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Manfred_F12-Amethyst
12-Amethyst
November 25, 2021
Solved

Nasty problem including files in Mathcad Prime (7.0.0.0)

  • November 25, 2021
  • 2 replies
  • 9598 views

In my company, we use a library of files, which are included in our projects. These files can be for example datasheets of components, formulas out of toolboxes and so on. If we open a project file we encounter very often the problem that include files are marked red, meaning Mathcad reports an error with the file. The fact is, that there is no error in the file:

mfroehler_0-1637827631145.png

We found a workaround for this, but this takes a lot of time. When you edit the path, you can force MathCad to reread the file and the error is gone. This has to be done for all marked files. Sometimes even this does not work. Then you have to open the corresponding file, recalculate and store it again.

As we have include files, which include other files, this can get very very nasty. I reported this already more than 2 years ago, but no reaction. Now this problem got even worse. As the network path changed, MathCad hanged or got extremely slow (hours !), when opening a file with include file paths still on the old, not anymore existing, network location. After updating the paths, we still encountered this problem. I found out, that MathCad somehow "remembers" the old paths, even after correcting the paths. Very odd. I opened the Mathcad files with a text editor and found out, that the old network paths were still stored inside the file, even after correcting them. Besides I found out, that data from included files are somehow stored in the current Mathcad file, despite the fact that we disabled caching on all files. I also observed that, when I create data arrays, the file size gets bigger with the size of the arrays, even when disabling caching. I would not expect this. If caching is disabled, I would expect Mathcad to recalculate the complete sheet and to reread and recalculate all included sheets, even sheets included in included files and so on.
All this slows us down, making it hard to work with Mathcad. does anybody have a solution for this?

 

Best answer by Manfred_F

The first case seems to be opened by our IT-support and the second problem was reported by me to our support and to a distributor of Mathcad Prime more than 2 years ago and it is still present. Seems that someone else now has the same problems. Up to now I didn't get the number of the ticket, but at the moment I can live with the solution we found here.

2 replies

V
24-Ruby III
VladimirN24-Ruby III
24-Ruby III
November 25, 2021

1. Have you previously reported this to the PTC's technical support (by using "Case Logger": https://www.ptc.com/en/support/case-logger )?

2. What exactly are contained in these files?

M
Manfred_F12-AmethystAuthor
12-Amethyst
November 25, 2021

1 In my company (Vitesco) with about 40000 employees we have an IT support. Together with the support I tried to open a ticket. But we encountered a problem. In my login profile the website stated Vitesco has a gold support contract. When I submitted the ticket I got the error that I am not allowed to open a ticket, because I only have silver status. I then gave this case over to the support, who told me later that they opened a ticket. I am not sure about that because I didn't hear anything about it. The ticket was opened on 18th or 19th November

2. The include files in the library contain for example datasheet values of electronic components such as resistance values, voltages of diodes etc. or for examples basic formulas, which are often used such as voltage divider ratio calculation or formulas for often used circuits. Include files in the project directory mostly consist of project wide values for example voltage ranges of power supplies etc. We also have include files, which again include other files

 

Here is an example of a file I mentioned above:

None of the included files contains a path including the string "conti":

mfroehler_0-1637833868718.png

When I open the file in a text editor, I can find paths containing "conti". This paths do not exist anymore, which lead to the problems mentioned above. But none of these paths are used in the Mathcad file. This is very odd:

mfroehler_1-1637834046969.png

 

V
24-Ruby III
VladimirN24-Ruby III
24-Ruby III
November 25, 2021

If they did open a new Case, then there must be a number. Ask them for it.

S
StuartBruff23-Emerald V
23-Emerald V
November 25, 2021
@Manfred_F wrote:

In my company, we use a library of files, which are included in our projects. These files can be for example datasheets of components, formulas out of toolboxes and so on. If we open a project file we encounter very often the problem that include files are marked red, meaning Mathcad reports an error with the file. The fact is, that there is no error in the file:

mfroehler_0-1637827631145.png

We found a workaround for this, but this takes a lot of time. When you edit the path, you can force MathCad to reread the file and the error is gone. This has to be done for all marked files. Sometimes even this does not work. Then you have to open the corresponding file, recalculate and store it again.

As we have include files, which include other files, this can get very very nasty. I reported this already more than 2 years ago, but no reaction.

Have you tried:

 

  • recalculating the whole worksheet?
  • selecting an include region and pressing F5 (recalculate region)? {⁑} 

 

Stuart

 

{⁑} ... not forgetting, like I often do, to press the Fn key as well as F5 if needed, depending upon how I've set up my function keys.

 

M
Manfred_F12-AmethystAuthor
12-Amethyst
November 25, 2021

The problem is that Mathcad somehow tries to access "old" paths, which I did not specify in the file, see above, but are somehow inside the .mcdx file. This leads to the problem that already opening this file needs 30 minutes or longer. Recalculating didn't change anything.

For this file I had to open, recalculate  and store all include files and all files included by this files and so on, down to the lowest level. Takes me hours of work and we have a lot of other files. In my opinion this is a bug in Mathcad. why should it store and access some old paths, which are not anymore existing in my file? 

Additionally when I saved this file it took another half an hour to save it as long as the "workaround" was not done.

V
24-Ruby III
VladimirN24-Ruby III
24-Ruby III
November 25, 2021

What warning does the program show next to the file link?

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