SW2003 templates bug?

[earlpatrick]

hey all,

under tools/options/default templates if you set "prompt user to select document templates" and then try and browse to select a directory of "part" templates, you can only select a single .prtdot file. in 2001+ you were able to select a directory and then when you started a derived part (e.g. mirrored part or opened a .dwg) you were able to select a template file with your preferred custom properties.

the interface looks the same in 2003 but i have found when you start a part by opening a .dwg and it prompts you for a template, no matter which template file you choose, it actually uses the single .prtdot file specified under tools/options/default templates. so if i pick my "steel" template but my "aluminum" template is the one that the file path is pointing to, i end up with the aluminum one anyway.

i tried creating a second subdirectory inside my parts templates to see if it would let me browse through that, but it doesn't see it. our VAR acknowledged this as a bug, but i was hoping someone out here might know a workaround.

thanks so much for your time. keep up the good posts.

earl patrick
epillsbury@bensonglobal.com

http://www.bensonglobal.com

 

[dhinners]

Don't be confused by a separate setting for 'Default Templates'. This is not the same setting as for the file location for document templates.

I.E. If you open "Tools, Options" and select "Default Templates", that setting tells you it is for operations where SolidWorks creates a file by itself (such as mirror part). If you turn on the option for 'Prompt user to select document template' it will indeed let you select a different part template when you create a mirror part. BUT it will only let you select within the default folder. If you want different folders containing different templates to choose from, you need to add the path under "Tools, Options, File Locations, Document Templates" first.