe® Acrobat® Reader™ in order to view .pdf files. You can download it from Adobe's Web site at: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep.html

Use Global Print Settings:
This check box becomes available if you first select a marked set from the Marked Sets window and then access this dialog box. The Use Global Print Settings check box determines whether or not PC-DMIS uses global output file parameters for the marked set. Selecting this check box overrides the very specific default printing options used for marked sets, with the part program's global settings, giving you greater control over the output. Selecting this check box will give you more control over the print-to-file naming schemes used with marked sets.

Note: The Hyper Reports Inline check box has been removed from this dialog box because the ability to create HyperView reports inline was a function of the old Report mode that existed prior to version 4.0. While you can still execute HyperView reports by inserting them into your part program, you cannot edit them in versions later than 4.0. For more information, see the "Reporting Measurement Results" section.

Controlling File Size by Changing the Print Resolution

In version 4.2 and higher if your report contains images of your part model, PC-DMIS by default prints these images at your printer's highest resolution capacity. This means reports showing part models and sent to a file may have a larger file size than expected.

You can control the resolution, and in turn control the report's file size, by changing the value of the MaxPrintResoution entry in the Printing section of the PC-DMIS Settings Editor. See Modifying Registry Entries" for information on how to change registry entries.

MaxPrintResolution defines the dots per inch (dpi) that your printing device will generate when printing CAD images. You can change this value to define the proper balance between file size and image quality to suit your needs. The default value is 1,000,000 dpi thereby effectively using any printer's maximum print resolution capacity. If you define a value less than your printer's maximum print resolution you will see a decrease in file size. For example, if your printer can print up to 500 dpi but you change the entry to a smaller value, like 70 dpi, you will notice a decrease in file size. Note that older versions of PC-DMIS (before version 4.2) used the screen resolution of 96 dpi."