You can import SOLIDWORKS files to the CUSTOMTOOLS database without SOLIDWORKS by using the Import Standalone tool. Documents' reference data have to exist in the CUSTOMTOOLS database in order to be able to use features like Open Drawing and Where Used properly.
The Import Standalone tool works like the Import feature which is included in the SOLIDWORKS add-in.
You can use CUSTOMTOOLS Import Standalone tool also for migrating from CUSTOMTOOLS 3.x version to the newer CUSTOMTOOLS versions without starting the SOLIDWORKS first.
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NOTE: The Solid Edge file conversion is not supported in the Import Standalone feature. |
| Import | Imports selected files into the current CUSTOMTOOLS database. |
| Add Active Document |
Adds the currently open document into the Files to import list.
NOTE: The Add Active Document button is enabled only if there is at least one open document. |
| Add Files | Select the individual files to import into the database. |
| Add Folder |
Import all the files of the specified folder into the database.
Selected files or the files in selected folder appears into the Files to import list. |
| Load From File |
Loads the files into the Files to import list from the separate text file.
To load a failed job, locate the desired text file and click Open. |
| Save Failed | Save the list of files which failed to be imported. |
| Delete Selected |
Removes the selected files from the Files to import list. The files that you remove will not be imported.
TIP: Hold down the Ctrl key and select the files to be removed from the list of the Files to Import list. |
| Clear List | Clears the file list. |
| Add Folder From Vault | Opens a folder browser that lets you to add files from the desired folder that is located in your PDM data vault. |
| Cancel Operation | Aborts the import process that has been already started. |
| Close | Closes the Import dialog box. |
| Import drawings of 3D models | When you have this option selected, the drawings related to your 3D models are also imported into your CUSTOMTOOLS database. |
| Import revision data |
Select this option to also import the documents' revision data into the datanbase along with the documents.
NOTE: In case you import revision data to the database from a document that already has a revision table, the existing revision data is compared with the imported data. By that the revision data present in the revision table after the import process is the most recently added. |
| Options | Opens the Define Advanced Drawings Settings dialog box. Setup the advanced importing options with help of the Define Advanced Drawings Settings dialog box. |
| Revision Options | Use the Revidsion Options define the revision data migration settings. |
| Conversion Options | Opens the Solid Edge file conversion options. Use the Conversion Options to customize a Solid Edge file conversion process. |
| Read CT3 custom property meta-data | Reads the meta-data of the document custom properties which have been made with CUSTOMTOOLS 3.x versions. |
| Delete unused CT3 custom property meta-data |
Removes the un-necessary meta-data from the SOLIDWORKS document properties while importing documents that are made with the CUSTOMTOOLS 3.x version.
Removing the un-necessary data from the document properites decreases the file size and saves space in the storage. NOTE: The meta-data reading and deleting options are necessary only when migrating from CUSTOMTOOLS 3.x or older version to the CUSTOMTOOLS 2010 or newer version. |
| Don't import referenced files that already exist in the database | Select this option to ignore existing component references on the import process. Document references of which parent assembly's information already exists in the database, are ignored on the import process. |
| Open and save file in SOLIDWORKS | Opens the imported file with SOLIDWORKS and then saves the file to ensure that the file version stays correct. This option should be selected when importing files which are the most recently saved with an older SOLIDWORKS version and the file versions are used to be updated while importing their data into the CUSTOMTOOLS database. |
| Don't process unmapped sheet formats |
Drawings which sheet format is not mapped to any revision table are skipped during the import process. Files which are skipped because of the missing sheet format mapping are marked in the list with the  icon like in other error situations.
The Don't process unmapped sheet formats option is available only when importing revision data of the documents. |
| SOLIDWORKS version to use |
Determines the SOLIDWORKS version to be used to execute the import with and to open the documents that require opening in SOLIDWORKS during the import process.
NOTE: This option is enabled only in the Standalone Import tool. |
If the importing process fails for some reason, you get prompted to continue the process from the state the last failed process was when an error occurred. A prompt to continue the failed import process appear when the Import tool starts next time after the process has failed.
Files which are in the read-only state can also be imported with the Import tool. In that case, the import tool removes the read-only status from the files until the importing is done. After the import process is complete the read-only status is restored to the files which had it before the import process began.
When you import the revision data of the document that already has a revision table, the existing revision data is compared with the imported data, so the revision data that appears into the revision table is the most recently added.
The CUSTOMTOOLS Import Standalone feature could be used also through the Windows command line. The command line usage of the Import Standalone feature support the following parameters:
All parameters described in the following table should be used in association to the CustomImportSA.exe file which is located in your CUSTOMTOOLS installation folder.
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| /d | Use this parameter to open the model's referenced drawing in SOLIDWORKS. Without this parameter, the drawing(s) are also imported but they are not opened in SOLIDWORKS during the import process. |
| /f | Determines the file(s) to be included in the import process. The files to be imported should be listed after the /f within the quotation marks ("). When importing several files, add all necessary files to the process with the /f <Filename> parameter. No separators are needed between the file parameters. |
| /s | A parameter to start the import process. |
| /v |
Determines the SOLIDWORKS version to be used to import the files' data into the CUSTOMTOOLS database. SOLIDWORKS versions supported by the CUSTOMTOOLS 2019 Import Standalone Tool are SOLIDWORKS 2016 - 2019.
SOLIDWORKS version in the command line command is set by the SOLIDWORKS major version number. For example if the SOLIDWORKS version is set in the command like /v24, the SOLIDWORKS version 24 refers to the SOLIDWORKS 2016 major version with any service pack. |
| Example 1 - Import Single File | |
| CustomImportSA.exe /f "C:\Workspace\SOLIDWORKS\SW2019\CT2019\ImportExample\000002.SLDPRT" /s /d /v27 | |
| The Example 1 command above adds a SOLIDWORKS part file called 000002.SLDPRT into the CUSTOMTOOLS import process and executes the import process using SOLIDWORKS 2019. A drawing related to the 000002.SLDPRT is included in the import process and the drawing is also opened in SOLIDWORKS 2019. | |
| Example 2 - Import Many Files | |
| CustomImportSA.exe /f "C:\Workspace\SOLIDWORKS\SW2017\CT2019\ImportExample\000002.SLDPRT" /f "C:\Workspace\SOLIDWORKS\SW2017\CT2019\ImportExample\000001.SLDPRT" /s /d /v25 | |
| The Example 2 command above adds a SOLIDWORKS part files called 000002.SLDPRT and 000001.SLDPRT into the CUSTOMTOOLS import process and executes the import process using SOLIDWORKS 2017. Drawing related to the parts imported are included in the import process and the drawing is also opened in SOLIDWORKS 2017. | |
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NOTE: The example command in the table above, is used to be executed directly from the CUSTOMTOOLS installation folder. So to use a command similar than an example, you need first to navigate into your CUSTOMTOOLS installation folder in the Windows Command Prompt and then type the command like an example above. |
While using the Import Standalone feature, the drawings are searched by the filenames from the folder the models are located in. Drawings with any special names are not included in the import process with the Import Standalone tool while it is being executed through the command line. If your drawings have some special file names, please use the CUSTOMTOOLS Import feature included in the CUSTOMTOOLS SOLIDWORKS Add-In, or run the graphical user interface of the Import Standalone feature.
Refer to the following list to determine the correct version of SOLIDWORKS to be used with the CUSTOMTOOLS Import Standalone tool.
| SOLIDWORKS Version | Description | Command Line Parameter |
|---|---|---|
| <Use Default> | Select this to use the version of SOLIDWORKS that you have set as the default program to open the SOLIDWORKS files. | |
| SOLIDWORKS 2017 | Select this to use SOLIDWORKS 2017 version to open the SOLIDWORKS files. | /v25 |
| SOLIDWORKS 2018 | Select this to use SOLIDWORKS 2018 version to open the SOLIDWORKS files. | /v26 |
| SOLIDWORKS 2019 | Select this to use SOLIDWORKS 2019 version to open the SOLIDWORKS files. | /v27 |
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NOTE: The SOLIDWORKS versions available in the SOLIDWORKS version to use box in the in the Import dialog box depends on what SOLIDWORKS versions are installed in the workstation. |
To use the default version of SOLIDWORKS associated to the SOLIDWORKS files, do not add the SOLIDWORKS version parameter at all into the command line command used to run the Standalone Import.