Solidworks is a harsh mistress

Just when I think I've happened upon the solution to a tricky problem, SW dashes my hopes, leaving me crushed and dejected.

We are getting ready to (finally) start using an Oracle database to create and maintain our part numbers and bills of material. Up until now, our part numbering and file organization has been a mishmash of half a dozen systems invented over the past twenty years. SW files are scattered across 4 network drives, in several hundred directories, intermixed with Cadkey parts, Autocad parts and a variety of other non-SW data.

We have a shiny new file server set up and a partition of it is dedicated to storing SW files for parts that have been assigned Oracle numbers.

The problem, of course, is the assembly reference issue. We can't just move/rename the SW files. The extreme disorganization of the current files is such that it would take several man years to use SW Explorer to sort out all the references and rename all the parts.

I *thought* I had stumbled upon a solution in the form of Windows shortcuts. The process would go something like this:

We have file SALLY.sldprt in directory DANGERVILLE. SALLY is a promiscuous little gal and thus she is referenced by everybody and his brother. We want to give SALLY a chance for a better life by relocating her to a new home (PLEASANTVILLE) and give her a new name (HOPE.sldprt). However, there are some relationships back in the old neighborhood that we would like to maintain (FAMILY.SLDASM, CHURCH.SLDASM, etc). So, how do we move SALLY without breaking all ties with those who matter? Enter the shortcut.

We move SALLY to PLEASANTVILLE with her new name HOPE. She sends a postcard (SALLY.sldprt.lnk) with her new address (HOPPE.sldprt) back to the old neighborhood. The thinking is that FAMILY.sldasm will see the postcard and be able to then load HOPE.sldprt into the family unit for some quality time together.

Unfortunately, the *evil*, *evil* Solidworks Automated Postal Service (SAPS) claims that it does not understand the return address. HOPE is left alone in her new life, far away from home.

In other words, a Solidworks assembly does not recognize Windows shortcuts and will nto follow them. Despite the fact that the SW 'File....Open' dialog *will* recognize and follow them.

I would like nothing more than to discove rI am wrong about this. If anyone has a suggestion, I'm all ears.

Jim S.

Reply to
Jim Sculley
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thinking out loud here, have you tried the option to look in file locations?

tools>options>system options>external references>check, search file locations for external references

set location under tools>options>system options>file locations>referenced documents

Reply to
kenneth b

Very entertaining story... ;o)

I assume you are running a Windows-based server 8o(. While this may work with links under *nix, yes - it will never work with shortcuts in Windows. It is not the same thing. I really don't have anything useful to offer here because I am in the same boat. I have just set up a Linux-based fileserver using Samba, and am about to create my repository - however the directory strucure is going to be super-critical to maintain references. We do not have a PDM package, and will mostly be relying on a the few users who do actual design work to act responsibly.

I'd be interested in hearing from others who have similar situations. I am also interested in any recommendations on a PDM solution (prefereably under Linux). I have been reading the Linux PDM Software thread with interest as well...

Markus.

Reply to
Markus Wankus

Hell...I just want to know if Sally lives happily ever after! I'm going to get some popcorn...

Reply to
CFisher

additionally, when specifying file locations you need to be specific/exact as to where the files are.

you may want to consider reducing the number of folders (if possible). i used to believe in folders for everything, but not when it comes to sw. if you can get by with less folders, it's definitely better.

the find references option makes moving viable, as long as you don't have several hundred folders that have to be referenced. all of this will work as long as you don't rename the files.

good luck :)

Reply to
kenneth b

Unfortunately, the file names will be changing as well as their locations.

The most likely solution to the problem is to create a 'Repair Assembly' macro that scans the compoent tree for parts that could nt be located. The macro would then search the directory where the file used to be for a shortcut to the original file. It then asks the shortcut for the new location and does a 'Replace Component' in the assembly.

Jim S.

Reply to
Jim Sculley

indeed. you have discovered the major shortcoming with "shortcuts."

Links (*NIX world) are much more powerful.

I have an idea tho. I have not tried this, but have you tried installing Cygwin and creating symbolic links there?

Cygwin gives you a linux shell (bash) on your windos box. Actually, you can even install X!!

quite a marvelous thing.

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HTH.

--nick e.

Reply to
Nick E.

Maybe I am missing something in the humorous post. But it seems that the postcard sent back to the assembly process is the use of Solidworks Explorer & use of the Find references & move commands. Look this up in the SW Explorer help & it should show you how to move a part & rename the part while still keeping the associatively to the assembly.

Hope this helps Steve Tietz

Reply to
Steve Tietz

I am well aware of SW Explorer. It is not suited to the task at hand simply because our current system is *so* convoluted that using SWExplorer would take far too long. We're talking about searching 20+ Gb of data on four different network drives.

Jim S.

Reply to
Jim Sculley

Reads like the making of a script for the next Stephen King novel.

Kman

Reply to
Kman

Hi Jim, Which PDM software are you using now (or are you using any)?

Mike

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Reply to
Mike J. Wilson

None of course.

Jim S.

Reply to
Jim Sculley

What you need is the "ln" command. However because SWX runs under the superior microsoft operating system such an inferior unix filesystem funtion is unavalibe.

10
Reply to
Brian Bahr

Indeed. The ability to unhinge an entire directory tree (/etc, /home, /usr et. al.) and relocate it to a new hard drive, computer in the same room or computer half way round the world is handy.

It is a bit much to ask from an operating system that still requires a reboot with most software updates.

Jim S.

Reply to
Jim Sculley

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Brian, you misspelled "pillow."

formatting link

HOWEVER......

I was playing around with links using cygwin today. Symbolic links do NOT work. You end up with a shortcut with no target.

Hard links appear to work tho. What appears to happen is that, in windows, you see another copy of the file. And, most importantly, if you open and edit the link, the actual file changes.

I tried this with a batch file. Just "vi link_name.bat", added a comment. Opened the original bat file in windos, and the comment was there.

I literally JUST tried this briefly like 10 minutes ago. Windows displays the file size of the actual file in WinExplorer. I did not check (just now thought of it) the file size using by cygwin shell.

Check Cygwin out. It just may work.

I don't know your exact situation, but it seems like it may work. Hopefully, once you open the hard link, SW will check the current directory for all the related parts, and SW will then change the paths that it references.

I don't know for sure. You'll have to play with it.

HTH.

--nick e. I LOVE having a bash shell at work!!

Reply to
Nick E.

LOL! Isn't that the truth.

Chris

Reply to
Chris Dubea

Jim,

What if you just got another job?

That's tough. I have a similar situation though not nearly as bad. I need to rename and rearrange all the folders on a partition. I was thinking of just going the SW Explorer route. Do you use any kind of PDM? I wonder if this would be an issue as well. The big issue with a lot of my stuff is that half of it is prototype work and is not assigned part numbers, just generic names like Septum.sldprt. So I can see me now opening an assembly and having all kinds of crazy parts coming in.

I think the best thing to do is what you are doing and that is to have a well thought out set plan before jumping in. I jumped in once and ouch, I spent a lot of time recovering.

Reply to
Jeff N

Heh. Nsh. I like it here. They don't mind if I spend a few minutes every day reading/writing newsgroup postings....

I have a plan in mind to do this automagically via a macro, still using shortcuts. The macro will repair the assembly by finding the shortcut whose name matches the missing file, and then querying the shortcut for the actual target file. Then all that is needed to replace the reference and the assembly will repair itself. I'm in the initial stags of the coding but I don't see any reason (yet) why it shouldn't work.

Jim S.

Reply to
Jim Sculley

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