SOLIDWORKS Add-In to get referenced versions of files form PDM

[JSculley]

In response to this question in the SWYMP, I created a SOLIDWORKS add-in that will attempt to retrieve the versions of files that were referenced the last time an assembly was checked in before opening the file. Basically, it eliminates the manual step of retrieving the as-built references, which users can often forget to do.

It will also provide feedback on any versions that it could not retrieve and tell you why (typically a different version is already open or is referenced by an open file).

If this is something you think would be useful to you, download the add-in and take it for a spin.

The 0.1 release MSI installer file can be found here.

If you find any bugs or have ideas for improvements, post them here or preferably use the Issues page.

[AlexLachance]

Awesome work mate, is this to avoid overwriting a file that was more up to date then yours..? I'm not a user of PDM, but I think I understand the principle.

[JSculley]

Awesome work mate, is this to avoid overwriting a file that was more up to date then yours..? I'm not a user of PDM, but I think I understand the principle.

It's more about making sure that what you are looking at is correct. Imagine you built a machine and released it at Rev 0 and then sold it to Customer A. Over several years you revise the design of various parts and subassemblies. Then Customer A has a problem. You want to open the assembly as it was checked in at Rev 0. When you Get a previous version of a file, there is a drop down in the 'Get' dialog box that you have to remember to change to 'Referenced Version' instead of 'Latest Version'. If you remember to select 'Referenced version' the 'Get' dialog may still spit out a bunch of errors and/or warnings due to other open files referencing other versions of the same files.

This add-in gives you a bit more control by attempting the 'Get' in the background (with the 'Referenced Version' option selected for you) and letting you know if there will be any problems before actually opening the file. You can cancel the open operation (saving a lot of time on large assemblies/drawings).

[bnemec]

We've started testing here. I'm running some scenarios on my machine first then have a couple other users that understand most of the version behavior of PDM that will turn it on soon.

Jim, I cannot thank you enough for working on this.