Sharing

So, you have automated your product and are pleased with your results.

What about letting some of your colleagues in on the secret of your newly acquired ability to get work into production at lightning speed?

You have a couple of options available.

1. Work from a common location using the same files.


2. Distribute the files amongst your colleagues.

The first option is not straightforward. The main drawback of this is that the same database can only be accessed by one person at a time. This is a limitation of using Microsoft Access, and one that is overcome by DriveWorks (full version) and its adoption of the SQL Server databases. So once a DriveWorksXpress database is opened on one machine, SolidWorks will need to be closed down to release the database for another machine to open. Painful.

My personal recommendation is to distribute your files. But to do this effectively I recommend the following: -

1. Create a common directory on your C: that can easily be created on all the computers on the distribution list. C:\DriveWorksXpress for example.


2. Create or Move your DriveWorksXpress database into this folder. (the .mdb file)


3. Create sub folders within this folder to store the models of each product that will be automated.

Using this method also means you can be further developing the rules while others are reaping the benefits of what is currently automated. Over the coming days I will be giving advice on naming, so the essential files can be easily located for distribution.