How to Update Values from a SOLIDWORKS PDM Folder to Multiple Files
SOLIDWORKS PDM has a local vault view tool to copy folder data card values and database attributes to some or all corresponding variables of selected files. The tool can also easily update version free variables for multiple files at once.
The tool is accessed in the PDM local vault view from Modify > Update, then either selecting Values in Files or Files Attributes from Database. Each option is detailed in this guide.
Update Values > Values in Files
For Version Free variable changes, you do not need to check out files to run this tool. All other variable changes must have the files checked out prior to running the tool for the values to be copied.
In this example, we’ll be changing the ‘Project Name’ from ‘TBD’ to ‘ACME Hand Truck’ for all files in folder PROJ-0001.
Prior to launching the tool, be sure to edit and save the desired values on the main folder’s data card.
Select the parent folder which contains the data card variables from which to copy. Select Modify > Update > Values in Files.
Step 1/6: Filter files by keywords or leave the field blank to select all files. Also make selections for options to ‘Update file in subfolders’ or ‘Version free variables’ and then click Next.
Step 2/6: Select which workflow\state(s) the target files can reside in and then click Next.
Step 3/6: Displays the list of files that meet the search criteria. Deselect any files that you do not want to update.
Step 4/6: Select the folder card variables to update. The current folder card values will be displayed in the ‘Value’ column. Our example displays ‘ACME Hand Truck’ as the folder variable value.
Step 5/6: Select the configuration(s) to copy the values. @ is linked to the Custom tab in SOLIDWORKS. ‘Default’ is the initial configuration of any new file in SOLIDWORKS when using the built-in templates.
Step 6/6: Click ‘Finish’ to update the values.
A status indicator provides the progress of the changes. Be sure to audit the changes to verify the tool copied the values successfully.
The files variable values have been updated to match the folder card value.
Important notes when updating files in sub-folders
If the value of the sub-folder matches the value of the main folder being copied from, then the value will be copied to the files in the sub-folder. If the value of the variable of the sub-folder does not match the main folder, then the value of the sub-folder will be copied to the files in that sub-folder. Consider performing a small test on only a few files to better understand this functionality.
Update Values > File Attributes from Database
The option Update Values > File Attributes from Database is used to update the custom properties (file attributes) stored in the SOLIDWORKS files (or other managed files) based on the values currently stored in the PDM database.
How It Works:
When a file is checked into PDM, its metadata (custom properties such as part number, description, revision, etc.) is stored in the database. If changes are made to these values in the PDM database (e.g., through a data card update), these changes may not immediately be reflected inside the actual file properties. Selecting Modify > Update Values > File Attributes from Database pushes the updated values from the database into the physical file properties.
Reasons to use this option
- If file attributes inside the document are outdated compared to the database.
- To ensure consistency between the database values and the file’s internal properties.
- When working with non-SOLIDWORKS files (e.g., Word, Excel, PDFs) where metadata updates may not happen automatically.
- This option is useful when ensuring that the latest PDM metadata is synchronized with the actual file contents.
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