When SolidWorks can't find your part files

I indicated that students must create a folder for each project in the Parametric Solid Modeling class at Southern Maine Community College, and that submissions require that the folder be placed in your "Please Grade" folder on your Google Drive. So many students didn't do that correctly, so there is a video showing why, and what you can do to make sure that you submit ALL necessary files for assemblies and drawings.

[@TexusNoe365247]

I'm from Utah Valley University. This video has saved me SO much time. Thank you for sharing!

[@DanAbbott-SMCC]

Glad it was helpful!

[@peepeeinspector]

Thanks for sharing. What if you are receiving a complete assembly package but SolidWorks is unable to locate the reference parts when you try to open the assembly? How would I designate the proper file path for SolidWorks to access the entire package I've just downloaded?

[@DanAbbott-SMCC]

If the package was created with Pack and Go, you wouldn't have to remap anything, so it sounds like it was sent to you as a collection of files but not in the same folder structure used to create the assembly. The easiest way to connect them is to place all of the individual files in the same root directory. Unless the files were renamed, or are not the same part files used for the assembly, they should show up since the root is used by SolidWorks as the path IF it can find the same parts. If the parts aren't named the same, you will have to link them, which you can do by opening the assembly and selecting the browse for part option when you get the error message on each part. If they aren't the same parts (different internal ID) you can map them, and they may open, but you are likely to have a lot of broken mates. I would specify to anyone sending you a package in the future that they prepare it with Pack and Go.

[@We-Do-NOT-Consent-303]

My problem is slightly different. I am running SolidWorks on a Virtual Machine on Linux. And I am opening the Main Assembly from a shared folder in Linux. All the part files are already in the same directory, yet SW can not find them even when it is highlighting them in the open dialog box. I do have just press Open, and then it gets it, but I have several 100 parts in this assembly so it gets tedious! What am I doing wrong?

[@DanAbbott-SMCC]

No idea. If the assembly and parts are all in the same folder, that is where SolidWorks looks first for external part files. If you didn't change the names of the parts, it should find them, but it is possible that the issue is Linux. My students frequently use a Virtual Machine with Windows and the parts always open if they are in the same folder and they haven't been renamed.

[@We-Do-NOT-Consent-303]

@@DanAbbott-SMCC I know, that is what I thought! This has never happened before in 20 years of my running SolidWorks.

[@DanAbbott-SMCC]

One significant difference between Linux and Windows is that file names are case sensitive. That would only matter if you had renamed some files with a different case than original, even if the file name would work with windows. Otherwise, I have no idea.

[@We-Do-NOT-Consent-303]

@@DanAbbott-SMCC Good thinking, but I have tried to transfer all those files to an NTFS USB drive connected to the Windows System, and the same thing happened. This must be a new bug in SolidWorks 2023. Because this has never happened before in 20 years.

[@bdanxonix]

Ok, a question, when i open a simple part and i wanna find location fast, how i do that?To be able also to copy that location path etc...?

[@DanAbbott-SMCC]

I'm not sure I understand your question. Do you mean open a single part directly or from the assembly? If from the assembly, you can use SAVEAS to see the current path.

[@bdanxonix]

@@DanAbbott-SMCC I found, to be able to find fast the path... and copy the path... File -> Find references... and you can assign shortcut to this also.

[@nambahuphilip2633]

I have a slightly different issue. I'm trying to simulate my work but it says "Result files not available, copy the correct result files to working directory and reopen the document"

[@DanAbbott-SMCC]

I am not sure about this one, but it sounds like you may have changed the name or moved one or more files after running your simulation.

[@huseyinkaya8750]

you are king

[@DanAbbott-SMCC]

Well, thanks...not really king though.

[@naturalbeauty3315]

Thank you sir

[@DanAbbott-SMCC]

You are quite welcome.