Equation file reverting to old version?

[m2shell]

I don't know if this is a bug or is something I'm doing wrong.

I'm working on a staircase project - with a moderate number of files and subassemblies (<20). Several parts & assemblies use a common "equations.txt" file for common variables like handrail height, stringer pitch etc. This project has evolved over several generations, with each new version created with "Pack-and-Go" Command in "V1,V2, etc" folders which do not reference each other. And I'm aware of the "bug" where Pack-and-Go will sometimes forget to link new folder's parts, assy's to the new equations.txt; I always check for that problem first.

I just started working on the project for the day, made a new part file, and linked it to the equations.txt file, but it looked like the equations file had reverted (overnight? IDK) to a much smaller version that has not been relevant for days. Luckily its not a hard problem to fix, with Dropbox I can just restore the file from last night easy peasy.

But is this a bug anyone else is familiar with? If not then it's probably something I'm doing.

SW 2021 SP5.1

Thanks!

[TTevolve]

We switched over to using onedrive about a year ago now, and when I do a pack-and-go I have to wait a bit, usually around 5 to 10 minutes at least for it to update the new files and relations in the new folder. It will vary based on how big the files are and how many. Not sure if Dropbox has that issue or not.

[m2shell]

Thanks @TTevolve. I've been using Dropbox for many years now without many issues, so I'd be surprised if it was related to that.

[AlexLachance]

Are you updating the .txt file and it's not propagating to the solidworks file, or you're editing the solidworks file and it's not propagating to the .txt file?

.txt files generally require to be reloaded to refresh SW's memory. We reload them from the equation menu.

[m2shell]

Are you updating the .txt file and it's not propagating to the solidworks file, or you're editing the solidworks file and it's not propagating to the .txt file?

.txt files generally require to be reloaded to refresh SW's memory. We reload them from the equation menu.

I generally edit the text file and reload in SW. But this is strange behavior, every once in awhile I'll open the part/assembly and i'll get all these equation errors and i check the equations.txt and it's reverted to the old version. SO I have to restore it from backup again. Happens several times a day now. Only on this one project though (its my only project currently that uses external equations)

Alas.

[AlexLachance]

I generally edit the text file and reload in SW. But this is strange behavior, every once in awhile I'll open the part/assembly and i'll get all these equation errors and i check the equations.txt and it's reverted to the old version. SO I have to restore it from backup again. Happens several times a day now. Only on this one project though (its my only project currently that uses external equations)

Alas.

Sounds to me like you have conflicting files. By conflicting files, I mean text files with the same name in different locations.

If you have C:\RAID-001.sldprt opened up and you open up an assembly that has D:\RAID-001.sldprt into it, SolidWorks will take the first instance opened, which would be C:\RAID-001.SLDPRT (wrong one).

So if your text file is in multiple locations with the same name, SolidWorks could be stupid enough to conflict with every file in every location because of the name being the same.