missing data shortcuts

[jakubm]

I have a strange problem on my hands. The data shortcut for my main alignment seems to have disappeared (either removed by someone else in the office by accident or due to a glitch, I don't know). It does not appear in Data Shortcuts under the prospector. The shortcut for the profile is also not shown, but the XML file exists for the profile and can be seen in the external Data Shortcuts Editor. But, the data shortcuts work just as expected. The source file is File A. If I change the alignment or profile in File A I can see the changes in File B. But according to the Data Shortcuts Editor and the xml file, the source for the profile is File B. 

Has anyone ever encountered such a problem? How can a data shortcut work with no xml file? My last resort will be to recreate the shortcut (deleting the alignment in File B), but this will require rebuilding the corridor and a lot of other work. I'm thinking of just recreating the shortcut, but I'm afraid this will cause problems in the future.

thanks,

-jakub

[nbrimer]

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@jakubm wrote:

I have a strange problem on my hands. The data shortcut for my main alignment seems to have disappeared (either removed by someone else in the office by accident or due to a glitch, I don't know). It does not appear in Data Shortcuts under the prospector. The shortcut for the profile is also not shown, but the XML file exists for the profile and can be seen in the external Data Shortcuts Editor. But, the data shortcuts work just as expected. The source file is File A. If I change the alignment or profile in File A I can see the changes in File B. But according to the Data Shortcuts Editor and the xml file, the source for the profile is File B. 

Has anyone ever encountered such a problem? How can a data shortcut work with no xml file? My last resort will be to recreate the shortcut (deleting the alignment in File B), but this will require rebuilding the corridor and a lot of other work. I'm thinking of just recreating the shortcut, but I'm afraid this will cause problems in the future.

thanks,

-jakub

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what is the working file path for the data shortcut for the project your working with? would be the first question. that might just be the problem is that it isn't looking at the right folder to show the correct location. the only reason I asked is because your file B is still updating so the data shortcut can't be gone or it wouldn't update or it would say that there is a broken shortcut

[jakubm]

The thing is the shortcut used to be there. We have many other data shortcuts in the working folder and they all work properly. This is the only one that has issues. When I resync the alignment I can see the name of the shortcut is still the same as I set it, but that file is no where in the entire project's working directory since I've searched for all xml files.

Is there a way to find out where a given data shortcut xml file is located from either the source or data shortcutted alignment?

-jakub

[mathewkol]

Let me get this straight.  When you right click the alignment in your corridor file and choose Open Source File, File b opens?

#1  Reference objects don't NEED the XML file to exist.  They need them to be created, but once you've created a surface or profile reference, you can turf the XML file.  The reference object within the DWG remembers where the source file is.

#2  Feel free to recreate the shortcut (add it to the list of objects under data shortcuts in the prospector).  Your corridor will not break because of it, but it will still be using the alignment defined in File B.  If the File A alignment is desired you should be able to make it work using the Data Shortcuts Editor without having to do too much work with the corridor.  You may have some work though, it depends on your corridor.

Good luck.

[nbrimer]

the only thing is if that file has been mooved by mistake to another folder on your server but if it's not shown in the data shortcuts then you can't tell it to open source files and it wouldn't open it in windows explorer to show where the xml file would be. and yes he is correct that recreating the data shortcut wouldn't make you have to redo the corridor or most of the other work you have done sofar it would just make it avalible to refrence in other drawings from this point forward

[jakubm]

The corridor is file B. If I open source file it opens File A. The profile should point to File A as the source, not File B.

References only using the XML to create them is good to know. So it seems like I can just delete the profile XML and then recreate the data shortcut of my alignment and profile and I will be able to create new references. Existing files that work properly should not be affected.

thanks for all the help,

-jakub

[nbrimer]

I would probably do a search for the missing files just to see if they were done in adiffrent folder or if they got moved some how. also you might talk to your IT people and see if they can put another security measure in that would prompt users if they try to mistakenly move files that shouldn't be moved, ours did that and it helps when some one is in explorer and inadvertanly tried to move a file now it won't let them unless they meant to move it

[mathewkol]

Just an FYI here.  Deleting those XML files has consequences too.  The DREF does not NEED them, but there are advantages to having them.  Like modifying certain things using the Data Shortcuts Editor.