Search Routine for
Referenced Documents
When opening a referenced document, SolidWorks
performs a search to locate the document. For example, this search may
occur when you open a drawing and the referenced assembly cannot be found
or when you resolve a lightweight component in an assembly.
When a referenced document is found, the software
updates the path to the referenced document in the parent document. When
you save the parent document, the updated path is saved as well.
The Rules
column below describes the search routine that the software uses to locate
a missing referenced document.
The Examples
column shows the paths that the software checks using the following scenario:
The assembly was last
saved as C:\zz\a1.sldasm. You move the assembly to D:\ss\tt\a1.sldasm.
The first part in the
assembly was last saved as C:\qq\p1.sldprt. You do not move this part.
The second part in the
assembly was last saved as C:\zz\yy\xx\p2.sldprt. This part is missing
either through deletion, renaming, or some other file management mistake.
There are two paths
in the Folders list of the File Locations Options dialog box: D:\aa\bb\
and E:\cc\dd\
You click File,
Open to open a1.sldasm in its
new location.
Rules |
Examples |
Uses any open document with the same name.
|
If p2.sldprt is in another open document, SolidWorks uses this version
of p2.sldprt. |
Searches the first path
that you specify in the Folders
list in the File Locations Options dialog box.
NOTE:
You must select the Search file locations
for external references check box in the External References Options dialog
box or else SolidWorks ignores the paths that you specify. |
D:\aa\bb\p2.sldprt |
Searches the path in Step 2 plus the last folder
in the path where the referenced document was last saved.
|
D:\aa\bb\xx\p2.sldprt |
Searches the path in Step 2 plus the last two
folders in the path where the referenced document was last saved.
|
D:\aa\bb\yy\xx\p2.sldprt |
Repeats Step 4 until the full original path has
been appended to the path in Step 2.
NOTE:
This concept of adding one folder at a time from the full path will be
called "recursive searching" in the following steps. |
D:\aa\bb\zz\yy\xx\p2.sldprt |
Recursively searches the first path in the Folders list, then recursively searches
the path where the referenced document was last saved.
|
D:\aa\xx\p2.sldprt
D:\aa\yy\xx\p2.sldprt
D:\aa\zz\yy\xx\p2.sldprt
D:\xx\p2.sldprt
D:\yy\xx\p2.sldprt
D:\zz\yy\xx\p2.sldprt |
Repeats Steps 2 through 6 for the other folders
in the Folders list.
|
E:\cc\dd\p2.sldprt
E:\cc\dd\xx\p2.sldprt
E:\cc\dd\yy\xx\p2.sldprt
E:\cc\dd\zz\yy\xx\p2.sldprt
E:\cc\xx\p2.sldprt
E:\cc\yy\xx\p2.sldprt
E:\cc\zz\yy\xx\p2.sldprt
E:\xx\p2.sldprt
E:\yy\xx\p2.sldprt
E:\zz\yy\xx\p2.sldprt |
Searches the path of the active document, then
recursively searches the path where the referenced document was last saved.
|
D:\ss\tt\p2.sldprt
D:\ss\tt\xx\p2.sldprt
D:\ss\tt\yy\xx\p2.sldprt
D:\ss\tt\zz\yy\xx\p2.sldprt
D:\ss\xx\p2.sldprt
D:\ss\yy\xx\p2.sldprt
D:\ss\zz\yy\xx\p2.sldprt
D:\xx\p2.sldprt
D:\yy\xx\p2.sldprt
D:\zz\yy\xx\p2.sldprt |
Searches the path where you last opened a document,
then recursively searches the path where the referenced document was last
saved.
NOTE:
In most cases, the path of the active document and the path where you
last opened a document are the same.
The two paths are different if you click
File, Open
to open one document, then drag and drop an assembly from Windows Explorer
into that document. The path of the active document is the path from Windows
Explorer and the path where you last opened a document is the path from
File, Open. |
same as Step 8 |
Searches the path where the software last found
a referenced document.
|
C:\qq\p2.sldprt
This is the location of p1.sldprt. |
Searches the full path where the document was
last saved without a drive designation.
|
This is useful if you save a part with a UNC
path such as \\machine\folder\p2.sldprt. |
Searches the full path where the document was
last saved with its original drive designation.
|
C:\zz\yy\xx\p2.sldprt |
Allows you to browse for the document yourself.
|
n/a |