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Emil Rindell
Jonas Bryntesson
Henrik Andersson
2020-01-01
Emil Rindell
Jonas Bryntesson
Henrik Andersson
2020-01-01
This post is intended to give you, the user, a better understanding of the handling of external links in IRONCAD. We will go through most of the contexts where external links are used and affected in different ways.
An externally linked part or subset is a specific 3D file (.ics is the 3D file format used by IRONCAD ) that is also part of another 3D file. It can be likened to a shortcut to a specific 3D file into from another 3D file, which can also be used in several places at the same time. If a 3D model is externally linked out from a main assembly, it is not actually "embedded" in the assembly, but only a link to the external file's 3D model is used. The only thing "embedded" in the main assembly is the information about the path to the other file, so that changes made to the 3D model are reflected in the external file and in all other places where that file might be used. Nevertheless, the 3D model itself is visible and works as usual in the main assembly.
An external link appears in the Scene Browser as a small text icon with a path, just below the part or assembly icon.
IRONCAD does not need to use external links. You can have a 3D scene (i.e. 1 file) with thousands of parts and assemblys in it. The advantage of this is that there are considerably fewer files to keep track of, simply one. The disadvantage of a single file is that it can be very large in file size and slow to work with, something that you may only notice after a long period of work.
By selecting and saving parts and assemblys to external links - via the Save As Part/Assembly function - you don't put the same strain on your computer and the programme. Instead of then opening up x number of parts in a file, a "shortcut" to the external links is opened via a path. Dealing with these simple shortcuts instead of the 3D models directly allows files to be opened and saved more quickly.
It is also possible to link in files that are already finished and may be used in other machines or projects - via the Insert function Part/Assembly.
OBS! It is best not to use the Import button when linking to files in IRONCAD's *.ics format. When importing, there are no options to link or not to link what is being imported. Import should be used for files in all other CAD formats instead.
Thus, opening and working with a master file, with a large number of parts and sub-files keeping the parts apart, can be facilitated by using external links, compared to having only a single file. However, there is no need to save all the batches and subsets to their own files. Usually bolts, nuts and other simple details are directly in the file without being externally linked.
You can, but do not have to, use external links. So when and why should you use them? There are various reasons and answers to this question. One example is to save an external link on all batches that are to be produced and not purchased (which are then imported). When you start to finish a 3D model, you name it, assign properties such as number, description and material and save it to its own file.
This also facilitates the subsequent creation of the 2D drawing and the use of the stand-alone part file. The same can be used for welding drawings on subassemblies or assembly drawings on subassemblies. A tip is to collect all 2D drawings and 3D files in one folder. Then you also see (via the Detailed List setting in Explorer) when the files were last saved and can easily check that the 2D drawing is not older than the 3D scene depicted, which means that the drawing probably needs to be updated.
Imported files coming from other CAD systems can be imported into a blank 3D scene, saved and then linked into a main assembly. It also saves the effort of then opening and saving the file where it is included.
Right now, you may find that a particular part or assembly should no longer be linked to an external file, perhaps because you want to make a special version of the original. Breaking the link is very simple, right-click on the part and select Unlink (External) and the instance of the part you are now working with will not affect other instances of it in other files.
OBS! If it is a assembly that you break the link on, it may still contain parts or subsets that are externally linked. These are not automatically broken just because the link at the top level is broken. Then you need to check it with e.g. the Find References tool. This is also the case if you link into a assembly and deselect the Insert as link option. All elements of the assembly are still linked externally, even if this option is deselected. If these are to be broken, this is done manually as a step 2 e.g. with the Find References tool.
Once any changes are made, you can choose to save this variant again as a new externally linked file, perhaps with a new name and drawing/item number, via the Save As Part/Assembly function.
When working with external links of parts and assemblys in IRONCAD , it can sometimes be tricky to know how to take copies of parts, without the changes made to the new parts affecting the original files. When saving out a file, you can choose not to link it, by turning off the Link to current scene option. Only a copy of the part will then be saved out, however the same applies as above, if it is a assembly that itself contains externally linked parts. The link on these is not broken automatically, but you have to check and break these manually as a step 2.
There are also other ways to create variants of assemblys with external links. We explain more about this later, in the section Things to consider when using external links.
One way to get a quick overview of the amount of external links in a 3D scene is to go to the IRONCAD menu, File and launch the Find References tool...
It displays a list of all externally linked objects in this 3D scene. You also have the option to break the link for the selected object via the Unlink button in the bottom right corner. You can choose to show also the objects that are not externally linked, and get a complete tree, by unchecking the Show only external linked references option.
There are a number of things to keep in mind when copying or breaking external links. Here we list some of them.
If you open and save a copy (via Save As) of a file that is included as an externally linked part or part, it is important that the file representing the level above is not open when you save the copy. The file "above" will then use the new path to the file.
Close all files and then open only the file you want to save a copy of. Save to the new folder or with the new name. The main assembly will now not use the new file but still open the old one, since it was not itself open and registered it when the file was resaved.
The same applies when resaving 3D files and its 2D drawing is open at the same time. Then the 2D drawing will automatically be linked to the new 3D file. If this is not what you want, make sure that the 2D drawing is closed before resaving the file.
If you want to create a copy (via Save As) of the entire main assembly (or a sub-assembly) which in turn contains a number of external links, you will have several options to choose from.
OBS! None of the options will break the link to the main assembly, it is just different ways that the links should be handled. If you want to make a variant of an existing model, the first option is recommended, read more below.
Will take copies of all incoming files and place them in the new folder. All names will be kept as the originals. This is the recommended option when you want to create a new variant of an existing project, where all parts should be based on an existing model, but where changes to individual parts should not affect the original. In other words, a way to create a revision or a variant of a machine in a new folder.
Only modified (formally changed) links will be copied to the new folder, the unmodified ones will be kept in the original folder.
A Save As dialog comes up for each individual file and suggests using the original folder. You can then give them a new name.
A Save As dialog comes up only for the modified (formally changed) objects that are externally linked and proposed to be saved in the original folder. You can then give them a new name.
A Save As dialog comes up for each individual external link and you can choose to place them in any folder with any name.
Only the main assembly will be re-saved (new folder and/or new name), but all external links will be maintained and used from the original folder. The same external files will then be used in two different main assemblys and changes to external links in either of them will be reflected in both.
OBS! No links will be broken with this option!
If you then want to break all the links, you have to do it manually. This will of course affect the file size (it grows) and the time it takes to open and save the file (it gets longer), as all parts remain but are no longer externally linked. There are also options to resave links with different names or paths.
It is possible to open the Find References tool... (see more under Undoing and breaking an external link?) and select all lines and click on the Unlink button.
You can also use the IronPRO XT add-on tool External Link Manager. See more about it under IronPRO XT - External Link Manager.
It is also possible to maintain external links in directories. When a part or assembly that is externally linked is dragged and dropped into a directory, the question is asked whether the link to the external file should be maintained. It is important to remember that the question is only asked when items are dropped into a directory, never out of a directory!
If you answer Yes to the question, you will then see in the name of the object in the directory that it is linked to a file (Linked to a file). So you will always get a link to the external file when the object is released in the 3D scene. To break this permanently, you must either open the directory object (by right-clicking on the icon in the directory) and break all the links therein, or afterwards by right-clicking on the objects released in the 3D scene.
If you answer No, it will only be a copy that will not affect or be affected by the external file it was originally linked to. You cannot link an object in a directory afterwards. Instead, you can drag out a new object in the directory and answer Yes when the question appears.
The add-on IronCAD Mechanical (ICM) has in the ICM Tools directory a special tool for managing external links called External Link Manager. It can be used to break, relink and open external links.
The tree displayed in the window lists only the currently externally linked files in this 3D scene. The buttons at the top light up depending on what is selected in the list below.
The Unlink Selected Nodes button will only light up if one or more parts/smst are selected. It is used to break the link directly only on the selected objects. After breaking all links, it is important to close the tool and save the scene. This applies regardless of which of the buttons has been used in the External Link Manager. If the file is closed without saving, the links will still be there the next time the file is opened, which is also very useful if you broke some of the links by mistake!
The option Unlink Children Parts is checked when breaking the link for a subset, if you want all links for the parts below to be broken at the same time.
This option quickly breaks the links of all objects in the entire 3D scene. Again, it is important to close the tool and save the scene immediately afterwards.
This option allows you to resave an externally linked file to a different folder or with a different name. Remember to save the 3D scene after you close the tool, if you have resaved the external link!
With this option you can select an object and replace it with another file. What defines where the new file ends up is this anchor point, which ends up at the same position and orientation as the replaced object's anchor point had. Remember to save the 3D scene after you close the tool, if you have replaced the external link!
Opens the selected part/assembly in its own file.
Saves the selected part/smst to its own file. This option is very useful if you have a problem with some external link being corrupt or behind save problems in the main assembly. By selecting one half of the files in the tree and saving via this button and then doing the same for the other half, you can eliminate the source of the error behind the problem saving the main assembly.
The Not Linked tab displays all unlinked parts and assemblys in the 3D scene. There is also the possibility to select and save as an external link. Remember to save the 3D scene after closing the tool, if you have saved new external links!
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