rename/change _many_ references?!

What you are trying might have worked in early versions of Pro/E when they had text based document files. But it will just get you into trouble with SW.

Trying to update the path in the file with an editor is a sure way to have more problems.

Look under Searching for Referenced Files in help.

One possible solution is to set the References location to the new directory location. There may be other implications to doing this. One implicatation is that all your files must have unique names.

It would have been better to move the files with SolidWorks in the first place. Either SolidWorks or SolidWorks Explorer would have helped you update the references as they moved the files.

BTW is the UNC path still valid?

Hannes Lechner wrote:

I'm just wondering... You moved your Drawings, and your assemblies point to wrong directory? what? Way I see this, that Assemblyes don't know where the drawing are, just like the part don't know where the assembly is (when it's made without any context relationships).... Only way to get SolidWorks to open Drawing (without any PDM) is to save DRW´s to same folder as the assy / part is.... please do correct me if I'm wrong... basically what I'm trying to say, that If you have moved JUST drawings, everything should be OK...

...to come to think of it, if you have set the referenced folder from options to point to drawings folder, does the SW open the drawings there?

agreed - it was just a try ;)

i did that...

the problem is (at least i think it is), that our directory structure is as follows: (%SW_PATH% was \\server\drawings\ and is now Z:\drawings\)

no - i moved EVERYTHING!!! (see my previous reply to 'P.')

i just moved everything (the whole directory structure) from a network server (\\sever\drawings\) to the local PC (Z:\drawings\) (intermediate solution for some month)

please see previous reply to 'P.'...

unfortunately: NO! again, please see previous reply to 'P.' ...

: unfortunately: NO! : again, please see previous reply to 'P.' ...

When you have done this, you have also broken the external references from models that refer to assemblyes etc. I suggest that you undo the move.. :p

I just had to point out, that in the first post you just mentioned moving the drawings... no pun intended

i'll have the same problem at offcice in 2 months. i'll install a new server for cad and move the directory. what's the rigth way to do it ?

So long as the top-most directory and all sub-directoriues are moved there should be no problem. We just use Windows Explorer.

Example - All the drawings (SW files of all types, not just drawings) are in CompanyServer1\Drawings and sub-directories of Drawings such as CompanyServer1\Drawings\ProductLine1 and CompanyServer1\Drawings\ProductLine2.

To move to CompanyServer2\Engineering simply cut (Back up on tape or cd first!!!) CompanyServer1\Drawings (all its subdirectories should come along) and paste under CompanyServer2\Engineering to end up with CompanyServer2\Engineering\Drawings\ProductLine1 and CompanyServer2\Engineering\Drawings\ProductLine2 etc.

We have done this several times with no issues - AS LONG AS THE DIRECTORY STRUCTURE IS THE SAME. Again, to keep the directory structure the same I suggest cutting and pasting.

Brian