Drawing missing links not replaceable

[Uman]

A drawing of an assembly with a BOM frequently looses constituent links to its assembly file.
The missing designs pop-up window identifies the assembly as missing, but will not accept the original assembly file when selected.
This has happened several times on different assembly drawings. When the corrupted files are replaced with the identical backup, everything is fine for a while...and then the constituents are lost again for no apparent reason or changes.

Oddly, this seems to happen when the subject drawing file is opened and the "save" option is enabled and selected.

Jeff
Win 7 / 64 bit
WFS
AD Expert 2011.0.0.56 / 64 bit

 

[Ralf]

Hi Jeff,

It looks like in your "Fuge production" subassembly, part(s) are missing.
Please expand and then you can see the missing part(s).

Also I would try to open this subassembly:Fuge production [110]

 

[Uman]

The concealed parts are not missing links and yes expansion will reveal the additional links (parts); only the parent assembly is missing.
I was able to recover the drawing by merely renaming the Fuge source folder and the link was re-established. Apparently whenever a folder is substituted from the backup location, the name of the folder must be changed or constituent links are still linked to the backup location, even though the backup location is a separate drive; This is still under review.

It seems, the Windows file system is not quite absolute with file constituent links, when moving folders.

P.S. Fuge is short for centrifuge

Ralf...thanks for your efforts to help.

Jeff

 

[TCAST]

Hey cool.........someone that IS HAVING THE EXACT PROBLEM I'm having. :evil:

Saved a drawing before leaving for lunch, changed NOTHING, then when I try and reopen it it can't find the ASM or BOM.

Now it won't allow me to pick the original file. AD just locks up.

 

[TCAST]

I was able to recover the drawing by merely renaming the Fuge source folder and the link was re-established.

Yup, just did that and it opened fine...... :roll:

 

[Uman]

The problem persists and changing the source folder name is only temporary.
Changing the source folder allowed opening of the drawing; additionally the BOM was unlinked and relinked with a altered BOM name. This appears to be the solution, but every opening of the drawing, the file prompts a save even when no changes were made. I suspect the BOM link becomes corrupted when resurrecting a backup assembly, parts, BOM & drawing. This same scenario is common for each backup I have resurrected.

 

[DavidJ]

What is your method / toolset to create and resurrect backups? That might give some clues.

It has long been known that copying/renaming Alibre files in WFS causes all kinds of issues - could your issue be similar, or maybe it is something entirely different...?

 

[dwc]

My experiance is that you can copy a backed-up file back into the directory from which it came without problems.
Be sure that both the file and the file name have not been changed in any way.
Copying into any other directory causes problems.
Any other copying of files using Windows also only creates problems.
If need a copy of a file use Save As in AD.
AD has its own internal system of knowing which file(s) belong to which other(s) and any attempts, even unwitting attempts, to get around this do not work and only cause frustration.

 

[Uman]

It has long been known that copying/renaming Alibre files in WFS causes all kinds of issues - could your issue be similar, or maybe it is something entirely different...?

The backup files were retrieved from a separate drive and not renamed, prior to the fault.

I did not notice these backup faults until AD 2011 and Win7 concurrent implementation....upgrade and new computer was same time so I can not pin point the culprit.

I suspect the drawing BOM link to the assembly file is corrupt. It is a pesky elusive copy/backup file bug that is inconsistent and random in nature. There are workarounds, but at best, the subject file system integrity is compromised indefinitely.

The implications to this copy/backup fault has me quite worried about my CAD file system integrity and the viability of a reliable backup solution.

:?: If this is a known issue, why is a problem of this magnitude not corrected?....is anybody else concerned?

 

[DavidJ]

I meant EXACTLY how do you create the backup, and how do you retrieve it.

Do you use WFS copy, some archive/backup tool, Alibre Save As ....? When you retrieve, do you copy/paste, drag/drop, some other....?

I'm just trying to understand if what you are seeing could be related to some other issues, or if it is something new and unrelated.

The 'known issue' is easy to avoid problems with as long as you don't re-name Alibre files using WFS tools.

 

[dwc]

The backup files were retrieved from a separate drive and not renamed, prior to the fault.

Where they copied back to a different directory? different path? That is the same as changing the name.

There is no issue if you follow the simple rule of always using AD to change file names or directories.
Windows file system is what messes things up.
(BTW I am using AD2011 on Vista and Win7, same behaviour for both)

Don

 

[Uman]

Windows file system (right click, drag and drop, method is used to backup AD files)
No backup tools.

Primary AD files are all located on the same drive/directory.
Backup AD files are all located on a separate external dedicated drive.

File structure
Alibre Design is the top level folder
Each product is a sub-subfolder to Alibre Design with associate sub-folders for parts.
A product sub-folder stores the assembly, BOM and drawing files
Additional product sub-folders store associated parts

Restore techinque
The entire Alibre Design folder is backup by a right mouse drap-drop-copy/paste into the external drive and folder renamed with Julian date....the entire AD folder is backed up periodically.
Backup files are restored by deleting primary product folder; right mouse click drag-drop-paste product folder from external drive into existing primary AD folder.
The entire product folder is restored, not individual files.

 

[DavidJ]

I don't see anything obvious in that to cause difficulties - but then again I'm not expert in how WFS works internally and how Alibre hooks into it.

The problems I'm familiar with is when users copy/paste and re-name a part file when they should have 'saved as', they then get surprised when they still get the 'old version' of parts they thought they'd modified.

This probelm seems a bit different.

 

[Anonymous]

Try doing a save all as once you get all the parts/BOM re-associated after back up. Save all as should rewrite all the file/name locations in the parts. When you do the save all as you will need to direct each file to the folder it should be in and it will overwrite the existing files.