CAD Forum

We have a lot of mirrored parts. In the SW PDM Add-in, with the mirrored side (no features) open, the model that is referenced usually shows up just like a part in an assembly would. Sometimes it has a ? icon, sometimes not. Sometimes the right click menu includes the Open part option, but it never works. Nothing happens.

I made a jif and this time the ref'd file shows up twice, which is not uncommon. In general the SW PDM Add-in is glitchy/inconsistent with the referenced part in mirrored models. Are others seeing same thing or do I have something wrong? (Something specific to this.) Running 2019SP4.

I'm a gif, click me:

Same for me. The PDM add-in is not consistent.

I usually right click the mirror part feature in the feature tree and select “Edit in Context” which opens the file it’s mirrored from.

SPR 1075026 deals with a number of PDM commands that did not work when using them on derived or mirrored components in the add-in pane. This was fixed in PDM 2021.

When you see the ? icon, that means that SolidWorks does not have the part loaded into memory. The PDM add-in can behave a little differently when the file is not actually loaded in SW. When you open a file that has derived or mirrored parts, the user is presented with a dialog that one or more features are based on other documents and asks if the references should be opened. There are options to open all, open none, or open any that have changed. This also has a Don't display this again option so if you selected none and then to not show this again SW will never load these references.

Diaval wrote: ↑Tue Oct 25, 2022 5:23 am SPR 1075026 deals with a number of PDM commands that did not work when using them on derived or mirrored components in the add-in pane. This was fixed in PDM 2021.

When you see the ? icon, that means that SolidWorks does not have the part loaded into memory. The PDM add-in can behave a little differently when the file is not actually loaded in SW. When you open a file that has derived or mirrored parts, the user is presented with a dialog that one or more features are based on other documents and asks if the references should be opened. There are options to open all, open none, or open any that have changed. This also has a Don't display this again option so if you selected none and then to not show this again SW will never load these references.

Ok, so that's in alignment with the '?' character added to the component name/description in the SW Feature Manager Design Tree. As for the dialog I just sent out another group email explaining that. I was back tracking some issue with a mirrored part and putting together the "here's what you did, this is what it caused, and here's what you should have done" email when I decided to ask about this.


Can any >= 2021 PDM users confirm the fix that referenced parts can be opened from the PDM add-in?

bnemec wrote: ↑Tue Oct 25, 2022 10:06 am Can any >= 2021 PDM users confirm the fix that referenced parts can be opened from the PDM add-in?

I'm on 2021 SP5 and it works for me via the PDM add-in. Now, it doesn't always show derived part references in the PDM add-in tree but that may be yet another bug so who knows?!

Edit: It only works if the part is already loaded into memory

How about Forming tools? Does that type of reference show up in the add-in? In 2019 it seems PDM doesn't even track that type of file reference, so probably more to that than just how the add-in presents them.

bnemec wrote: ↑Tue Oct 25, 2022 10:06 am Ok, so that's in alignment with the '?' character added to the component name/description in the SW Feature Manager Design Tree. As for the dialog I just sent out another group email explaining that. I was back tracking some issue with a mirrored part and putting together the "here's what you did, this is what it caused, and here's what you should have done" email when I decided to ask about this.


Can any >= 2021 PDM users confirm the fix that referenced parts can be opened from the PDM add-in?

I can confirm. 2021 SP4.1
The issue SPR#1202809 will prevent you from opening anything from within SolidWorks though (that is not limited to but includes the PDM add in).

AlexB wrote: ↑Tue Oct 25, 2022 10:36 am I'm on 2021 SP5 and it works for me via the PDM add-in. Now, it doesn't always show derived part references in the PDM add-in tree but that may be yet another bug so who knows?!

Edit: It only works if the part is already loaded into memory

In 2021 the PDM add-in should now have the ability to show the first level of derived component references from the assembly or drawing files. This is not enabled by default though. This can be enabled on the View Settings tab of the SWPDM options dialog.