SolidWorks

When you go to use the Hole Wizard or Toolbox you get the following error:

Error: The database file ‘C:\SolidWorks Data\lang\english\swbrowser.mdb’ is not the expected version.

Typically you would see this error if you have recently upgraded your SolidWorks install to SW2010 or SW2011. SolidWork should have updated your HoleWizard/Toolbox database, or maybe it installed a new one, and the wrong path is listed in Tools -> Options -> Hole Wizard / Toolbox.

Checklist

1. Using My Computer, look for C:\SolidWorks Data, C:\SolidWorks Data (2)
2. Open SolidWorks, Tools -> Options -> Hole Wizard / Toolbox. Check that the path is correct and if different paths were found above, try browsing to them.
3. If you have another computer running the same latest version of SolidWorks, copy their C:\SolidWorks Data to your computer.
   OR
   Browse to: “C:\Program Files\SolidWorks Corp\SolidWorks\Toolbox\data utilities” and run UpdateBrowserData.exe Browse to the swbrowser.mdb file inside C:\SolidWorks Data\lang\english and click “Update”. That should do the trick.

sburke How-To, Note to Remember errors, hole wizard, SW2010, toolbox

CTRL + Pause/Break

Especially useful for macros which loop through lots of operations.

If you have a looping MsgBox() popup, the above CTRL+break doesn’t seem to work. In this case:

Task Manager -> Processes -> swvbaserver.exe (End Process)
Note: SW may have to be restarted to allow a macro to run afterwards.

Reference

sburke How-To, Macro SW2010

I did come across this before, but forgot about it. Putting it here will remind me not to forget it again.

Query: Cosmetic threads do not appear in Assembly Drawings.

1. Create a Part with a Hole Wizard Hole with Cosmetic Thread.
2. Create a Drawing of the Part, the Cosmetic Thread shows up in Plan, Elevation, Section etc.
3. Create an Assembly with the above Part.
4. Create a Drawing of the Assembly, Cosmetic Threads do not show by default.

The SolidWorks Knowledge Base provided a quick answer (S-03448). The above functionality is intended. If you want to see cosmetic threads in Assembly Drawings, you have to go Insert -> Model Items -> Cosmetic Thread

sburke Note to Remember Drawings, SW2010, Thread

Working on a piping project recently, I done a pack-and-go to make sure the project would open correctly on another computer. Weeks later when I got back to the project, I worked on the extracted pack-and-go, and started creating a new route, I found I could not insert piping components (flanges, tees etc.) from the Design Library via drag-and-drop. I would see no preview of the part in order to smart mate it into place. When I tried to drag and drop, I got the error “Drag and Drop Failed” and also “This component is already open, would you like to show it..”.

I’ve had this problem before with one or two parts, and what I done was to rename the particular flange in the Design Library to weld neck flange2 and then it would drag and drop in correctly. This time however it was more widespread.

After searching the SolidWorks Knowledge Base on the Customer Portal, I found my problem. My problem was specifically due to the Pack and Go that I done. The pack-and-go copied all my Routing parts from the Design Library into a flat folder. Upon opening this, the routing parts (flanges, elbows etc.) were loaded up from the Project folder rather than the Deisgn Library.

Rule:
Keep all Routing Components (flanges, tees etc.) IN ONE PLACE, i.e. the Design Library
If you open an Assembly with routing components, and SW loads up a flange from Location X, you cannot drag and drop the same flange from Location Y. Use File -> Find References to check where SW loaded files up from.

sburke Note to Remember Routing, SW2010