Links. Managing composite documents

A T-FLEX CAD document can have links to other files: T-FLEX CAD documents (fragments), graphics files (pictures), database files, etc. Working with such composite document, one can face some difficulties, for example, when moving it to another computer.

To ease working with composite documents, T-FLEX CAD provides a mechanism of links management. A link is a T-FLEX CAD object containing the path to an external file (the target of the link). Links are used when creating fragments, pictures and other T-FLEX CAD elements for specifying the source of external data. The same link can be used by different elements; for example, several fragments based on one file will refer to one link.

The links management mechanism allows managing the way of storing the link targets. T-FLEX CAD allows storing the link targets either outside a T-FLEX CAD document as a conventional external file ("external link"), or directly within the file of the composite document ("internal link"). The internal storage of the link increases the size of the composite T-FLEX CAD document, but allows dealing with it as with one file. Links are managed by the commands located in the submenu "File|Assembly".

The links management mechanism solves the problem of moving large assembly documents. By using it, you do not have to search for all fragments files that may be located in different folders, on different disks, in libraries, etc. All you need to do is to "zip" the assembly model into one file with a provision of future unzipping, and move it to another place in the file system or into a storage of a document management system(for example, T-FLEX DOCs).

 

Links Management

Links window serves for managing links in a composite document. To call the window use Customize > Tool Windows > External Links command.

More information about links management can be found in “Main operation principles” chapter.

 

The command “UL: Update all reference documents (Fragments)” allows to reload the data from all external files contributing to the composite document:

 

Update Assembly

The command “UA: Update Assembly” starts converter that converts and saves all the fragment files that are included in the assembly.