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H
HJ115-Moonstone
15-Moonstone
January 24, 2022
Question

How do you manage SolidWorks upgrade with Windchill?

  • January 24, 2022
  • 2 replies
  • 5658 views

Hi,

 

Being somewhat confused after testing new SolidWorks version and Windchill,

How do you deal with upgrading a 3rd party CAD like SolidWorks used with Windchill 11.1 M020. Is the only option to open the 3D-models via WGM in SW and let that manage upgrading to new version when saving, but then end up with a must to iterate the EPMDocument because of the modification of the content file?

What a nightmare of pointless revisions   😲

2 replies

L
lhoogeveen17-Peridot
17-Peridot
January 24, 2022

We've used workspace locking to help alleviate this problem for our Solidworks Windchill users. Locking also helps make objects read only in Solidworks to make people check out objects before starting their modifications rather then when they click save.

 

You can lock objects the workspace in several ways:

  • Manually from the Workspace using File>lock/unlock but this gets pretty tedious.
  • Use the Windchill preference to 'Automatically lock all objects added to workspace'. If in Solidworks, this requires users to unlock before checking out. Better but still tedious.
  • Use the newer Windchill preference 'Smart Lock Objects in Workspace'. This is probably the best option for Solidworks users. PTC keeps making enhancements to this. We're using READ_ONLY for Solidworks but the new ALL option in Windchill 12.1.0.0 could be interesting too. 

You can set these preferences at the Org, Site, Context, or user level. We have our Solidworks users set it.

Windchill Workspace Locking.jpg

 

    M
    MikeLockwood22-Sapphire I
    22-Sapphire I
    January 24, 2022

    Released data from an earlier CAD tool release generally should not be updated to the current release without considerable process and validation that nothing has changed.  It's good that Windchill forces Revise for this.

    H
    HJ115-MoonstoneAuthor
    15-Moonstone
    January 24, 2022

    Once again, highly appreciate the replies from you guys, thanks.

     

    I don't think any from our users have actually utilised these options to lock objects, so something to take a look at more closely..!

     

    However, given PTCs answers in another related occasion suggesting upgrade of SW and error messages (even SW error about a corrupted file, but that was because of an old workspace... go figure), what should one think about the WWGM compatibility matrix. If you never upgrade your 3D models at some point quite soon they will be of a SW version in the category of "Supported: CAD version is expected to be used successfully..." by WWGM. Or, even dropped off from the matrix: I'm positive in our vault there's valid design SW 2015 files which is not in the 11.1 M020 WWGM matrix..

    HJ1_0-1643050660093.png

     

    R
    RME_DH13-Aquamarine
    13-Aquamarine
    January 25, 2022

    The previous replies are correct regarding file version and application version.  Whilst SolidWorks does support old versions, you will get some files that are not compatible with the modern version and have issues with the changes in the software.  We just went from SW2017 to SW 2021 and WC11.1 m020 to WC12.0.2.     We have a very large CAD repository (old PDM vault is 12TB and WC is currently 2.5TB after 2 years), so updating everything to the newest file version is impossible.  We target our most used files (toolbox items, purchased parts etc) that get used all the time (and are usually never revised), our master parts and assemblies and any active projects to get the most out of the upgrade.  We just do this with a bulk admin checkout, export them and run them through a batch updating tool that reports errors etc, then check them back in with a iteration and comment. 

     

    There is a performance hit on opening read only files that have not been converted to the newest version, so we try to strike a balance.  If a large assembly is having performance issues, we would then flag this assembly for all of its parts to be upgraded and checked for errors as a first resort.

      M
      magnus.salomons15-Moonstone
      15-Moonstone
      February 28, 2022

      Anyone know how it works in Solidworks PDM? It seems difficult to solve in any PDM/PLM system where you should not have rights to change a released part/drawing.

      Do they have an upgrade tool that mass updates every CAD file to a newer version?

      R
      RME_DH13-Aquamarine
      13-Aquamarine
      March 1, 2022

      Yes there is a SW PDM tool, that checks out, updates and checks in each file/folder of your choosing.  It was never a good tool and we never had much luck with it in our vault.   We tend to just target the files we reuse and then update others when they change, or when saved-as a new part number.

       

      Standard/master parts and assemblies help in this process - but its a discipline that is not always followed by the users.

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