Ok, now I see where your coming from. I'm kind of off the scale however. The reason being is that about 10-20% of my files are DXF or DWG, the rest are Sldprt, Sldasm, SLDDRW or other file formats. I have software controls which allow me to readily see what files are used in what parts and models etc. That isn't really the issue. The issue is more organizing my generic part libraries and various project's in a way which works well for my inhouse products as well as for product's which are designed and built for other's. There are things like 'lift lugs' which could possibly be used for other projects, instead of designing them from scratch each time. I do make use of my softwares library functions, however it's more the part number and or job number, numbering system's which I have no grasp of. Or at least, never found a system that worked for it all.
If I store job's under their job number, then I need a master file someplace which I can search for to find what job's had what job numbers, then go search or look for the folder w/ that job number. Of course adding customer numbers to the job numbers would help in this regard, but it seem's like its an excercise in creating and maintaining lists and databases. Neither of which I'm interested in.
What I'd like to be able to do is have a part numbering system which allows me to look at the number and de-code it in my head as to what kind of part it is, how it was made and whether it was a inhouse part or a part which was designed for a customer, or possible used in both instances. I want to get away from naming things with names, yet have the familiarity of names in a numbering system. The system must be able to flow the other direction as well. I should be able to find a part just by knowing what it's made from, or how, or by customer or by job or any combination of those things.
Anyway, when you have 40,000 files to work through it isn't just a cut and dried problem.. and I'm looking for more than would possibly be the norm.
Anyway.. I've kinda hijacked this thread and should probably shut up about it all.. as it's not contrubuting to the original question.
