topic Re: Secondary catalog file path in AutoCAD Electrical Forum

Secondary catalog file path

alds02 — Thu, 14 Apr 2022 12:29:33 GMT

Is there a way to use a relative file path to define the secondary catalog lookup file for projects?

I'm helping a customer get set up with AutoCAD Electrical and using a shared drive (USB for now, network later). I'm trying to be a little more "elegant" this time with using relative paths instead of absolute when I can.

Re: Secondary catalog file path

pendean — Thu, 14 Apr 2022 13:01:25 GMT

Nope.

Re: Secondary catalog file path

dougmcalexander — Thu, 14 Apr 2022 20:20:52 GMT

Maybe you could use the local, default_cat.mdb file as the relative one, unique for each user, and set the secondary to point at a common networked location. Be sure not to change the name of the default_cat.mdb. There is a tool that will create a project-specific catalog database. It will automatically create a new database inside of the project folder. The database will contain only the data for the parts used in the project. In order to create the project-specific database the project needs to be pointing to the master catalog database. After the project-specific catalog database is created, the software will use it instead of the master. It always checks the project folder first when it is looking for a catalog database to use.

If, what you are trying to accomplish is to give a project its own catalog database, that is possible. You just place the catalog file you wish to use for that project inside of the project folder and name the file either, default_cat.mdb, or <projectname>_cat.mdb.

Re: Secondary catalog file path

alds02 — Fri, 15 Apr 2022 15:40:43 GMT

The common networked copy of default_cat.mdb and the (so far) very small and trim Customer_cat.mdb are in the same folder, and if the user wanted to work remotely I'd like them to just copy the secondary to the same folder as the installed default_cat.mdb. I want to use the trick of renaming the user's AeData folder to AeData_LOCAL when using the network and revert the name when away.