CAD Forum

AlexB

Sorry, I didn't understand what this was about. You talk about saving DXF but this is not important at all. I want to find the best algorithm to determine that this part is sheet metal and that it has a flat pattern configuration (or not). You mentioned that you were running a macro that looked at ...

AlexB

The PDM folder structure shown in Windows explorer is more of a "virtual" view of the file vault. The folder structure is actually dictated by the SQL database parent/child file relationships. So, due to the way this is set up, the new folder must be created with PDM API in order to update...

AlexB

I believe the hole table column showing the hole wizard information is actually driven by the calloutformat.txt file so that would likely have to modified whether it's on your machine or on a shared drive.

Take this with a grain of salt because I haven't tested this.

AlexB

If you're caching a folder, then you can't specify a sub-folder to ignore. If you want to exclude it, you'll have to select only the other sub-folders to cache at login.

AlexB

Do you trigger than automatic transition before the user even sees the data card? It's essentially triggered when the user first checks the file in. Due to the limitations you mentioned, our process dictates that adding a file to PDM requires it to be checked in at least one time before working on ...

AlexB

The way I've managed this in the past is to have an initial state that the workflow starts in where I don't care what properties are on that file. There is an automatic transition from that initial state to the "Editable" state that wipes/sets the custom properties as needed and the "...

AlexB

PDM Tasks also consume a license during file conversion. It essentially automates the opening of SW, open the file, save-as new format, close. These can be tasked to run on specific machines regardless of which user triggers the action. I'm not sure there is a way to get around the need for a licens...

AlexB

I was more or less assigned as company admin for our design related systems. That's more or less how most admins become admins, welcome! Setting up PDM can seem like a bit of a daunting task but laying out and planning a lot of things beforehand is key. I would advise to start simple and add comple...

AlexB

Can anyone check and see if they've unbroken the display of configuration names and part descriptions? I'm not sure this ever made it onto SW radar. I was given an SR, but can't find it on the platform. https://www.cadforum.net/viewtopic.php?p=23859&hilit=2022#p23859 Still the same it seems ima...

AlexB

I would have liked to see the Admin Image settings file working but the bug(s) still exist to where it won't remember some of the options I'm selecting. Oh well, guess I have to go through the hassle of writing my own common settings script to go along with the one I made for PDM settings. This is s...

AlexB

Wow. We are "almost" as good. LOL image.png That's about what I'm rolling with. I've at least got my test environment set up for PDM to make sure our workflows and add-ins aren't broken after the update. Working on the admin image to test as well. Should be up and testing this afternoon.

AlexB

AlexLachance wrote: ↑Wed Nov 01, 2023 8:49 am Jesus f*** christ, how hard is it to fix a damn language bug? Requesting a hotfix to my VAR right now.

image.png

That was a fast download! Sad to see they just keep missing the details

AlexB

Here's a small example of how to do this using a snippet from a macro I wrote to do this with our specific templates. For each annotation, you can get the underlying object and cast it to the expected type. Then you can get the text format and then set it again with the second argument as "TRUE...

AlexB

too late: latest windows update already broke PDM. And SW has no solution in sight let alone for th like of us that delay 1yr before the adoption of the software. This is the situation I'm in. We're having more and more new machines come in the door with Win11 and I've had engineering laptops speci...

AlexB

I'm not sure if it was always the case, but currently you cannot have a version free variable linked to a custom property. Checking that box in the admin "Edit Variable" tool causes the attribute mapping section to completely go away.

AlexB

So that's saving dxf from drawing instead of from model file? Technically yes, however the output is the same as exporting it from the part file. There are added steps, however one of the ones it takes care of is determining what flat pattern to output for you and creating that config if it doesn't...

AlexB

The way I've done it before is the following with my formed or flat configuration open in SW: - I open a blank drawing template (no border, blocks, etc.) - I use IDrawingDoc::CreateFlatPatternViewFromModelView3() to add my flat pattern view to my drawing. Note that this adds it for the specified con...

AlexB

I was afraid of that. I have heard from several sources (our VAR, other VAR blogs, other users) do not ever put the PDM system administrator in ANY group, ever. I've heard this plenty and it still didn't pop into my head as a possibility until you started asking questions about it. Good catch! You'...

AlexB

Isn't there something to call out if flat pattern is true in programming? I thought I saw this once You're correct. If you use GetBendState, you can check if it's sheet metal as well as if it's flattened or bent. https://help.solidworks.com/2017/english/api/sldworksapi/solidworks.interop.sldworks~s...

AlexB

The only nifty workaround I can think of is a bit of custom code via a PDM add-in. The selection set can be modified pretty easily with code. However, a non-programming solution is probably not possible.

AlexB

If you're modifying them as an Admin within the vault, then just check them all out. That way, nobody else can do anything with them until you're done. Of course, I may be missing something so it would help if you could elaborate on "update some data" and what that requires.

AlexB

Is the option still unavailable? Or, are you actually able to select it but it doesn't complete? If so, is there an error?

AlexB

Does it need to be a linkage at all?

Ideas:
- Mount a stop block on the back of the hinge to keep it from opening past 90
- Use a single link and a slider so that at the end of the travel of the slider stops the top at 90

Keep it as simple as possible IMO.

AlexB

AlexLachance If you add this code to the location shown in the image, it should solve what Stefan Sterk was talking about. image.png Dim suppression As Integer suppression = myComp.GetSuppression If suppression = swComponentLightweight Then myComp.SetSuppression2 (swComponentFullyResolved) End If A...

AlexB

Are you able to give a list of steps that causes it to fail and show what line it breaks on by clicking Debug?

AlexB

Your best bet is to create a search and save it in your favorites. Then you could create a batch file to open up a saved search as described in this article:
https://www.cati.com/blog/running-epdm- ... mand-line/

AlexB

Hansjoerg wrote: ↑Mon Sep 11, 2023 1:22 pm @AlexB: Without a logged in user it didn't work for you either?

Correct, without a user actively logged in, it will not work.

AlexB

Ours is set up to automatically log in to windows after re-start. PDM is set up to automatically log in to our PDM Task user account when the windows user is logged in. So, when the system is restarted, it gets back into PDM without me having to do anything and begins running tasks again.

AlexB

I am noticing the same thing as you're describing Hansjoerg It seems that it's trying to activate the document before the application is fully finished loading the file(s). I'm not sure off the top of my head how to wait for that to be complete before proceeding, but that's what the breakpoint is si...

AlexB

I believe you'll need to specify that this should be AP214 vs AP203 for your STEP file. If I recall correctly, only 214 maintains color selections.

https://help.solidworks.com/2021/englis ... ptions.htm

AlexB

Well, I'm having issue with a flexible sub-assembly, only one though. Most likely caused by how the flexible sub-assembly was mated in a lazy way using the lock mates. Yeah, lock mates are like "fixing" components in space. Poor practice most of the time since they don't really move/updat...

AlexB

I can't figure out is what the proper syntax is for calls like this. The syntax I used ignores the return value because I didn't really need it for my example. If you use the syntax you initially had, you can monitor the "BoolStatus" to make sure it returns "True" and verify you...

AlexB

The first one has a typo. The last line, you have SetUserPreference Toggle , when it should be SetUserPreference String Set swApp = Application.SldWorks Dim swModel As ModelDoc2 Set swModel = swApp.ActiveDoc Dim swExt As ModelDocExtension Set swExt = swModel.Extension swExt.SetUserPreferenceToggle s...

AlexB · Re: SP3 bnemec wrote: ↑Fri Aug 18, 2023 9:35 amFIFY That's fair

bnemec wrote: ↑Fri Aug 18, 2023 9:35 amFIFY

That's fair

AlexB

AlexLachance wrote: ↑Fri Aug 18, 2023 9:19 am Welp, today's the big day.

Good luck! Sounds like you don't have to worry about a PDM upgrade... I'm jealous.

AlexB

Short of having each one of them export their current settings with the save/restore settings tool, I'm not sure of an "easy" way.

AlexB

Off the top of my head, you could use IConfiguration.IsDerived to determine if the configuration is derived. If so, you can call IConfiguration.GetParent to get the owner configuration. I can't find an alternative way to collapse an exploded view than using RunCommand with the following argument. I'...

AlexB

We had to implement a lot of rules in our anti-virus software so that it would ignore pretty much anything explorer, solidworks, and PDM were doing. Otherwise, it looks at all file transfers, all files being created/opened/closed/executed. This was causing some random access issues and headaches unt...

AlexB

Solidworks crashed on me in the middle of working on a drawing a little while ago. I had saved often while working on it, including not long before the crash, but it somehow wiped out everything I had done in the last 3 hours (it crashed around 2:00 pm, but the drawing shows it was last saved at 10...

AlexB

DanPihlaja wrote: ↑Fri Jul 21, 2023 1:25 pm It may not be a "turn this macro into an add-in", but instead be a "create an add-in that accesses all the macros and runs the one you select"

Artem has already developed and add-in that does this. I believe it's free, but I could be wrong.
https://cadplus.xarial.com/toolbar/

AlexB

Keeping a macro in the PDM vault should be no different than having it individually on each user's PC outside of the vault. The function of PDM is to eliminate the network from the picture when a user is interacting with solidworks files in the PDM vault. To do this, it caches files locally to your ...

AlexB

I'm slightly annoyed that modifying random settings via the Admin Installer Settings file don't appear to work reliably still. What I told it to do: image.png image.png What it did: image.png image.png It's like they're actively trying to make this way more difficult than it needs to be.

AlexB

I was surprised to find that we can manually "cache" files on client workstations by working offline, then copying the file into the correct folder, then switching back to online. To simulate this without going offline then online a bunch, you can access the cache by simply adding two bac...

AlexB

I've actually put together a macro to help with this on some of our files. It boosts the default settings of the scene. For those interested, the code is below. ' Macro to delete all scene lights, and replace 3 directional and 1 ambient ' with higher lighting values to produce colors closer to SW co...

AlexB

Officially no. I've been told it works, you just won't get much in the way of support. We are testing the same now where I work, 2023 PDM with SolidWorks 2019. I think the confusion is with the compatibility of the PDM Add-in for Solidworks. As long as the PDM version of the client installed matche...

AlexB

As for restoring archive folder, a little loss of work is not as concerning to me as creating an inconsistency between SQL and archive for the document. I've worked with a test database that I restored from a backup of the production database. In doing so, I ran into the issue of the SQL and the Ar...

AlexB

Have you checked the System and Event Logs for the Archive Server? They may shed some light on what may have happened. I haven't dealt with anything like that myself but it may benefit you to restore just that folder from a backup drive, although you'll potentially lose some progress.

AlexB

In looking at the GetSelectedObject6 method and the types returned by GetSelectedObjectType3, I don't believe there's an easy way to get the instance related to the selection.

AlexB

This still depends on the global tolerance. If you have ±.030" then your flanges can be 2.150" and 2.090" but still be parallel to one another within .010". The ASME Y14.5 Standard has this to say about co-planar features image.png With that said, if you add this requirement, I s...

AlexB

You'll probably have to run some test sheets through the press to verify your bend table parameters.

Produce a sample, measure the sample, update bend table, verify SW matches real world result.

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