Managing 1500+ Mastercam files

[JerryFlyGuy]

Currently I do group projects via customer [or proprietary ] and then break it down into subgroups and from there specific to the project, and then about 10 sub folders which contain the major assemblies and the drawings etc. I usually can find any project I want in just a couple minutes, the problem comes when you have several customers who each have a similar project, then your left wondering... was it that one.. or was it this one.. Having specific parts for specific customers works to a point. However when you want to use that part for a different project then it's no longer specific to that customer so.. you shouldn't duplicate the part but generally thats what happens. This leads to problems when the part or process is changed on one set of data but not on the others.

I've got a system that works pretty darn well... I just wish it worked for EVERY situation, however... I doubt that it is possible, esp w/ a very diverse and fluid shop like the one I work for.

[HuFlungDung]

Is there any known method in computing of making a shortcut to a file behave the same as an actual file, kind of a flexible path if you will, that intercepts a program call to open such and such a file as if it is in "Folder1" but really, all that exists in Folder1 is a shortcut to the one and only file of that part, which is stored in "FolderUniversal".

Or something

[cabinetcraft]

Ok, first, are you storing these files on your desktop or on a server? A desktop only situation is disaster looking to happen, even servers fail. Back up to CD or DVD and do it often, make an archive. As far as keeping track develope a directory structure that makes sense to you and your crew, put an NFO file in the main directory explaining the "road map" as it's easy to forget at times. One solution that I have seen is an sql data base. It works wonderfully as you can find a file by entering search parameters such as client name, job number, part number, description and so on. The down side is that the front end needs to be custom designed which will cost you a little, but from what I've seen it would be the best way to go in the long run. But Backup, Backup, Backup what ever you do

[CNCRim]

well I can feel your pain I used to work for a company that has same situations, but oh well if there is a perfect system we all will be out of work. Best way is back up everything and just make one folder for each one....... and for the one similar copy to new folder then modify to whatever to the speci.

[JerryFlyGuy]

Thats pretty much what I do, until I realize that I shouldn't have copied it as it needed to be modified and this means I have to copy it back to the other folder and over right the old part as it should match the new part. And then there are the times that I didn't copy it but I should have as I should have two seperate parts for two seperate customers.. sigh.. I'll just continue doing what I've always done, and get the same results as I've always got.. and hope it all works out in the end.....all of which is one version of the definition of insanity [if anyone wanted to know that ]

[Jay Kyle]

Is there any known method in computing of making a shortcut to a file behave the same as an actual file, kind of a flexible path if you will, that intercepts a program call to open such and such a file as if it is in "Folder1" but really, all that exists in Folder1 is a shortcut to the one and only file of that part, which is stored in "FolderUniversal".

A nice idea at first glance but these systems turn out to be high maintenance. In the windows environment they're called shortcuts, in UNIX they're called links.

If you own Solidworks you should be seriously looking at PDMWorks, if you're a programmer you would use something like CVS.

More in-depth reading can be found at http://www.ecm5tools.com. Sorry to throw this high level stuff out there but it's always good for the career to hear/read best practices.

BTW Toyota has an outstanding manufacturing QA method, and I personally like Honda's numbering scheme.

Jay

[ADucci]

for data archival you have a few options...

1: create a database, in access... with some meta-information that you would need to populate on each design - ie for each design, specify the client, application, category etc.. then create a small program in access to open up the files found in the search result- pm me if you dont know how..
then you would have a search window that would show a list of results where, if you clicked on one... it would open.

2: download some desktop indexing software, this will run through your computer (or a set of folders and archive all information about your files (names) and custom properties ( i will explain later) the searching process on a few thousand records will take milliseconds... examples here are copernic (free) and google desktop (also free)

Custom properties - if you open windows explorer, select a file, right click, select the "Summary" tab, you will see fields that you can populate (summary, category, keywords etc.. you can then search on these attributes...

the problem with a database is that you would need to maintain it... and the nice thing about indexed searching is that it is instant and doesnt worry what folder the file sits in