{"id":28839,"date":"2021-08-05T11:00:52","date_gmt":"2021-08-05T15:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.solidworks.com\/tech\/?p=28839"},"modified":"2021-08-02T14:06:25","modified_gmt":"2021-08-02T18:06:25","slug":"updating-solidworks-composer-files","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.solidworks.com\/tech\/2021\/08\/updating-solidworks-composer-files.html","title":{"rendered":"Updating SOLIDWORKS Composer Files"},"content":{"rendered":"

Have you ever been working away on a project, only to be told the CAD file you\u2019ve been using is out of date? Going back to square 1 and starting again is probably the last thing you want to consider in this situation.<\/p>\n

One of the handiest features of SOLIDWORKS Composer<\/a> is the way it separates the files you\u2019re working on from the CAD file you originally imported, allowing engineers to continue working on the CAD file while we build up our Composer document. Composer also allows us to update our project with the modified CAD file, which can be a huge time-saver.<\/p>\n

So, let\u2019s have a look at the process.<\/p>\n

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Let\u2019s say we have been working on the .smg file below. We\u2019ve created some views with our exploded view steps and we\u2019re happy with our work, but we\u2019ve just been told some changes have been made to the assembly.<\/p>\n

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Some modifications have been made to the blue bracket component, including some dimensions changes and chamfers, and an orange set screw has been added to the crank subassembly.<\/p>\n

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In Composer, with the original .smg file open, we can simply go to File > Update > SOLIDWORKS Composer Document<\/strong>, browse to the modified SOLIDWORKS file, and click Update<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

IMPORTANT \u2013 The SOLIDWORKS file you select here must be the same file that the original .smg was created from. If you use a similar assembly, or one with a new name, Composer will not recognise it as the same file and the update will not be successful.<\/p>\n

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As we can see in the above image, the .smg file has been updated to reflect the changes made to the SOLIDWORKS assembly, and our exploded views we made earlier are still intact, with the new set screw actor present and correct.<\/p>\n

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So, there you have it, if you\u2019ve been working hard on some views or animations in Composer and you receive the dreaded news that the SOLIDWORKS file has changed, not to worry, Composer is ready to get you back on track.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Other things to note for the update process:<\/p>\n