UPDATEREFERENCES Command Documentation

DESCRIPTION

Updates file references inside the SOLIDWORKS PDM vault.

The updatereferences command modifies references stored inside files, without opening SOLIDWORKS, and allows you to:

• Update references for a single file
• Update references for multiple files using a search
• Resolve references by locating matching files inside a specified directory
• Control which references are updated using a scope parameter

This command is especially useful for fixing broken references, updating references after migrations, or correcting references that point outside the vault.

SYNTAX

updatereferences -filepath -search -directory -scope -recursive

PARAMETERS

• filepath
  Optional. Updates references for a single file.

  • If a relative path is provided, it is resolved against the current directory.
  • When specified, the search parameter is ignored.

• search
  Optional. Search query used to find files whose references should be updated.

  • The search is scoped to the current directory.
  • Supports % wildcards.
  • Can be combined with recursive.

• directory
  Optional. Defines where replacement references are searched.
  Only files found under this directory will be used when resolving and updating references.

• scope
  Optional. Controls which references are updated.
  Valid values:

  • UpdateOutsideVaultReferenceOnly – Updates references that point outside the vault
  • UpdateBrokenReferences – Updates references that are missing or broken
  • UpdateAllReferences – Updates all references found in the file

• recursive
  Optional. When used with search, includes subfolders of the current directory when locating files whose references should be updated.

BEHAVIOR

• Operates directly on file reference data
• Does not open SOLIDWORKS
• Requires files to be checked out
• Uses vault searches to locate replacement references
• Updates references by matching file names inside the specified directory scope
• Commits changes directly back into the file

EXAMPLES

Update only references that point outside the vault

updatereferences -filepath speaker.sldasm -directory Libraries -scope UpdateOutsideVaultReferenceOnly

Update broken references for all assemblies in the current folder

updatereferences -search %.sldasm -scope UpdateBrokenReferences

REMARKS

• Either filepath or search must be specified.
• If both are provided, filepath takes precedence.
• The search parameter only searches within the current directory unless recursive is specified.
• Reference resolution is based on matching file names within the directory scope.
• The first matching file found is used to update the reference.
• This command modifies files directly; use with care in controlled workflows.