Export Location

Sets the folder where PDMPublisher writes generated files. The export location can point to a folder inside the vault, a relative path, a UNC/server path, or a folder outside the vault.

Path Types

PDMPublisher accepts several path styles:

Path type	Example	Use when
Vault path	(VaultRootFolder)\Released PDFs	The exported files should be added back to the vault. Use the VaultRootFolder placeholder from the >... menu.
Relative path	Exports\PDF	The destination should be based on the source file or task working context.
UNC/server path	\\server\engineering\exports	The output should be written to a shared network location.
Outside the vault	D:\Exports\PDMPublisher	The exported files should stay outside PDM.

Important

If the location is inside the vault, the task user must have permission to create, check out, check in, and overwrite files in that folder.

If the export folder does not exist, PDMPublisher creates it before saving the exported file.

(VaultRootFolder) is the preferred way to build a vault path because it resolves to the local vault root on the task machine.

Browse Button

The browse button simply lets you select a static folder location and writes that folder path into Export Location.

Use it when the task should always export to the same fixed folder. If the path needs to change based on the file, revision, state, or folder, use placeholders from the >... menu instead.

Placeholders

The blue entries in the export location field are placeholders. A placeholder is a dynamic value that PDMPublisher resolves at run time.

For example:

(TopAssemblyFolder)\Exports\(State)\(Revision)

If the top assembly is in:

C:\PDMVault\Projects\1001

and the file state is Released with revision B, PDMPublisher resolves the export location to:

C:\PDMVault\Projects\1001\Exports\Released\B

(TopAssemblyFolder) means the folder of the top-level file being processed. If the task is run on a single part or a single drawing instead of an assembly, PDMPublisher uses that part or drawing folder as the top folder.

For example, if the task is run on:

C:\PDMVault\Projects\1001\Bracket.SLDPRT

then:

(TopAssemblyFolder)\Exports

resolves to:

C:\PDMVault\Projects\1001\Exports

Placeholders are useful when the same task must write files to different folders depending on the file being processed. You can use them to include values such as the source folder, file name, revision, state, workflow, configuration, or other PDM/SOLIDWORKS variables exposed by the placeholder menu.

Tip

Use placeholders for repeatable task setups. Hard-coded paths are fine for one fixed export folder, but placeholders make the task adapt to each source file.

If the path uses variables stored on the file's @ tab, see Use @ Tab to Evaluate Paths.

Extension-Specific Locations

Use Customize Location when different file formats need different output folders.

The dialog uses the same format names and file-type icons described on the File Formats page. Each row lets you enable a custom location for that output format.

When an extension-specific location is enabled for a file format, it overrides the main Export Location for that format only.

For example:

Format	Main Export Location	Extension-specific location	Final output folder
PDF	C:\PDMVault\Exports	C:\PDMVault\Exports\PDF	C:\PDMVault\Exports\PDF
DXF	C:\PDMVault\Exports	\\server\laser\DXF	\\server\laser\DXF
STEP	C:\PDMVault\Exports	Not enabled	C:\PDMVault\Exports

Only checked/enabled formats use their custom location. Any format without an extension-specific override continues to use the main Export Location.

Note

When activity tracking is enabled, the task log records that PDMPublisher is using a customized path for formats that have an extension-specific location enabled. This helps confirm which path was selected on the machine that launched the task.

Warning

Do not end the export location or extension-specific location with a trailing backslash.