Version conversion utility ?

Anyone ever heard of a SolidWorks version conversion utility -
something to make our files backwards compatable for our customers
running older versions of SolidWorks ?

We run 2007, and some of our customers are still running 2006 and can't
open our files.

Thanks in advance - Sean

 

that animal does not exist. if it did, there are quite a few of us
that would really enjoy the wonders of a truly beautiful day.

bob z.
p.s. they had training. i have google.

 

Even bob zee could be converted to speaking in first person (plural),
but not SW files.

 

Thats what I figured - doesn't hurt to hope though -
Thanks - Sean

 

Sean,

Something to consider when upgrading (or down grading as the case may be)

Our regular clients usually follow our lead, they upgrade when we tell them
it's OK. Occaisionally well get a new client that's using a newer version.

There's always an interim period when we run both versions, for exactly the
situation you find yourself in. I would install 2006 and run them side by
side for awhile. Your customer may have good reasons to be running 2006. You
don't want to force their hand, bad P.R.

Mark

 

Another suggestion is to just keep all the versions of solidworks. I
wouldn't keep more than two on one machine though, but maybe dedicate a
couple of older machines to run lower versions of SolidWorks. You
still have your down-version disks, right? I think most of the world
that has been keeping their maintenance current is prolly at least
running 2005, so maybe it's not a bad idea to have one system with 2005
and 2006 on it. Then in a few of years, add one system with 2007 and
2008 (when you upgrade to 2009). One of the beauties of this is that
you'll never need to upgrade the computers that are dedicated to the
older versions once you have them running...and also there's no new
cost because presumably, these computers are dinosaurs that you are
replacing in order to run the newer versions of S/W, so you'll have no
new costs.

Matt

 

Sean,

The Conversion Utility does NOT serve the purpose you are hoping for
and SolidWorks (native) files aren't backwards compatible with feature
history in place. The way to send files to an earlier version is just
as "dumb" solids via Parasolids translations, for example. Sending
drawing files backwards requires DXF translation, for example, and
associations are lost.

The Conversion Utility can be run (on a single file or a batch) to
convert their data to the NEWER version of SolidWorks. (The purpose is
to avoid having the translation occur during the time files are opened
for first use in the newer version.)

I've heard it recommended that all legacy files be converted with the
utility each time a new version of SolidWorks is put into use. The
intent is to keep the data structures current. I typically do NOT run
the conversion in a blanket fashion and have NEVER had a problem with
old legacy SolidWorks files being opened in the program even many
versions later...

Per O. Hoel
_______________

 

POH,

To agree with you, my VAR suggests not to run the upgrading conversion
utility. I asked once and got a "Tssss, why do you want to do that?"


Matt

 

Over on the Solidworks website forums, someone mentioned this to me (I
didn't follow up):

Yeah, I think (I'm not possitive) there was http://www.baren-boym.com/
who was going to do a downgrade translator, that is, write the features
to a earlier release?
You might want to email them and ask if you can test it?

 

Yeah- its really irritating. Its not like they re-engineer the entire
program each time Solidworks comes out. I wish that the new features in
2007 for example would just be greyed out when a 2007 files are opened
up in 2006. That way your entire file is not wasted and at least some
part of your file can be re-used. I am sure that Extrude function has
not changed dramatically in the last year.