I received a set of files from a client.
I need to repath many of the references. I thought that I could use the MS_RFDIR configuration variable, but that's not working as well as I had hoped. I still have files that are not found, showing red in the reference dialog - including files that are in the same directory.
I assumed that, if I went through the Attachment Settings for these reference files, I should be able to repath them. I've been doing that for decades when reference files were not found automatically. However, when I try to do this, I get a dialog saying "Unable to attach" the file
What is this? Why can I not repath the reference? Is this some saved view thing? Some ORD locked reference thing? What reasons could there be for disallowing the repathing of a reference that I KNOW exists? Is there any reason that a reference in the same directory isn't being picked up by my drawing?
"Just print me a half-dozen sheets" is turning into a nightmare...
MaryB,
Are you in Projectwise?
Regards,
Zane Pratt
Civil Designer
No, I am not. I believe these files originally came from a ProjectWise environment, but I am not working through ProjectWise.
MaryB
Power GeoPak 08.11.09.918Power InRoads 08.11.09.918OpenRoads Designer 2021 R2
ProjectWise uses a variable PW_WORKDIR that it manages for the "shadow" folders it creates.
I discovered that you could manually assign these in a UCF or other CFG file and if the shadow folders from ProjectWise contained the files needed for references, you could open a ProjectWise file outside of ProjectWise and all of the reference files would still be found.
These are the definitions I use to cover my normal ID as well as my Administrator ID. WE actually have three datasources but I am really only responsible for two of them, so our two primary working directories are c:\pwdata and c:\pwdata2. Making a single ID that accommodates both datasources and both ID's complicates things a bit, but it serves my purposes.
PW_WORKDIR > C:/pwdata/crheault/PW_WORKDIR > C:/pwdata2/crheault/PW_WORKDIR > C:/pwdata/admin-crheault/PW_WORKDIR > C:/pwdata2/admin-crheault/
I also discovered that ProjectWise will scan the attachments when a file is checked in and if there are new attachments using the same syntax, it will refresh the tables that it maintains or reference file attachments.
This image shows what it looks like in the dialog boxes associated with reference files. And you can copy and paste partial paths to reference files that were not being found and if the variables and paths are resolved properly, the attachment will update to reflect the correction and the paths saved in the file will now include all of the ProjectWise information.
I found this to be one method of fixing just such a situation and once the method is used, it can go very quickly. Making a text file in notepad with reference file paths that multiple files are missing can speed up the copying and pasting process.
Charles (Chuck) Rheault CADD Manager
MDOT State Highway Administration
This may be the way, but it may not be that easy. They sent me their files in their directory structure (...\Base\Roadway\ etc.) not their PW work directory directory structure (d#######). If I am understanding you correctly, I need to recreate the PW workdir structure?
On further investigation, MS_RFDIR is working on regular files. When I open the regular design files, it appears that everything is found as expected. I am only having this issue with the drawing models of sheet files. That makes me wonder if it's related to the saved views somehow.
When they exported the files may have turned on the Update documents to use local paths for references and links. This changes out the PMWORK paths Chuck mentioned for relative pathing. If you don't at least match up the relative pathing you'll get missing files. MS_RFDIR won't fix it (i think) because the files have path info in them (I thought MS_RFDIR was supposed to be used when it couldn't find the file in the relative path, but that's a very old memory)
I thought I had a VBA that runs through and strips all the paths from references, this usually fixes this kind of issue, but I'm not finding it at the moment.
Kevin:
If you find that macro, would you be willing to post it? It sounds like a really handy thing to have!
Best Regards,
Mark
I second that!
Hoo boy...
Yes, if you could find that macro, it would be very, very helpful. At this point, it sounds as if there's nothing I can do. I mean, yes, I could go through everything and try to document the directory structure...
But this is literally for our traffic guy "Here are the files they sent us so could you just print out the pavement marking sheets so I can look at them". That is ALL we will be doing with these drawings. Why they couldn't print the sheets and just send us PDFs baffles me, but it is honestly "just print me a few sheets".
What's frustrating is that I can't simply browse for the new path.