TriMech Blog

In a previous blog, we answer the top two frequently asked questions about SOLIDWORKS PDM license types. In this blog, we explore another feature that is little known, but none-the-less, often asked about. Keep reading for instructions on how to check your PDM System History.

In this blog, we answer two of the most frequently asked questions about SOLIDWORKS PDM license types: (1) How to change your PDM client license type (This was selected during your PDM client installation as either CAD Editor, Contributor or Viewer) and (2) How to check which version of PDM client you are currently running.

Have you ever wondered if you can save the search tool to your desktop so that every time you want to access the dedicated search tool you don’t have to go into PDM first? Well, look no further; this document will describe the steps you can take to access the search tool as a shortcut from your desktop so that you can run searches quickly and effectively through your PDM vault. 

Are you trying to login as the “admin” or another user but are not getting prompted for the login window? Switching the local settings in the administration tool on the client can help fix this automatic login. Here are the step-by-step instructions on how to switch local settings to disable automatic login.

As you probably already know, one of the new features in SOLIDWORKS 2017 is 3D Interconnect. Details on 3D Interconnect may be found in our previous blog, but in short, the new feature allows use of non-SOLIDWORKS CAD files. As a member of the Professional Services team, I was curious to see how this new feature interacts with SOLIDWORKS PDM.

In a fast-paced engineering environment, it is common for multiple users to need to edit parts, assemblies and drawings at the same time. With these tech support tips, you can stop battling coworkers for write access and start working concurrently on SOLIDWORKS files.

Did you know that SOLIDWORKS PDM has a similar functionality to SOLIDWORKS Pack & Go? It is called “Copy Tree”. In this blog, we outline what Copy Tree does, how it is different than Pack & Go and other features it has.

A feature that is little known but often asked about is the SOLIDWORKS PDM system history log. This shows a log of changes made to your SOLIDWORKS PDM vault, including time and date stamps and the name of the person who made the change.

SOLIDWORKS has identified a relatively small subset of active SOLIDWORKS PDM installations that do not conform to the standard network serial number format. This can cause problems for clients when using the Installation Manager.

To conclude our two-part blog series, we will describe how to refresh and enable linking to SOLIDWORKS PDM. Plus, we'll outline how to have the variables dynamically link to the PDM metadata.

In part one of this two-part blog series, we'll walk you through the process to define Product Data Management (PDM) variables, manage data cards and designate properties in Microsoft Office.

SOLIDWORKS is changing the future availability of SOLIDWORKS Workgroup PDM (WGPDM). The product has reached the limit of what it can do with its architecture, but not to worry. There is plenty of time to plan for your future data management needs.