For some time now, my fellow manufacturers have been complaining that their virtual components are loaded in an older version, i.e. their latest modifications have not been saved. The various cases reported concern virtual components at the first level as well as in virtual or non-virtual subassemblies. Several avenues are currently being explored:
the temporary folder in which the parts files of these virtual components are stored: for one of the colleagues concerned, a big cleaning has been done in the temporary directory that hosts these files and which does not seem to clean itself (?), since no worries... to be confirmed over time.
The higher-level complex assembly mode that will cause problems: the complex assembly options "Do not make automatic backup records", "Do not rebuild in the assembly window" and "Interrupt automatic rebuild" have been unchecked but the problem persists... We now scrutinize whether the problem recurs by systematically disabling the complex assembly mode when modifying virtual components (part or assembly) and on the other hand by resolving the virtual components on the other hand.
That being said, I appeal to your experience to find out if you have experienced a similar problem... Somebody?
For information: SolidWorks version 2017, SmarTeam add-in enabled, with a working directory (storage of extracted files) not locally but on a server.
Hello; My answer will not be satisfactory but here is my expertise... →We don't use virtual components anymore since the 2014 version... for the reasons you mentioned. (location of erratic Temporary Files, updates not carried out, etc. (Solidworks and Windows are passing the buck when it comes to patches). → In the same spirit, we no longer use "Smart" components either … Most of the problems encountered were caused by the locations of the Temporary files which react very badly to the slightest modification (Solidworks updates, but especially automatic Windows updates). I think this problem is amplified with the use of SmartTeam.
We have been using virtual components intensively for many years without any real problems. Our biggest problem is with EPDM which manages virtual components very poorly.
On the other hand, our assemblies are generally not huge (a few dozen pieces normally).
We only work in resolved mode (no need to use the other modes given our assemblies). Using other modes could actually lead to problems that we have not identified.
The management of opening rights is on the other hand a classic subject: modification of a virtual sub-assembly (or part) without having the write rights of the main assembly → work to be redone... This happens very frequently to some users and never to others. If you work without EPDM but in a team, the battle for write rights may be underway at home: only the first to open the assembly can modify it, the others are read-only (it only takes a little inattention to work on a file on which you don't have write rights).
The complex assembly mode, which only displays a graphical (and therefore not updated) version of the components, should not help the use of virtual components.
I also noticed that beyond 2-3 levels of subsets, the virtual components had a strange behavior.
For my part, limited use of virtual components. A Library engine is virtualized to customize the speed and 2 or 3 other elements. So simple use one or 2 components here and there, no virtual assembly and other and no worries in our way of working. After that, you have to have the right to write it for the modification to be well done.
I confirm the problem of virtual components with Smarteam. These disappear from assemblies in some contexts because something is blocking access to the temporary folder they are in. I have a huge suspicion about a bug in the Smarteam integration of solidworks This is a very complicated subject to explain to the editor who asks for scenarios for each problem where the problem can be repeated at will; VERY VERY time-consuming. These scenarios depend on the chronological order of opening or writing and then reserving a child from Solidworks (so Solid's Smarteam integration) or Smarteam