myCADtools ProjectManager - Enhanced Pack and Go





Congratulations! Your previous project has been successfully completed, and you are now starting to work on a new version. As a SOLIDWORKS user, you typically use the Pack and Go feature to create a copy of the project.



To ensure unique filenames, I often include a project number in the filename. In a new project, this number changes. So it’s easy to modify filenames using Pack and Go’s replace feature. Even after using this feature, I still run into some limitations:

  1. I need to change some properties:
  • Project Number
  • Project Name
  • Client
  • etc.
  1. The revisions remain as they were in the original draft.
  2. The dates remain the same.



These are just a few limitations. I often find myself facing an even greater amount of manual work as the project progresses. What if I told you there’s a handy tool called ProjectManager that takes these tasks off your hands and saves you time and energy?



Automation of Manual Tasks



Wouldn't it be nice to be able to edit, delete, or add new custom properties all at once?


Normally, a macro would need to be written for this purpose, but programming a macro requires the assistance of a specialist.


In myCADtools, ProjectManager takes care of most of these tasks for you. The settings offer a wide variety of options. It works very intuitively and requires no special technical skills. Much of the data is filled in automatically based on Windows or SOLIDWORKS properties. This saves a lot of time and hassle, especially if manual tasks aren’t your favorite part of the job.

In the example below, a set of files has been selected in ProjectManager:






This set of files consists of files with specific names and certain properties. This makes it easy to set properties in bulk for all components (1). You can also define an action condition (2):






By applying rules, you can generate meaningful names when renaming components. For this example, we'll use the "FILE_NAME" property we created earlier:






ProjectManager can even use the same XML meter file as SmartProperties. There is a great deal of flexibility and customization options, allowing you to configure the entire management process to suit your needs.



In "Structure," you define the new folder structure, for which you can once again specify rules:






As with Pack and Go, you can select a ZIP file or folders from Windows Explorer here (under "Project Operation").



Under "Duplication," you can manually adjust the structure if necessary. Files that belong in another folder can be dragged and dropped to the correct location:





After clicking "Process," ProjectManager generates a preview that lets you see exactly what will happen to the files.





After clicking "Apply," ProjectManager gets to work and creates a copy of the original, taking all the rules into account.



Although ProjectManager uses SOLIDWORKS features, this tool is installed as a standalone application. Want to learn more about the benefits of ProjectManager? Below is an overview of its benefits: