File Management - Hawk Ridge Systems · File Management for Small Groups. Your Source for Engineering Design Solutions SOLIDWORKS Explorer SOLIDWORKS Explorer end of life 2019 SP5

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File ManagementSolidWorks


File Management

File Structure & Relationships

Opening Files & References

Saving Files and Backup

Moving/Copying/Renaming do’s and don’t


File Types

Part .SLDPRT

Assembly .SLDASM

Drawing .SLDRW


Part Files

Part

Sketch Geometry

Dimensions

Configuration

Definitions

Material Properties


Assembly Files

Assembly

List of Referenced Files (Components)

Mate Definitions

Configuration Definition

Exploded View Paths


Drawing Files

Drawing

List of Referenced

Files

View Placement

Notes

Sheet Scale

Template information


File Types

Part

Sketch Geometry

Dimensions

Configuration

Definitions

Material Properties

Assembly

List of Referenced

Files (Components)

Mate Definitions


Exploded View Paths

Drawing

List of Referenced

Files

View Placement

Notes

Sheet Scale



References


Associativity


Find References

File → Find References

Shows all the reference paths the assembly has


List External References

Right Click Part → List External

References

Shows all references to external files

needed to generate geometry


File Structure

Header

Instruction Set

Graphical Database


File Structure - Header

Header

Name

Type

Size

Format

Reference Pointers

Properties

Header

Instruction Set

Graphical Database


File Properties

Basic Windows info

Author

Search Keywords (tags)

Date Created


File Properties

SolidWorks Specific

Part Number

Project

Company Name

Mass

User Defined


File Properties

Uses

Title Block

Bill of Materials

Notes

File Searching


File Structure- Instruction Set

Feature Instruction Set

Building Instructions

Mates (Assembly)

Assembly Sketches

Parametric

Information (Parts)

Feature Tree (Parts)

Header

Instruction Set

Graphical Database


File Structure - Database

Graphical Database

Topology

Faces

Edges

Header

Instruction Set

Graphical Database


Reduce File Size for Use


15%

Reduction


Reduce File Size for Use

178 KB 947 KB81%

Reduction


Reduce File Size for Storage

Suppress Top Level Feature

Reduces Graphical Database and Active Instruction Set

Encase Entire Part in Block

Reduces Graphical Database

Cons

No Preview

Blank Parts in Referencing Documents

Potentially long First Build


Reduce File Size for Storage

95 428KB


Removes Feature Instructions

Removes Graphical Data

Cons

Long Rebuild

Manual Selection if configured

No Preview

Unusable in referencing documents

Reduce File Size for Storage –Suppress Top Level

~30,000KB

68%

Reduction


Removes Graphical Data

Cons

No Preview

Unusable in referencing documents

Reduce File Size for Storage –Encase in Block

~85,000KB

9%

Reduction


Reduce File Size for Storage-Summary

Suppress Top Level Feature (68%)

Reduces Graphical Database and Active Instruction Set

Encase Entire Part in Block (8%)

Reduces Graphical Database

Cons

No Preview

Blank Parts in Referencing Documents

Potentially long First Build


File Structure

Header

Reference Pointers

Format

Name

Type

Size

Properties

Feature Instruction Set

Building Instructions

Mates (Assembly)

Assembly Sketches

Parametric

Information (Parts)

Feature Tree (Parts)

Graphical Database

Topology

Faces

Edges

Header

Instruction Set

Graphical Database


File Types

Part

Sketch Geometry

Dimensions

Configuration

Definitions

Material Properties

Assembly

List of Referenced

Files (Components)

Mate Definitions


Exploded View Paths

Drawing

List of Referenced

Files

View Placement

Notes

Sheet Scale



References


File Management


Opening Files & References




What happens when you open files

Convert data from fixed drive to RAM

All referenced documents are opened in ram


Reload


Opening Modes

Resolved

Quick View

Light Weight

Read Only

SolidWorks Read Only

Windows Read Only


Resolved

Default

No limitations


Quick View – Part File

View Only

Feature Instruction Set not loaded

No Feature Tree

No new Features


View Only

Referenced Part File not loaded

Limited Functionality

No Feature Tree

No View Palette

No New Commands

Quick View – Drawing File


Light Weight

Loads Geometry /Graphics

Add mates

Section

Interference Detection

Explode


Light Weight

Loads Geometry /Graphics

Right Click → Set to Resolve


SolidWorks Read Only

Activated in Open Window

Read Only Indicator

Warning Message for Changes

Can Save Original File


Windows Read Only

Read only set in Windows Properties

Warned on Open

Warned on Edits

Can only save to new file


Change References on Open


Search Path when opening files

Reference Pointer Location

Ram

Uniquely name your parts

Reference Folder (set in System Options)

Path used by assembly/drawing

Path last used to open file

Path last saved (Original Drive)

Path last saved (any drive)

User Prompt


File Management


File Opening Files & References




Saving


Saving Types


Save As - References


Save As Copy and Continue


Save As Copy and Open


Back Up

System Options → Backup/Recover

Created Every Save

Up to 10 Versions of each file

Set Storage Location

Automatically Delete


Backup


File Management



File Saving Files and Backup



Moving Files

Don’t

Drag around in windows explorer

References will not update


Moving Files – Don’t

Don’t



Solve by setting reference search path

Manually browsing for the file

Do

Use SolidWorks File Explorer

SolidWorks PDM


Moving Files

Don’t





Do


SolidWorks PDM


Moving Files

Don’t





Do


SolidWorks PDM


Copying Files

Don’t

Copy Paste

Reference Paths will not update

Potential Reference Confusion

Multiple Files with same name

Do

Pack and Go

Copies all referenced files

Folder or Zip

Add Suffix or Prefix

Save As

Control what references you want to update

Open Files Only


All References


Copying Files

Don’t

Copy Paste

Reference Paths will not update

Potential Reference Confusion

Multiple Files with same name

Do

Pack and Go

Copies all referenced files

Folder or Zip


Save As

Control what references you want to update

Open Files Only


All References


Renaming Files

Don’t

Windows Explorer rename

Will not update references


Renaming Files

Don’t


Do

SolidWorks Feature Tree

Updates Open References

Or Update All References

SolidWorks Explorer

Updates all References


Renaming Files

Don’t


Solve by manually locating file

Replacing Reference on Open

Do





Renaming Files

Don’t


Do

Solidworks Explorer




Renaming Files

Don’t


Solve by manually locating file

Replacing Reference on Open

Do




SolidWorks Explorer



Renaming Files

Don’t


Do




SolidWorks Explorer




File Management



File Saving Files and Backup



Professional

PDM Standard

➢ Designed for less than 5 users

➢ Ability to set up a workflow

➢ Add-in within SOLIDWORKS

➢ Control both SOLIDWORKS files and

other types of files

➢ Runs on SQL Express

File Management for Small Groups


SOLIDWORKS Explorer

SOLIDWORKS Explorer end of life 2019 SP5

“SOLIDWORKS File Utilities” replaces

common functions in 2020 and onward


SOLIDWORKS File Utilities

Windows Shell Integration

Enables: Pack and Go, Rename, Replace, and Move


SOLIDWORKS File Utilities Setup

Installation Checkbox

(on by default)

Specify File Locations & Drives to

check Where Used / References


Thanks for Coming!File Management