CREO working directory/ 'retrieve missing components' issue

[mmendick]

I am working in CREO on a special project but my company uses Solidworks and Solidworks PDM. When I set my working directory in CREO to the folder with all of my parts and assemblies, I have to manually 'retrieve missing components' on almost every component. Can someone help me figure out why this is? My parts are all in the working directory but CREO doesn't seem to want to find them on its own.

Thanks!

[StephenW]

The files can't be in sub-folders. That's the most common problem.

If you have subfolders, you will need to at search path  options to your config.pro.

[mmendick]

All of the assemblies and parts are in the same single folder with no extra subfolders. There is a string of 3 or 4 folders to go through to get to the individual parts, but I already set my working directory to the folder with all of the individual assemblies and parts. Any other ideas?

[StephenW]

Do you have spaces in your directory names? Spaces are "supposed" to be acceptable but it doesn't always work.

Any chance all of the parts used to be family table parts or are family table parts? If they were converted from family table to stand alone, sometimes there are similar issues.

I can't think anything else right of hand.

[BenLoosli]

Not supposed to be a problem, but how long is the path to your folder? You say 3 or 4 levels deep, so hopefully each level is a  short name and not something like 'c:\ptc_parts\top level assembly\machined assembly\assembly 101\components'.

[MartinHanak]

Hi,

try to reproduce the problem on simple assembly with couple of parts. if you are able to create such data, then upload them - I can test your problem.

MH

[dschenken]

All that comes to mind is that the parts are family table instances and the .idx file isn't in the working directory or there is an .idx file that doesn't have these instances. I think that on it's own Creo isn't going to open files on the off chance they might have a matching part name as an instance, but it hasn't any choice when you manually go to open them.

Along with what Steven Williams said, Creo is smart enough to look for a generic part that is standalone if the generic the instance is in is not available, but it isn't going to look for an instance if the assembly has a generic.

[dgschaefer]

You mention the use of SW PDM.  I know it integrates with Windows Explorer and works within the Windows folder structure somehow, perhaps it's causing issues with Creo finding the files.  Have you tired backing up the assy to a folder outside SW PDM and seeing if the issue persists?

At my former job we were looking at PDM systems, buth Windchill & SW PDM.  Our SW VAR said that if we were doing any significant work in Creo, SW PDM wouldn't be a good fit.