sounds like we need a vector format for thumbs if your using line drawings.
anyway to update the cad to thumbs you might use wintask. (
http://www.wintask.com)
use something like this (run it in a dos box in the root directory of your drawing files.)
dir *.iam /b/s/d > c:\iam.txt
to make a list of all the drawing files (file names will be in the file created on your C drive. iam.txt in this case)
Get that in excel and feed it to a wintask script that drives the cad program to redo all the thumbnails.
here's an example of a wintask script
you simply record these like a word macro.
I added the program lines the loop thru this.
it basically copies the file name with path from excel
uses that to open the file in the cad program
then uses the cad program to make the thumbnail
returns back to excel
marks the file name as processed by changing the color of the cell and moves down to the next file name.
then it loops
I've used this technique to do some big jobs in DBA and other programs that would have taken weeks or months manually.
from my experience:
use dba classic for this I didn't have much luck with evo
use keyboard commands where ever you can. I find it works better/faster than mouse clicks.
sometimes these scripts will stall so you have to restart them. Still its way easier to babysit a script than to do the work manually.
I usually run them on an unused PC using gotomypc so I can run them in a window and use my PC for other things while the script is doing its magic.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
'example wintask script.
a = 0
pause 10 ticks
Repeat
#SendKeysDelay = 10
UseWindow("EXCEL.EXE|EXCEL7|pfiptlist",1)
SendKeys("<Ctrl c><Alt>")
UseWindow("INVENTOR.EXE|MDIClient|Autodesk Inventor 11|1",1)
SendKeys("<Alt f>")
'UseWindow("INVENTOR.EXE|Afx:00400000:8:00010011:00000000:06DD04CD|Autodesk Inventor 11",1)
ChooseMenu(Context,"&Open...")
'UseWindow("INVENTOR.EXE|Edit|Open|1",1)
SendKeys("<Shift <Ins>><Enter>")
'UseWindow("EXCEL.EXE|EXCEL7|",1)
'UseWindow("INVENTOR.EXE|#32770|Open",1)
' Click(Button,"&Open")
'-=-=-=-=-=-=
'zoom all and turn off work planes
SendKeys("<Alt v>")
'UseWindow("INVENTOR.EXE|Afx:00400000:8:00010011:00000000:06DD04CD|Autodesk Inventor 11 - []",1)
ChooseMenu(Context,"O&bject Visibility|All Workfeatures")
UseWindow("INVENTOR.EXE|AfxFrameOrView70u||1",1)
SendKeys("<F6>")
'-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
UseWindow("INVENTOR.EXE|AfxFrameOrView70u||1",1)
SendKeys("<Alt f>")
'UseWindow("INVENTOR.EXE|Afx:00400000:8:00010011:00000000:06DD04CD|Autodesk Inventor 11",1)
'UseWindow("INVENTOR.EXE|Afx:00400000:8:00010011:00000000:06DD04CD|Autodesk Inventor 11 - [PFBVK00001]",1)
ChooseMenu(Context,"Save Copy &As...")
UseWindow("INVENTOR.EXE|Edit|Save Copy As|1",1)
SendKeys("<Home>k:\thumbspc\<Tab>")
UseWindow("INVENTOR.EXE|#32770|Save Copy As",1)
ChooseItem(Combo, "4", "PNG (*.png)", single, left )
Click(Button,"&Save")
UseWindow("INVENTOR.EXE|AfxFrameOrView70u||1",1)
SendKeys("<Alt f>")
'UseWindow("INVENTOR.EXE|Afx:00400000:8:00010011:00000000:06DD04CD|Autodesk Inventor 11 - [PFBVK00001]",1)
'UseWindow("INVENTOR.EXE|Afx:00400000:8:00010011:00000000:06DD04CD|Autodesk Inventor 11 - []",1)
'UseWindow("INVENTOR.EXE|Afx:00400000:8:00010011:00000000:06DD04CD|Autodesk Inventor 11",1)
ChooseMenu(Context,"&Close")
'-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
'say no to close save changes
UseWindow("INVENTOR.EXE|#32770|Autodesk Inventor 11",1)
Click(Button,"&No")
'-=-=-=-=-=-
UseWindow("INVENTOR.EXE|MDIClient|Autodesk Inventor 11|1",1)
SendKeys("<Alt>")
UseWindow("EXCEL.EXE|MsoCommandBar|Formatting",1)
ClickMouse(Left,Down,575,10)
ClickMouse(Left,Up,575,10)
UseWindow("EXCEL.EXE|EXCEL7|pfiptlist",1)
SendKeys("<Down>")
pause 10 ticks
a = a + 1
Until a = 200