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Linked Assembly changed in original Document, but it won't update to the linked document

james_hullibergerjames_hulliberger Member Posts: 14
I created an assembly in a document that I wanted copied to a different document.  I inserted a linked assembly from the original document into the new document.  I needed to change a dimension in the original assembly so that it would carry over into any and all linked documents.  After making the change in the original assembly I go back to the new document and try to do an update.  It says there are not updates available for that linked assembly, but it's still the old dimension.

I tried following the steps outlined in the Help but I don't see where I'm doing it wrong, and I can't get the linked assembly to update.

Comments

  • james_hullibergerjames_hulliberger Member Posts: 14
    I think I figured it out.  After about an hour of trying things, looking up help, searching forums, etc.

    Apparently I have to create a new version every time I make a change or it won't show there are changes to the assembly in the new document.  Not sure how I feel about that yet, but at least I kind of understand the process now.
  • james_hullibergerjames_hulliberger Member Posts: 14
    How can I just save changes to a part/assembly as the latest version without having to create a NEW version?  I mean I already have a Version 3 and I want to make an adjustment.  How do I just apply those adjustments to that Version 3 and not have to make a NEW version for something as simple as correcting a dimension?
  • konstantin_shiriazdanovkonstantin_shiriazdanov Member Posts: 1,221 ✭✭✭✭✭
    @james_hulliberger one cannot edit version once it was created, it is done for stability of external references.
  • james_hullibergerjames_hulliberger Member Posts: 14
    So if I make a version and then go to linked document and find a fitment issue, I have to create a new version in original document in order to get it updated in the linked document?  Seems like a LOT of useless version will be created that way.  I guess I will have to start figuring out how to make various copies or something.

    how do I delete all of these useless versions?
  • konstantin_shiriazdanovkonstantin_shiriazdanov Member Posts: 1,221 ✭✭✭✭✭
    versions couldn't be deleted, to avoid of creating versions for external usage you may move external assembly to the current document. within the same document there is no need to make versions and assemblies updating automaticaly
  • philip_thomasphilip_thomas Member, Moderator, Onshape Employees, Developers Posts: 1,381
    James - perhaps a small bit of explanation would help. 
    When we created Onshape, we had an opportunity to advance the state of the industry. One problem we wanted to solve was the bane of the SolidWorks users life whereby they open an assembly and see a sea of red in the feature tree. They (rightly) say, " but I didn't change anything!"  They are correct OTHER than a referenced part (or sub assembly) has changed and that change has propagated unchecked to the upper level assemblies. Professional users told us they wanted to (a) choose when that change gets incorporated and (b) be able to undo that change. By referencing a version and choosing when to change that referenced version, we solved both problems. 
    With regards to having a lot of versions, there is no need to be concerned - they are 'free' and in no way affect the performance of the document (stop thinking about file based systems - a version is just a different part of the database and is only read if needed). Versions are 'free', make as many as you want/need (you only need a version to approve a change and then propagate that change to other documents). As of the current release (1.61), you can now create versions of the source document when inserting into the target - very cool. 
    I hope this helps :)
    Philip Thomas - Onshape
  • 3dcad3dcad Member, OS Professional, Mentor Posts: 2,470 PRO
    I'd still prefer having possibility to link 'current version' while actively working and only create versions when at certain milestone.

    With current system Onshape creates a new problem we never had with traditional cad - parts and subassemblies are updated but we might accidentally release main assembly using old versions into production. Please solve this too.
    //rami
  • philip_thomasphilip_thomas Member, Moderator, Onshape Employees, Developers Posts: 1,381
    ^^^^ Rami, you are right - there are new 'opportunities' with Onshape and we are always looking to make it easier for our pro users. We have some ideas and will be looking to test them on a small group of (volunteer) users in the coming releases. Please keep pointing out where these opportunities exist :)
    Philip Thomas - Onshape
  • owen_sparksowen_sparks Member, Developers Posts: 2,660 PRO
    philip_thomas said: With regards to having a lot of versions, there is no need to be concerned - they are 'free' and in no way affect the performance of the document 

    Free, yes, but also messy.  Potentially humiliating too when a fellow engineer asks why your insignificant bracket is at revision 100.  Did it really take that many goes to get it right?  A minor irritation at worst though.  Just dump letters for revisions and Use "X.xxx" with "X" as milestones and "xxx" as forced micro revisions.

    I have faith that revisioning as a whole will be revisited in future releases so I'm not stressed about it. :)

    philip_thomas said: As of the current release (1.61), you can now create versions of the source document when inserting into the target - very cool. 

    Stealth updates, I like it.  I was just about to write an IR for this and then noticed you'd snuck it in. :)   A bit of feedback though, it seems to take a long time (fair enough) but with little feedback whist it’s making the revision.  I was left wondering if there was a crash and whether I should hit cancel or restart.

    I also wonder if the forum is just to make the users feel better, whilst OS go about making the updates they'd planned to do all along.  Perhaps there is a book running as to when we'll finally come up with an idea you guys have not already thought of :p

    Cheers, Owen S.

    Business Systems and Configuration Controller
    HWM-Water Ltd
  • philip_thomasphilip_thomas Member, Moderator, Onshape Employees, Developers Posts: 1,381
    edited April 2017
    @owen_sparks - we are looking at a number of options to improve this. :)

    As for how development works, we have have a rough plan that extends a year out, but for the individual sprints (the 3 week development cycle), we use an 'Agile' development process that allows us to swap out projects very quickly. Many of our ideas come directly from these forum threads (we all read them). The best question to ask yourselves is "what is the minimum functionality i need to get my job done?' - this forms the basis of 'rev 1' that we then iterate on. So, please keep discussing and know that we are all listening :)
    Philip Thomas - Onshape
  • owen_sparksowen_sparks Member, Developers Posts: 2,660 PRO
    Great reply @philip_thomas

    In contrast, from one of my other forums:-

    Post by member:-
    Help...
    Post by same member days later:-
    Sun Apr 02, 2017 6:37 am
    **bump**

    any staff from the company on these forums ? ever ?

     

    Post by another member 8 days later:-
    »
    Mon Apr 10, 2017 1:45 am
    hehe
    there's your answer...

    I think there's a skeleton software 'team', getting pressure from management and users, busy trying to put out fires!
    Monitoring a forum isn't a priority...

     It's so nice to have the exact opposite here. :)

    Owen S.

    Business Systems and Configuration Controller
    HWM-Water Ltd
  • michael3424michael3424 Member Posts: 674 ✭✭✭✭
    Great reply @philip_thomas

     It's so nice to have the exact opposite here. :)

    Owen S.

    Ditto!  And what a pleasant surprise to see how quickly many bugs get fixed.
  • sjalifesjalife Member, Developers Posts: 24 PRO
    I know this thread is a bit old, but I wanted to give my two cents anyways.

    IF you REALLY want any document to point to the latest release, (I know I do sometimes, specially when test fitting parts in an assembly or testing changes in FS code) just right click, select "update linked document". Once on the Reference Manager, change focus to the "Selective update" Tab. Click on the "Select Version" Icon and it will show you all versions available INCLUDING the current Main, Live, or however you called your workspace (The topmost version above the latest formal Version you have).

    Select that and it will update with your changes. Note that YOU CAN BREAK your model if you screw something up, but I guess you can always restore to a previous change in the history of that part if needed.

    Hope this helps (it took me a while to find this out).

    Cheers

    Salvador J.



  • mthiesmeyermthiesmeyer Onshape Employees Posts: 115
    Hi Salvador,

    You are correct that you can convert a version reference to a workspace reference using the `Selective update` option. However, this option is only available if the version you are linking to is a version of the current document. If you are pointing to a version of another document, you can only update to other published versions (the workspace option is disabled).

    Best,

    Mike
  • Don_Van_ZileDon_Van_Zile Member Posts: 195 PRO
    I think I figured it out.  After about an hour of trying things, looking up help, searching forums, etc.

    Apparently I have to create a new version every time I make a change or it won't show there are changes to the assembly in the new document.  Not sure how I feel about that yet, but at least I kind of understand the process now.
    Agreed.

    @owen_sparks - we are looking at a number of options to improve this. :)

    As for how development works, we have have a rough plan that extends a year out, but for the individual sprints (the 3 week development cycle), we use an 'Agile' development process that allows us to swap out projects very quickly. Many of our ideas come directly from these forum threads (we all read them). The best question to ask yourselves is "what is the minimum functionality i need to get my job done?' - this forms the basis of 'rev 1' that we then iterate on. So, please keep discussing and know that we are all listening :)
    Good deal.
  • famadorianfamadorian Member Posts: 390 ✭✭✭
    What if you want it to stay at Specific version? 
  • 3dcad3dcad Member, OS Professional, Mentor Posts: 2,470 PRO
    Then you just don't update - or use selective update to set linked doc to specific version.
    //rami
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