Installing CADViewer NodeJS Conversion Server

The CADViewer NodeJS Conversion server (nodejs/cadviewer-conversion-server/) is used in six different implementations: NodeJS, Angular,ReactJS, Laravel, Rails7 and VueJS.

The repository contains a full setup including converters and NodeJS controlling script

This package contains

1: NodeJS script library for controlling CAD Conversions and communication with CADViewer - in its preferred folder structure

2: AutoXchange AX2023 Converter and DWG Merge 2023 Converter - in their preferred folder structure

Note: If on Linux, unpack the compressed AX2023 binary in /converters/ax2023/linux and update the executable name in CADViewer_config.json.

3: All structures for file-conversion, sample drawings, redlines, etc.

This package does not contain

4: The converter folder structure contains a larger set of fonts, installed in /cadviewer/converters/ax2023/windows/fonts/, but a fuller set of fonts can be installed.

Read the sections on installing and handling Fonts in AutoXchange 2023 TechDocs and TroubleShooting.

How to Use

1: Depending on the implementation, copy: CADViewer_config_XXXXXX.json -> CADViewer_config.json (where XXXXXX is either NodeJS, Angular, Laravel, ReactJS, Rails7 or VueJS), to set up a template server and path configuration prior to running the server.

2: Ensure that all paths and ports are set correctly in CADViewer_config.json, we use port 3000 as standard, but the given setup or framework may require a different setting.

3: The CADViewer_config.json is set up for a Windows server. If runnung on Linux do the following:

3A:  Unpack the ax2023_L64_xx_yy_zz.tar.xz AutoXchange executable in /converters/ax2023/linux.  
3B:  Move all unpacked files to /converters/ax2023/linux.
3C:  In CADViewer_config.json update all paths so  /ax2023/windows is exchanged with /ax2023/linux
3D:  Rename the ax2023_executable parameters, for example for version 23.05.87 it is "ax2023_executable" : "AX2023_W64_23_05_87.exe" on Windows, but "ax2023_executable" : "ax2023_L64_23_05_87"  for Linux.
3F:  Ensure that the executable is chmod 777 permission and that the /converters/files folder has full read and write permission. 

3: The CAD converter AutoXchange 2023, - and other converters -, needs to be installed and referenced through the configuration file. The converters typically is in the /nodejs/cadviewer-conversion-server/ folder structure, and the NodeJS download contains template folders in which to place the executables.

4: This install includes the AutoXchange 2023 converter, but if needed, it can be updated from our download resources.

5: The CADViewer front-end can be found from our download resources, or installed directly from npm with: npm i cadviewer.

6: See Business Extensions to Handlers and CADViewer RESTFUL API to extend the back-end with a customExtension for reading of Blobs/internal datastructure, etc.

NOTE: Make sure the converter version number in CADViwer_config.json match the converters you install, and change any paths settings to correspond to your install folders.

Run: the NodeJS server with: node CV_7.x.yy

General Documentation

• CADViewer Techdocs and Installation Guide

Updating CAD Converters

This repository should contain the latest converters, but in case you need to update any of the back-end converters please follow:

• Download AutoXchange (and other converters), install (unzip) AX2023 in cadviewer/converters/ax2023/windows or cadviewer/converters/ax2023/linux or in the designated folder structure.

• Read the sections on installing and handling Fonts in AutoXchange 2023 TechDocs and TroubleShooting.

• Try out the samples and build your own application!