I have a problem recently, I use the skeleton method normally as an external reference in an assembly, unfortunately one of my subcontractors with whom I work, decided to derive the skeleton in each part. And in some rooms the skeleton does not come to light.
Problem when I modify my skeleton a few hundred parts are with " ?" on the derived part. I know that an option in solidworks exists and must be enabled for the update to work, but which one?? I've been shown it, but since it's super explicit, it's not easy to find. Any idea??
I had disabled this function because it opened up assemblies linked by external references. I still activated on request as you told me. But I would like to find this option which seems different to me from the solution you propose. It was really an option to read it that had nothing to do with it, but that solved the derivative part update
Well I just understood my problem at the same time as I answer you. The skeleton being a set of 2D sketches, during insertion if the body box or other element does not exist in the skeleton it does not include .
I will confirm that this is your solution or another in the next few days. Thank you for your answer
I expressed myself badly. The boxes ticked were Volume / Surface / 2D and Absorbed. But in my skeleton there is only 2D, if Volume and surface are checked it bellows and puts " ?" because it doesn't understand why there is no 3D. In short, thank you
Hello to you, This subject interests me because I also have a problem designing via a skeleton. I created a skeleton piece that represents the entire architecture of my machine, where I only have sketches and plans. For each piece I design, I integrate this skeleton so that my parts depend on it of course. So inserting a part into a room, I have selected my absorbed and unabsorbed sketches, planes and axes. And in each of my sets, I also integrate this skeleton in the head. There are 2 of us working on this machine, in collaboration (without PDM), we use the 2020 version with SP5, but only I myself encounter crashes, and not small ones, that is to say that at any time, Solid crashes, closes completely, and rots my files. They become unusable!! Corrupt! When I open them, when I have them rebuilt, it crashes straight away. I am forced to start my pieces from scratch. I encountered this problem on a good fifteen pieces... And now I'm fed up, so I'm wondering if my methodology is the right one. But I see that for all that, you use this method, and that a priori it works for you? the difference I notice is that in the system options, External References, to " load referenced documents" I have " None ". What parameters do you recommend? Also, another point, I'm on windows 11 and my colleague on windows 10, we think that maybe there would be inconsistencies in registration between the 2... What is your opinion? Thanks in advance
And FRED78, I'm like you, I have a >? But as soon as I have it published in context, it opens the skeleton, and what about my piece, the >? disappears and is replaced by Skeleton...
Hello; Solidworks' statement on Windows 11 support is:
"Official support for Windows 11 will be available in the SOLIDWORKS 2022 Service Pack"
Excerpt from:
=> That's probably a good part of the problem.
As for the " ->?" it is when Solidworks fights against an external reference, either because it cannot find it, or it cannot rebuild it. In the case of loss due to reconstruction, several causes are possible:
_ Cyclic reference equations. _ The basic sketch is too " distant " in terms of sub-assemblies. _ The skeleton is a 3D sketch (Solidworks still has trouble reconstructing them without opening them)...
Hello The skeleton method works well for me and doesn't crash. But be careful with your ties. If solidworks is looking for something and it doesn't find it, it works but after several times it crashes (Why exactly I don't know), but be careful not to create loops, I don't know how you use your skeleton. Personally, I have imposed a skeleton in an assembly by experience and I go through projections in external reference directly taken from the assembly.
That is to say that a part is always composed of an assembly + a part + skeleton. I avoid multibody for easier management of bills of materials. For the multibody you have to fill in properties in the bodies and it's cumbersome.
In the case where you manage the skeleton by drifting a part in a room, much more problem. The management is cumbersome for solidworks, and in case of copying a part it is necessary to repoint piece by piece the derived skeleton in the part. Sketch updates appear in all rooms and you can no longer show your sketches, also true for plans and axes.
Remember to update your graphics card, version recommended by Solidworks. And for corrupted parts, if a clever guy, don't have fun replacing your part with a note file by changing the format to .sldrp If not, check your error codes on the internet to understand. Here is my feedback Good luck
The fact of working with two people on identical parts or assemblies at the same time also makes multi-user management without PDM regularly crash without PDM is a disaster. (And even without a skeleton!) I noticed for more than 15 years that when I work with a colleague on the same project as soon as one or the other has common parts, not made read-only in windows we multiply by 5 to 10 the number of daily crashes. And of course it's absolutely not a priority for them since it allows them to sell PDM or 3Dexperience, the new goose that lays the golden egg!
The use of networks and micro cuts hypothetical problem reported on the crashes. After PDM personally I like it and it's very effective. Using the reload tool to take the lead. Turn 3D experience if possible, and work with a fixed license and not floating because many bugs come from microcuts. I advise you to copy your own skeleton on your PC and communicate with your colleague and exchange files when editing. Working simply is a source of reliability. My humble opinion
For some reason unknown in our company under SW2020 SP5.0, the settings that are stored here:
SYSTEMATICALLY SKIP FOR HUMAN USERS (strangely enough, our PDF printing bot is spared this problem).
So as soon as we work with imported bodies (a rough foundry in the machined part for example), we have a high risk of not using the right version in our machined 3D... Long live SW
We reported the bug. It appears that these parameters are handled by multiple lines in the registry (and interfere with others). No solution from Visiativ/Solidworks.
Since these settings are interconnected with others in the registry, I suspect that a manual change to a 'any ' setting by our users (myself included) is causing the problem. But in the end it's impossible for us to keep anything other than none in this box in the long term (in ^practice it's a few days/weeks max of lifespan for ' modified ' or ' all ' in this place.
… Why not make backups for each user? → " Cogwheel " in Solidworks and then Save/Restore Settings... This way, everyone will be responsible for their own settings. It also avoids possible conflicts between the different software and hardware solutions (Windows/Solidworks/Graphics Cards/RAM/CPU...). And above all, it allows you to restore your preferences at any time (in the event of a crash, it often happens that certain settings skip).
Subsidiary question: At the moment, in case of loss of certain parameters, you restore them by hand (at the risk of forgetting some of them) or do you go to look for them in what seems to be your common backup... And is it up to date?
Also administer the settings when generating the installation package by locking certain options if necessary and selecting those that are reapplied each time SW is opened. A password allows you to change the locked setting on the current session without impacting the registry. At home, we've been doing this since at least 2020 from memory and we're no longer bothered by different settings depending on the workstations and users (knowing that most of them don't know what they're doing when they change a setting).
Hello. We each have our own settings, because we don't have the same PCs and the same configurations. Each one has saved its settings backups file to recover the settings in case of problems. Indeed, before, we used the same parameter to configure all PCs, except that we realized that there were bugs on some PCs, which were related to this. Since then, everyone has started from scratch to create their own configuration.
Arg!!! The children...., sorry, I mean holala! It's not very nice to talk nonsense, people of visiativ. When you don't know, you just say to the customer (who spends a fortune): "Sorry, I'm not sure I can answer your request, I'll find out..."
2018 ! It already existed! (I'm talking about the possible locking of options by the admin.)
include .
... but we agree on this point. 
..., sorry, I mean holala! It's not very nice to talk nonsense, people of visiativ.