ViewCompanion
Conversion Configuration File Description

Overview

The ViewCompanion conversion configuration file (INI file) allows you to define and control how files are processed during conversion. By modifying these settings, you can customize output formats, resolution, page handling, and other conversion parameters without using the graphical interface. This approach is especially useful for automated workflows, batch processing, and command-line operations where consistent and repeatable results are required.

Settings

A conversion configuration file can override most of the settings used by ViewCompanion during conversion.
A configuration file can be used with the /ci and /cmi command line options to apply predefined settings during processing.

The file format is very simple and uses a set of recognized keywords, as described below.
The file must start with the following header:

[ViewCompanion Convert Configuration]

Then one or more statements, using the following keywords, can be included:

ADDMARGINS=ON/OFF
Controls whether margins are added to the converted output file.

• ON ‐ Margins are added to the converted file.
• OFF ‐ No additional margins are added.

Use the following settings to define the margin size:

• MARGINLEFT
• MARGINTOP
• MARGINLEFT
• MARGINBOTTOM

All margin values are specified in the current measurement unit.

ADJUSTCOLORS=ON/OFF
Controls whether colors that are close to the active background color are adjusted during conversion.

• ON ‐ Colors that are close to the active background color are inverted.
• OFF ‐ Colors are converted without this adjustment.

This option can be useful when converting drawings that contain light-colored geometry on a light background, or dark-colored geometry on a dark background.

For example, if a drawing contains white geometry on a white background, the white geometry will be converted to black when this option is enabled.

ARCRES=60
Defines the arc and circle resolution used during conversion.
The value specifies how many line segments are used to approximate a full circle. For example, ARCRES=60 means that a full circle is drawn using 60 line segments.
Higher values produce smoother circles and arcs, while lower values produce simpler output with fewer line segments.
This setting is mainly used for raster file output, or when converting to a file format that does not support native circle or arc entities.

CREATEMULTIFILE=ON/OFF
Controls whether multi-page source files are converted to a single output file or to separate output files.

• ON ‐ Creates one output file for each page in the source file.
• OFF ‐ Creates a single output file containing all converted pages, if supported by the selected output format.

This option is useful when you want to split a multi-page file into separate single-page files during conversion.

CREATEMULTIPAGE=ON/OFF
Controls whether multi-page source files are converted to a multi-page output file.

• ON ‐ Creates a single multi-page output file when the source file contains multiple pages.
• OFF ‐ Creates single-page output files, or only the selected/current page, depending on the selected output format and other conversion settings.

This option is useful when you want to preserve the page structure of a multi-page source file in the converted output.

CUSTOMBACKCOLOR=0
Defines the custom background color used during conversion.
The value specifies the background color as a color value. This setting is used together with SETBACKCOLORINDEX.
Use SETBACKCOLORINDEX to select whether the custom background color should be used for the conversion.

DWFCOMPRESSION=ON/OFF
Controls whether compression is used when exporting DWF files.

• ON ‐ Creates compressed DWF files.
• OFF ‐ Creates uncompressed DWF files.

Compressed DWF files are usually smaller and are recommended for most use cases.
Uncompressed DWF files may be useful for troubleshooting or for compatibility with software that has problems reading compressed DWF files.

DWGCONVERTDEFAULTONLY=ON/OFF
Controls whether ViewCompanion converts only the default layout from a DWG file.

• ON ‐ Only the default layout is converted.
• OFF ‐ All layouts in the DWG file are included in the conversion.

DWGFONTS="folder1;folder2;folder3"
Specifies one or more folders where ViewCompanion should search for external DWG/DXF font files, such as SHX fonts.
Multiple folders must be separated with a semicolon (;).

Example:
DWGFONTS="C:\Fonts\SHX;C:\CAD\Fonts"

If only one folder is needed, specify a single path:
DWGFONTS="C:\Fonts\SHX"

DWGIGNOREMODEL=ON/OFF
Controls whether the Model layout is included when converting DWG files.

• ON ‐ The Model layout is ignored and will not be included in the conversion.
• OFF ‐ The Model layout is included in the conversion.

This option is useful when you only want to convert paper space layouts and exclude the Model layout.

Note: If the Model layout is the only available layout in the DWG file, it will still be included in the conversion, even when this option is set to ON.

DWGRECALCULATE=ON/OFF
Controls whether ViewCompanion recalculates the drawing extents for each DWG layout before conversion.

• ON ‐ Drawing extents are recalculated for each layout during conversion.
• OFF ‐ Layouts are converted using the extents stored in the DWG file.

Enabling this option may be useful if a DWG file contains incorrect or outdated layout extents.

DWGUNITS=0
Specifies which unit ViewCompanion should use when importing and converting DWG files.
Available options:

0. Auto-detect ‐ ViewCompanion attempts to detect the drawing unit automatically by analyzing DWG header settings such as INSUNITS and MEASUREMENT. This is the default setting.
1. Millimeters ‐ Forces the DWG importer to use millimeters.
2. Centimeters ‐ Forces the DWG importer to use centimeters.
3. Meters ‐ Forces the DWG importer to use meters.
4. Inches ‐ Forces the DWG importer to use inches.
5. Feet ‐ Forces the DWG importer to use feet.
6. Yards ‐ Forces the DWG importer to use yards.

Use Auto-detect for most files. If the converted output has the wrong scale, select the unit that was used when the DWG file was created.

DXFMM=ON/OFF
Controls whether DXF files are exported using metric coordinates.

• ON ‐ DXF files are written using metric coordinates, even if the current measurement unit is set to Imperial/inches.
• OFF ‐ DXF files are written using the current measurement unit.

Use this option when the receiving CAD/CAM system expects DXF files to use metric coordinates.

DXFR12=ON/OFF
Controls which DXF file version is used when exporting DXF files.

• ON ‐ DXF files are written in AutoCAD R12-compatible format.
• OFF ‐ DXF files are written in AutoCAD 2000 or newer compatible format.

Use ON if the receiving CAD application cannot read newer DXF variants.

JPEGPROGRESSIVE=ON/OFF
Controls whether progressive JPEG files are created during conversion.

• ON ‐ Creates progressive JPEG files.
• OFF ‐ Creates standard JPEG files. This is the default value.

Progressive JPEG files can appear gradually while loading in some image viewers and web browsers.
For most conversion workflows, the standard JPEG format is recommended.

JPEGQUALITY=75
Sets the compression level used when exporting JPEG files.
The value must be between 0 and 100.

• 0 ‐ Lowest compression and highest image quality.
• 100 ‐ Highest compression and lowest image quality.

The default value is 75.
Higher values create smaller files, but may reduce image quality because JPEG compression is lossy.

KEEPPAPERANDCENTER=ON/OFF
Controls whether the selected paper size is preserved during export.

• ON ‐ The exported file uses the currently selected paper size, and the converted image is centered on the page.
• OFF ‐ The exported page size is based on the converted content or the default settings for the selected output format.

This option is useful when you want the exported file to keep a specific paper size, for example A4, A3, Letter, or another selected paper format.

LANDSCAPE=ON/OFF
Controls the orientation of the selected paper size during conversion.

• ON ‐ The selected paper size is rotated to landscape orientation.
• OFF ‐ The selected paper size uses the default portrait orientation.

Paper sizes are portrait by default. Enable this option when the converted output should use landscape page orientation.

LOGFILE=ON/OFF
Controls whether a log file is created during conversion.

• ON ‐ Creates a log file.
• OFF ‐ No log file is created.

This option can be useful for troubleshooting conversion problems or for keeping a record of batch conversion operations.

LOGFILEFOLDER="C:\folder"
Specifies the folder where conversion log files are saved.
When this option is used, all log files created during conversion will be placed in the specified folder.
Example:
LOGFILEFOLDER="C:\Logs\ViewCompanion"
This setting is only used when log file creation is enabled with LOGFILE=ON.

LOGFILEUNIT=0
Specifies the measurement unit used in conversion log files.
Available values:

0. Millimeters
1. Inches

Example:
LOGFILEUNIT=0
This setting is only used for values written to the log file. It does not change the measurement unit used for the actual conversion.

MARGINBOTTOM=0.2
Sets the bottom margin added to the converted output file.
The value is specified in inches.
Example:
MARGINBOTTOM=0.2
This setting is only used when ADDMARGINS=ON.

MARGINLEFT=0.2
Sets the left margin added to the converted output file.
The value is specified in inches.
Example:
MARGINLEFT=0.2
This setting is only used when ADDMARGINS=ON.

MARGINRIGHT=0.2
Sets the right margin added to the converted output file.
The value is specified in inches.
Example:
MARGINRIGHT=0.2
This setting is only used when ADDMARGINS=ON.

MARGINTOP=0.2
Sets the top margin added to the converted output file.
The value is specified in inches.
Example:
MARGINTOP=0.2
This setting is only used when ADDMARGINS=ON.

MONOCHROME=ON/OFF
Controls whether the converted output file is created in monochrome.

• ON ‐ The converted file uses only black and white colors.
• OFF ‐ The converted file keeps the original colors, unless other color-related settings are enabled.

This option is useful when you need black-and-white output for printing, archiving, or compatibility with systems that do not support color.

PAPERSIZE=A3
Selects the paper size used during conversion.
The value must be one of the supported paper size names.
Example:
PAPERSIZE=A3
This setting is used when the converted output should be created for a specific paper format, such as A4, A3, Letter, or another supported paper size.
When SCALINGTYPE=1 is used, the converted file is scaled to fit the selected PAPERSIZE.
The available paper formats are listed in the table below.

PDFALEVEL=6
Selects the PDF/A conformance level used when creating PDF/A files.
This setting is only used when PDFSTANDARD=1.
Available options:

0. PDF/a-1b
1. PDF/a-2b
2. PDF/a-3b (default)
3. PDF/a-2u
4. PDF/a-3u
5. PDF/a-4
6. PDF/a-4e

The default value is 2, which creates PDF/A-3b files.
PDF/A is intended for long-term archiving of electronic documents.
For most users, PDF/A-3b is a good default choice.

PDFCOMPRESSION=ON/OFF
Controls whether compression is used when exporting PDF files.

• ON ‐ Creates compressed PDF files.
• OFF ‐ Creates uncompressed PDF files.

Compressed PDF files are usually smaller and are recommended for most use cases. Uncompressed PDF files may be useful for troubleshooting or for compatibility with software that has problems reading compressed PDF files.

PDFSTANDARD=1
Selects the PDF standard used when creating converted PDF files.
Available options:

0. PDF 1.7
1. PDF/A

When PDFSTANDARD=1 is used, the PDF/A conformance level is controlled by the PDFALEVEL setting.
Use PDF 1.7 when you need a regular editable PDF file.
Use PDF/A when the file is intended for long-term archiving.

PDFTRANSPARENCY=ON/OFF
Controls whether transparency is used when creating converted PDF files.

• ON ‐ Transparency is preserved in the converted PDF file.
• OFF ‐ Transparency is disabled in the converted PDF file.

Some printer drivers do not support PDF transparency and may need to flatten the PDF before printing. This can make printing significantly slower.
Disable this option if you experience slow printing or compatibility problems with converted PDF files that contain transparent objects.

PENTABLE=pentablefilename
Specifies the pen table file to use during conversion.
When this setting is used, the file is converted using the colors, line widths, and other pen settings defined in the specified pen table.
Example:
PENTABLE="C:\ViewCompanion\PenTables\default.pen"
This option is useful when you need consistent line widths or color mapping in the converted output.

PNGCOMPRESSION=6
Sets the compression level used when exporting PNG files.
The value must be between 0 and 9.

• 0 ‐ No compression. Creates larger files, but conversion may be faster.
• 9 ‐ Highest compression. Creates smaller files, but compression may take longer.

The default value is 6.
PNG compression is lossless, so increasing the compression level reduces file size without reducing image quality.

RASTERDPI=200
Sets the resolution used when converting to raster image formats.
The value specifies the output resolution in dots per inch, DPI.
Example:
RASTERDPI=200
Higher DPI values create more detailed raster output, but may also increase file size and conversion time.
This setting is used when converting to raster formats such as TIFF, PNG, HEIC, JPEG, BMP, and similar image formats.

RASTERBPP=1
Sets the color depth used when converting to raster image formats.
Available options:

1. Monochrome
4. 16 colors
8. 256 colors
24. True color
32. True color with alpha

The 32-bit option, True color with alpha, is only supported for output formats that support transparency, such as BMP, PNG, WEBP, and TIFF.
Higher color depths can improve output quality, but may also increase file size.

ROTATION=90
Sets the rotation angle used during conversion.
Accepted values are:

• 0 ‐ No rotation
• 90 ‐ Rotate 90 degrees
• 180 ‐ Rotate 180 degrees
• 270 ‐ Rotate 270 degrees

Example:
ROTATION=90
Use this setting when the converted output needs to be rotated relative to the original file.

SCALE=100
Sets the scale used during conversion.
The value is specified as an integer percentage.
Examples:

• 100 ‐ Keeps the original drawing size.
• 50 ‐ Converts the file at half size.
• 200 ‐ Converts the file at double size.

Use this setting when the converted output should be scaled up or down relative to the original file.

SCALEPENTABLE=ON/OFF
Controls whether pen table values are scaled together with the drawing during conversion.

• ON ‐ Pen table values, such as line widths, are scaled using the same scale factor as the drawing.
• OFF ‐ Pen table values are used as defined in the pen table, without additional scaling.

This option is useful when you want line widths and other pen table settings to follow the drawing scale.

SCALINGTYPE=0
Selects the scaling method used during conversion.
Available options:

• 0 ‐ Use the scale value specified by the SCALE setting.
• 1 ‐ Scale the converted file to fit the selected PAPERSIZE.
• 2 ‐ Use the size specified by the USERWIDTH and USERHEIGHT settings.

Example:
SCALINGTYPE=0
SCALE=100
Use SCALINGTYPE=0 when you want to control the output scale directly as a percentage. Use SCALINGTYPE=1 when the output should fit a selected paper size, and SCALINGTYPE=2 when you want to define a custom output size.

SETBACKCOLORINDEX=0
Selects the background color used during conversion.
Available options:

When SETBACKCOLORINDEX=2 is used, the actual background color is defined by the CUSTOMBACKCOLOR setting.

Example:
SETBACKCOLORINDEX=2
CUSTOMBACKCOLOR=16777215
Use this setting when you need the converted output to use a specific background color.

SVGCOMPRESSION=ON/OFF
Controls whether compression is used when exporting SVG files.

• ON ‐ Creates compressed SVG files, usually saved as SVGZ files.
• OFF ‐ Creates uncompressed SVG files.

Compressed SVGZ files are usually smaller than regular SVG files, but some applications may not support them.
Use uncompressed SVG if compatibility is more important than file size.

TEXTPENTABLE=ON/OFF
Controls whether the pen table is applied to HPGL text entities.

• ON ‐ The pen table also affects HPGL text entities, such as LB label commands.
• OFF ‐ HPGL text entities are not affected by the pen table.

This option is useful when you want HPGL text to use the same color and pen settings as other converted HPGL content.

TIFFCOMPRESSION=1
Selects the compression method used when exporting TIFF files.
Available options:

The CCITT compression options are only valid when RASTERBPP=1, which means monochrome raster output.

Use uncompressed TIFF for maximum compatibility, CCITT Group 4 for compact monochrome technical documents, or LZW for lossless compression of color or grayscale TIFF files.

TIFFSINGLESTRIP=ON/OFF
Controls whether exported TIFF files are written using a single image strip.

• ON ‐ Creates TIFF files with a single strip of image data.
• OFF ‐ Creates TIFF files using multiple strips.

Single-strip TIFF files may be smaller, but can be slower to read or access depending on the application used to open the TIFF file.
Use this option if you need single-strip TIFF output for compatibility with a specific application or workflow.

USEBACKCOLOR=ON/OFF
Controls whether the selected background color is used during conversion.

• ON ‐ The selected background color is used in the converted output file.
• OFF ‐ The converted output file is created without using the selected background color.

The background color is selected with the SETBACKCOLORINDEX setting. If a custom background color is selected, the actual color is defined by CUSTOMBACKCOLOR.

USEFILEPAPERSIZE=ON/OFF
Controls whether the original paper size stored in the source file is used during conversion.

• ON ‐ Uses the original paper size from the source file, if available.
• OFF ‐ Uses the calculated extents of all drawing entities.

This option is useful when you want the converted output to preserve the page or sheet size defined by the original file, instead of fitting the output to the visible drawing content.

USERHEIGHT=11
Sets the custom output height used during conversion.
The value is specified in inches.
Example:
USERHEIGHT=11
This setting is used when SCALINGTYPE=2, where the output size is controlled by the USERWIDTH and USERHEIGHT settings.

USERWIDTH=8.5
Sets the custom output width used during conversion.
The value is specified in inches.
Example:
USERWIDTH=8.5
This setting is used when SCALINGTYPE=2, where the output size is controlled by the USERWIDTH and USERHEIGHT settings.

USEROINSTRUCTION=ON/OFF
Controls whether the HPGL/2 RO rotation instruction is used during conversion.
Some HPGL/2 files contain an RO instruction that defines the rotation of the drawing.

• ON ‐ Uses the RO rotation instruction when converting the file.
• OFF ‐ Ignores the RO rotation instruction during conversion.

Enable this option if the converted output has the wrong orientation and the source HPGL/2 file contains rotation information.

Sample config file: