Problem

This article goes over the best practices for using a shared SOLIDWORKS Toolbox. For more information on other Toolbox topics, review this article: Comprehensive Toolbox Guide

Solution

The Toolbox can be shared in a multi-user environment by placing a copy in a shared network location. This is ideal when multiple users are collaborating on the same assemblies because it forces the Toolbox to reference a single location rather than having multiple standalone references on each computer. Use the steps below to create a multi-user environment from existing standalone installations. Please refer to the SOLIDWORKS PDM Help Files for steps on sharing a Toolbox in a PDM environment.

Follow the steps below to configure a shared Toolbox:

1. Identify the computer that has used SOLIDWORKS Toolbox most extensively; the users of this computer will have most of the configurations already created, and this will take the least amount of work to get the entire company library added to it. If you have all new installations, any user will do.
2. Move the entire SOLIDWORKS Toolbox parts directory (for example, C:\SOLIDWORKS Data) from the user's computer to a shared location. It is recommended that the shared location be on a computer that does not run the SOLIDWORKS software. This location is typically on a server.

3. To ensure that no Toolbox components are modified outside of the Toolbox, it is a good Idea to make the folders read-only. Later we will enable editing through appropriate methods on a per-part basis. Right-click on the "browser” folder within the copied SOLIDWORKS Data folder and go to “Properties".

4. Check the box for "Read-only" and click "OK" to close the window

5. Repeat steps 3-4 for the "CopiedParts" folder
6. The write access for the Toolbox will need to be adjusted for SOLIDWORKS. This can be done by going to Options > System Options > Hole Wizard/Toolbox, then press the “Configure” button to open the Toolbox.

7. In the Toolbox Setup window that comes up, select “Define User Settings”. 

   

8. Within the User Settings menu, select the radio button “Always change read-only status of document before writing” if you would like users to be able to add new configurations of hardware to the Toolbox. This can be prevented by selecting the radio button “Error when writing to a read-only document”. This option is selected when you manage Toolbox component files from a PDM system.
9. If you would like Users to be able to create new sizes for Toolbox components, you must choose a method from step 10 or 11 for storing the data in the Files section of the User Settings.
10. Create Configuration: Size information is stored as a configuration in the master part file. Whenever a fastener is dragged and dropped into an assembly. Behind the scenes, SOLIDWORKS opens up the Master Toolbox part file for the fastener. The user selects size and any other custom properties. SOLIDWORKS checks the Master Part to see if the specified size already exists as a saved configuration. If it exists, the saved configurations will be used. This method is recommended for greater control over the management of the Toolbox database.

11. Create Part: Any new fasteners are saved as part files separate from the master part file for each new size specified. When assembly documents with Toolbox Fasteners are opened, SOLIDWORKS will look in the specified folder for the Toolbox Fastener first. If the fastener or folder is missing SOLIDWORKS will look for the Master Model in the Toolbox library to generate the part. This option is recommended if you expect to be sharing files containing Toolbox fasteners because assemblies that have been sent using Pack and Go will contain references to actual part files rather than the Toolbox Master Part which may not be present for users who do not have the Toolbox Add-In.

    

12. Go to the 4th page in Toolbox Setup to set permissions for all users. Once a password has been set, we can lock down permissions and force all users to use the same settings. This needs to be done to avoid complications with a mixed environment and to allow the administrator to control who can modify the Toolbox.

    

13. Allow editing of Content: When cleared, the data on the Content tab is view-only.
14. Allow editing of Properties: When cleared, the options on the Properties tab are view-only.
15. Allow adding of parts to Toolbox: When cleared, you cannot add parts to the library of Toolbox components.
16. Allow editing of Favorites: When cleared, you cannot add or change Favorites in the Toolbox property manager.
17. Allow editing of Configuration Name/File Name: When cleared, you cannot add or change configuration or file name in the Toolbox property manager.
18. Settings: Specify how settings are applied in a multi-user environment.
19. Smart Fasteners: Specify how Smart Fasteners settings are applied in a multi-user environment.
20. Once we are done configuring the Toolbox, click the Save icon at the top left to save the Toolbox

Accessing a Shared Toolbox Library

We can add an existing SOLIDWORKS Toolbox user to an existing shared environment. Users who migrate to the shared environment might have assembly documents that reference local versions of the SOLIDWORKS Toolbox parts. Potential issues include:

• A user might have assigned part numbers and descriptions to local SOLIDWORKS Toolbox parts that are different from the shared parts.
• A user's local SOLIDWORKS Toolbox parts might contain part configurations that do not exist in the shared environment.

To add an existing user to a shared environment:

1. Make sure the existing seats in the shared environment and the seat that is migrating to the shared environment have the same SOLIDWORKS and SOLIDWORKS Toolbox versions.
2. In SOLIDWORKS, go to Tools > Options > System Options > Hole Wizard/Toolbox and click the "..." button to change the path to the shared Toolbox folder, and click "OK" to accept the change.
   
   
                                   
    
3. Press the Configure button on this page and make sure the Define User Settings tab is set to create configurations and always change the read-only status of the part before writing, as described on the previous page. This option should be greyed out if the password has been set and the permissions were set to "All Users" in the previous section.

Updating the references

If users have been previously creating hardware with a local library and are now switching to a shared toolbox environment, we will need to take a couple of steps to ensure that existing assemblies change to referencing the shared location for all hardware.

We can adjust SOLIDWORKS settings to specify the shared Toolbox location as the default reference location for any Toolbox components found in an assembly:

1. In SOLIDWORKS, navigate to Tools > Options > System Options > Hole Wizard/Toolbox
2. Check the box for "Make this folder the default search location for Toolbox components" and specify the shared toolbox folder.

3. Click "OK" to accept the change

Otherwise:

1. Delete the user’s local C:/SOLIDWORKS Data folder.

2. In SOLIDWORKS, go to Tools > Options > System Options > External References, and check the "Load documents in memory only" box in front of the option Search file locations for external references

   

    

3. Then go to Tools > Options > System Options > File Locations > Referenced Documents and click the Add button to browse to the shared toolbox location.

4. Click "OK" to accept the change

Now SOLIDWORKS will automatically use the shared location for the location of all Toolbox parts and will automatically generate the correct configuration sizes if none exist. When this happens, we will get a warning that Toolbox will generate new versions of the hardware. This new version will not have any previously added part names or properties that were generated at the local level.

For additional support, existing customers can submit a ticket or new customers can contact Hawk Ridge Systems.