Cached Files

When you retrieve a file from the vault, a copy is placed in a working folder on your local hard drive. This folder serves as a cache area.

The system copies files to the local cache when you:
  • Select a file and open the Preview tab.
  • Request the file by selecting Check out, Get Versions, or Get Latest Version.
  • Drag a SOLIDWORKS Toolbox part into an assembly (when SOLIDWORKS PDM is managing the Toolbox library).

Your system administrator can also specify folders where the software automatically refreshes the local cache when you log in to SOLIDWORKS PDM .

How Cached Files Are Handled

The next time you access the file, SOLIDWORKS PDM looks for it in the working folder. If it is there and has the correct version, SOLIDWORKS PDM does not retrieve it from the file vault again. When you save a modified file into the vault, you can keep a read-only copy in the working folder or remove the local copy.

The Version tab displays the file version in your local cache folder. It also displays a warning when you do not have the latest version of the file locally.

When you add a file to the local vault view by creating or copying a file, it is only present in your local cache. Although information about the file is entered into the vault database, it is not available to other users until you check the file into the vault.

The SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional Web client installed on the same system as the full SOLIDWORKS PDM client uses the same local cache. When the Web client is used, the local vault view is placed in offline mode.

To learn how to access and use the SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional Web client, see the Web Client section of the SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional Web Server Guide. The Web Server Guide is available from the Help menu of the Administration tool.

The Web Server Guide is available only in English.

Removing Cached Files

You can remove files from the local cache when you no longer need them:
  • You can remove files individually when you check them into the vault.
  • You can remove files from an entire folder or vault by clearing the local cache.
    Checked in files that are referenced by a checked out file are not removed.

Removing a file from the local cache does not affect the file in the vault.

Your system administrator can also specify folders where the software automatically clears the local cache when you log out of SOLIDWORKS PDM.
An automated clear removes all files that are not checked out and does not retain files that are referenced by checked out files as manually clearing the cache does.