camworks installation guide · in camworks. it stores the all the machining practices of your...

Cover Page

TechDB Settings Guide

CCAAMMWWoorrkkss 22001177

Disclaimer

Geometric Americas, Inc. makes no warranties, either express or implied with respect

to this manual. Geometric Americas, Inc. reserves the right to revise and improve

products as it sees fit, and to revise the specifications and information contained

herein without prior notice. Due to continuing product development, specifications

and capabilities described in this manual are subject to change without notice.

Trademarks

The following and other product names and corporate references herein are registered

or proprietary trademarks of their respective owners.

CAMWorks® is a registered trademark of Geometric Americas, Inc.

SOLIDWORKS® is a registered trademark of Dassault Systèmes SOLIDWORKS

Corp.

FeatureManager™ is a trademark owned jointly by DS SOLIDWORKS and Bentley

Systems, Inc.

All other brands and names are property of their respective owners.

Copyright ©2016 Geometric Americas, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Product Name: CAMWorks 2017 SP0

Technology Database Setting Guide

Table of Contents i

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Technology Database Basics ............................................................... 4

What is Technology Database (TechDB)? .........................................................4

Why are TechDB settings important?.................................................................4

Supported MS Access Versions for running TechDB ......................................5

Flowchart illustrating TechDB Settings when for first-time CAMWorks installation . 5

Flowchart illustrating TechDB Settings when upgrading existing CAMWorks Installation .............................................................................................................. 6

Default Folder Location of the TechDB files .......................................................7

Installed TechDB files and their Functions .........................................................8

Default TechDB mode on installing CAMWorks .................................................9

Changing settings to open TechDB in 32-bit or 64-bit mode .............................9

Changing the Settings of TechDB in CAMWorks Options ...................................... 9

Opening TechDB in 32-bit or 64-bit mode ....................................................... 10

Method 1: Opening TechDB from the CAMWorks Interface ................................. 10

Method 2: Opening TechDB using Windows Explorer .......................................... 10

Method 3: Opening TechDB from the Windows Start menu ................................. 11

Customizing Technology Database ................................................................ 12

2. Technology Database Settings .......................................................... 13

Sharing the TechDB on a Network Drive ........................................................ 13

Pre-requisite for Sharing TechDB on a Network Drive .......................................... 13

Steps to move the TechDB and Report Database to a shared location ................ 14

Steps for creating a common TechDB repository on a Floating Network ....... 15

Verifying the successful linking of the TechDB ..................................................... 16

Creating and Using a SQL-based TechDB ..................................................... 16

Pre-requisites for creating a SQL-based TechDB ................................................. 17

Creating a SQL-based TechDB for CAMWorks .................................................... 17

Linking the SQL Database .......................................................................................... 17

3. Updating the Technology Database ................................................... 18

Retaining customized TechDB Data on upgrading CAMWorks ...................... 18

Creation of TechDB Backups on installing Service Packs .............................. 18

Example of upgrading CAMWorks with a Service Pack ............................................... 19

Example of upgrading to a new CAMWorks Release .................................................. 20

Importing TechDB data on upgrading CAMWorks .......................................... 20

Sharing updated TechDB/Report Database on a Network ............................. 25

Importing Customized Data into a SQL-based TechDB .................................. 26


4 Technology Database Basics

1. TECHNOLOGY DATABASE BASICS

What is Technology Database (TechDB)? The TechDBTM, a Microsoft Access database, is the intelligence behind the

machining automation in CAMWorks. The knowledge-based machining

technology, tooling details, cutting conditions and operation defaults saved in

the Technology Database are used to generate operations automatically.

The TechDB is shipped with data that is considered generally applicable to

most machining environments. In order to gain full advantage of CAMWorks,

you need to customize this data as per your best practices and machine tool

infrastructure available at your end. The machining information in the database

is divided into these categories:

Machine: All the CNC machines in your facility and the associated

controller and tool crib.

Tools: The tool library can contain all the tools in your facility.

Cutting Parameters: Information for calculating feed rates and spindle

speeds, stock materials and tool materials.

Feature and Operations: The machining sequence for different types of

features.

Why are TechDB settings important? The Technology Database is the intelligence behind the machining automation

in CAMWorks. It stores the all the machining practices of your facility and the

information can be used to generate toolpaths on various types of features. Such a repository ensures uniformity and quality in the generated toolpaths. To

make the best use of the TechDB, you will have to change from default settings of TechDB to suit your requirements such as:

Creating common TechDB repository on a Floating Network

Sharing the TechDB on a network drive

Setting up a SQL-based Technology Database

Importing customized TechDB data after upgrading existing CAMWorks

installation

Please refer the flowcharts given on the next two pages to gain an understanding of the various Technology Database (TechDB) settings.


Technology Database Basics 5

Flowchart illustrating TechDB Settings when for first-time CAMWorks installation

No

SQL-based TechDB

MS-Access

Based TechDB

Floating network

License

Single User License

Yes

Activate the

CAMWorks License

Download and install the CAMWorks Installer

Package

Create a common TechDB repository on the Floating

Network

Change settings to create a SQL-based TechDB for

CAMWorks

Have you installed a Standalone License or

Floating Network License?

Do you want a

MS-Access based TechDB or

SQL-based TechDB?

Customize the TechDB to suit your

requirements and use

Do you want share the TechDB on the

Network? (ideal in situation where

multiple single user licenses are

present)

Create a common TechDB repository on the Floating Network

Share the TechDB on a network drive

Refer License

Activation Guide

Refer Installation

Guide



Flowchart illustrating TechDB Settings when upgrading existing CAMWorks

Installation

Upgrade existing CAMWorks Installation

Create a common TechDB repository on the Floating Network

Create SQL-based TechDB from the newly

installed TechDB

Do you Have a

Standalone License or

Floating Network License?

Have you

shared TechDB on a

network?

Upgrade the CAMWorks installation on all systems of

the floating network

Do you

have a MS-Access based TechDB or

SQL-based TechDB?

Do you have a MS-Access based TechDB or

SQL-based TechDB?

Create SQL-based TechDB from the newly

installed TechDB

Import customized data from existing SQL-based TechDB into newly created SQL-

based TechDB

Import customized data from existing shared MS-Access based TechDB into new

TechDB

Customize the TechDB to suit your

requirements and use

Check whether a new CAMWorks Version or Release is available

Import customized data from existing SQL-based

TechDB into newly created SQL-based TechDB

Share updated TechDB on the network

Import customized data from existing common repository TechDB into

new TechDB

Create a common repository of updated TechDB containing

imported data on the Floating Network

Import customized data from existing TechDB into new

TechDB

Refer Installation

Guide Refer Installation

Guide

SQL-based TechDB

SQL-based

license

Standalone License

MS-

Access

based

TechDB

Upgrade is

available

Floating Network

Yes

MS-Access

based

TechDB

No



Supported MS Access Versions for running TechDB Microsoft Access is a pre-requisite for using the Technology Database. The

following 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Microsoft Access are supported:

MS Access 2007 (32-bit version)

MS Access 2010 SP1/ SP2 (32-bit and 64-bit versions)

MS Access 2013 SP1 (32-bit and 64-bit versions)

MS Office 365 with Office 2013 (32-bit and 64-bit versions)

MS Access 2016 (32-bit and 64-bit versions)

Note: If you want to share TechDB over a Network Drive, then the minimum supported version of MS Access required is MS Access 2010 SP2.

Default Folder Location of the TechDB files When CAMWorks is installed on a system, TechDB files are installed within the

CAMWorksData folder usually at the following location:

Drive:\CAMWorksData\CAMWorks2017x64\Lang\xxxx

Where xxxx indicates the language folder

TechDB files located in the \CAMWorks2017x64\Lang\xxxx folder



Installed TechDB files and their Functions TechDB.mdb: This file contains the data portion of the TechDB. By default, it

is located in the \lang\xxxx folder within the CAMWorks2017x64 data folder. If

required, this file can be moved to any other folder location, including a

network drive. Moving this file to a network drive will be required in cases

where more than one CAM engineer would be using a centralized knowledge

base. TechDB accessed from such a shared location will ensure that all

users access a common TechDB.

For more details, read: Sharing the TechDB on a Network Drive

ReportDatabase.mdb: This file contains the templates and data for the MS

Access based Setup Sheet function. All the customization done to MS Access

based Setup Sheets are stored in the ReportDatabase.mdb file. By default,

this file is installed in the same location as TechDB.mdb. This file must be

located in the same folder as the TechDB.mdb. If the TechDB.mdb file moved

to a shared location, then the ReportDatabase.mdb file must also be moved to

the same location.

TechDBForms.mde/ TechDBFormsx64.mde:

These files provide the User Interface for all the forms of TechDB.

o The TechDBForms.mde is used to open the TechDB in 32-bit Microsoft

Access version.

o The TechDBForms_basic.mde is used to open the TechDB in 32-bit

Microsoft Access version. (It provides a basic User Interface without

navigation tree and is recommended for use only if you face problems

in using TechDBForms.mde.)

o On 64-bit systems, the TechDBFormsx64.mde is used to open the TechDB

in 64-bit Microsoft Access version.

When the TechDB is shared on a Network Drive, the TechDB.mdb and

ReportDatabase.mdb files are moved from the default location to the shared

location. However, the TechDBForms.mde, TechDBForms_basic.mde and

TechDBFormsx64.mde files must still remain the \lang\xxx folder of the

CAMWorks2017x64 data folder (where xxx defines the language).

TechDBForms_basic.mde: In case if you encounter issues while accessing

TechDBForms.mde then, it is recommended to access TechDB using this file. The user

interface will not include the navigation tree. However all the forms of the TechDB can

be accessed.



TechDB.bak: This file facilitates creation of backup files of the TechDB.mdb and

ReportDatabase.mdb whenever the CAMWorks installation is updated with a

Service Pack. In case you plan to use a SQL-based TechDB, this file is

required for creating the SQL-based database. For more details, read:

Creating and Using an SQL-based TechDB

Default TechDB mode on installing CAMWorks When CAMWorks is installed, it will check for the presence of Microsoft Access

on the system. TechDB will run in 32-bit mode or 64-bit mode depending on

whether 32-bit or 64-bit version of Microsoft Access version has been installed.

On 64-bit systems, if only 64-bit version of Microsoft Access is detected

(and not 32-bit), then TechDB will be run in 64-bit mode by default.

On 64-bit systems, if both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Microsoft Access are

present, TechDB will be run in 32-bit mode by default.

Changing settings to open TechDB in 32-bit or 64-bit

mode

CAMWorks is supported only on 64-bit systems. Though the CAMWorks TechDB

runs in 32-bit mode by default on 64-bit systems, users can switch the TechDB

to 64-bit mode, if required. However, running the 64-bit mode of TechDB is

only possible if 64-bit Microsoft access is installed on the system.

Changing the Settings of TechDB in CAMWorks Options

Following are the steps to set/change the default mode in which TechDB will be

opened:

1. Open CAMWorks as an Add-In within SOLIDWORKS/CAMWorks Solids.

2. On the CAMWorks Command Manager, click on the CAMWorks Options button

.

3. The Options dialog box will be displayed. Click on the File Locations tab.

4. In the TechDB forms dropdown list:

Select TechDBForms.mde (32bit) to run TechDB in 32-bit mode.

Select TechDBForms_basic.mde (32bit) to run TechDB in 32-bit mode with

a basic UI.



Select TechDBFormsx64.mde (64bit) to run TechDB in 64-bit mode.

5. Click OK to apply the changes and close the dialog box.

6. Restart SOLIDWORKS/CAMWorks Solids.

Opening TechDB in 32-bit or 64-bit mode The following methods explain how to open TechDB in 32-bit or 64-bit mode.

Method 1: Opening TechDB from the CAMWorks Interface

Launch CAMWorks as an Add-In within SOLIDWORKS/CAMWorks Solids. On the

CAMWorks Command Manager, click on the Technology Database button.

The TechDB will be launched in 32-bit or 64-bit depending on the TechDB

settings in CAMWorks Options.

Note: The TechDB Forms setting within CAMWorks Options will be applied whenever you access TechDB from the CAMWorks Interface.

Method 2: Opening TechDB using Windows Explorer

Using Windows Explorer, open the default folder location of TechDB files. In this

folder location, open the file TechDBForms.mde or TechDBFormsx64.mde or

TechDBForms_basic.mde.

Selecting the TechDB Forms format from the dropdown list in the Options dialog box



Method 3: Opening TechDB from the Windows Start menu

Opening non-English language TechDB from Windows Start menu

If you are using CAMWorks in a language other than English, then click Start on

the Windows task bar and select:

All Programs>>CAMWorks2017x64>>Technology Database>>xxx

Where xxx is the name of the language.

Under the xxx menu item, Technology Database option(s) will be displayed.

These options are the same as those displayed for the English language

version. Select the option as per your requirements.

Opening English Language TechDB from Windows Start menu

Click Start on the Windows task bar and select:

All Programs>>CAMWorks2017x64>>Technology Database.

To open TechDB in 32-bit mode, select Technology Database listed under

this menu item. (This action opens the file TechDBForms.mde.) On 64-bit

English Language TechDB options

Non-English Language TechDB

options

Opening TechDB from Windows Start menu



machines, this option will be displayed only if a 32-bit version of Microsoft

Access is installed.

To open TechDB in 32-bit mode with a basic UI instead of Advanced UI,

select Technology Database Basic listed under this menu item. (This action

opens the file TechDBForms_basic.mde.) On 64-bit machines, this option will

be displayed only if a 32-bit version of Microsoft Access is installed.

To open TechDB in 64-bit mode, select Technology Database (64-bit) listed

under this menu item. (This action opens the file TechDBFormsx64.mde.)

Note that this option will be displayed only if your system has a 64-bit

version of Microsoft Access installed.

Customizing Technology Database After opening TechDB, you can view/edit/customize it to suit your facility’s requirements. To learn how to customize the Technology Database to suit your facility’s requirements, we recommend that you read the Manual Technology

Database Tutorial. This manual can be accessed from the Windows Start menu by selecting All Programs>>CAMWorks2017x64>>Manuals>>Technology Database

Tutorial.


Technology Database Settings 13

2. TECHNOLOGY DATABASE SETTINGS

This chapter deals with the various Technology Database settings you might

have to change from time to time depending on your requirements.

The following topics are covered in this chapter:

Sharing the TechDB on a Network Drive

Steps for creating a common TechDB repository on a Floating Network

Creating and Using a SQL-based TechDB

Sharing the TechDB on a Network Drive Sharing the TechDB on a network drive will be required in the following cases:

When more than one CAM engineer will be using a centralized knowledge

base of TechDB

When you want to safeguard the TechDB repository by shifting to a

secure location

Pre-requisite for Sharing TechDB/ Report Database on a Network Drive

The minimum compatible version of MS Access required when sharing TechDB/ Report Database over a network drive is MS Access 2010 SP2 (Runtime or Full). If

you do not have this minimum supported version installed, you can install the MS Access 2010 SP2 Runtime version from the AccessRuntime sub-folder of the CAMWorks Installer Package.

Refer Appendix B of the CAMWorks Installation Guide document for details on installing MS Access 2010 SP2.

Note:

The TechDB/ Report Database can be moved to a shared location on a network drive even in the absence of the minimum supported version of MS Access i.e. MS Access 2010 SP2. There can, however, be loss of data from TechDB.

When CAMWorks is launched as an Add-In within SOLIDWORKS/ CAMWorks Solids, if it detects that TechDB is shared on a network drive and the MS Access version is lower than MS Access 2010 SP2, then the following Warning Message will be displayed:


14 Technology Database Settings

Steps to move the TechDB and Report Database to a shared location

1. Browse to the default location where the TechDB files are installed within the CAMWorks data folder. This path is usually:


Where xxxx indicates the language folder

2. From this folder, move the files TechDB.mdb and ReportDatabase.mdb to a

shared folder location on the network. However, the TechDBForms.mde/

TechDBFormsx64.mde/TechDBForms_basic.mde files should be retained

within this location.

3. After completing Step 2, open the Technology Database on the user’s

computer.

4. When Microsoft Access is launched:

If you moved the TechDB files as mentioned in Step 2, then a message window displays to indicate the database files cannot found and then the Database Link Wizard will be displayed.

If you moved the TechDB files as mentioned in Step 2 but retained their

original copies within the default TechDB folder location, then the Main

Menu for the TechDB will be displayed. Under Maintenance in the TechDB

navigation tree, click the Link Database item. The Database Link Wizard

will be displayed.

5. In the Database Link Wizard, read the information in Step 1 and then click the

Next button.

CAMWorks Message displayed when TechDB is shared on a network in the absence of minimum supported version of MS Access



6. Use the Browse button to locate the TechDB.mdb file that you moved to a

shared folder on the network and then click Next.

7. Click the Start Linking button.

8. When the linking is completed, click the Finish button.

9. Click the Exit button to close the TechDB.

10. Launch CAMWorks as an Add-In within SOLIDWORKS/CAMWorks Solids. Open

a part file.

11. On the CAMWorks Command Manager, click on the CAMWorks Options

button.

12. The Options dialog box is displayed.

13. The File Locations tab of this dialog box indicates the new location of the

TechDB. Verify that this path is correct.

Steps for creating a common TechDB repository on a Floating Network Ideally, if you have customized your Technology Database, then you need to

move the customized TechDB to a shared folder so that all users can access a

common TechDB repository. If you want such a centralized TechDB repository

to be accessed by the different clients on a floating network, then you need to

change the TechDB settings by moving the TechDB to a shared location and

changing the TechDB access path for each client system using the Database

Link Wizard.

Following are the steps to create a common centralized TechDB repository for

all the clients on a floating network:

1. Identify the client system that has the TechDB files containing customized

TechDB data. In case no customized TechDB data has yet been generated,

then select any client on the floating network to begin the process.

2. On the selected client system, complete all the as given in the previous

section: Steps to move the TechDB to a shared location.

3. On each of these remaining clients systems, perform the following actions:

a. Open the Technology Database.

b. A message window will display indicating that the database files cannot found and the Database Link Wizard will then be displayed.


16 Technology Database Settings

c. In the Database Link Wizard, read the information in Step 1 of the

Wizard and then click the Next button.

d. Use the Browse button to locate the TechDB.mdb file that you moved to a shared folder on the network and then click Next.

e. Click the Start Linking button.

f. When the linking is completed, click the Finish button.

g. Click the Exit button to close the TechDB.

h. Verify the successful linking of the shared TechDB as explained below.

All the clients on the floating network now access a common TechDB.

Verifying the successful linking of the TechDB

After changing the location of the TechDB, you can verify the successful linking

of TechDB with CAMWorks as follows:

1. Launch CAMWorks as an Add-In within SOLIDWORKS/CAMWorks Solids. Open

a part file.

2. On the CAMWorks Command Manager, click on the CAMWorks Options

button.

3. The Options dialog box is displayed.

The File Locations tab of this dialog box indicates the new location of the

TechDB. Verify that this path is correct.

Creating and Using a SQL-based TechDB By default, when you install CAMWorks, the Technology Database (TechDB) is

supplied in the Microsoft Access database format. Microsoft Access forms

provided with TechDB can connect with the following SQL Server versions on

the backend thereby providing client-server support:

SQL Server 2005 / 2008/ 2012

SQL Server 2005 / 2008 Express

SQL Server 2008 R2

Thus, if desired, you can use a SQL-based TechDB. Note that higher versions

of SQL Server are also supported.

Note: ‘SQL Server’ is Microsoft product. The purchase and installation of this software is separate from CAMWorks. Geometric Americas, Inc. does not provide support for installation, setup and database creation for SQL.



Pre-requisites for creating a SQL-based TechDB

1. Verify that you have a supported version of Microsoft Access: A full version or

runtime version of Microsoft Access 2007, 2010, 2013 or 2016 must be

installed or Office 365 service subscribed to.

2. Install the SQL Server: Minimum supported version of SQL Server installed on

the server must be SQL Server 2005, SQL Server 2005 Express, SQL Server

2008, SQL Server 2008 Express or SQL Server 2008 R2. Higher versions are also

supported.

3. Create the SQL Database: Use the Restore Database functionality in SQL Server

Management Studio or SQL Server Management Studio Express to create the

Technology Database from the TechDB.bak file that is installed in the

Drive:\CAMWorksData\CAMWorks2017x64\Lang\xxxx folder when you install

CAMWorks. The database can have any name.

4. Provide the necessary access rights for the users.

Creating a SQL-based TechDB for CAMWorks

You can link the TechDB to any valid SQL database and you can have any

number of databases; however, you can only link to one database at a time.

Linking the SQL Database

1. Open the Technology Database.

2. After this Microsoft Access Database opens, expand the Maintenance item in

the navigation tree and click Link Database. Click Next.

3. On the Locating the Source page, enter the required information and click Next.

For Link to, select SQL.

Type the Server Name.

Select the Authentication Mode: Windows Authentication (the default user

ID you use to log in to Windows) or the SQL Authentication (specific SQL user).

Click the Get Database button and locate the database.

4. Click the Start Linking button. When the linking has completed, click Finish. The TechDB is now ready to use with CAMWorks.


18 Updating the Technology Database

3. UPDATING THE TECHNOLOGY DATABASE

Retaining customized TechDB Data on upgrading CAMWorks To retain customized TechDB data, Setup Sheet Templates and/or Report

Templates when you upgrade your CAMWorks installation, you need to import

the customized TechDB data from the previous CAMWorks version in to the

new CAMWorks version.

This chapter provides details on how to import customized TechDB data, Setup

Sheet Templates and/or Report Templates. Please read the applicable section

from this chapter:

Creation of TechDB Backups on installing Service Packs

Importing TechDB data on upgrading CAMWorks

o Procedure to Import customized TechDB data

o Procedure to Import customized Setup Sheet Templates

o Procedure to Import Customized Report Templates

Sharing updated TechDB/Report Database on a Network

Importing Customized Data into a SQL-based TechDB

Creation of TechDB Backups on installing Service Packs When you update an existing installation of CAMWorks with a Service Pack

release, before the Installation Wizard overwrites all your current installation

files, it will create copies of the existing TechDB.mdb and ReportDatabase.mdb

files located in the \Lang\backup_nn folder to a backup folder as follows:

Note: Backups of TechDB.mdb and ReportDatabase.mdb are created only when you upgrade an existing CAMWorks installation with a Service Pack. They will not be created when you upgrade to a new CAMWorks Release.

Each time the CAMWorks Installation Wizard is run to update an existing

CAMWorks installation with a Service Pack, a new \backup\Lang\backup_nn

folder is created inside the CAMWorks folder where:

- Lang is the installed language folder


Updating the Technology Database 19

- nn is a two digit number ranging from 01-10 that indicates indicating the

chronological order of the number of times the CAMWorks installation

was upgraded with a Service Pack. For example, the folder backup_03

indicates that the CAMWorks installation has been upgraded three times.

Example:

Drive:\CAMWorksData\CAMWorks2017x64\backup\English\backup_01

Note: In case of multiple backups, the backup files must always be retrieved from the latest backup folder. Such a folder is easily identifiable as the affixed number in its folder name is higher than those of other backup folders.

After 10 backups have been created, the Setup program deletes the

backup_01 through backup_05 folders. The backup_06 through backup_10

folders are then renamed to backup_01 through backup_05 and the backup

files for the next installation are stored in the backup_06 folder.

Example of upgrading CAMWorks with a Service Pack

If you have CAMWorks 201x SP0 version installed on your system and proceed

to install CAMWorks 201x SP1 version, then the existing installation files of

CAMWorks 201x SP0 version will be overwritten. This includes your existing

Backup files of TechDB.mdb and ReportDatabase.mdb created in Backup folders



TechDB.mdb and ReportDatabase.mdb files. However, these TechDB.mdb and

ReportDatabase.mdb files will be backed up into the backup_nn folder before

being replaced.

Example of upgrading to a new CAMWorks Release

If you have CAMWorks 2016 installed on your system and proceed to install

CAMWorks 2017, then CAMWorks 2017 will be installed as a separate CAMWorks

version. None of the existing files for CAMWorks 2016 will be overwritten. Both

CAMWorks 2016 and CAMWorks 2017 will be listed as separate Add-Ins within

SOLIDWORKS/CAMWorks Solids. No backups of your existing TechDB.mdb and

ReportDatabase.mdb files will be created as no files are being overwritten.

The CAMWorks 2017 Release will have the default Technology Database and

Report Database associated with it. You will need to import customized data

from your existing TechDB.mdb and ReportDatabase.mdb files into the

corresponding files of the newly installed version.

Importing TechDB data on upgrading CAMWorks When you upgrade your existing CAMWorks installation with a new Service Pack

or CAMWorks Release, the default TechDB available with the new CAMWorks

version will be associated with it.

If your previous TechDB files contain customized data, then such data needs to

be made available in the upgraded CAMWorks version. This is done by

importing the customized data from the TechDB files of the previous version

into the TechDB files of the new version by using the Import Data Wizard.

Note: Trying to retain your customized TechDB data by copy-pasting your previous TechDB files into the new Release or version is not a feasible solution. Such an act of replacing files may usually lead to errors and non-functioning of CAMWorks.

For steps on how to import customized TechDB data, Setup Sheet Templates

and Report templates after upgrading the CAMWorks version, refer the

following sections in this chapter:

Procedure to Import customized TechDB data

Procedure to Import customized Setup Sheet Templates

Procedure to Import Customized Report Templates



Procedure to Import customized TechDB data

1. Pre-requisites:

Ensure that the SOLIDWORKS/CAMWorks Solids application is closed.

If you are upgrading to a new CAMWorks Release, we recommend that

you keep your previous version temporarily to minimize potential upgrade problems and ensure a smooth transition. You can uninstall the previous version after verifying that you have a licensed CAMWorks 2017

version and after importing customized data from your current TechDB into the CAMWorks 2017 TechDB.

2. Open the Technology Database.

3. The CAMWorks Technology Database window will be displayed. Within this window:

Expand the Maintenance item in the navigation tree and click Import

Database. OR

Click on the Maintenance button. In the subsequent window displayed, click on the Import Database button.

Maintenance item in the CAMWorks 2017 Technology Database window



4. The Import Wizard is displayed. After reading the first screen of the Import

Wizard, click the Next button to continue.

Note: If you try to import the customized TechDB while the SOLIDWORKS/CAMWorks Solids application is running, then the Import Wizard will display an error message prompting you to ensure that the SOLIDWORKS/CAMWorks Solids application is not running. Close this application in order to proceed with importing the database.

5. The Step 2 dialog box of Import Wizard displays the locations of the current

database and the source database. The source database indicates the

TechDB.mdb file containing customized TechDB data. Data will be imported

from the source database into new TechDB.mdb file. If the location of your

source TechDB.mdb is not correct, use the Browse button to set the correct

location. Your source database file can be determined as follows:

If you have upgraded your existing CAMWorks Installation with a Service

Pack, then the source database is the TechDB.mdb file located in the

following folder:

Drive:\CAMWorksData\CAMWorks2017x64\\backup\English\backup_nn

Refer: Creation of TechDB Backups on installing Service Packs for more

information.

If you had shared the TechDB over a network, then your source database

is the TechDB.mdb that was moved to a designated folder on a network

drive.

If all the clients on a Floating Network installation share a common

TechDB.mdb, then the source database is the TechDB.mdb located in

that particular shared folder location.

If you have upgraded to the new CAMWorks 2017 Release from a

previous release (say CAMWorks 2016), then the source database is

the TechDB.mdb for the 2016 version located at:

Drive:\CAMWorksData\CAMWorks2016x64\Lang\xxxx (for 64-bit systems)

Where xxxx is the language

6. Click the Next button.

7. Step 3 dialog box of Import Wizard allows you to create a backup of the new

database in the event that the update procedure fails. The original source



database containing customized data will not be changed during this

process. However, we strongly recommend that you select and make a

Backup. Click the Backup button. A backup will be created in the same

folder as the TechDB.mdb and will be named Backup of TechDB.mdb.

8. Once the backup is done, click the Next button. Step 4 dialog box of Import

Wizard begins the data importing process.

9. Select the data to be imported (Mill and/or Turn), then click the Import

button. The process may take a few minutes.

10. When finished, click the Next button, then click the Compact button. This

command compacts the database to decrease the file size and thereby

improve performance. The process may take a few minutes.

11. When finished, click the Finish button. The Main Menu of the Technology

Database is displayed.

12. Click the Quit button. The new CAMWorks TechDB now includes customized

data entered in the previous version of the TechDB.

13. If you wish to move this TechDB containing customized data to a shared

location or if you have a floating network installation and want all the

clients to access a common TechDB repository, then read the penultimate

section of this chapter: Sharing updated TechDB/Report Database on a Network.

Procedure to Import customized Setup Sheet Templates

If you have created customized templates for Setup Sheets and/or you want to

retain the Setup Sheet data for existing parts, you can import the information

which was present in the previous Report Database to the new Report

Database of the new CAMWorks version.

Following are the steps to import Setup Sheet data that was generated in the

Report Database of the previous CAMWorks version to the new version:

1. Close CAMWorks and SOLIDWORKS/CAMWorks Solids.

2. In Windows Explorer, open the ReportDatabase.mdb for the

CAMWorks2017x64 version located in the in the \Lang\xxxx folder in the

CAMWorks2017 data folder.

Example: Drive:\CAMWorksData\CAMWorks2017x64\Lang\English

3. Select Setup sheet on the menu bar and choose Import Setup Sheets. The

Import Setup Sheet Wizard dialog box is displayed.



4. Type the path to the previous ReportDatabase.mdb of the previous CAMWorks

version or browse to locate the folder containing this file and click Import.

If you have upgraded your existing CAMWorks Installation with a Service Pack, then the previous version ReportDatabase.mdb file will be located in the

following folder:

Drive:\CAMWorksData\CAMWorks2017x64\\backup\English\backup_nn

Refer: Creation of TechDB Backups on installing Service Packs in this chapter for more information.

If you had shared the TechDB over a network, then the previous ReportDatabase.mdb version is the one that was moved to a designated

folder on a network drive.

If all the clients on a Floating Network installation share a common

ReportDatabase.mdb, then its previous version is located in that particular

shared folder location.

If you have upgraded to the new CAMWorks 2017 Release from a previous release (say CAMWorks 2016), then the ReportDatabase.mdb file of the

previous release is located in the following folder:


Where xxxx is the language

5. Click the Finish button when the process is finished.

6. Click the Setup Sheet Browser button and confirm the data has been

imported.

7. If you wish to move this ReportDatabase.mdb containing customized

templates to a shared location or if you have a floating network installation and want all the clients to access a common Report Database repository, then

read the penultimate section of this chapter: Sharing updated TechDB/Report

Database on a Network.

Procedure to Import Customized Report Templates

If you have created customized Report templates, you can import this

information which was present in the previous Report Database to the Report

Database of the new CAMWorks version.

Following are the steps to import Report Templates data that was generated in

the Report Database of the previous CAMWorks version to the new version:

1. If you are also importing Setup Sheet data, import the data first as

explained in: Procedure to Import customized Setup Sheet Templates



2. Make sure each report template you want to import has a unique name that

is not the same as one of the default templates supplied.

Because the supplied templates cannot be imported, the recommended

procedure for creating new templates is to create a new report or copy one

of the provided templates and modify the copy.

3. Exit CAMWorks and SOLIDWORKS/CAMWorks Solids.

4. In Windows Explorer, open the ReportDatabase.mdb for the

CAMWorks2017x64 version located in the in the \Lang\xxxx folder in the

CAMWorks2017x64 data folder.

Example: Drive:\CAMWorksData\CAMWorks2017x64\Lang\English

5. Select Window on the menu bar, choose Unhide in the Unhide Window dialog

box and then click OK.

6. Select File on the menu bar and choose Get External Data, then Import.

7. In the Import dialog box, locate the previous Report Database file and click

Import (for information on locating the file, see Step 4 in the Procedure to

Import Customized Setup Sheet Templates in the previous section.

8. In the Import Objects dialog box, click the Reports tab, select the templates

you want to import and click OK. The imported templates display in the list

on the Reports tab.

9. Close the Report Database.

10. If you wish to move this ReportDatabase.mdb containing customized

templates to a shared location or if you have a floating network installation

and want all the clients to access a common Report Database repository, then

read the penultimate section of this chapter: Sharing updated TechDB/Report

Database on a Network.

Sharing updated TechDB/Report Database on a Network If you had shared your TechDB on a network drive/shared folder location

before upgrading your CAMWorks version, then you need to relocate the TechDB/ Report Database back to the shared folder location after the

customized TechDB data has been imported into the new TechDB/ Report Database file.

1. If you wish to move this ReportDatabase.mdb to a shared location, then read

the section: Sharing the TechDB on a Network drive in Chapter 2 of this document.

2. If you have a floating network installation and want all the clients to access a common TechDB repository containing the customized TechDB data, then



after importing customized data into the new TechDB, follow the instruction given in the section: Steps for creating a common TechDB repository on a Floating

Network in Chapter 2 of this document.

Importing Customized Data into a SQL-based TechDB If the TechDB for your previous CAMWorks installation was SQL-based and it

contained customized data, then you will need to import this customized data into the new SQL-based TechDB after installing a new version of CAMWorks.

Following are the steps to import customized data in SQL-based TechDB of previous version into SQL-based TechDB of the new CAMWorks version that you

install:

1. Install the CAMWorks 2017 application.

2. Create a SQL-based TechDB for this version by following the steps given in the sections Pre-requisites for creating a SQL-based TechDB and Creating a

SQL Database for CAMWorks given in Chapter 2 of this document.

3. Use one of the following methods to start the Technology Database in

Microsoft Access:

Select Start on the Windows task bar and select All Programs>> CAMWorks2017x64>>Technology Database>>Technology Database.

In Windows Explorer, open the file TechDBForms.mde located in the Drive:\CAMWorksData\CAMWorks2017x64\Lang\xxx folder.

4. After this Microsoft Access Database opens, expand the Maintenance item in

the navigation tree and click Import Database. The Import Wizard is

launched.

5. Select an Import Option:

Access to SQL: To import data from a Microsoft Access database to an

SQL database that has already been linked. If you select this option,

browse to the database file containing the data to be imported.

SQL to SQL: To import data from one SQL database to an SQL database

that has already been linked. If you select this option, the information for the currently linked database is on the left. On the right, enter the

required information for the database containing the data to be imported.

6. Click the Next button. The data importing process may take a few minutes.

7. Click the Finish button. The currently linked TechDB now includes the

imported data.

camworks installation guide · in camworks. it stores the all the machining practices of your...

Documents