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Detached Drawings

Detached Drawings

Detached Drawings

(OP)
Has anyone had experiences with detached drawings? Any thoughts on the plus's and minus's of using them.

RE: Detached Drawings

We use them. They are nice because they can be sent to someone without the need to send all the Associated files. They also open faster if you don't need to update them. If there is a need to update, they will prompt you upon opening.

RE: Detached Drawings

(OP)
CS
So if there is some change required, when you open the detached drawing it will prompt to initiate changes in the model?

RE: Detached Drawings

Just type detached in the SW Help Index. All the info you need is there.

cheers
Helpful SW websites  FAQ559-520
How to get answers to your SW questions  FAQ559-1091

RE: Detached Drawings

We use them for revision tracking.

Remember...
       "If you don't use your head,            
                   your going to have to use your feet."

RE: Detached Drawings

(OP)
CBL,meintsi and CSL. Thanks for the tips.
Sometimes what people think says a lot more than help files. Thanks again!

RE: Detached Drawings

swforge ... My post was in response to your second post, not the original.

meintsi ... When saving for a revision, how do you ensure that the drawing does not get updated at a later date? Do you Lock or break links or ???

cheers
Helpful SW websites  FAQ559-520
How to get answers to your SW questions  FAQ559-1091

RE: Detached Drawings

Before starting a new a revision, we do a "save as" detached drawing into an "obsolete" folder which has the same file structure as our released parts.

Opening the detached drawing is only a small concern when the model is already loaded in memory and it is opened with the 'read-only' tick box left unchecked.  But even then, the drawing will partially update, but it will not keep the changes when closed unless you purposely hit save.

You do not even get the prompt when closing to save it.  It just closes.

We have a very disciplined and SW savy group here, and errors very rarely happen.  But every two or three years, the nightly tape backup yields a very easy fix.

Remember...
       "If you don't use your head,            
                   your going to have to use your feet."

RE: Detached Drawings

For revision tracking, what are the benefits of using detached drawings as opposed to PDF's?  We save PDF's of revisions because it's faster than opening the drawings from PDMWorks, and everyone can open a PDF.  

Flores
SW06 SP4.1

RE: Detached Drawings

A PDF would also seem to be a viable option.  We use them for sending drawings to outside vendors.

We don't use a PDM system here and get along just fine without one.  I don't want to start a debate about a PDM system because the benefits just don't justify the cost.  A lot of that just may be due to the fact that we have a very savy group of users.

But we like to be able to open the old revisons within SolidWorks because ...

1) The SW 'FILE OPEN' allows us faster access than browsing thru windows explorer and waiting for Adobe to load.  SolidWorks is always open and running.

2) Detached drawings open extemely fast here without a PDM system in place. (Not sure if PDM works is slowing it down or not,  but a  "2 page - 6 view - 2 section - 6 detail view" drawing will open in a few seconds)

3) When opened in SW, the drawing is availiable with either an "arrange window" command for side-by-side viewing and reference or via Ctrl-Tab.

Remember...
       "If you don't use your head,            
                   your going to have to use your feet."

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