What do you all do?

Hello All,

When using the SW Explorer, Imagine the following sanario:

I have Assembly-ABC
Client makes changes
Goto SW Explorer and copy files using suffix Rev2
I now have a folder with Assembly-ABC-Rev2 in it
Client makes more changes
Goto SW Explorer and copy files using suffix Rev3
I now have a folder with Assembly-ABC-Rev2Rev3 in it

How do you all avoid Assembly-ABC-Rev2Rev3Rev4Rev5Rev6 file names?
Am I missing something? Do you go back with windows explorer and delete the
"old" rev names in the file name (Please say no!).

Also, please don't say "we'll just buy the following PDM". I'm one guy in my
basement.

TIA,
Muggs

 

The best way I have found to make revisions is by not changing the
filenames, but changing the folder names. Here's an example. If I have
a folder (Folder1) and that includes an assembly (Assy1) when I go to
make a revision to is, I will create Folder1-Rev1 inside of Folder1.
Now BEFORE making assembly changes, copy Assy1 into that folder, but
don't change the name of it. Make your revisions to the original files
that are still in Folder1 and any parts or drawings that are related
will still see the correct files. The old drawings and assemblies, that
are now located in Folder1-Rev1 will automatically look at the files
located in that folder before it tries the original file path, so as
long as you don't have files from Folder1 open, it will always open the
files from Folder1-Rev1.
If I finsh working on a project and have made three revisions, then my
file structure will look like this:

Folder1
Assy1
Part1
Part2
Folder1-Rev1
Assy1
Part1
Part2
Folder1-Rev2
Assy1
Part1
Part2
Folder1-Rev3
Assy1
Part1
Part2

The Assy1 in each folder will always look at the Part1 and Part2 that
are also in that folder, AS LONG AS you don't have any of the others
currently open.

 

You can also do a "save as" from within SW. Hit the references button,
select all the files, use the replace command to replace ABC with ABCrev1
ect.. That method catches all the SW files, and if you do it from the
assembly drawing, it will catch it also. It will not, however, catch any
drawings of individual parts or sub-assemblies.

 

Thanks Dale, Brian, and cntryfun,

Dale, thanks I didn't know about the find and replace. I'll have to do some
reading of the help files.
All, I used to do the folder names the way that cntryfun et al do. BUT, I
sometimes need to have the current version AS WELL AS the last version open
at the same time so that I can use the old one as a referance to make my
changes.

Anyway once again (as always) you guys have come through!!!
Thanks,
Muggs

 

Just don't add the rev to the original solidworks files only add it to the
archive files. That way when you copy a file that does not contain the rev
you wont get the concatenation issue. Plus you don't have to worry about
assembly pointers or incontext stuff messing up due to a filename change.
This is exactly how pdmworks does it -- so if you decide to move to it you
wont have to change the process.

For example.

Assembly ABC in the project folder
Customer suggests changes
use sw explorer to copy ABC to "ABC rev00" into the rev folder
make changes to ABC
Customer suggests more changes
use sw explorer to copy ABC to "ABC rev01" into the rev folder
make changes to ABC
Customer suggests more changes
use sw explorer to copy ABC to "ABC rev02" into the rev folder
and so on

Hope that helps
Steve T.