Vault Open file association

[karthur1]

Say that I want to open a dwg file from Vault Explorer.....just to view it.  So I right click on the file and choose "open in window". It opens in DWG Viewer.  Now I notice that I would like to make a change to this dwg file.  SInce I cant edit in DWG Viewer, I have to now open the file in Autocad.  So I close the DWG Viewer.

Back in VE, I right click on the file again.  This time I choose "open".  It still opens in DWG Viewer.

How do I get the VE to use Autocad to "Open" the dwg files?

[Senthil_Kumar]

Hi,

Is the DWG file associated with AutoCAD application in Windows? You can check this by double clicking on a DWG from Windows Explorer. If it is associated it should open in AutoCAD. Can you confirm that?

[scottmoyse]

I believe the DWG launcher decides which program to open the DWG in and not windows, i don't believe windows file associations work with DWG files. So its whatever program was last used to open a DWG. If you want to make it use autocad, then opening working on and then saving a file in Acad then closign the app should do it. In my opinion autodesk have some work to do with the DWGLauncher.exe especially since sketchbook uses the dwg format. By the way Inventor DWG files behave differently because within the registry they are marked as idw*DWG or something similar, so windows see it as a different file type.

[karthur1]

In Win Exp, if I right-click on the DWG file and choose Properties, then Change, this is set to the "Autocad DWG Launcher" application. With this selected, no matter what I do, the DWG file is opened in DWG Viewer.

I changed this from "Autocad DWG Launcer" to "Autocad Application".  Now it works correctly from Vault Explorer.  If chose "View in Window", it opens in DWG Viewer.  If I chose "Open", it opens in the Autocad application and I can edit it.

Thanks

[scottmoyse]

Cool, there was a thread on here a couple of years ago, you couldn't assign the file type to the application directly at the time, and the suggested workflow was to open a file with the app you wanted to load it with by default, close it, then apparently DWG launcher picked up on that and fired the correct program next time.

[karthur1]

Just installed DWG Trueview 2012.  This doesnt work the way that it did

With the file association set to "Autocad DWG Launcher" in Win Exp, in Vault Explorer if I right-click on a dwg file and select "Open" it opens in Autocad.  If I right-click and choose "View in window", it opens in Autocad. (I would like for it to open in DWG TrueView).

If I change the file association in Win Exp to "AutoCAD application", then in Vault Exp if I right-click on a dwg file and select "Open" it opens in DWG TrueView.  If I right-click and choose "View in Window", it opens in DWG TrueView.

I want to be able to open a DWG from VE in Autocad if I choose "Open" or if I chose "View in Window", it should open in DWG TrueView.  Curious if this is how it is intended to work.

[scottmoyse]

good to know. let me know how you get on, if you figure anything else out.

[carrie.ruan]

Spoiler

Hi

It seems that something is wrong when Open/View acad dwg file from your description. However, I can't reproduce it on Vault Professional 2012. So could you please send me more information to track it? E.g.. OS, the version of ACAD & Vault Professional.

Generally, to Open the ACAD dwg file,

1. If ACAD.exe process doesn't exist, then Vault will choose the correct ACAD application to open the file.

2. If ACAD.exe process already exist, then Vault will Let windows select an application to open dwg file

     a. If windows use the ACAD to open the file, it would be nice, the ACAD dwg file would be opened in the exist ACAD.exe process.

     b. If window use other application to open the dwg file, the dwg file would be open in the application (not ACAD )

By default, the windows would use the DWG launcher to open the dwg file, but the Launcher would select the last application open the dwg file. I think, this is incorrect for the launcher. 

So I would like to suggest to close all acad.exe before open/view the dwg file.

Regards,

Carrie

[karthur1]

Carrie,

I am using DWG TrueView 2012. I also have Autocad 2011 installed.  My OS is Win7x64,  I am using the plain Vault.  Other info is in my sig below.

You list the flow for Vault to Open and ACAD dwg file.  What is the process flow for vault to "View in Window".

Thanks

[carrie.ruan]

Hi

Thanks for the detail information. I am preparing environment to try it, once I get the result I will let you know.

Generally, view in windows for ACAD dwg

1. If the dwg has dwf file attached, view in windows use ADR(Vault preview )

2. If the dwg hasn't dwf attached, view in windows use DWG trueview;

3. if the dwg hasn't dwf attached, also there is NO DWG trueview installed, then Vault will let windows select an application to view it.

Hope it is helpful.

Regards,
Carrie

[TheRuinner13]

This is still a problem.

[carrie.ruan]

Thank you for posting this issue. It is caused by windows DWG launcher. By default, the windows would use the DWG launcher to open the dwg file, however, the Launcher would select the last application open the dwg file.  So you may meet DWG trueview open ACAD dwg when double click on a dwg in Vault explorer .  This bug has been closed with reason external dependency in Vault.

The workaround is right click on a dwg file in local folder, then set AutoCAD as default program.

Hope this can help you a little.

Regards,

Carrie

[tonyj]

This still seems to be an ongoing issue, where if you also have more than one version of AutoCAD installed (which many of our customers have a need for), it will in a somewhat random way choose what version to open up in.

It can be varied in a number of different ways that produce different results, and unless you over ride the default profile, doesn't honour customised profiles either.

It is a really badly needed function to be able to open from Vault Explorer directly to the relevant CAD application, can something be developed that can override the AutoCAD Launcher to control the opening behaviour?

[mthomas]

At one time in Vault's past, I believe Vault 2013 was the last to do so, the option to Open with Viewer always opened the drawing with TrueView, regardless if Inventor or AutoCAD drawing. This was a great feature as you could quickly open a drawing to print with control, create PDF, take a couple measurements, without having to wait for AutoCAD or Inventor to open and load the drawing. This is what I want back... Open, opens the drawing with whatever the DWG Launcher tells it to and the Open with Viewer open with TrueView