Renaming files w/o loosing the link?

[maddogmiked]

We steal items from job to job, and then will steal the whole assy for another when done, quite often. Is there anyway that a file, or multiple, can be renamed w/o loosing the links? I know that a right click/properties in the tree will rename the part number and/or definition. I am talking about the actual file name's having to change.

Example; I have 20 files that make an assy. I may use that exact same assy in 5 different jobs. Every single file in that assy is named unique to whichever job. When I "steal" that assy for another job, I go throguh Save Mgmnt to copy the files to my new job, manually change the file name's in windows, then open V5 Assy, get my missing files error, and re-associate lost links/files through the desk command. This is very time consuming (about 30min on a job of 80 files).

As being an old SolidWorks user, it has SolidWorks Explorer which does this w/o loosing/breaking any links. Anything similar to this for V5R16?

 

[itsmyjob]

You have to change the name of each file in the Save management windows in order to keep the link.

Eric N.
indocti discant et ament meminisse periti ​

 

[Azrael]

You maybe could use "save as frozen"? In the DMU workbenches under the pulldown menu tools, see "DMU Data Flow".

Don't know if it's helpfull in your case but you can "export" a session and get prefixes onto every part

 

[CATPart]

You can use 'Send To' command, and there you have the option RENAME TARGET...

If you select top product and then 'Send To' you will have the list of all linked parts and after you do the RENAME TARGET you will have new .CATParts file names on Hard Disk, but PART NUMBER in the tree will not change you have to do it manually or with help of macro.

 

[maddogmiked]

Thanks for the info from all, but one other question in regard to "send to" opposed to "save mgmnt". Is one any better than the other, or just a matter of preferance?

 

[CATPart]

Save man. ---> detects linked parts
Send To ---> detects all linked info ( excel files, catalogs ).

 

[DBezaire]

Maddogmiked - these exact same assemblies you speak of, do you change any sizes? If not, create a common directory, save common assembly in that directory. Now, the next time you go to use this assembly - insert existing component, grab from the common spot. ( make the files in the common area read only)
If you want to use this assembly with varying sizes - Use File - New From. Select the assembly from the common directory. This creates an exact duplicate with new UUID numbers (internal numbers in the files for identification to Catia.)

Regards,
Derek

 

[V8HemiHead]

Duplicate Files of the same item sounds like a recipe for trouble to me. maddogmiked, do you have a phi phi no?

 

[maddogmiked]

V8Hemi - phi phi no? What is that?

Anywho, the best example I can give would be, say you have an assy of a analog clock for an IP assy. Lets say there are 20 parts that make up the clock assy. That same clock goes into 10 different IP assy's, unchanged as far as the data is concerned. The only thing unique is the file/part name leading each part to the parent IP assy it is in.

DBezaire - We do have these seperate on our side, but when adding them to a job it is still the 50 clicks of save as, find the folder and so on, for each individual file.

 

[DBezaire]

maddogmiked - if they are parts only, you can place them into a catalog. you can modify the catalog search paths under tools/options/infrastructure/catalog.

Try this with your clock assembly. Create a product called "Clock A" add all your sub assemblies and parts. Save it to a common directory. In assembly design, Insert existing component, select the new product called "Clock A".

Do the same with "Clock B", do not insert into IP Product.

If you have removes from the IP assembly originating in the clock assembly or items to constrain from the clock to the IP - publish (Tools - Publications) from the clock body or Product. In all clock assemblies use the same publication naming convention. If you use the Assembly design-replace component command, pick "Clock - B", it will swap the published items.

Regards,
Derek