SW Explorer and SW version

I had something interesting happen today to alleviate my boredom.

I had a part open in SW and using TOOLS/SWExplorer I did a where used
on the part. Then I opened 2005 for a second to see if I was on SP1 or
SP0. Finally, back in SW Explorer (opened from 2004) I tried to open
one of the files that SWExplorer had found. It insisted on opening in
2005. I shut down SWExplorer and SW2004 and restarted 2004. Then
everything behaved normally. Apparently when you have both 2004 and
2005 open it can confuse SWExplorer as far as which release to open a
part in.

 

I noticed similar behavior with Fabriwin. Here were the steps.

Open 2003 (Main version we used at the time)
Had a part open
Have Fabriwin OLE a part from SW
Open 2004 to tinker.
Close 2004 when done tinkering
Have Fabriwin OLE the part again
and it craps out saying that no 3D CAD system is opened
Goshdarn there is one opened use it you piece of crap
"No 3D CAD system is opened"
Pull some hair open a second session of 2003
reopen the same part I already have opened in the new session
OLE
and all is well except the fact that I have to open a second session to do
it.

I think it may have more to do with how windows handles multiple versions
cocurrently running in a single windows session. Though I know that through
API you can force your app to connect to a specific version of SolidWorks,
but maybe the cocurrent versions throws quite a wrench at a programmer
trying to handle these situations.

Corey

 

The Windows file associations (that determine which program is the
default program to open a file) reset to whichever version of
SolidWorks was last run. This would mean that if you double click a
file with a SolidWorks extension (.sldprt, .sldasm, .slddrw) in Windows
file explorer after running a session of SW2004, it will try to open
the file in SW2004. If SW2005, then SW2005. The same happens when a
program does a non-version-specific start of SolidWorks, i.e.,
Set swApp = CreateObject("SldWorks.Application")
The version of SW started will be the one which was last used. I'm
guessing this is what's happening in many of these SW Partner programs.

On the other hand, an error can be raised if the partner program does
try to start a specific version of SW that it can't find or can't
start. i.e.,
Set swApp = CreateObject("SldWorks.Application.12")
will raise an error if SW2004 cannot be started. (Which might be the
case if another version of SW is already open.)

--Brenda

 

One would think then that SW would take their own advice (because I
know they have this documented in the API area) and

a) figure out which version of SW launched SWExplorer and

b) open that version of SW from SWExplorer. I am sure this kind of
subtle switcheroo is at the bottom of a lot of people's problems.
I suppose I will turn it in too just for grins.