part collaboration

[antran7]

A co-worker and I are trying to work on different parts in the same assembly. Only problem is whoever opens the assembly first locks-down all the parts, and the send can't modify any of the parts in that assembly.

I read the "Help" thing about collaboration, and it talks about changing some system options.

Under Tools/Options/System Options/Collaboration, I'm suppposed to "enable multi-user environment", and "make read-only", and "get write-access".

Only problem is my options settings don't have the last two options (make read-only and get write-access).

I'm running SW2005 SP5.0, but the vesion without PDM (it was the middle installation option in the install menu). Is this what is missing? Are there ways around this, other than manually opening parts before we open the assembly?

Thanks!

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

The Collaboration function is meant for users without PDM, so not having it installed should not affect it.
Do you have admin rights on your computer? I'm not sure, but I suspect you need to be an administrator of the system to be able to enable/disable the multi-user environment.


Helpful SW websites every user should be aware of faq559-520
How to get answers to your SW questions faq559-1091

 

[antran7]

i've got admin rights, but those feature don't even show up (they're not even greyed out)

 

[drawoh]

antran7,

I am still on SW2003, so I am not sure of the latest features. I have activated the "Don't prompt to save read-only referenced documents" button on my machine so that I can share files with co-workers. Beyond this, there is not much you can do about the problem, within SolidWorks.

Your problem is that your co-worker has write access to all the files you want to use, and if he gets there first, he writes to them and locks them up. Your work-arounds are outside SolidWorks. There are a couple of possibilities.

If he is working on the main assembly, he exits while you load and take control of your stuff. He reloads his assembly once you are up and running.

You both work in your own directories in which you have exclusive write access. Now, he can link your stuff without locking it up. He will not have write access, ever.

You each work in your own directories which may or may not be locked up. Periodically, you make zip files of your design, and pass them back and forth.

The zip file approach will take some debugging. I would unpack the zip file into a sub-directory so that I can delete everything before I unpack the next zip file, and so that I can keep the two design tasks separate. Unpacking an archive into a busy directory is very messy. Since SolidWorks searches the current directory for files, then it searches the file tree, you are going to have to unlink the original working files somehow.

JHG

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

antran7 ... so you see the Collaboration option in the main list, but do not see anything when it is selected?


Helpful SW websites every user should be aware of faq559-520
How to get answers to your SW questions faq559-1091

 

[SBaugh]

Well if you don't see all the options then try and do the Alternative reisntall - see the FAQ section. maybe something didn't get installed correctly or you are using a different version of SW versus what the help is referencing.

Regards,

Scott Baugh, CSWP

http://www.scottjbaugh.com

faq731-376

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

Do you have the model open & selected when trying to access the options?

See also

http://www.solidworks.com/swexpress/pages/nov04/TT_Working_with_files.html

Helpful SW websites every user should be aware of faq559-520
How to get answers to your SW questions faq559-1091

 

[dsmith1022]

Do you have the "Add shortcut menu items for mult-user envronment" checked. Its under System Options/Collaboration. Hope that it for you.

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

Only problem is my options settings don't have the last two options (make read-only and get write-access).

I just realised those options are not where you are looking for them.

From the URL in my last post:-

With the collaboration options set, an assembly component can either be read-only or write-access enabled. This setting can be changed at any time by selecting the component, pressing the right-mouse button, and selecting either "Get Write Access" or "Make Read-Only". The active document's state can also be changed via the File menu using the "Get Write Access" or "Make Read-Only" functions.

Helpful SW websites every user should be aware of faq559-520
How to get answers to your SW questions faq559-1091

 

[btcoutermash]

One way around it is to load your assemblies "LightWeight". By doing this, you do not load the geometry data for the parts. Only resolve the part you need to work on. After you make whatever changes to that part, "LightWeight" it. The other user can resolve it when the need to make changes. If they resolve it though, they should immediately save it off. They will get a message that they can not save because its read only, but click save anyhow and overwrite the file. Now that user will gain "Write" access to that file, so they can make whatever changes and save it off. The next save they will not get any message about it being read only.

Its combersome, but it works. Hope this helps.