OLE Links and Sharepoint

[scbunker]

I am linking some Excel spreadsheets into AutoCAD using PasteSpecial/OLE. The Excel files are saved on Sharepoint, and I have the Sharepoint files synced to my PC. The link works until I close the AutoCAD file. When I re-open the file, I get a message that says "Failed to Connect. Link may be broken." for each linked Excel file.

I've looked around trying to find an answer to this. I found one suggestion that the Sharepoint drive be assigned an actual drive letter. So I figured out how to do that, but it's still not working.

I don't understand why it's not working. The drive path does not change on my PC in either case, so it shouldn't have problems finding it. 

Does anyone know how fix this?

Thanks.

[scbunker]

Update after trying some other things:

It seems that AutoCAD can maintain the link if I have the linked files already open in Excel when I open the AutoCAD file. Interesting to note, but not a feasible workflow.

I tried to save the Excel files to my Documents folder on my PC to link them in (just a short-term patch to get this working for my immediate need). Unfortunately, that also isn't working. I have my PC backed up and synced via OneDrive using Window's built-in OneDrive feature. So, when I open an Excel file that is synced via OneDrive, Excel sees that file on OneDrive even if I opened it from my PC. The file path in Excel is "https..." Therefore when I paste special from Excel, the https file path is transferred to AutoCAD rather than the drive letter file path. I think it's the https file path that's causing the problem in AutoCAD. And it's not working to manually override the file path to include the drive letter in AutoCAD - I triedl

So it seems that the only way I can get this to work is if I save the Excel files to a folder on my PC that is not synced to OneDrive - in other words, to a folder that isn't backed up at all. I can't do that.

I'm really hoping someone has a solution to this. I'm out of options.

[imadHabash]

Hi,

>> So it seems that the only way I can get this to work is if I save the Excel files to a folder on my PC 

i'm afraid this is the only chance that you have . 

[scbunker]

I just tested this in AutoCAD 2021. Still not working.

What's crazy is that AutoCAD 2021 now explicitly supports OneDrive. So when I opened the DWG, it recognized that the file was saved in OneDrive, allowed me to sign into OneDrive from within AutoCAD, and now I can see OneDrive version history from within AutoCAD itself. But it won't link an Excel document that's saved to OneDrive...

[pendean]

Read this https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/autocad-forum/sharepoint-based-support-files-lessons-learned/m-p/9761...

[scbunker]

I was never able to find a solution to this. It does seem that my only option is to accept that the Excel files cannot be backed up via Sharepoint or OneDrive, as @imadHabash suggested. 

I'm not going to mark that as a solution, however. A solution doesn't exist. Thanks for your help.

[scbunker]

Is there not an AutoCAD Ideas forum?

[swilson5DT9P]

Happy to have found this post. Our company recently migrated to O365 and started using SharePoint. We're running into this same issue with our users. 

Is there still no solution to this other than not using SharePoint? 

I would hope, with the volume of users on both platforms, a solution would be in the works. 

[pendean]

No other solution: Autodesk needs to develop what you seek and put that in the programs they release.

Tell them all about your needs here https://www.autodesk.com/company/contact-us/product-feedback

[scbunker]

I found a workaround: if you have the linked files opened when you open the dwg file, the link will hold. So I've gotten into the habit of keeping all my linked Excel files in the same directory with my dwgs and opening the Excel files first.

Not a good long term solution. I did provide feedback at the link that @pendean suggested. They asked that I make a screencast describing the problem. I did so and shared with them and didn't hear back.  Please do provide feedback at that link. Hopefully the more voices they here the more likely they'll fix the problem.

The funny thing is that AutoCAD 2021 has some built-in support for Sharepoint, in that you can view OneDrive versions from right within AutoCAD. But this problem isn't fixed.

[swilson5DT9P]

Thanks for the quick responses. I have provided feedback and asked that our users do the same. 

[mkhudson]

I have found that even if I open all the Excel files first, and then open the ACAD file, links may still be broken - IF I have not opened them all within a few weeks. It appears that any extended dormancy causes the files to be stored only on Sharepoint as "available" and not mirrored on the hard drive. Still no solution. So at intervals I have to relink all of the files all over again. The only "solution" is to open the files once a month and save them even if you don't edit them.

[rens.appelhof]

Hi @mkhudson 

I was reading through this thread looking for a solution for our problems when migrating from fileshares to sharepoint, when I noticed your comment. Have you tried the option 'Always keep on this device'? It's an option if you right click the file. In normal behaviour the OneDrive client will clean up local copies of file after X amount of inactivity to prevent using an unneccesary amount of disk space. With the 'Always keep on this device' option OneDrive will never clean up the local copies of those files.

I'm not sure if it will counter your problems but it might be worth a shot and I haven't seen it recommended yet.

[garret.leslie]

This issue is problematic for our organization as well. My next workaround attempt is going to be directly embedding the spreadsheet into dwg and then using Excel links to connect to the spreadsheet anyone can edit on Sharepoint. Have you tried this already?