Multiple people using the same file

[Brian Pallas]

Hello,

 

Right now if me an the other guy at work that programs have the same file open, we can both be saving right over top of each other's work and not realize it at the time.

 

Is there a way to where if you open a file that the other person already has open, you maybe get a pop up message saying that? Maybe more of a Windows question than a MasterCam question, but was wondering how other people handle that situation?

 

Oh, we are using X7 and Windows 7 Professional

[Guest]

Nope....

 

Unless you setup something where the files are as Read Only for certain user......if 2 people have the same file open and both have saving rights, nothing you can except be careful...

 

This is where a PDM/Vault type software comes in handly

[Watcher]

CIMCO-Edit or Notepad++ can detect external changes an warn people when a file is opened in multiple computers.

 

CIMCO particularly can even inform which user and computer the file is opened on.

 

If you use CIMCO-Edit, you can create a custom couple of .bat file that makes the file read-only or a copy of it and put these two .bat files as custom commands in the ribbon. Then you can click on them and alternate modes.

 

There are options...

[Guest]

CIMCO-Edit or Notepad++ can detect external changes an warn people when a file is opened in multiple computers.

 

CIMCO particularly can even inform which user and computer the file is opened on.

 

If you use CIMCO-Edit, you can create a custom couple of .bat file that makes the file read-only or a copy of it and put these two .bat files as custom commands in the ribbon. Then you can click on them and alternate modes.

 

There are options...

 

Daniel, How is Cimco or Notepad going to handle Mastercam files being opened at the same time?

[Watcher]

http://phabricator.cimco.com:51080/w/public/faq/two/

[Watcher]

Daniel, How is Cimco or Notepad going to handle Mastercam files being opened at the same time?

 

In Notepad++ is native functionality, enabled by default.

 

In CIMCO-Edit, go to Settings -> General -> Warn about access conflicts

 

Since Edit V7, don´t recall the specific build, they also warn about who has the file opened and the computer name when this option is enabled. 

 

I don´t know if the CIMCO-Edit version shipped with MC is above the build number that got this enhancement.

 

Not sure if I answered this one, but what will happen is that both software will tell you whenever a file has been changed externally, and if you want to reload the file.

 

If you use the solution from the link in my previous post, one overwriting the other´s file can be avoided.

[?Mark]

MCX and NC...two different things

[Guest]

MCX and NC...two different things

 

That's my point....

 

Talking mcam files, not nc files

[Watcher]

MCX and NC...two different things

 

Yes... I meant NC files... not MC files...

 

In theory CIMCO-Edit and Notepad++ would also warn about changes in MCX files... but they would have to be opened as garbled characters on the editors... Which does not make any sense...

 

It´s technically possible to write a .bat file using command line tool Robocopy.exe with the /MON switch, the option to monitor directories. Then you could trigger an action when a file is changed... any type of file...

 

Nerd stuff but it works... 

[gcode]

4 or 5 years ago, I carelessly had two copies of the same file open.

I worked on it all day saving frequently.

I got called away from my desk near quitting time.

When I got back, I maximized the wrong copy and saved it, overwriting a days work.

The next morning I opened up the file and a day's work was not there.

Fortunately, I was able to recover my work from the incremental backups 

 

I asked CNC if they had plans to address this.

I was told it could not be addressed in the current generation of software

and a fix was 3 or 4 years down the road.

It is still possible to do this in MC2017

[Watcher]

If you guys are interested, I could write a small executable that could monitor changes in a given file name... Or a folder...

 

You inform the MCX file you want to monitor, and if the user who changed it is different than your user, it would issue a warning...

 

I could not prevent someone else to change the file if he has permissions to do so... but I could warn you so if he did it you could overwrite his changes or save your current file as, before closing Mastercam.

 

Would that be of help?

[Goldorak]

Nope....

 

Unless you setup something where the files are as Read Only for certain user......if 2 people have the same file open and both have saving rights, nothing you can except be careful...

 

This is where a PDM/Vault type software comes in handly

 

this is why we use Enterprise PDM from Solidworks 

[huskermcdoogle]

If you guys are interested, I could write a small executable that could monitor changes in a given file name... Or a folder...

 

You inform the MCX file you want to monitor, and if the user who changed it is different than your user, it would issue a warning...

 

I could not prevent someone else to change the file if he has permissions to do so... but I could warn you so if he did it you could overwrite his changes or save your current file as, before closing Mastercam.

 

Would that be of help?

This might be a simple c or net hook application for mastercam that one could have all users run upon opening the file.

[Watcher]

This might be a simple c or net hook application for mastercam that one could have all users run upon opening the file.

 

Sadly I don´t have Mastercam Industrial version, only HLE, which does not support xHooks. 

 

The ideal solution would be a NetHook ran from within MC. This way it could grab the current file name automatically... My solution would require the user to inform it...