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Error Message: Version incompatibility between SolidWorks and TracePro

Question

What version of SolidWorks is compatible with TracePro and TracePro Bridge? When I save a TracePro file from SolidWorks SP4.0 (with TracePro Bridge) and attempt to open it in TracePro 3.3.6 I get an error message indicating that the file is from a later version of ACIS.

Synopsis

Error Message: Version incompatibility between SolidWorks and TracePro  

Symptoms

Current SolidWorks and TracePro compatibility:
  • SolidWorks SP3.0 is compatible with TracePro and TracePro Bridge 3.3.6.
  • SolidWorks SP4.0 is compatible with the soon-to-be-released TracePro and TracePro Bridge 3.3.7.
Additional Notes:
  • TracePro and TracePro Bridge will always be synchronized to a common release number.
  • SolidWorks 2006 SP4.0 upgraded its ACIS exporting function to support ACIS R15. TracePro and TracePro Bridge 3.3.X is built on R14 and cannot understand ACIS R15 files. If you attempt to use TracePro and TracePro Bridge 3.3.6 with SolidWorks 2006 SP 4.0, you will get an error message when opening the file in TracePro stating that the file is from a later version of ACIS.

Workaround

Here is a temporary workaround if you intend to keep on using TracePro and TracePro Bridge 3.3.6 with SolidWorks 2006 SP4.0:
  • There is a setting in SolidWorks 2006 SP4.0 which can set the ACIS file version to export. Once this is set, this setting persists throughout the SolidWorks session and, if SolidWorks is exited gracefully, the setting remains upon subsequent launch of SolidWorks.
Where to find this setting (there may be other places to change this setting, but the following steps have been verified):
    1. In the File>>Save As... dialog box, change the Save as type: = ACIS (*.sat).
    2. The dialog will update and an Options... button becomes available - click on the Options... button.
    3. Under File Format = ACIS, select Version = 14.0
    4. Then select OK at the bottom of the Export Options dialog.
    5. Note that you do not actually have to save a file at this point. You can cancel the Save As operation and close down SolidWorks. Upon re-launch, you will notice that this setting persists. TracePro Bridge will now export R14 files that TracePro 3.3.6 can understand.

Solution

TracePro Bridge 3.3.7 will incorporate the above workaround automatically so that SolidWorks 2006 SP4.0 with TracePro Bridge will now export R14 files that TracePro 3.3.7 can understand.