XCF
You can export the following data from an Arbortext IsoDraw (ISO) file to an XML companion file (XCF):
• Object info for ISO elements and element groups. (Object info for ISO elements is shown in the Arbortext IsoDrawObject info dialog box.)
• Text content in ISO Text elements and Callout elements
The exported XCF is an editable XML text file (*.xml). XML elements in the XCF are related to, or “bound,” to elements in the ISO file they are exported from. These XML elements include text data you can modify, such as Callout text, object tips, hyperlinks, Text element content, and animation details.
Applying XCFs to ISO Files
If you open an XCF in Arbortext IsoDraw or Arbortext IsoView while an ISO file is open and active, the XCF can change many text items in that ISO file at once. This makes it easier to create or display several versions of a technical illustration with different text content in each. For example, you can create different language versions or versions with different part numbers in Callouts.
XCF text changes are applied to all ISO elements that are bound to XML elements in the XCF.
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You can open XCFs in Arbortext IsoDraw, but there are no XCF import settings.
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XCFs can also be applied to ISO files using functions that call
Arbortext IsoView API methods in Javascript (or other script languages). These API methods enable you to dynamically and interactively modify text data in an illustration displayed in
Arbortext IsoView. (See
Applying XCF Text Changes in Arbortext IsoView for instructions and an example Javascript function.)
XML Element Types for Object Info and Text Content
Exporting to XCF creates separate XML elements for object info and text content in the XCF.
• object_info XML elements—where object_info is the XML element name: grobject, bindById, or bindByName—contain object info for exported ISO elements; i.e., values in the Arbortext IsoDrawObject info dialog box. The name depends on how exported ISO elements are bound to XML elements. (See below).
• isodraw:textContent XML elements contain the text content in exported Text and Callout ISO elements. You can choose to export all or none of the text content in your ISO file; or, you can choose to export all text content except Callouts. (See
XCF Export Settings for more on text content export options.)
Binding ISO Elements to XML Elements using Object Info
The object info for each ISO element (or group of elements) is exported to a single object_info XML element in the XCF. An object_info XML element’s name, attribute value(s), and content are all bound to an ISO element’s object info values shown in the Object info dialog box.
You can bind
object_info XML elements by their corresponding ISO elements’
Object type, object
ID, or object
Name. Your choice creates XML elements named:
grobject,
bindById, or
bindByName, respectively. (See
XCF Export Settings for binding examples.)
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isodraw:textContent XML elements in the XCF are automatically bound to ISO Text element and Callout element object IDs. If you do not enter an object ID for an ISO Text element or Callout element, the corresponding isodraw:textContent XML element will be bound using the automatically-generated object ID, AUTOID_n.
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Binding ensures that, when you apply an XCF to an ISO file, the object info and text content in the XCF is applied to the correct ISO elements. You should choose a binding type that matches the type of object info you entered in the Object info dialog box.
For example, if you enter object Names for your ISO elements, but use automatically-generated object IDs, choosing to bind by object name would make it easier to locate and edit text content in the exported XCF.
