PTC File Management must be made better!!

[mjcole_ptc]

I'm teaching myself the File Management Training Class and am amazed at the functionality that Solid Works has.


There have been several postings on this site regarding fixing Drawings when their files have been renamed when the drawing wasn't open in session. The fix for this involves rename in session in directory and several others.


This is BeeShight!!!! "B Sh--" if you will?


Take a look at the following image


View attachment 4364


No gives functionality similar to Pro/E where the file must have an identical name and ID. Click Yes on Solid Works and all references are re-mapped with an error or two but saves a lot of time.

<<---- What PTC feels like after having it's functionality destroyed by their younger brother Solid Works.


Michael

 

[dgs]

I'll agree that Pro|E could benefit for a more robust failure resolve mode in these instances, but in working on my largest SW project to date i have to say I find how SW manages files frustrating.


I'll readily admit, much of my frustration comes from being familiar with the Pro|E way. Had I been familiar with SW first, the Pro|E way would drive me nuts. I like that Pro|E doesn't remember on a case by case basis where the parts for an assy came from like SW does. Pro|E follows the same path of looking for components for each assy it opens. It simply knows it needs part 123 and goes looking, in certain places in a certain order, until it finds it. I like ti in that it's predictable and repeatable and doesn't depend on individual knowledge to understand it.


SW remembers where part123 was the last time it found it and looks there first. It might be in a completely different folder, heck might be on a different server. You have to know the history of that project and part 123 to know where it was stored. You might open assy ABC in folder Z then open part 123 from with in it, make changes and save and not know that it wasn't the version of 123 in folder Z, it's actually in folder Y. yes, you can use find references to sort his out.


I prefer the consistent, predictable path that Pro|E uses. I don't have to know what the last guy did with the assy, I know what Pro|E will do each and every time.


Now, if Pro|E would let me search for missing parts with ANY filename, that would be awesome.

 

[dgs]

Actually, thinking about this a bit more ...


In your example, isn't SW looking fora part with the same name only? It's saying, I think, that "I found part 123, but it seems to be a different part 123 than the last one I found. Do you want to use it anyway?" If not, just like Pro|E, you can go looking for 123 and only 123. You cannot, just like Pro|E, go looking for part ABC instead. Is that right?


If so, it's really no different than Pro|E andPro|E actually handles this better, IMO. If the name matches, it opens it. Period. Something may not work right if the part is vastly different, but it'll open. The only failure in opening is if it actually cannot find a part with that name.

 

[dr_gallup]

SW stores the full path to a part in the upper level objects (assemblies & drawings). We get many assemblies & drawings in SW from sister plants and they are constantly failing because some bozo modified one part & saved it on his C drive. I think the PTC way is much more portable.

However, Pro/E could be a lot more user friendly when the correct part is right there in front of it but with a different file name.

 

[mjcole_ptc]

Have you ever wanted to Duplicate a Drawing with a similar part made in a different manner?


SW blows Pro/E away with it's ability to do so. Every place I have worked and tons of the posts I have read people always complain about this. The Solid Works Explorer program can be used to rename a Part used in multiple assemblies and will automatically update all the references and places where it's used with the proper link information without needing to have SW open. This allows document management types to do a lot of work especially if your company does not use Intralink or another data management system.

However, Pro/E could be a lot more user friendly when the correct part is right there in front of it but with a different file name.

That is exactly what I was reffering to.


Michael
Edited by: mjcole_ptc