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Anyone control SolidWorks files?

ptc-4717694
1-Newbie

Anyone control SolidWorks files?

Does anyone use Windchill to control SolidWorks files? How successfully does Windchill accomplish this? Thanks for any input.

8 REPLIES 8

My new role is Windchill System and Cad administrator for a company using Solidworks 2011. I will let you know how it goes after our reseller is done upgrading the server to 10.1 M010. Currently it's down. I was a long time ProE user, we'll see how it goes

Any word yet on how it is going Steve?

Per recomendations from a few WC people at PTC, I've been exploring the "Import to Workspace" function in the WGM. So far I'm really impressed. The 10.1 WGM seems to run very smoothly, and I havn't had any issues with the Solidworks link yet besides when the IT group forgets to run everything as admin the first time booting it up after install.

So in the past week, I've loaded over 4000 library files (>1000 assemblies, many reused components etc) and it did a good job of identifying "ghost objects" So far I've been able to resolve all the missing external references hidden deep in the solidworks parts without much issue.

Next week I'm loading one of our main products, and will have people in a remote site start accessing it via windchill instead of the current slow VPN. I'll post a metric once available.

We are thinking of managing SW data like this:

http://www.ptc.com/WCMS/files/138122/en/WWGMSolidWorksGuide_10-1_M010.pdf

pp 169 - 173

I was not authorized to view that document.

That link didn't work for me, but I pulled one down from my server. I'm hoping they are the same but to cailify, the Toolbox functionality doesn't work with all releases, See the CAD compatibility matrix to check versions.

And large assembly mode is a very important note. You MUST not load the data the first time using lightweight files. You'll essentially be loading in garbage. Everything must be verified in "full resolved mode"

So a few import data preferences.

Check - Always resolve subassemblies

Uncheck - Use large assembly mode

Uncheck - Automatically load loightweight models

A few other options that are usefull in a multi user site

Check - open referenced docs with read only

Check - don't prompt to save read only (discard)

These will keep users from having the WGM say regenerated reference assemblies/parts are modified all the time. You'll just have to enforce the users to actually Check-out the models they want to edit.

Another tip that comes to mind, is that a user will NEVER need to load the WGM on its own, they should always be loading it through Solidworks. So once it's installed, delete all icons for the WGM.

Finally "Crashes"

If you have a royally FUBAR'd solidworks model (missing references galore, generally the worst modeled part you've ever seen etc.) There is a good chance Solidworks will crash. This is because the WGM is forcing it to try to look up these references and resolve the model. If this happens, there is a chance your cache can become corrupted. So checking/upload often on intial data load. and if you have a few craches in a row with the same model, it's a good idea to go into the WGM, remove the server from the list. (this will properly purge the cache files from your computer. Then re-add it, anything uploaded will redownload, and you'll be good to go.

I see. Interesting, well it sounds like SW data management leaves something definetly to be desired in Windchill still. This is disheartening, luckily we don't have too many users of SW.

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