CircuitWorks can search a SolidWorks Workgroup PDM vault for components to use in the assemblies it builds.
With or without Workgroup PDM, CircuitWorks always searches for components in the Component Library when building an assembly. CircuitWorks references the part file in the assembly if both:
-
A database record exists in the Component Library
- A corresponding part file exists in the Component Library component folder
If a component is not found in the Component Library, CircuitWorks builds and adds it to the Component Library.
Components managed through SolidWorks Workgroup PDM or SolidWorks Enterprise PDM are marked with this icon 
.
When using Workgroup PDM, CircuitWorks still checks the Component Library first. If the component record is in the library but the corresponding part file is not in the component folder, CircuitWorks searches the Workgroup PDM vault for a file with the same name. If found, CircuitWorks copies the latest version of the component file to your local PDM folder.
For example, when processing an ECAD file containing a component named
0805R with part number
1412261, CircuitWorks searches for
0805R_1412261.sldprt in the Component Library component folder. If this file is not found and the Workgroup PDM integration is enabled, CircuitWorks searches the Workgroup PDM vault for
0805R_1412261.sldprt. If found, CircuitWorks copies the latest version of the file from the vault to your PDM folder. CircuitWorks then references this local copy in the assemblies it creates.
CircuitWorks does not update the Component Library with files it copies from Workgroup PDM.