DATA MIGRATION AND TRANSFORMATION SERVICES FOR SOLIDWORKS PDM
60,000+ files renamed in 4 hours
no downtime using PDMShell
CHALLENGE
The customer needed to rename over 60,000 files in their SOLIDWORKS PDM vault — a task that’s far more complex than it sounds.
In SOLIDWORKS PDM, renaming isn’t just about changing filenames. Each file is deeply tied to references, versions, configurations, and workflows. A bulk rename operation must preserve:
Assembly references (to avoid breaking links)
Revision history and metadata
Workflow states and approvals
Drawing relationships
Manual renaming via Windows Explorer or the PDM client would be error-prone and nearly impossible at this scale.
To make matters more difficult:
Many of the files were interconnected through assemblies
Some were referenced across multiple projects
The rename logic had to follow strict rules (e.g. naming conventions, serial numbers, or ERP mappings)
Without automation, this kind of task can take weeks — and one small mistake can lead to hours of recovery work.
GOAL
The goal was to remove extra revision information from the filenames to standardize and clean up their data.
SOLUTION
Blue Byte Systems completed the entire migration in just 4 hours, scheduled during off-hours, with zero downtime to the customer’s operations.
To make this possible, we used our in-house automation tool, PDMShell — a lightweight command-line utility designed to help engineering teams manage and automate large-scale operations in SOLIDWORKS PDM.
The customer provided a structured Excel spreadsheet listing over 60,000 files, each with its current name, target name, and any associated metadata required for renaming.
We validated the spreadsheet against the live PDM vault to ensure:
All source files existed
No conflicts would be created during the rename (e.g., duplicate filenames or broken references)
All file references (e.g., assemblies, drawings, part files) would be preserved
Verification and Safety Measures:
Before executing the rename, we ran a dry-run simulation to detect any potential issues.
PDMShell automatically cross-checked assembly relationships to ensure no external references would break.
Each operation was logged, timestamped, and verified post-migration to guarantee data integrity.
CUSTOMER SURVEY
- Services met client’s needs very well.
- BlueByte was very responsive to questions and concerns.
- Likelihood to recommend is 8/10.
Testimonial
Service: SOLIDWORKS PDM Custom Programming
Amen was given a short timeline and was requested to work outside of Ideal Pase hours. Both were adhered to and surpassed.
Wesley D.
