Task Scheduler

Labour intensive or repetitive tasks, such as batch importing, exporting, and plotting can gobble up hours, if not days worth of time. Even though these jobs don't require an excess of brain power, they still tie up your mind and computer. But now there's a way to automate these processes. Task Scheduler, a software utility included in SolidWorks® 2004 Office and Office Professional, puts your system to work while you're away. It lets you run resource intensive processes overnight or on weekends, times when the computer is normally idle, freeing you to focus on more creative projects.

The 1-2-3's of scheduling
Scheduling a task in Task Scheduler takes minutes. As a separate utility, the program is accessed either through Windows program files or a shortcut on the desktop. Once the program is up and running, there are three steps to scheduling a project. First, select a task by clicking on one of the icons located on the left side of the screen. Options include print files, create drawings, create eDrawings, import and export files, and more. There's even an option to run custom scripts. Depending on the task, the program will queue you for more information. If you select print, for instance, you'll be asked to enter the paper size, number of copies, and the printer you want to print on.

Second, indicate the items you want to run the task on by selecting an individual file or a Windows folder containing multiple files. All items inside the folder are added to the task list automatically. Third, indicate the day and time when you want to run the task. You can choose to repeat the task daily, weekly, or monthly. When the scheduled time arrives, the program fires the task, and sets to work.

Whilst you go home or get on with something else...
Task Scheduler enables assistant design manager Mike Buchli at Benson Machine Works (www.bensonmachine.com, Omaha, Nebraska) to go home and catch some zzz's. He uses the program to take over the ho-hum process of creating AutoCAD® drawings from solid models. He schedules the job in two parts. In the first, Task Scheduler creates drawing from part models. An hour later, a second task converts the drawings into DWG files. By the time Buchli returns to the office the next morning, his work is done.

"If I had to create the drawings manually during the work day, with interruptions and stuff, it would take five hours," he said.

Printing drawings from engineering releases for manufacturing purposes is another resource intensive task for many companies. But Scott Chabineau, senior design engineer at Everett Charles Technologies (www.ectinfo.com, Pomona, California), a company that makes electronic test products, hands the work over to Task Scheduler. "In our case, we never have more then six drawings to print," he said, "but our sister division has releases with upwards of 100 drawings." Instead of having to push the print button all day, "Now, all I do is select a folder that contains the drawings," he said. What's more, the program allows him to print different sized drawings without having to modify the print parameters each time.

Best of all, he mastered the program in minutes. "It reminds me of Microsoft® Outlook," he said, referring to its ease of use.

Without a doubt, Task Scheduler gives companies a productivity boost. By scheduling non-design related tasks, this utility allows design engineers to better organize their time and focus their energies on the more creative aspects of their jobs.