How To Link Drawing To File In Solidworks

Nosotros've all been there at some point or some other. Nosotros've all modified a part and peradventure changed the name of it, and our references got all screwed up. Typically, nosotros get a message to the issue of "SOLIDWORKS cannot detect file Former Part.SLDPRT. Would y'all like to notice it yourself?" to which yous can answer Yes, No, or Cancel, with the selection to not inquire again. This only appears if you've renamed the part completely.

If you lot wanted to keep your quondam role, you might have saved a new part called "New Role" (which is, past the way, the worst proper name you can give to a part) and modified that, merely were unlucky enough to not have had the cartoon open when you lot did that.

This means the new name does not get reflected in the drawing, and the cartoon (and assembly) nonetheless calls for the quondam part. A better workflow would have been to salve the part equally "Older Part" or "Erstwhile Part – Current-DATE" using the Save As Re-create option, and then modify the office to go along it electric current, which would leave all your references intact. That will work great side by side time, but you've already gotten yourself into this mess and demand to move forward.

Ideally you just want to change the part reference that the drawing or assembly is calling upwards.

Why change SOLIDWORKS Drawing reference?

Below is the existing drawing of the old part. I've got some dimensions on at that place, some GD&T, maybe information technology's a more complex drawing that I don't desire to redo. Hither'south how I modify it.

Old Part Drawing

Onetime Part Drawing

Change reference steps

Firstly, I close the drawing.

Then, I go to open information technology once more by going to File > Open (or use the Open icon on one of my toolbars).

While in the Open dialog, I'thou going to pick the file, but I'm not going to click open simply all the same or double-click it to open it. Instead, I'm going to click on the References button.

File, Open, References

That'south going to bring up a list of all the files that this drawing file is referencing. I could go the aforementioned list with my file open by going to File > Find References. This is what that window looks like:

Edit File Locations

If I double-click on the part (in the red circle) I tin can change the name of the part that the drawing is going to reference.

If I double-click the file path (bluish circle) I tin can browse to a different folder. It's generally good exercise to proceed your drawing files in the same binder equally the part/assembly that it is referring to. That way, you tin open the drawing by right-clicking on the function at the meridian of the feature tree and choose Open up Drawing.

Edit File Locations completed

You'll notice that inverse items are listed as green. This is not permanent yet. This is not even permanent afterward I click OK. I take to click OK, so open the drawing for the changes to be applied, so I take to save the drawing for the changes to be fabricated permanent.

Drawing references are updated

Cartoon references are updated

In this example, since the new part was based on the old part, the dimensions are able to maintain their relationship with the correct edges and rework is minimal. Of class, if the part was completely different then I would likely need to create a new drawing anyways.

The same principle applies to an assembly every bit well. Heed you, in an assembly it is easier to right-click on the office in the feature tree, select the two chevrons at the bottom, then select "Replace Component" equally shown below

Replace Components

As with replacing the reference component of a cartoon, you besides tin can end up with bug if the new part wasn't based on the old part since the mates and sketch relations may be messed up, only if the new part was based on the old ane then the issues should be minimal.