Embedding 3D Pro/Engineer Drawings in FrameMaker Documents

[Guest]

I use AutoCAD LT to open 2D engineering drawings, copy them, and paste them into FrameMaker 10/11 documents. I scale them by dragging a corner. I would like to do the same with 3D Pro/Engineering drawings. Do I need to install a Pro/Engineering module on my computer?

[Bob_Niland]

We also use ACAD to edit DWGs from Pro-E (known as Slow-E around here). That works, but whether it's the optimal path depends on the edits needed.

I often set up the desired wireframe* view in SlowE, then Print to the "Generic Color Postscript" printer, To File. This creates a ".plt" file that is actually a ".ps" file, and should be so renamed. Once created, you can edit it in any PS-aware app, such as Adobe Illustrator (you may need to optimize stroke weights, even if no other edits are required). We save to EPS from there, then import the EPS into Frame.

I haven't checked to see if the .plt files are actually eps rather than ps. Slow-E may have some way to export EPS directly, that I just haven't had the need or time to look for.

You might also be able to print to PDF from Slow-E, and import that directly, if you are using a version of Frame with stable PDF import (which our FM7.1 is not). We often re-use content from PDF drawings generated by Pro-E, edited as needed, then saved as EPS.

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* Slow-E wireframe modes print as vector. Rendered modes, alas, even simple solid, print-to-file as raster. The rasters scale poorly and usually have artifacts.