Can you set a default "Save" directory in SolidWorks?

I did a searh for threads on this topic, but they were several SW
releases back. Has SolidWorks ever fixed this problem. It seems like
alot of people made enhancment request for this.

Im using SW 2005, and I would like to have a default Save directory.
SW currently saves a file in the last place you opened or saved a file,
which is a PITA.

I know I could make a macro to do this to replace my SAVE or SAVE AS
button, but is there any alternatives?

 

I think you are out of luck. In Office 2003 there is a new drop down
in top right of save dialog called "tools." From there you can choose
"add to my place" which will add it to the quick shortcut field on the
left. Hopefully SolidWorks will add support for this in the next
release.

 

No need for a macro. This is nearly completely a windows function
unless you have PDMWorks where you can set a default folder to its
fuctions (that becomes kinda the de facto Save As... folder).

Go to each icon and menu location that you start SW from (on the
desktop and in the under START). Edit those links. Change your Start

every time you start SW, this becomes the starting default folder.
It's not a 100% solution because if you save to another folder, that
new folder becomes the new default for that session, but when you
restart SW, the original start from folder is restored as the default
save location.

As far as using a macro to make it the same every time? You might be
able to modify the PDF SaveAs... macros (see other topics on this
message board) to do that.

I'm not much of a programmer, so I can't really help out that much on
the macro side.

Matt

 

Try this:

Open SW and a Part. Record a new Macro.

File, SaveAs, Browse to the folder you always want to Save To.

Save

End Macro Recording.

Do this for Assemblies and Drawings.

Now, you'll have 3 Macros. It alittle clumsy, but with further editing and
probably a Dialog Box added, you might be able to combine these into one
Macro.

These should be the Macros you need. Also, you can edit the Macro folder
location to any folder you need. And create multiply copies of this Macro
with unique names to chose different folders.

Best Regards,
Devon T. Sowell
www.3-ddesignsolutions.com



Now Edit the new Macro and Edit the specific folder location

 

AHA! I think I got it. There is a SolidWorks API -
SetCurrentWorkingDirectory. I believe when you call it that it will
change the save folder. So all you need is one macro, run it and if
you do any save/save as it will default to that directory. Much more
elegant.

Combine this with the event notification api - FileSaveAsNotify2 then
you should be able to change the CurrentWorkingDirectory just before a
file save or save as and then change it back afterwards. This way file
-> open will still leave you in your original working directory.