Open Drawing Only Opens Folder

[SPerman]

Prior to upgrading to 2022 SP5, if I had a part open, and selected "Open Drawing" it would open the drawing. After the upgrade, 99% of the time instead of opening the drawing it only opens the folder where the part and drawing are located. I probably changed a setting at the same time as the upgrade, but I can't figure out what setting that would be.

[JSculley]

Sounds like the same thing mentioned in this SWYMP post.

Presumably you are having this problem even when the drawing file has exactly the same name as the model file?

Since there are multiple ways to access the Open Drawing command, which method exactly are you using? Is this parts in an assembly or is it the part model itself? Right clicking components in the assembly? Right clicking from the feature tree? Using menus or command buttons?

The fact that it sometimes works is very strange, and would point to a difference in the files or the method used as opposed to some setting.

[SPerman]

The part and the drawing have the exact same file name, and live in the same folder.

I have a part open. I go to the menu and pick "File", "Open Drawing".

I didn't mention that I am using PDM; not sure if that is relevant or not. It is possible that this problem only exists for parts/drawings I created in 2020. I just tested a new part and drawing and it doesn't have that problem. Earlier files continue to have the problem, even after saving in 2022.

Sorry I don't have better details. I've just been living with it, and haven't been paying attention to what was different on the rare occasion that it works.

Based on your link, it sounds like it is a known issue. Will be fixed in some future release.

I tried finding the SPR he mentions in the KB, but without a number I can't find anything in there.

[jcapriotti]

Is the drawing file cached? If not, its not really there....just an empty icon/illusion of a file. In which the "Open drawing" isn't PDM aware and sees nothing there.

[SPerman]

While I'm not 100% sure how to answer that, I'm pretty sure they are. They are checked out. All files should be stored locally on my machine. Is there something special I need to do to ensure it is cached?

Click on the GIF below. You can see that I have a drawing and a part open. Both are checked out. I save both. I close the drawing. I then do open drawing, and it opens the folder. I haven't changed anything in this process from 2020, where everything behaved as expected.

[AlexB]

Do the part and the drawing have exactly the same file name? If not, the right-click -> open drawing will not work right and will make you browse for your drawing.

Edit: I think they need to be in the same folder as well but am too lazy to verify.

[SPerman]

The part and the drawing have the exact same file name, and live in the same folder.

Like I said. Nothing has changed in the files or the process I was using in 2020.

[jcapriotti]

Does it work on files outside the vault? I tried last night on my hard drive and it worked fine but I didn't try inside the vault.

[SPerman]

Does it work on files outside the vault? I tried last night on my hard drive and it worked fine but I didn't try inside the vault.

It appears to. To say with certainty I would need to do more thorough testing.

[JSculley]

The part and the drawing have the exact same file name, and live in the same folder.

I have a part open. I go to the menu and pick "File", "Open Drawing".

I didn't mention that I am using PDM; not sure if that is relevant or not. It is possible that this problem only exists for parts/drawings I created in 2020. I just tested a new part and drawing and it doesn't have that problem. Earlier files continue to have the problem, even after saving in 2022.

Sorry I don't have better details. I've just been living with it, and haven't been paying attention to what was different on the rare occasion that it works.

Based on your link, it sounds like it is a known issue. Will be fixed in some future release.

I tried finding the SPR he mentions in the KB, but without a number I can't find anything in there.

It's this one I think:
==================
SPR 1241174 -- The new 'Open Drawing' command always shows an Open browse dialog for file part of multiple drawings - even if drawing match matching file name exist in same folder as part/assembly - Inconsistent behavior without add-in
==================

I can reproduce what you see easily. It's PDM specific:

1. Create a new part.

2. Use Make Drawing From Part twice to create two drawings, but do not place any views of the model in the drawings.

3. Check in all three files.

4. Close all documents.

5. Open the model.

6. Use the 'Open Drawing' command.

The browse folder dialog will be shown.

What's interesting is that these files have no connection to each other aside from the use of the 'Make Drawing from Part' command. There is nothing in the PDM Contains/Where Used tabs, or in the file references of either drawing.

The same test with files outside the vault behaves as it should. The drawing with the matching name is opened.

If you turn off the PDM add-in in SOLIDWORKS, as noted in the SPR, the problem goes away. If you never check the files in, the problem doesn't occur.


The 2022 What's New Guide has this:

So, basically, the Open Drawing code they've written for the PDM add-in for to take advantage of the fact that PDM knows more about model to drawing references has been botched. Badly.

[SPerman]

I think that is probably the same problem I am experiencing, although none of the parts in question have more than 1 drawing associated with it.

[SPerman]

I've discovered a workaround for this. If you chose "make drawing from part" it will tell you the file already exists and asks if you want to open it, which it does.

[mp3-250]

it happened to us with a couple of files that were referencing MULTIPLE drawings. In fact the quick search box inside the file open dialog was filled with a special query to retrieve the drawings from the vault filtering out two drawing files for one 3d model

only problem one of the two drawings shown was referencing the 3d data at all...

[SPerman]

I recently upgraded to PDM 2023 SP5 and this problem appears to have been solved.