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Must Convert to 2010?

Must Convert to 2010?

Must Convert to 2010?

(OP)
Across the organization, we have created hundreds of parts, Assemblies & Drawings. All of them are in Workgroup PDM.

I have lernt about the solidworks Task scheduler's file conversion.

Now, Is it a MUST to convert all the files to 2010? Whats the best practice?


~ BT

RE: Must Convert to 2010?

If you don't convert the vault it will take a little longer each time you open a non-updated file because SW will have to convert any old version file to 2010.  Case in point, if you have assembly of 100 components, SW will have to convert each of the parts while opening the assembly.  This adds up quickly.  Slower open times is usually reason enough for me to recommend converting your whole vault.

However, I strongly advise you to make a backup of your vault before proceeding.  There's no telling what kind of issues you might run into after the update, and once it's done it can't be undone (unless you have a backup).

RE: Must Convert to 2010?

If memory serves me correctly, SolidWorks doesn't convert upon opening, it simply warns you that it is an older version file. It's when you save said file that it will convert.
Also, while the vault can be a newer version (ie 2010) than the files in it, you can't put newer version files in an older version vault. At least that's how I remember it.

Jeff Mirisola, CSWP, Certified DriveWorks AE
CAD Administrator, Ultimate Survival Technologies
My Blog

RE: Must Convert to 2010?

BT,
Hundreds of parts, Assemblies & Drawings will not take long at all. Set solidworks Task scheduler's to start when the last one leaves for the night plus 1 hour. Then you come in before anyone else starts the following morning. Reason I say this is because upgrade locks the vault for short bits of time. Which makes people think PDM is not working.

Standing
SolidWorks Pro 2009 x64, SP3.0, PDMWorks Workgroup, SolidWorks BOM,
HP xw8600, 64-bit Windows Vista Business, Service Pack 1
Intel Xeon CPU, 3.00 GHz, 16 GB RAM, Virtual memory 166682 MB, nVidia Quadro FX 4600

RE: Must Convert to 2010?

Jeff, by "convert" I didn't mean actually saving the file as 2010.  However, it is converted in memory in order to be able to work with the part.  Either way, convert vault = good.

RE: Must Convert to 2010?

Actually, I believe Jeff is correct.  If I recall, files are handled as they are saved, so a 2009 is still 2009 when open in 2010 until it is saved as 2010.

Matt Lorono
Lorono's SolidWorks Resources & SolidWorks Legion

&

RE: Must Convert to 2010?

Sorry, I forgot to answer the question.  I personally do not recommend converting in the vault.  Any files that need to be converted will be so when they are used, saved and checked back in.  

My reason for this is that sometimes changes can be made to the files that cause them to blow up.  Maybe a bug in the new version does something weird to your mates.  Maybe a series of features that where barely stable in your down version blow up when saved in the new version.  Maybe you are in an FDA regulated environment, and any unvalided changes (regardless to how slight) put you at audit risk.  

These are just a few of the points that you may wish to consider.  However, many companies do the wholesale convertion without issues.

Matt Lorono
Lorono's SolidWorks Resources & SolidWorks Legion

&

RE: Must Convert to 2010?

Quote:

fcsuper (Mechanical)
My reason for this is that sometimes changes can be made to the files that cause them to blow up.

Our case is the opposite. We could not upgrade, because the plant works 7/24/365 days a year. I could not stop the PDM for 22,000+ updates. I was doing it in small batches and the stock room complained the PDM was not working.
Now for the problem, we needed a drawing that was 5 years old and never updated. I could not open the drawing do to errors. I had to redraw from hard copy.
 

Standing
SolidWorks Pro 2009 x64, SP3.0, PDMWorks Workgroup, SolidWorks BOM,
HP xw8600, 64-bit Windows Vista Business, Service Pack 1
Intel Xeon CPU, 3.00 GHz, 16 GB RAM, Virtual memory 166682 MB, nVidia Quadro FX 4600

RE: Must Convert to 2010?

Converting SW files when upgrading to a new version is highly recommended. Certainly the risk of corruption exists, but in my experience the risk is very acceptably low.

This year SW will be 15 years old and has undergone many changes. Consider how much more the software will have changed in the next 15, 20 or 50 years. Every year files are not converted, the risk of corruption will increase. Unless specific conversion software existed, attempting to convert a 50 year old set of files would almost certainly not produce good results.

Backups should always exist before converting files, so even if some files were corrupted, the originals still exist.

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