Troubleshooting Guide

PROBLEM: The CADViewer does not appear in the browser

If the browser (via dialog box? status message?) reports one of the following -- PROBLEM: "VerificationError" or "class ViewerApplet not found"

And if you used FTP to transfer the files to your Web server, retransfer the files using BINARY mode.

If this is a UNIX server, make sure that all the files needed by the CADViewer (*.class, obfu.jar, obfu.cab, *.gif) have been assigned read permissions ("chmod 660 *"). On some UNIX serverS, execute permission is needed for the Java class files.

Try accessing the files directly from your browser.--

obfu.cab

obfu.jar

ViewerApplet.class

Example: if the viewer was installed at this location:

http://youcompany.com/cadviewer/

Try accessing this location:

http://yourcompany.com/cadviewer/obfu.cab

NOTE: Make sure that all of the files have been assigned read permission.

Make sure you did not delete the "codebase" notation in the main <APPLET> tag. The "codebase" entry should start with "/" and lead from the server root to the directory containing the viewer files. In the above example use this:

codebase="/cadviewer/"

If the CADViewer window appears, but no drawing appears or an error message saying "Java.io.IOException: There was an attempt to redirect a url request, but the attempt was not allowed by the client" appears, check the following --

Did you use the "name" param? If not, do so.

Can you access the drawing directly from the browser? Try typing the directory path to the file (including the .DWF extension in the Location field. If an error message appears, there is a problem with the CADViewer parameters.

If the "name" param is a simple file name, try going to http://yourcompany.com/path

This should open the HTML page that contains the applet tag /drawingname.extension

If the "name" param starts with "/", try http://yourcompany/the name param

If the name param includes a path but does not start with "/", try http://yourcompany.com/path to HTML file/nameparam

PROBLEM: The drawing displayed in the CADViewer cannot be printed

Are you using IE 5.x or Netscape Communicator with the new Java patch? If not, printing will not be available to you.

The Mac does not yet offer printing with the current releases of IE 5.x or Communicator.

IE 5.x: When the viewer first start you are asked to grant it permissions. If you do not, the viewer will work, but printing will be disabled.

Communicator With New Java: Before printing, the browser will ask for permission to print. You must grant it permission.

PROBLEM: I am trying to load a new drawing using the "Open" button in the viewer but no dialog box appears, or no drawings are listed in the Open dialog box.

Did you create a file that lists the drawings? By default it should reside in the same directory as the viewer and called "drawings.txt". This explains how to change the name or location of this file. If the file does not exist, the load will not work.

Can you access the files listing the drawings from the browser? If not, check permissions (UNIX or Linux), it must have read permissions. The location of the drawing is relative to the location of the list file (by default the location of the viewer).

Is the format of the file correct? Did you remember to separate the drawing name and text with a tabbed space?

PROBLEM: I am trying to view a drawing but the viewer says the format is not supported

If the "name" parameter in the applet tag does not include that drawing's format as a file extension, use the "format" parameter to specify the drawing format. This may occur when a drawing URL actually returns a different format. For example, if the server generates DWF drawings from DWG drawings dynamically, the "name" param my by "house.dwg" while the result is a DWF drawing.

PROBLEM: The drawing contains TrueType fonts that should be drawn at an angle, but the viewer draws the text horizontally:

Viewer version 6.x now can draw text with an angle.

PROBLEM: My drawings include a number of different fonts but when they are displayed in the CADViewer, all of the text appears in one font

Java currently utilizes a very small set of fonts -- Times, Helvetica and NAME. CADViewer will exchange the drawing's font with a usable font loosely matching the font that is in the drawing.

PROBLEM: Arcs are over-extended

This is a known Java bug. It should only happen with very small arcs.

PROBLEM: My .DWG drawing has layers but the viewer does not show them

Make sure to use a converter that outputs layers. AutoCAD R14.01 does this. You can check whether there are layers in a DWF drawing by opening a file in WHIP!.

PROBLEM: I can't save my redlines as a separate file

Make sure the following are true:

Have you installed the redsaver.cgi or redsaver.pl on your server?

Does the script have read and execute permissions (Unix: chmod 660 redsaver.cgi)?

Can you access the script via your web browser? For example, click in the browser's Location field and type the following:

http://yourcompany.com/cadviewer/redsaver.cgi?dn=test&na=eee&red=1234

This entry should create a file named "test_eee.red" with the contents "1234". You can also test the redline Open feature with this file.

If you are using the "redline_cgi" param, does it point to the script correctly?

Does the directory with the cgi script have execute permission? Are cgi scripts allowed in this directory or is there a specific directory for cgi scripts?

PROBLEM: My CADViewer can't open existing redline files

If no redline file names appear in the Open Redlines dialog box, try to open the target directory with a terminal application, to verify that any redline files were saved into and are present in this directory.

Can you access a redline file from the redlines directory using your browser? If not, you may need to change permissions for the directory.

If you are storing the redlines in a directory other than "redlines/" under the directory where the viewer is located, did you note that pathway in the "redline_file" param for that drawing's viewer? Does this parameter match the path specified in the Perl script? (redsaver.cgi on UNIX/Linux or redsaver.pl on Microsoft Windows).