ACAD LT How to make the file path for a block part of tool pallet relative?

[danielgreedy]

I am setting up another computer at the office and sharing tool palletes that I already have on an existing computer.

I export the pallete groups and pallets and import them on the new computer with no problem. Unfortunately when I go to use the blocks on the palletes, it cannot find them.

The blocks are saved on the "E" drive which is a local drive on the original computer.  When I try to access the blocks, AutoCAD is looking for an "e" drive on the new computer that does not exist.  Instead it needs to look for a "network" drive linked back to the original computer.  I can go in and associate all the links to look at the original drive, but there has got to be an easier way.  What am I missing? 

My goal is ultimately to be able to create the blocks on one computer and be able to replicate them on a second (or even third, fourth, etc).  Ideally without having to export and import each time.  I thought that by using a single networked drive, that would work, but it isn't the way I was hoping.  Is that possible?

I guess to be clear, what I am asking is how do I make the file path for a block that is part of tool pallete relative, not absolute?

Thank you

Dan

@danielgreedy 

topic title has been edited by @Tarek_K for better findability. Original: Sharing Tool Palletes

[pendean · Accepted solution]

TPs are hardcoded for items locations. If you are sharing you need to set them up centrally first, then share. or do what you are doing.

Explore this similar topic https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/autocad-lt-forum/pallete-updates/m-p/2412494#M84530

[danielgreedy]

Can you expand on your comment "set them up centrally"?  What do you mean and how do I go about this?

Thank you.

Dan

[pendean · Accepted solution]

centrally = File Server that everyone you want to share with can access all day long.

[Tarek_K]

Hello @danielgreedy,

could the information provided by pendean help you and answer your question? 🙂 If yes, please click on the "Accept as Solution" button as then also other community users can easily find and benefit from the information.

If not please dont hesitate to give an update here in your topic so all members know what´s the progression on your question is and can suggest what might be helpful to achieve what you´re looking for. 🙂

[danielgreedy]

Sorry for the late reply, but I have been trying to figure out a solution based on the previous posters comments, but I do not believe I am understanding properly.

Currently what I am doing is saving template files to a network location that are accessible to everyone.  When we start a new project, the drafter starts with this template file.  Pretty standard so far as I understand things.

When a new block is created during a project, I will also copy and paste it into the template file, hence doubling the work.  When a drafter starts a new project he now has the updated template file w/ the new block in it, however this does not necessarily get it to his tool pallete, nor update it if it has been modified.  In addition, we use multiple templates that may share the same blocks so the above strategy does not work well for that.

I do not believe this process was the intent of previous posts.  Please help me understand in more detail.  We are growing, adding new computers, and need to resolve this issue, develop best practices, before getting to far along.

Thank you for everyone's help.

Dan 

[steven-g]

You cannot share toolpalettes from one computer to another without first putting your blocks onto the network, and then create the toolpalette using blocks located on that network, so then when you share the toolpalette every computer using the toolpalette is looking for the block on the network. And as you add new blocks that needs updating on all the different computer's toolpalettes, in LT there is no way to automate that, it has to be done manually. What you do get is that if a block is updated on the network then everyone has access to that updated version, (it won't update existing blocks in other drawings)

[danielgreedy]

All,

I have been able to get this working quite well over the past couple of months.  Since our small network is a group of pc's linked together without a true server, it took me a while to figure out how to accomplish what was needed.  In the end, it was basically what the other posters mentioned by putting them in a central location etc.  It just took me a while to figure out how to do that in our environments.  Works great now.

Thank you to everyone.

Now I need to figure out how to do it with remote users......ugh!

[h_s_walker]

Are they connecting via VPN?

If so just make sure that they have a "drive" on their machine which is the same letter as your local computers connect to.

[danielgreedy]

We would prefer to use a solution similar to drobox etc instead of vpn.

Thank you

Dan

[pendean]

Dropbox and similar webbased file services are not compatible with AutoCAD's setups for TPs or much else really. You are probably 3-5-10years ahead of Autodesk providing such a nicety.