Sub Assembly Composer - Sharing Drawings with Custom Subassemblies! HELP!!

[bkanther]

I would appreciate if anyone could confirm the following experience. Also potentially help!

When opening a drawing file that contains custom subassemblies, created in Subassembly Composer, the corridor will not recognise custom assemblies if:-

1. The sub-assembly composer or relevant support pack has not been installed, or additionally...
2. The PKT files for that particular subassembly have not been imported onto the tool palette.

I am especially concerned with point 2. Can the subassembly simply not be carried with the drawing?

By not recognised I mean any references in the corridor will become blank and it will recalc incorrectly.

Does anyone know a way around this? Can I add a path 2 PKT files that have been created by users that automatically updates itself or something?

I am using Civil 3D 2012. Update 1 etc. etc...

Regards

Brad

[mathewkol]

The subassemly does not need to be on the toiol palette. The files within the PKT need to be copied to the appropriate place on each user's disk. I'm not at my computer right now and I can't advise you of this path. Of course, if it's not on the palette, the user cannot add any new content to the assembly using that subassembly.

[mathewkol]

How about just importing the sub and them removing it from the palette if you don't want it there? That gets the files to the correct place

[bkanther]

Well of course I can just get a user to import the various PKT files on the tool pallette. But this requires too much management. Especially when you have more than 4 or 5 people. For example what if I update the assembly,

1. I then need to send an email to people I know might be using it.
2.  I also have to rely on them passing on the message to others they have allowed to use it.
3. There is also a version mismatch, some people may not realise they are using an old version.

After discussion with several of my colleagues we believe the best thing to do is to not use composer for now. Until an assembly can be native to the Autocad Drawing it is added to, there is too much risk for more complicated corridors been recalced and people not realising the effect they have had on the surface.

There is to much risk for us on a QA level.

Im interested to hear other opinions. 

Regards

Brad

[Jason.Hickey]

Even if it were native to the drawing, updating the subassembly wouldn't propgate through any drawings using it and would need to be updated. Most users that I'm seeing use these are shipping a drawing and a PKT file along with the drawing, and the sharing process isn't a problem.

[mathewkol]

True Jason.  And if the sub needs to be updated, why not simply add version number to the name "Sub27-V2".  Essentially a new subassembly, not an updated one.  Users would choose to use it or not.  No existing sub would be overwritten.

[klugb]

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@bkanther wrote:

"After discussion with several of my colleagues we believe the best thing to do is to not use composer for now. Until an assembly can be native to the Autocad Drawing it is added to, there is too much risk for more complicated corridors been recalced and people not realising the effect they have had on the surface."

---

We use them in-house and share with others outside also. When someone tries to rebuild a corridor without our custom subassembly they get the attached message.

So, I don't see the risk of inadvertent changes.

[bkanther]

If we were getting that message here then there would be no problem.

Like I said the user does not know! Any reason why we would not be getting that notification?

Regards Brad

[Jason.Hickey]

The only way a user wouldn't get that message is if they actually had the subassembly installed. Is the event viewer turned off on your machines?

[klugb]

Jason,

Funny thing is we have our event viewer turned off and still get the message on computers that are not updated.

[Jason.Hickey]

That message actually tends to trump the event viewer showing up - I was asking if his was turned off to see if that might be suppressing the message. According to your reply, it does not 🙂

[bkanther]

Wel,l message shows in event viewer (see attached), but that can often be surpressed (or overlooked) by users.

If would be really good if we got the dialog warning shown by bruce. 

Can you guys think of anything that would be surpressing that dialog warning. Out of date dot net framework maybe?

Regards

[Civil3DReminders]

I'd create an Input/Output parameter and put a code inside of it. Then I'd check at the beginning if the code is correct. If it matches the code then I know the code is update and I'd build the subassembly normally. If it doesn't match then the SAC would not draw it or make it obvious something is wrong. That would force the user to check to see what is wrong by viewing the Event Viewer or having them ask.

Christopher

http://blog.civil3dreminders.com