Home Search

DriveWorks Pro 21
How To: Create A Cut Down Project (KB17092602)

Send Feedback

How To: Create A Cut Down Project

This document provides information on how to create a cut down project to help diagnose the issues with your project

It is highly recommended that a backup be taken of any data that is being used so that it can be restored to its original state in the event of any issues that could occur.

Backup the Data

When making a Cut Down Project it is essential a backup is taken to ensure the data can be restored if needed. See How To: Backup an Individual Group for Individual Groups and How To: Backup a SQL Server Database for Shared Groups.

What is a Cut Down Project

A cut down project is a project that you create with the aim of just providing the data required to try and resolve the problem.

An example would be a project where a Model wasn’t generating in a project with large amounts of other data being produced such as documentation (Drawings, emails, etc…) that is not needed to try and help resolve the issue.

By creating a cut down project you remove the unnecessary data, giving a more focused project on the issue. Therefore, in this example you would create a group with just the Models and Model Rules captured.

Why Make one

The aim of creating a cut down project is to help yourselves and the people offering you technical support to resolve your problem quicker by only sending them the information that they need to investigate the problem; Hopefully reducing the time it takes to understand and resolve your project.

When working through the problem-solving process sometimes you will find that you need more captured information than you had originally selected and this is okay. Adding captured data to the project one section at a time until you have a project that replicates the problem without having excess Data is the aim of making a Cut Down Project

By breaking down the problem you are eliminating the various possibilities one at a time. This methodical problem solving method should help you, your reseller and us here at DriveWorks to resolve your issue faster.

Making a Cut Down Project

Making a Cut Down Project

  1. Open DriveWorks Data Management and use the Pack and Go tool found in the DriveWorks Tasks tab to create a copy of your project. See Pack and Go for more help in how to do this.
    When doing this only copy the project you intend on creating a cut down project for.
  2. Using Windows Explorer open the Pack and Go file and extract the Group and Project to a new location. This is set by clicking Browse to find your desired location.
  3. Open DriveWorks Administrator and open the Group and Project you have just unpacked.
    Note: Make sure It is the correct group and project before Deleting captured information in your project
  4. This is your first Backup of your Project that you can roll back too. Every time you delete Data and test take a Backup.
  5. Delete any unnecessary captured information and any outputs not needed to make your Cut Down Project focused on the perceived issue.
  6. Run the project and take note of the outcome.
    • If it runs correctly, you know the issue lies somewhere within the Data you have removed from the project and rolling back to the newest backup where the project does not work correctly gives you your Cut Down Project with the issue.
    • If the project fails to run you know you want to keep cutting things from the project until it runs correctly; Taking a backup each time. This is so when you get a working project you can more easily narrow down the issue. This is done by comparing the last back up with the project not working to the project that works using the technique spot the difference.

With this more focused project you and other technical help should find it easier to solve your issue.

Knowledge Base Article Ref:KB17092602