| Rev # | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | Apr 2021 | Document updated to SOLIDWORKS 2020. Added information about create part and create configurations. Revised for use by customers and reset as document version 1.0. |
| 1.2 | Apr 2024 | Document updated to SOLIDWORKS 2024. Minor modifications as per the new SOP. |
Note
All SolidPractices are written as guidelines. It is a strong recommendation to use these documents only after properly evaluating your requirements. Distribution of this document is limited to Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks employees, VARs, and customers that are on active subscription. You may not post this document on blogs or any internal or external forums without prior written authorization from Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corporation.
This document was updated using version SOLIDWORKS 2024 SP1.0. If you have questions or need assistance in understanding the content, please get in touch with your designated reseller.
Preface
The objective of this SolidPractices document is to share information that relates to setting up the SOLIDWORKS® Toolbox (“the Toolbox”). This information serves as an aid in how to make implementation decisions that best suit a customers’ business needs.
The SOLIDWORKS Toolbox continues to be one of the most used add-ins for the SOLIDWORKS software. Over the years, the Toolbox content, user interface, and user experience have evolved; however, the goal remains focused on providing customers with a broad selection of commonly used hardware content that is easy to use and maintain.
This SolidPractices document provides information about important settings to configure before introducing the Toolbox into a customer’s production environment and covers important topics such as:
The decision to manage the Toolbox data in a SOLIDWORKS PDM system
Important settings to configure prior to introducing the Toolbox into a customer’s production environment.
After considering this information, the customer should configure a non-production Toolbox environment to validate that their proposed Toolbox implementation performs sufficiently for their business needs.
Your Feedback Requested
We would like to hear your feedback and suggestions for new topics. After reviewing this document, please take a few minutes to fill out a brief survey. Your feedback will help us create the content that directly addresses your challenges.
Toolbox Components
Swbrowser.sldedb
Introduced in 2015, this is a fully 64-bit compatible Toolbox database. When using the Set the same for all user’s permission option (reference 4- Permissions in the Toolbox Settings tool), this database contains the Hole Wizard data (size, length, thread tables) and the Toolbox User/Smart fastener settings. When using the Set separately for each user permission option, the information is stored in the registry and not the swbrowser.sldedb file.
Pre-SOLIDWORKS 2015 installations used the 32-bit Microsoft® Access® database file with the name SWBrowser.mdb.
Notes:
Copying Hole Wizard standards changes or adds values to data tables in the SLDEDB database.
Data for Hole Wizard Favorites are stored in the HoleWizardFavorites.sldedb database. You can view and specify the location of this database from File Locations > Hole Wizard Favorites Database. The default location is: C:\Users\
\AppData\Roaming\SOLIDWORKS\SOLIDWORKS [version] You can run old HoleWizardFavorites.sldedb files through the database converter. This is useful when you want to transfer settings from an old computer to a new computer when upgrading to the SOLIDWORKS 2015 or later version software.
Browser
The Toolbox Browser folder contains all of the Toolbox components that are relevant to each standard. The folder structure in Windows® File Explorer (SOLIDWORKS Data \ Browser) matches the task pane structure and Toolbox settings. As depicted in the Figure 1, the structure contains three folder levels, and the list displays every part file in that category:
Level 1: Standards (such as ANSI Inch, DIN, ISO, and others)
Level 2: Categories (such as bearings, bolts, screws, and others)
Level 3: Types (such as ball bearings, roller bearings, and others). Toolbox components appear in this folder.
ToolboxFiles.index
Introduced with the SOLIDWORKS 2012 release, this file serves as an index or cache for a variety of settings that are stored within each Toolbox file. Any changes (customizations) that you make to the Toolbox structure are stored in the ToolboxFiles.index file. When you open the Toolbox, the software searches this file to determine what standards, categories, types, or components are enabled. Objects that you enable become available to users. To save the Toolbox settings, you must have Write permissions to the ToolboxFiles.index file.
Updates Folder
The Updates folder serves as a record of the update history for your Toolbox data set. The SOLIDWORKS software accesses this folder every time you run an update on the system. The folder contains a number of Toolbox files that SOLIDWORKS creates or references during an update. These are proprietary and you should never edit them. The filenames contain an internal version number that relates to the major SOLIDWORKS version on which they are created. For example:
2100 corresponds to SOLIDWORKS 2018.
2200 corresponds to SOLIDWORKS 2019.
2300 corresponds to SOLIDWORKS 2020.
2400 corresponds to SOLIDWORKS 2021.
The Updates folder also contains the update log file with the name UpdateLog.txt. This log records a description and date of each update. The log also includes specific errors that are useful when troubleshooting problems with Toolbox updates.
ToolboxStandards.xml
This file is created during the installation of SOLIDWORKS. The
Installation Manager allows users to define which Toolbox standards are
installed so that the Toolbox data is easier to manage. You are able to
turn-on and turn–off standards in this way. The
ToolboxStandards.xml file stores the choices made in this
process. Standards marked as ‘
ToolboxVersion.dat
This file contains the SOLIDWORKS version that corresponds with the existing Toolbox. SOLIDWORKS generates this file by either UpdateBrowserData.exe (old MBD), or UpdateBrowserDatabase.exe (new SLDEDB). If the file is set as Read-only or if the user does not have file permissions (if it is not checked out from the vault for example), then the version does not update. This does not stop the database updater, but it does mean that this was the last time that the user had Write permissions to the ToolboxVersion.dat file.
For example, a user could say:
“I have a SOLIDWORKS 2019 Toolbox, but the ToolboxVersion.dat file shows SOLIDWORKS 2010 SP4. Does this mean that there is a problem?”
The answer is probably not. If the ToolboxVersion.dat file is set to Read-only, then the version could be from any of the customer’s previous releases when the file was last writable.
Considerations for Managing the Toolbox in SOLIDWORKS PDM
For customers that use the SOLIDWORKS PDM software, an important decision is whether to manage the Toolbox data in the vault. Not all customers feel that it is necessary to manage the Toolbox data. Some factors to consider when assessing the needs of a specific customer are as follow.
Key benefits to using SOLIDWORKS PDM to manage Toolbox data include:
Centrally stored. All users access the same Toolbox library data.
Secure access and audit trail for the Toolbox files.
Local access of Toolbox files from the SOLIDWORKS PDM local file vault view. This reduces the number of times the Toolbox files require transfer over the network when working with assemblies.
Data cards can allow easy input and visualization of variable information that can be used for downstream business operations such as Purchasing, MRP/ERP systems, etc.
SOLIDWORKS PDM bills of materials (BOMs) for assemblies will list the Toolbox hardware. If you do not manage the Toolbox in the vault, multiple SOLIDWORKS PDM BOMs will not list the Toolbox components.
For multi-site wide-area network (WAN) environments that leverage SOLIDWORKS PDM replication, all sites can work with the same Toolbox in the vault.
Known disadvantages to managing the Toolbox data in a SOLIDWORKS PDM vault are very limited. The benefits usually outweigh the following disadvantages:
All toolbox files require a local cache on each client computer. The SOLIDWORKS software requires a local cache to load the toolbox library files from the SOLIDWORKS PDM vault. Normally, the Toolbox integration handles this automatically; however, additional disk space might be necessary on each workstation.
Changing the Toolbox file properties or adding a new configuration to a Toolbox part file creates a new version of the file in the vault. This can result in a large number of file versions or frequently used hardware.
Use of the Toolbox files requires a small amount of time for additional file operations. For example, Toolbox files in a vault are automatically checked out and back in when you create new sizes or change Toolbox properties.
You can find detailed information about how to set up the Toolbox in a SOLIDWORKS PDM file vault in the “Toolbox” chapter of the “SOLIDWORKS PDM Administration Guide.”
Shared Toolbox Folder Location
For environments that do not manage the Toolbox in a SOLIDWORKS PDM vault, and where multiple users want to leverage the same Hole Wizard and Toolbox data at a shared location, you must decide how to address the shared network location. You can specify the Hole Wizard and Toolbox location either as a UNC path or as a mapped drive path. The recommendation is to use a UNC path to the server location of the shared Toolbox.
The best practice is to ensure that you reference the folder location of the shared Toolbox in a consistent manner from all client computers. For example, if a company chooses to address the shared location as a UNC path, then they might specify the Hole Wizard and Toolbox folder as\\[Servername]\[path]\SOLIDWORKS Data (\\Corp1\CAD\SOLIDWORKS Data). In that scenario, all client computers would address the folder using\\[Servername]\path\SOLIDWORKS Data to ensure the best experience.
When active, the Make this folder the default search location for Toolbox components option (System Options > Hole Wizard/Toolbox) can make the consistency of the Hole Wizard and Toolbox folder path across computers at a given company less important. This option leverages information that an assembly file stores about each part reference. If you save an assembly that contains components that SOLIDWORKS interprets as Toolbox parts, the assembly reference information for that part also stores an identifier that tells the assembly to interpret the part as a Toolbox reference. The next time you open the assembly, the SOLIDWORKS software knows which references to look for as Toolbox parts use the Make this folder the default search location for Toolbox components option. If you deactivate this option, then SOLIDWORKS searches for the Toolbox files in the same way that it does for any other reference.
It is important that you apply the general Windows Read-only attribute to all Toolbox parts stored in folders within the Browser directory and in the location that you specify for Copied Parts.
The installation process activates the Read-only attribute by default. However, if you copy and paste the Toolbox data to a new location, then that attribute could be deactivated, making it necessary to activate it again. The Read-only attribute prevents any one user from taking exclusive Write access to the Toolbox file. This allows the Toolbox add-in to write to the files as needed.
Important Settings to Configure Before Using the Toolbox in a Production Environment
You can use the Toolbox Settings tool to change the settings at any time. However, there are several settings and adjustments that you should configure before using a Toolbox in a production environment. These settings help ensure a controlled and consistent use of Toolbox content.
Create Parts Versus Create Configurations
One of the fundamental decisions a customer must make is their preference in the User Settings dialog box shown in Figure 3.
Create Configurations
The Create Configurations option is active by default. However, this does not mean that the setting is superior to the Create Parts option. The Create Configurations option causes new configurations to be made within a given master part file for each variant of a particular Toolbox part. For example, if the master part file is a socket button head cap screw_ai.sldprt, then all of the different sizes of the screw that a user chooses to use will result in new configurations getting stored in that single part file. This results in the creation of fewer individual files and therefore fewer files that a user needs to keep track of. However, for Toolbox components where many different sizes are used, the size of the master part file grows over time.
Create Parts
The Create Parts option results in individual part files of a smaller size because each variant of a particular part saves as a uniquely named part file that contains only one configuration. Some customers prefer to have the one-to-one relationship between part numbers and files. However, the Create Parts option creates many individual files when compared to the Create Configurations option. In some technical support situations, it is easier to troubleshoot assembly reference issues that relate to Toolbox parts when using the Create Parts option. This is because this option removes the variable about whether the correct configuration is being referenced.
As a best practice, do not switch between the ‘Create Parts’ and ‘Create Configurations’ options without careful testing.
While the Create Parts on Ctrl + Drag option generates configurations and parts based on how a component is inserted, it's advisable for users with specific needs who understand the potential results to utilize this option.
Disabling content and sizes
The Toolbox has the potential to produce very large number of hardware variants. For example, for the ANSI Inch socket head cap screw, it is possible to produce 32,988 default configurations. If you add other user custom properties, that number multiplies. When designing for manufacturing and purchasing efficiency, users should not have access to all of the hardware that the Toolbox can potentially produce. To reduce the use of unwanted hardware, a customer should limit the standards, hardware, sizes, and variants to which users have access.
Before implementing the Toolbox in a customer’s production environment, the CAD Administrator can use the Toolbox Settings tool to limit the hardware selection. The Standard Properties (diameters, lengths, pitches, thread representations, drive types, and others) vary for each Toolbox part. With input from Engineering, Manufacturing, and Purchasing, the CAD Administrator can disable the standards, parts, sizes, and geometry variants that they do not want the users to access. Figure 4 depicts the area of the Toolbox Settings tool that allows the CAD Administrator to do this tuning.
A company should develop an internal process for requesting enablement of hardware in the event a user needs a particular piece of Toolbox hardware that is disabled. The limiting of the hardware choices should be done before assigning part numbers and descriptions.
Permissions
For a multi-user Toolbox environment, the CAD Administrator should use the Permissions section of the Toolbox Settings tool to enable permission controls. Figure 5 shows the Permissions dialog box with the default settings. A customer needs to determine which options are required for their use case. Usually, this means disabling certain permissions in the interest of limiting the hardware that the users can generate. The CAD Administrator should disable sizes and standards that they do not use. This prevents designers from adding fasteners that are not standard.
When managing the Toolbox in a SOLIDWORKS PDM vault, it is especially important to specify the Set the same for all user’s option. This option prevents the possibility of some users running in the Create Parts mode, and others running in Create Configurations mode.
The password is stored in the SWBrowser.sldedb database. If it is necessary to retrieve a lost or forgotten password, you can submit a Service Request to SOLIDWORKS Technical Support.
Lastly, as it relates to performance, users need to consider the type of network that they plan to use. Regardless of improvements in Wi-Fi performance over the years, a wired connection is usually much faster than a wireless connection. The same is true if users connect over a virtual private network (VPN) or another remote connection type. As part file sizes increase, users may encounter certain limitations.
Custom Property Definitions
Before implementing the Toolbox in a production environment, it is important to consider the customer property definitions for the Toolbox. Proper planning for property management before implementation helps to ensure the specification of consistent metadata for the Toolbox hardware in use at a given company. It is also necessary to plan properly for custom properties because of the potential effect they can have on part number associations.
When you activate the Each value requires a unique configuration name option, custom properties affect part number associations.
The reason is that part numbers and descriptions ultimately link to the configuration names within the part file. If a customer assigns a part number to a Toolbox part size or variant, the link to previously defined part numbers and descriptions can be lost. This can occur if the customer edits, removes, or adds from the part any property value definition that requires a new configuration name for the part.
The following example scenario demonstrates the dependency between property/part number and description:
Consider the Toolbox part ANSI Inch > Washers > Spring Lock Washers > Regular Spring Lock Washer.
The user creates a custom property with the name Vendor using the settings depicted in Figure 6.
In the Toolbox Settings, the user adds part numbers and descriptions for the two #2 size lock washers.
In the Configure Component PropertyManager, the user inserts the washer into an assembly, chooses the #2 size, and selects ACME as the Vendor as depicted in Figure 8. The SOLIDWORKS software recognizes that the combination of parameters map to the part number and description combination that appears in highlight in the Part Numbers section. This combination is explicitly associated with a configuration Regular LW 0.086-ACME. This configuration name contains the suffix from the Vendor custom property definition because of the selection of the Each value requires a unique configuration name option.
If the user later decides to add a new custom property for the Toolbox called Material and they want that new property to require a new configuration name also, that will affect the previously defined part number associations because the configuration name will differ.
: Adding new custom property
As shown in Figure 10, Toolbox Settings displays a warning about the changes a user makes in Part Numbers from the addition of new custom property.
: Warning after adding new custom property
If you view the part numbers and descriptions in the table of possible configurations in the Toolbox Settings for the washer, new configurations appear for the #2 sizes. The previously defined part numbers no longer appear in the list because they are associated with configuration names that do not contain the additional suffix for the material property.
: Toolbox Settings – Addition of new configurations
If the user had established all of the necessary properties before assigning the part numbers and descriptions, they would have not experienced issues with part number association.
This scenario demonstrates how properties that alter the configuration names can affect part number associations. If a user adds properties for which the Each value requires a unique configuration name option is not active, then those properties will not alter the configuration names that link to the part numbers. In such cases, the associations remain intact.
Part Numbers, Descriptions and Configuration Names
You can assign Toolbox-managed part numbers and descriptions when you insert the components into an assembly. You can also assign this information from the Toolbox Settings > 2- Customize Hardware interface. In addition, you can customize the configuration names of Toolbox components. You can also customize the Designation for users of the AS, DIN, GB, ISO, IS, and KS standards.
It is a recommendation that the CAD Administrator assigns the part numbers and descriptions. If necessary, the CAD Administrator can use the 2- Customize Hardware section of the Toolbox Settings to customize the configuration names and designations for enabled hardware. This approach helps to ensure that the assignments conform with a company’s part number scheme and that the format of the entries is consistent.
If using the Import data and Export data commands to facilitate the bulk import of part numbers, descriptions, configuration names, and designations, it is important to understand the restrictions of this functionality.
When working with exported data in Microsoft Excel®, you can enter part numbers, descriptions and comments. You can also customize configuration names and designations in the appropriate columns. However, you should not add or change any other data in the spreadsheet. While custom property definitions for Toolbox components might appear in the table, you cannot specify other custom property definitions in the spreadsheet. If you alter data in columns other than those mentioned here, then the spreadsheet will not import correctly into the Toolbox Settings.
To improve performance, users should only enter values for part numbers, descriptions, custom properties, etc. for sizes used in assemblies. For example, when inserting a part file into an assembly, each part number that is associated with the part file must load for display in the Toolbox PropertyManager. Therefore, unused values also load every time.
Create Parts and Create Configurations
To eliminate the time to create new configuration or a new part while using the Toolbox, you can create SOLIDWORKS parts for each listed configuration or add all listed configurations to the master part before you start using the Toolbox. These options are available depending on the options you specify in section 3 – User Settings of the Toolbox Settings. Refer to section 5.a for more details about User Settings.
Create parts
To create a new SOLIDWORKS part for each listed configuration in the parts folder specified in the User Settings dialog box, click Create parts. SOLIDWORKS must be running to create parts.
Create configurations
To add all listed configurations to the master part file, click Create configurations. This command is available if you specify the option Create Configurations in the 3 - User Settings dialog box.
These options create thousands of SOLIDWORKS parts or configurations (in the master part). It is a recommendation to use these options when the CAD Administrator finishes hardware customization. Refer to section 5.b for more details.
Adding Content
You can add parts to the Toolbox by right-clicking a folder in the Toolbox Settings tree, and then selecting the Add File option.
It is important to know that user created files you add to the Toolbox have some primary behavior differences compared to native Toolbox parts. When inserting a user made Toolbox part into an assembly, the Configure Component PropertyManager displays a list of existing configurations from which to choose. However, there are no drop-down menus available to select different dimensions or values that drive part geometry. In addition, in the Toolbox Settings interface for that component, there is no configuration table that displays part numbers and descriptions.
When inserting parts into an assembly, you can use the SOLIDWORKS Configuration Publisher functionality (not part of the Toolbox) to generate a user interface in the Configure Component that is similar to the Toolbox. However, such content does not work with Smart Fasteners.
: Toolbox task pane – Custom part in Toolbox
Separating Content from the Toolbox
Sometimes users want to use some of the native Toolbox part files as a starting geometry from which to create their own hardware content. For example, a user could make a copy of a Toolbox part file, give that file a new name, and then place the file in a non-Toolbox folder location. If the user does not want to treat the part as a Toolbox part, then an internal hidden property that indicates the Toolbox status for a part must be set as No.
To specify the Toolbox status for a part, follow these steps:
Browse to the SOLIDWORKS installation folder at: [install_dir]\Toolbox\data utilities
Right-click the file sldsetdocprop.exe and then click Run as administrator.
Make sure that you deactivate the Read-only attribute for any files that you are updating.
Add files or folders to the Filenames list.
In the Set Document Property group of options, define the Toolbox state of the files:
To remove the Toolbox flag, specify No for the Property state.
To add the Toolbox flag, specify Yes for the Property state.
Click Update Status to apply your changes.
To determine the Toolbox status for a file in the list, select a file and then click Show Selected Property.
Ideally, the internal property state is set to No (remove the Toolbox flag) before using the part in any assemblies. If the property is set to Standard at insertion, then the assembly reference for the part stores information indicating that the part is considered a Toolbox component. This can affect the opening behavior of the assembly later if you activate the Make this folder the default search location for Toolbox components option in the System Options > Hole Wizard/Toolbox settings.
Another reason to separate some files from the Toolbox is part of a workflow to send an assembly dataset that includes its Toolbox parts to another SOLIDWORKS customer or user that uses a different Toolbox. By setting the Property state to No for the Toolbox parts that you are sending along with the assembly, you reduce the risk of causing a conflict with the Toolbox files in the receiving environment. The general process for such a data exchange is as follows:
Use Pack and Go to package the assembly and referenced Toolbox files in a folder.
Use sldsetdocprop.exe to set the Property state on the Toolbox files to No.
Open the assembly from the Pack and Go folder location and make sure that the assembly loads the Toolbox files from the location where the Pack and Go package was created. It might be necessary to deactivate the Make this folder the default search location for Toolbox components option temporarily.
Save and close the assembly.
Compress the file set and send it to the recipient.
Upgrading Existing Toolbox Datasets to SOLIDWORKS 2024
Outside of a SOLIDWORKS PDM Vault
Before running a toolbox update
Make sure that all Toolbox files allow Read and Write permissions (such as ToolboxStandard.xml, ToolboxFiles.index, Swbrowser.sldedbold and ToolboxVersion.dat). It is not necessary to clear the Read-only check box for Toolbox components in the ‘Browser’ folder because the update performs this task. However, double-check to ensure there are no conflicts in the file permissions.
It is a recommendation that you make a backup copy of the entire Toolbox (SOLIDWORKS Data folder). This is useful if you experience issues after upgrading. After updating a previous major version Toolbox dataset to a later version, there is no way to undo the upgrade changes to make the Toolbox usable again with a previous major version. It is also good to have a backup available that you can submit to Technical Support if you experience problems with the Toolbox in the future.
If you are upgrading to the SOLIDWORKS 2024 software or installing SOLIDWORKS 2024 side by side with an earlier major version, you have the option to create a copy of the existing Toolbox/Hole Wizard. This option allows you to use a copy for the newer version of the data, while preserving the original version.
The easiest and recommended way to upgrade a previous major version of the Toolbox that has not had a previous problematic or failed upgrade attempt to the SOLIDWORKS version to which you are attempting to upgrade, is to use the SOLIDWORKS Installation Manager. When using the SOLIDWORKS Installation Manager, you can specify to upgrade the Toolbox found at a location to which the user browses. As part of the installation, the Installation Manager automatically runs the steps necessary to upgrade the Toolbox. For more details about using this method to upgrade the Toolbox data, refer to the “Hole Wizard/Toolbox Options” section in the “SOLIDWORKS Installation and Administration Guide”.
Inside a SOLIDWORKS PDM vault
Before upgrading a customer’s production Toolbox that is managed in a SOLIDWORKS PDM vault, make sure that you back up the SOLIDWORKS PDM database backup and perform a full archive backup.
Refer to the chapter “Upgrading Toolbox in SOLIDWORKS PDM” in the “SOLIDWORKS PDM Installation Guide” to know more details about the procedure to update the Toolbox when managed in a SOLIDWORKS PDM vault.
The upgrade procedure in a SOLIDWORKS PDM file vault is as follows:
Select one client workstation on which you plan to do the initial upgrade > log in to the local view as a user with full access > and review the permissions for the Toolbox folder (for example, the Admin user).
To cache the latest version of all toolbox components, perform a Get Latest Version action on the Toolbox folder.
Check out the Toolbox database file (SWBrowser.mdb or SWBrowser.sldedb). It is not necessary to check out the individual Toolbox part files because the upgrade performs that task.
Run the SOLIDWORKS Installation Manager to upgrade the Toolbox.
Check in any files that are checked out of the Toolbox folder.
On each additional client workstation, make sure that a cache exists for the (now updated) Toolbox folder, then run the Installation Manager to upgrade the SOLIDWORKS software and Toolbox.
We hope that you find this document informational and useful and request that you leave a brief feedback about the topics that you want us to cover in the next revision of this document. Click here for a complete list of SolidPractices documents available from DS SOLIDWORKS Corp.
