Hello all,
We are in the middle of a Vault Migration for all of our AutoCAD Electrical projects.
My main concern is the AutoCAD Electrical databases.
We are going to try to put everything in one working folder that will be the same on dozens of workstations.
This brings me to my question...
There are three main folders AutoCAD Electrical uses for it's databases, AEDATA, Libs and the Support folder.
I want to change these three folders to a location that would be the same on every system, C:\VaultWork\Electrical\etc...
Is it possible to make Electrical look for these things in a different location, or are the locations static?
--Thanks in advanced.
Thomas Walls
CADMASTER TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
www.cadmastertech.com
Solved! Go to Solution.
Solved by dougmcalexander. Go to Solution.
Doug McAlexander
Design Engineer/Consultant/Instructor/Mentor
Specializing in AutoCAD Electrical Implementation Support
Phone: (770) 841-8009
www.linkedin.com/in/doug-mcalexander-1a77623
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Thank you sir.
As i stated, this change will be implimented on many workstations.
I can change the Library locations in the project, so whoever opens it, the paths will go with the project.
But, is there a way to change the support file search path on many computers at one time?
Or will I have to go from workstation to workstation, changing the path?
--Thanks
Thomas Walls
CADMASTER TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
www.cadmastertech.com
You only need to move the AeData folder from one PC to the network. You will have to set the support file search path for each workstation, but you only do this once, and it only takes a minute or so. The wd.env file resides in the AeData folder so all workstations will share the same environment file. Hint: Rename or delete the local AeData folder to ensure that AutoCAD Electrical does not find the local AeData. I have seen it use the local AeData folder if it exists.
As you stated the projects all point to a specific library path, so no change is needed there, unless you wish to serve the libraries from the network. You would definitely want to share a custom symbols folder, so anytime someone creates a new symbol, it is available for all. In the wd.env file you can set the path for the icon menu browse button to always default to the networked custom symbols folder first. You set the entire schematic library path as shown in my attached sample. Now you can select on the Schematic Library category in Project Properties and click the Default button to instantly set the project to the new schematic library path. The same can be done for panel layout footprints.
Hint: Place the custom symbols folder first in the path. If you wish to modify a symbol from the supplied Autodesk libraries, copy them first into you custom symbols folder. Make you edits and save. When you click to insert this component from the icon menu, AutoCAD Electrical searches the menu list in order and finds your modified version first.
You can go one step further and share the icon menus as well. Simply move them to a desired location on the network and set the projects to this path. Now when some adds a new symbol to the menu, all users see it. Again, you can edit the wd.env file default icon menu path for both schematic and footprint to menus to reflect the new path for each. In Project Properties, you simply select the schematic icon menu category and click the Default button to immediately change the menu path. Note: You must do this for both the schematic and panel footprint categories.
Doug McAlexander
Design Engineer/Consultant/Instructor/Mentor
Specializing in AutoCAD Electrical Implementation Support
Phone: (770) 841-8009
www.linkedin.com/in/doug-mcalexander-1a77623
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That pretty much sums up what I am trying to do.
I have an extensive custom icon menu we use for both schematics and panel footprints.
I have tried this with your steps provided, and successfully shared these databases with two workstations so for.
And I did not know about the wd.env file in the AeData, thanks.
Hopefully this makes everyone's lives a bit easier
--Thanks Doug
Thomas Walls
CADMASTER TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
www.cadmastertech.com
I'm also struggling trying to setup ACADE for a multi-user environment, I've been following this thread which has helped (thank you) but I must be doing something wrong! So far I've copied the Acade 2016, Aedata and Support Files to another drive on my workstation:
I've created a test project in the AeData folder, the intention is that this will be the 'template project', I've opened the project settings and set all of the library paths as below:
So far all is okay, its when I try to create and edit a .env file that the problems start, I've followed this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZgw51Zimb8
But I've been unable to get the changes to the environment file to work, I've changed the location of the part catalog database file as shown below:
But when I check the project settings they show that original default_cat.mdb is being used.
Renaming AeData in the default location causes the system to lose the .env files and also the ribbon. Also Im not sure of the function of the files in:
C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Autodesk\AutoCAD Electrical 2016\R20.1\enu\Support
Any help here would be greately appreciated, I've already spent 2 days on this and can't see a way forward ...!
Doug McAlexander
Design Engineer/Consultant/Instructor/Mentor
Specializing in AutoCAD Electrical Implementation Support
Phone: (770) 841-8009
www.linkedin.com/in/doug-mcalexander-1a77623
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Did your question get successfully answered? Then click on the ACCEPT SOLUTION button.
Hi Doug,
I've followed the instructions on your site and everything is now working as expected, thank you for helping me!
Cheers
Pete
Doug McAlexander
Design Engineer/Consultant/Instructor/Mentor
Specializing in AutoCAD Electrical Implementation Support
Phone: (770) 841-8009
www.linkedin.com/in/doug-mcalexander-1a77623
Did you find this post helpful? Feel free to Like this post.
Did your question get successfully answered? Then click on the ACCEPT SOLUTION button.
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