Update References in EPDM 2011

Have you ever seen this message while working with SolidWorks?

Yeah, certainly you have. I always found this message especially frustrating when working with SOLIDWORKS Eneterprise PDM. I’d shout at my computer “You have a SQL database, capable of searching through millions of records a second and you want me to find the file?!?!” Occasionally I would throw something, but usually I would sigh and either start the EPDM search tool, or manually navigate to find the file.

One day, in frustration, I called the CEO of SOLIDWORKS on my red Engineering Data Specialist phone (he always takes my calls) and asked him for a solution. He told me to wait until EPDM 2011 and in there would be a tool that would change my world. …and now that I have EPDM 2011 I see that he was right. The tool is “Update References”. And it is goooooood.

Highlight the assembly [that is like Great Aunt Eleanor in the shopping mall who has lost her children] and begin the “Update References” routine. (You can actually do more than one assembly at a time if you highlight them all first.)

Highlight the little orphan, and click the find files button.

Now sit back, let SQL do all the heavy lifting and find the file for you. “Update References” then reunites mother with child and happy hugs for everyone.

Remember that November is Engineering Data Specialist Month, do something nice for the Engineering Data Specialist you love.