Multiple user configurations 1

[TED7]

Apologies for being new at Solidworks and constantly referencing Pro/Engineer functionality.

Where I used to work, we used Pro Engineer WF4, which loads settings files on startup in a defined order, it loaded the corporate standard config, then on top of this loaded a local company config, then on top of that loaded my personal user config. This allowed corporate (1600 seats) control of things such as button placement, default locations for templates etc, then the local config referenced things only used by my site, then my personal config loaded things useful to me, such as overriding the performance settings and including extras I personally found useful.

As far as I can tell the only way to do this on Solidworks is to load the company settings file to get company defaults such as file locations, materials libraries etc. Then manually make my personal changes on top. When the company settings change, my settings have to be overwritten then manually added again.

Is there any way to replicate the Pro/E functionality in Solidoworks at all?

Thanks,

Designer of machine tools - user of modified screws

 

[EEnd]

Yes.

The files used to import and export SW settings are text files containing the associated registry settings. You can:
[ol][li]Apply the company settigns.[/li]
[li]Save the current settings to a new .sldreg file.[/li]
[li]Start SW and manually apply your customizations.[/li]
[li]Close SW.[/li]
[li]Save the modified settings to a new .sldreg file.[/li]
[li]Create a new .sldreg file containing just the entries changed by your modifications. A tool like WinMerge (

http://www.winmerge.org)

will be very helpful in finding your changes in the .sldreg file.[/li]
[li]You can then apply the pruned .sldreg file after company updates to restore your modifiactions.[/li][/ol]

These registry files have a fairly simple format. Lines that look like:

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\SolidWorks\General]

are called keys. It can be useful to think of them as directories. Lines that look like:

"Thumbnail graphics"=dword:00000001

are called values. If you think of the keys as directories, then you can think of the values as files. The values are associated with the key at the top of that block of values.

Your custom settings will generally appear as modified values. To create your custom .sldreg file, edit a copy of the file you generated in step 6. Leave the following lines at the top of the file:
REGEDIT4
;SolidWorks Copy Settings Wizard

Delete all values that were unchanged by your customization. Also delete any key for which you deleted all of the values. You will probably end up deleting almost all of the lines in the file. This will leave you with a file that specifies just what you want to change after the corporate settings.

Eric

 

[TED7]

Thanks Eric, I will give it a shot tomorrow. I miss the tweakability of Pro/E sometimes but the enthusiasm of Solidworks users more than makes up for it.

Designer of machine tools - user of modified screws

 

[mjcole]

Ted,

Great questions and Eend great input.
One of my biggest gripes with SolidWorks is their dependence on the registry for user and system settings. Many softwares use the simpler config settings based on user accessible text files that don't require local adm accounts with registry permissions. Even Catia has Environment settings. .Env settings for this. SolidWorks reads the regstry keys on startup to update requires a restart of program. One tool to look for is copy settings wizard in SolidWorks Tools start menu group. This gives options on which customizations. Menu Keyboard or system. Of course these are stored exported to AppData SolidWorks which is a horrible choice I'd recommend choosing your own location and keeping backups. Finally the settings do not require the wizard to be used they are really just. .reg settings and can be double clicked or right click and choose merge to add them into registry.

"It's not the size of the Forum that matters, It's the Quality of the Posts"

Michael Cole
Boston, MA
CSWP, CSWI, CSWTS
Follow me on !w¡#$%
@ TrajPar - @ mcSldWrx2008
= ProE = SolidWorks

 

[SBaugh]

I posted a thread while back on all the 2013 Registry settings and their locations that SW uses. Its much easier to create a settings file without exporting 100 pages of crap you don't need or care about.

thread559-353976

95% of the crap in an exported Settings file only is default information that you don't need. Here at the company I work for, we don't care about what Toolbars people have setup, because everyone designs differently, its controlling the System Settings that is most important. Most settings are applied at installation from the Admin image, but if something happens I will copy a local copy renaming it to a *.reg file as Mr. Cole points out is a fast way to install the settings.

Scott Baugh, CSWP
Berry Plastics
Cad Admin\Design Engineer
GEASWUG Greater Evansville Area SWUG Leader

http://www.scottjbaugh.com

"If it's not broke, Don't fix it!"

faq731-376