Engineering Tool Hub

FoxFab internal engineering utilities combined into a single Windows desktop application.

Overview

Engineering Tool Hub wraps FoxFab manufacturing workflow tools into one professional Windows desktop app — sidebar navigation, per-tool terminal output, progress bars, stop controls, and a master log.

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  Engineering Tool Hub                                   │
│  ┌────────────────┬──────────────────────────────────┐  │
│  │                │                                  │  │
│  │  How to Use    │   [ Tool Panel ]                 │  │
│  │  Bom Filler    │   Config  ───────────────────    │  │
│  │  Doc Prep      │   ▶ Run   ■ Stop   [======  ]   │  │
│  │  & Print       │                                  │  │
│  │  SW Batch      │   ┌──────────────────────────┐   │  │
│  │  Update        │   │ terminal output...       │   │  │
│  │  SW Batch PDF  │   │ [INFO]  pass 1 complete  │   │  │
│  │  Export        │   │ [OK]    3 files copied   │   │  │
│  │  File Logger   │   └──────────────────────────┘   │  │
│  │  Training Mat. │                                  │  │
│  └────────────────┴──────────────────────────────────┘  │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Each tool runs in a background thread — the UI stays responsive throughout. Output is streamed to the terminal panel in real time and appended to a master log file after each run.

Quick Start

Install Python 3.10+, Microsoft Excel, and Adobe Acrobat 2017+
Place es.exe (Everything CLI) at tools\BomCheck\es.exe
Make sure the Everything service is running and has indexed Z:\
Double-click build.bat — it installs dependencies and produces the .exe
Run dist\Engineering Tool Hub\Engineering Tool Hub.exe

First run on a new machine? See Requirements for the full list.

Tools

How to Use

Opens the Engineering Tool Hub user manual (Engineering_Tool_Hub.pdf) directly inside the app — no external viewer needed.

Pages are rendered by PyMuPDF and displayed on a scrollable canvas
Prev / Next buttons navigate between pages; the current page and total are shown between them
Scroll with the mouse wheel or the scrollbar
This tab is the default landing screen when the app launches

Bom Filler

Processes a FoxFab manufacturing BOM (.xlsx / .xlsm) against the stock parts library and copies the correct-revision files for non-stock parts.

Key Behaviours

Auto-populate target folder — when a BOM file is selected from a 204 BOM\ directory, the target folder automatically fills in with the sibling 202 PDFs_Flats folder if it exists.
Punch Program exclusion — PDFs and DXFs located under PUNCH PROGRAMS paths are automatically skipped. The tool grabs the clean copy from the job's PDF & Flat folder (e.g. 2 JOBS\<job>\200 Mech\PDF & Flat) instead.
es.exe result caching — search results are cached per run so repeated lookups for the same part number don't spawn extra processes.
Stock index pre-fetch — the entire stock parts folder is indexed in a single es.exe call at the start of each run, making Pass 1 significantly faster.

Workflow

User selects BOM file (target folder auto-populated)
              │
              ▼
    ┌─────────────────────┐
    │  PRE-FETCH          │
    │  Stock Parts Index  │
    └─────────────────────┘
    Single es.exe call indexes all stock folder filenames
              │
              ▼
    ┌─────────────────────┐
    │  PASS 1             │
    │  Stock Parts Check  │
    └─────────────────────┘
    For each part in column A:
      └─ check against pre-fetched stock index
            ├─ FOUND  → col B = X, col G = S, col H = S
            └─ not found → continue to Pass 2
              │
              ▼
    ┌─────────────────────────┐
    │  PASS 2                 │
    │  Non-Stock File Copy    │
    └─────────────────────────┘
    For each non-stock part:
      └─ es.exe finds all filenames starting with that part number
            └─ filter out PUNCH PROGRAM paths
            └─ find highest PDF rev (rA, rA1, rB …) independently
            └─ find highest DXF rev (rA, rB …) independently
                  ├─ copy <part> <pdf_rev>.pdf  → target (standalone preferred)
                  ├─ copy <part> <dxf_rev>.dxf  → target
                  └─ col G = X if either file copied or already existed
              │
              ▼
    Workbook saved (xlwings COM — all formatting preserved)
    Summary printed to terminal

BOM Sheet Markings

Column	Value	Meaning
B — STOCK PART	`X`	Part found in stock library
G — PDF	`S`	Stock part — PDF sourced from stock
G — PDF	`X`	Non-stock — PDF/DXF copied to target folder
H — CNC	`S`	Stock part — CNC sourced from stock

Revision Detection

Revisions are detected per file type — PDF and DXF revisions are resolved independently. This handles cases where a PDF is rev-bumped for a drawing-only change but the DXF geometry stays the same.

DXF revisions match <part>[-_ ]r[A-Z] (letter only). PDF revisions also support numeric sub-revisions: <part>[-_ ]r[A-Z]\d* (e.g. rA, rA1, rA2, rB12).

Ordering: rA < rA1 < rA2 < rB < rB1 < rB2 < rC …

Given:

250-31025-rB.pdf    250-31025.dxf

The tool resolves PDF rev = rB, DXF rev = none, and copies both files independently.

Standalone preference (PDFs): when both a standalone PDF (250-31025-rB.pdf) and a combined-part PDF (250-31025_50152-rB.pdf) exist, the standalone copy is preferred. The combined file is used as a fallback when no standalone exists.

If no revision suffix exists, the bare part number is used as a fallback.

Requirement: Excel must be closed before running. The app warns you and asks for confirmation before proceeding.

Doc Prep & Print

Builds a complete manufacturing packet from a job folder, marks the BOM's CNC column, and sends all documents to the FoxFab printer in the correct order — or saves them as PDFs in Simulation Mode.

Workflow

1. SELECT JOB FOLDER
   User picks the job variant folder containing 204 BOM\, 205 CNC\, etc.
              │
              ▼
2. BUILD PLAN  (▶ Build Plan button)
   App scans the job folder and reports:
     • BOM Excel file found (highest-revision auto-selected)
     • PRF Excel file found
     • FWO template found
     • CNC files listed (duplex vs simplex sorted)
     • PDFs_Flats files listed
     • Assemblies listed
              │
              ▼
3. REVIEW → GENERATE DOCUMENTS  (▶ Generate Documents button)
   ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
   │ a. CNC Column Marking                                   │
   │    Scans 205 CNC\ folder, marks col H = X in FFMPL     │
   │    sheet for every BOM part with a matching CNC file    │
   │    Saves workbook via xlwings COM                       │
   ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
   │ b. Document Generation (in print order)                 │
   │    01  FWO PDF        — auto-filled from PRF data       │
   │    02  BOM PDF        — exported from Excel (all sheets)│
   │    03–N  CNC duplex   — one PDF per duplex CNC file     │
   │    N+1  CNC simplex   — all simplex CNCs merged         │
   │    N+2  PDFs_Flats    — all flat PDFs merged            │
   │    N+3  PRF           — first sheet only                │
   │    N+4  Electrical    — pages 1–2 only                  │
   │    N+5  Assemblies    — all assembly PDFs merged        │
   └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
   Manual Printing list auto-populated with all generated PDFs
              │
              ▼
4. AMBER CONFIRM BAR appears
   Lists every document queued for print — review before committing
              │
        ┌─────┴───────┐
        ▼             ▼
5a. SEND TO PRINTER   5b. CANCEL PRINT
    All docs sent         Queue cleared,
    via Acrobat COM       no pages printed
    in order

Printing via Acrobat COM

Instead of spawning a new Acrobat process per file (3–5 s startup each), the app opens one AcroExch.App COM instance for the entire run:

AcroExch.App dispatched once (hidden)
    │
    ├─ Doc 1: DEVMODE set (simplex/duplex) → PDDoc.Open → PrintPages → close
    ├─ Doc 2: DEVMODE set → PDDoc.Open → PrintPages → close
    │   ...
    └─ Doc N: DEVMODE set → PDDoc.Open → PrintPages → close
    │
AcroExch.App.Exit()

Print order is guaranteed by COM call order — no spooler polling needed. If Acrobat COM is unavailable, the app falls back to subprocess.run /t with spooler polling between documents.

CNC Column Marking (inside Generate Documents)

Before exporting the BOM to PDF, the app scans 205 CNC\ and writes X to column H for every matched BOM part:

CNC filename pattern	How it's matched
`90004.pdf`	Bare digits → treated as `240-90004`
`250-90002.pdf`	Direct `NNN-XXXXX` prefix → matched as-is
`240-31209_31211.pdf`	Multi-part → matched as `240-31209` and `240-31211`
`250-30089 rA.pdf`	Revision suffix stripped before matching
`J15302-01_14GALV.pdf`	GALV / J-prefix → PyMuPDF extracts `DRAWING NUMBER:` lines
`CNC_Simplex_Merged.pdf`	Skipped — filename contains "Merged"
Files in subfolders	Skipped — only top-level files scanned

Rules: rows where column H already has S (stock) are skipped. Non-matched non-stock rows are listed as warnings.

CNC folder discovery: the app looks for a 205* sibling folder next to 204 BOM\. If not found, a directory picker opens. Cancelling the picker skips CNC marking and continues the print run.

FWO Auto-Fill

The Fabrication Work Order PDF is filled automatically from the PRF Excel file:

PRF cell(s)	FWO field
C4	Job No.
C8	Job Name
G9	Model No.
G18–G20, G22	Enclosure
Qty	Units

Use Preview FWO to see the filled result in logs/FWO_preview.pdf without running a full print job. Adjust position constants at the top of app.py if text lands in the wrong spot (see FWO Position Tuning).

BOM Revision Auto-Selection

If multiple BOM Excel files exist in 204 BOM\ (e.g. after a re-release), the app automatically picks the one with the highest revision letter (rA < rB < rC …). A pick-list prompt is shown as a fallback if no revision suffix is found.

Manual Printing (collapsible)

A ▶ Manual Printing toggle expands a file list at the bottom of the panel:

After Generate Documents, the list is auto-populated with every generated PDF in print order, duplex pre-set per file
Add individual PDFs manually via file picker, or remove any entry with ✕
Print sends a single selected file immediately (background thread)
Print All sends all files in list order via the same Acrobat COM session

Use this to resend any individual document or the full batch without re-running the whole plan.

Simulation Mode

Toggle the Simulation Mode checkbox before clicking Send to Printer. Instead of printing, all documents are saved to a timestamped folder next to the .exe:

Simulated_Print_Output_<job>_<YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS>\
    01_FWO_...pdf
    02_BOM_...pdf
    03_CNC_...pdf
    ...

SW Batch Update

References the SolidWorks VB macro for batch-updating custom properties and exporting DXFs.

The panel displays:

The macro file path (tools\SolidworksBatchUpdate\SoldworksBatchUpdate.bas)
An Open Folder shortcut
Step-by-step instructions for running the macro inside SolidWorks (Tools → Macro → Run)

The macro updates DrawnBy, DwgDrawnBy, drawing properties, and exports flat-pattern DXFs.

Requirement: SolidWorks must be installed on the machine.

SW Batch PDF Export

Step-by-step guide for using SolidWorks Task Scheduler to batch-export drawings as PDFs without opening SolidWorks manually.

Steps

Open SolidWorks Task Scheduler (Start → SolidWorks Tools → Task Scheduler)
Click Export Files in the left panel
Set Output Format to Adobe Portable Document Format (*.pdf)
Click Add Files or Add Folder and select the drawings to export
Set the Output Folder destination
Set Schedule to Run Now or a future time
Click Add Task, then Run

Tips

SolidWorks does not need to be open — Task Scheduler runs independently
Use Add Folder to queue an entire folder of drawings at once
Enable Include sub-folders to recurse into sub-directories
Paper size and orientation come from the drawing sheet format, not from Task Scheduler

File Logger

Embedded Parts Tracker UI for SolidWorks part-number management — runs inside the hub, no separate window. Reuses the existing %APPDATA%\PartsTracker\parts.db, so saved user ID and prior scan data carry over from any standalone Parts Tracker runs. See tools/File Logger/README.md for the full Parts Tracker reference.

Tabs

My Parts — sidebar of jobs filtered to your prefix; right pane shows the selected job's parts with category and file-type filters, archived-folder highlighting, and double-click to reveal in Explorer.
Next Numbers — 3-column card grid showing Latest / Next per category with Copy buttons. Below the cards, two stacked panels:
- Gap Analysis — Everything-HTTP-backed scan that verifies candidate gaps against all of Z:\FOXFAB_DATA\ENGINEERING. Numbers assigned in DESIGNERS\..., MODEL LIBRARY\, 0 PRODUCTS\, For Vikram\Demo Unit\CAD\, etc. correctly count as taken — only true gaps are reported.
- Duplicate Parts — flags part numbers that appear at more than one path under your prefix (archive folders excluded). Double-click a path to open it in Explorer. Resolved duplicates drop out automatically via a read-time Path.exists() filter, no full DB rescan needed.

Auto-rescan runs every 5 minutes to catch SMB file changes the watcher misses. Click-time collision check verifies the suggested number across the broader ENGINEERING scope before a Copy lands, so the suggestion can't silently clobber another engineer's file.

Crash diagnostics for the bundled standalone (parts_tracker.py) write to %APPDATA%\PartsTracker\crash.log — uncaught Python exceptions, Qt-level fatal/critical messages, and wrapped slot errors all land there in a timestamped, append-only file.

Training Materials

Provides quick access to FoxFab engineering reference documents.

Engineering Design Package

Prints all reference PDFs in tools/EngineeringDesignPackage/ double-sided to the preferred printer in a single batch:

Document
CU cut tool.pdf
FLEXI HOW TO CONNECT.pdf
Flexibar Advanced Technical Characteristics.pdf
Minimum Bending Space.pdf
Punch tooling list.pdf
UL891 Annex G.pdf
Wire Connections - Internal.pdf

Click Print All — Double-Sided to send all documents
A status label shows which file is printing and the current count
The button is disabled while the job runs and re-enables when done
Paper size is not forced — the printer uses the size embedded in each document

Design Reference

Open FoxFab Design Tips opens tools/FoxFab_Design_Tips.docx in the default application (Microsoft Word).

App Features

Feature	Detail
Sidebar navigation	Switch between tools instantly — no re-launch
Default landing tab	Opens on How to Use so new users are immediately oriented
Embedded PDF viewer	Renders the user manual inside the app via PyMuPDF — no external viewer
Per-tool terminal	Colour-coded log levels: `[INFO]`, `[OK]`, `[WARN]`, `[ERROR]`
Progress bar	Per-tool, updates during each pass
Stop button	Hard stop via `threading.Event` checked between iterations
Inline confirm bars	Plan review and print gate — no popups
Simulation Mode	PDFs saved locally instead of printed
Preview FWO	Fills and opens FWO PDF without a print run
Preview BOM	Runs CNC marking, exports BOM to PDF, opens it
Batch reference print	Training Materials prints the full design package double-sided in one click
Master log	`logs/ETH_master_YYYY-MM-DD.log` appended after each run
Temp folder cleanup	Deferred to next run so spooler finishes safely

Requirements

Dependency	Purpose
Python 3.10+	Runtime
`xlwings`	Excel COM automation (Bom Filler, CNC marking, PDF export)
`pypdf`	PDF merging
`pymupdf`	FWO text overlay + GALV drawing number extraction
`openpyxl`	PRF data reading (no COM required)
`pywin32`	Windows COM, DEVMODE duplex, print API
`pyinstaller`	Building the `.exe`
`es.exe`	Everything CLI — fast filename search for Bom Filler
Microsoft Excel	Bom Filler, CNC column marking, BOM/PRF export
Adobe Acrobat 2017+	Single-instance COM printing with per-document duplex

Install Python packages:

pip install xlwings pypdf pywin32 pyinstaller pymupdf openpyxl

es.exe (Everything CLI) belongs at tools\BomCheck\es.exe. Download from voidtools.com. The Everything service must be running and have indexed Z:\.

Build

Double-click build.bat or run it from a terminal at the repo root:

build.bat

The script runs five steps:

[1/5]  Install / upgrade Python dependencies (pip)
[2/5]  Clean dist\ and build\ from any previous run
[3/5]  Run PyInstaller --onedir --windowed
         Bundles: app.py, all hidden imports
[4/5]  Copy all companion files next to the .exe:
         es.exe                          (Bom Filler stock search)
         Engineering_Tool_Hub.pdf        (How to Use tab)
         tools\EngineeringDesignPackage\ (Training Materials print)
         tools\FoxFab_Design_Tips.docx   (Training Materials open)
         tools\File Logger\              (File Logger tab)
         tools\SolidworksBatchUpdate\    (SW Batch Update Open Folder)
[5/5]  Build complete

Output: dist\Engineering Tool Hub\Engineering Tool Hub.exe

The dist\Engineering Tool Hub\ folder is fully self-contained after a build — all tools, PDFs, and reference documents are included. No manual copying needed.

To distribute: copy the entire dist\Engineering Tool Hub\ folder. Do not move just the .exe — it requires the _internal\ folder alongside it.

Project Structure

Engineering Tool Hub\
├── app.py                              # Combined application (single file)
├── build.bat                           # PyInstaller build script
├── Engineering_Tool_Hub.pdf            # User manual (displayed in How to Use tab)
├── .gitignore
├── tools\
│   ├── BomFiller\
│   │   └── main.py                     # Original standalone BOM script
│   ├── DocPrepPrint\
│   │   ├── DocPrepPrint.py             # Original print script (reference)
│   │   └── DocPrepPrint_Test(...).py
│   ├── SolidworksBatchUpdate\
│   │   └── SoldworksBatchUpdate.swp    # VB macro (run inside SolidWorks)
│   ├── File Logger\                   # PartsTracker submodule
│   │   ├── parts_tracker.py            # PyQt6 standalone (Launch from CLI / source)
│   │   ├── parts_tracker_tk.py         # Tkinter UI module embedded in app.py
│   │   ├── CHANGELOG.md                # PartsTracker version history
│   │   └── README.md                   # Full PartsTracker reference
│   ├── EngineeringDesignPackage\       # Reference PDFs printed by Training Materials tab
│   │   ├── CU cut tool.pdf
│   │   ├── FLEXI HOW TO CONNECT.pdf
│   │   ├── Flexibar Advanced Technical Characteristics.pdf
│   │   ├── Minimum Bending Space.pdf
│   │   ├── Punch tooling list.pdf
│   │   ├── UL891 Annex G.pdf
│   │   └── Wire Connections - Internal.pdf
│   └── FoxFab_Design_Tips.docx         # Design guidelines (opened by Training Materials tab)
└── logs\                               # Created at runtime — excluded from git
    └── ETH_master_YYYY-MM-DD.log

Configuration Reference

Constants in `app.py`

Constant	Default	Purpose
`PREFERRED_PRINTER`	`\\NPSVR05\FoxFab (Konica Bizhub C360i)`	Default printer name
`STOCK_PARTS_FOLDER`	`Z:\FOXFAB_DATA\...\300 Stock Parts\PDFs & Flats`	Stock parts search root
`ACROBAT_SEARCH_PATHS`	List of common install paths	Where to find Acrobat.exe
`BOM_SHEET_NAME`	`FFMPL`	Sheet name in BOM workbook

FWO Position Tuning

If auto-filled text lands in the wrong position after a test print, adjust these constants near the top of app.py:

FWO_JOB_NO_X    = 165   # x position for Job No. value
FWO_JOB_NO_Y    = 145   # y position (decrease = move up)
FWO_JOB_NAME_X  = 165
FWO_JOB_NAME_Y  = 165
FWO_DATE_X      = 165
FWO_DATE_Y      = 182
FWO_ENCLOSURE_X = 165
FWO_ENCLOSURE_Y = 210
FWO_UNITS_X     = 165
FWO_UNITS_Y     = 245
FWO_FONT_SIZE   = 11    # pt

Use Preview FWO to verify changes without a full print run.

Notes

Bom Filler and CNC marking both open the BOM via xlwings COM — close Excel first.
Acrobat is located automatically from ACROBAT_SEARCH_PATHS. Add a custom path there if installed in a non-standard location.
The logs\ folder is excluded from git. Log files are local only.
The preferred printer name is PREFERRED_PRINTER in app.py — update if the printer is renamed.

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
Latest commit History 38 Commits
.claude		.claude
tools		tools
training		training
.gitattributes		.gitattributes
.gitignore		.gitignore
.gitmodules		.gitmodules
CHANGELOG.md		CHANGELOG.md
Engineering Tool Hub.spec		Engineering Tool Hub.spec
Engineering_Tool_Hub.pdf		Engineering_Tool_Hub.pdf
LICENSE		LICENSE
README.md		README.md
app.py		app.py
build.bat		build.bat

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Engineering Tool Hub

Table of Contents

Overview

Quick Start

Tools

How to Use

Bom Filler

Key Behaviours

Workflow

BOM Sheet Markings

Revision Detection

Doc Prep & Print

Workflow

Printing via Acrobat COM

CNC Column Marking (inside Generate Documents)

FWO Auto-Fill

BOM Revision Auto-Selection

Manual Printing (collapsible)

Simulation Mode

SW Batch Update

SW Batch PDF Export

Steps

Tips

File Logger

Tabs

Training Materials

Engineering Design Package

Design Reference

App Features

Requirements

Build

Project Structure

Configuration Reference

Constants in app.py

FWO Position Tuning

Notes

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