How to copy a whole design project to a new location

[Hunter]

It's not clear to me how to go about this...

It is simple enough with just an assembly, but what about the drawings and the BOMs, they don't get pulled along?

When I mean the whole design, I mean all the ASM, PRT, BOM and DRW files, the whole project.

Thanks

 

[bigseb]

Save As.

EDIT: When you do the save as make sure all the files go to the new folder.

 

[DavidJ]

Start from the 2D drawing (containing the BoM) - Save As (or package creation) from there will include everything referenced from the drawing.

Exceptions - any separate 2D drawings of parts used in the assembly, you'll still need to deal with those.

Unless you have Vault (in which case you don't really need to save elsewhere anyway) there is no ideal way to handle all files from a project.

Others may be able to suggest their own dodges to minimise the pain.

 

[dwc]

I proceed like this:
1) From a 2D drawing, Save all to a new directory as David says.
2) Check that nothing has been missed, if necessary copy what has been missed to the new directory.
3) Change the name of the old directory. This is important. That way the old links are broken and if AD can't find the file it will ask you where the new file is. That way you can be sure you are not inadvertently changing the old file without knowing it.
Don

 

[simonb65]

2) Check that nothing has been missed, if necessary copy what has been missed to the new directory.

By copy, he really means open those files up in Alibre and Save As (So the 'copied' files have new unique internal identifiers) ... the only exception to this is if you are completely MOVING a project (and the original file location eventually gets removed!).

The word COPY and ALIBRE are not the best of friends!

 

[Hunter]

I proceed like this:
1) From a 2D drawing, Save all to a new directory as David says.
2) Check that nothing has been missed, if necessary copy what has been missed to the new directory.
3) Change the name of the old directory. This is important. That way the old links are broken and if AD can't find the file it will ask you where the new file is. That way you can be sure you are not inadvertently changing the old file without knowing it.
Don

This seems to be the way to do it... Thanks.

What a pain!

Alibre should really consider the introduction of Project files that groups all data and helps the user manage the links.

 

[JST]

This sure would be a SIMPLER task if Alibre supported "working directories"/ "project directories".....

Copy contents to a new directory. Change project default directory to new one. DONE

 

[bigseb]

Save As.

EDIT: When you do the save as make sure all the files go to the new folder.

Like I said in my first post.

Tip for drawings: I don't make a separate drawing for each part. Instead I have one top level drawing containing a sheet for each assembly/sub-assembly/part. This way when I do a save as for the top level drawing to a new location it will save all parts/etc to that new new location.

 

[Hunter]

Like I said in my first post.

Tip for drawings: I don't make a separate drawing for each part. Instead I have one top level drawing containing a sheet for each assembly/sub-assembly/part. This way when I do a save as for the top level drawing to a new location it will save all parts/etc to that new new location.

Yes, but I cannot do that, I use common parts and sub-assemblies in various designs for different clients, I would end up with too many drawings to manage.

A simple Project file that is the HEAD of a design (from AD_PRTs to optionally templates) project is the way to go here.

 

[Lew_Merrick]

Sebastian -- The fact is that (here in the United States, at least) the enforced rule is 1 Part, SubAssembly, or Assembly only may be shown on a Drawing. This is one of the things that John Walker inflicted upon us. -- Lew

 

[JST]

Sebastian -- The fact is that (here in the United States, at least) the enforced rule is 1 Part, SubAssembly, or Assembly only may be shown on a Drawing. This is one of the things that John Walker inflicted upon us. -- Lew

Widely "honored in the breach thereof"..... For the steel fab drawings that I do a lot of when detailing structures, there are lots of simple parts, just a piece of steel plate, pipe, or angle steel, etc, with a few holes in it. Several parts go on a sheet, just because most require only two views, and do not require large size to make clear.

A sub-assembly may get a sheet to itself, if needed to make it clear, or there may be multiples on a sheet if they are simple. The full assembly with callouts may get a sheet to itself. That's how the clients want them.

 

[bigseb]

Yes, but I cannot do that, I use common parts and sub-assemblies in various designs for different clients, I would end up with too many drawings to manage.

A simple Project file that is the HEAD of a design (from AD_PRTs to optionally templates) project is the way to go here.

One drawing for each project, each drawing contains many sheets.

 

[bigseb]

Sebastian -- The fact is that (here in the United States, at least) the enforced rule is 1 Part, SubAssembly, or Assembly only may be shown on a Drawing. This is one of the things that John Walker inflicted upon us. -- Lew

Widely "honored in the breach thereof"..... For the steel fab drawings that I do a lot of when detailing structures, there are lots of simple parts, just a piece of steel plate, pipe, or angle steel, etc, with a few holes in it. Several parts go on a sheet, just because most require only two views, and do not require large size to make clear.

A sub-assembly may get a sheet to itself, if needed to make it clear, or there may be multiples on a sheet if they are simple. The full assembly with callouts may get a sheet to itself. That's how the clients want them.

Not sure how this ties in with my post.

 

[Lew_Merrick]

A sub-assembly may get a sheet to itself, if needed to make it clear, or there may be multiples on a sheet if they are simple. The full assembly with callouts may get a sheet to itself. That's how the clients want them.

That "standard" was eliminated in 1985 -- well before we (Americans) eliminated The National Bureau of Standards (1986), the American National Standards Institute (2009), and the American Society for Testing Materials (2015). The problem is that we have no standards!

 

[JST]

Not sure how this ties in with my post.

Not related to you.

Response was to Lew's post.... And the whole business was related to not necessarily generating just one drawing under Alibre for the project.

I understand the reasons for a single multi-sheet drawing, but I find that I get into trouble with that approach, so I tend to do separate sheets and tie them together at the PDF stage.

 

[Hunter]

One drawing for each project, each drawing contains many sheets.

How do you find this affects performance? How many sheets per drawing can you typically handle?

 

[bigseb]

How do you find this affects performance? How many sheets per drawing can you typically handle?

Can't say. AD tends to fold when drawings are updated, regardless of the number of sheets. Not sure if V21 addresses this.

 

[bigseb]

I understand the reasons for a single multi-sheet drawing, but I find that I get into trouble with that approach, so I tend to do separate sheets and tie them together at the PDF stage.

Remember that each sheet can still have a drawing number. Its important to differentiate drawing number (for each sheet) from the drawing file (.ad_drw). In this case the drawing file is merely a repository of sorts for all the drawings (i.e. sheets). And it allows us users the ability to 'save as' from the drawing file and capture the entire project.

Not the most elegant solution, but AD does have some shortcomings in this area so this is the best 'all-round save as' method I could come up with.

 

[ROTTER]

Remember that each sheet can still have a drawing number. Its important to differentiate drawing number (for each sheet) from the drawing file (.ad_drw). In this case the drawing file is merely a repository of sorts for all the drawings (i.e. sheets). And it allows us users the ability to 'save as' from the drawing file and capture the entire project.

Not the most elegant solution, but AD does have some shortcomings in this area so this is the best 'all-round save as' method I could come up with.

What about the BOM. Then you have one BOM of 100 bills or more in it?

 

[bigseb]

What about the BOM. Then you have one BOM of 100 bills or more in it?

Like I say, AD has limitations. I just use a method that fits my needs. You need to take this up with Alibre.