SOLIDWORKS Pack and Go and Copy Tree Tool Comparison

When comparing SOLIDWORKS Pack and Go next to Copy Tree, they don't seem very different at face value. 

From the images above, we can see that both have the option to save files to a new location while adding prefixes or suffixes and include drawings, simulation results, and keep the folder structure. 

SOLIDWORKS Pack and Go VS Copy Tree

Here is where they differ. The Copy Tree command can see where reference files were moved to in the SOLIDWORKS PDM infrastructure due to the database in the background. For instance, if you move a folder in Windows that has reference components in it to a new location. The Pack and Go is not able to find where the new references went to because it relies on the last save file path that the assembly had stored. In PDM, the move operation within the Vault View in explorer are tracked and recognized during the Copy Tree.

The other big advantage of using Copy Tree is that the files are saved and version managed in PDM if you need to access an earlier build of an assembly you have the ability to toggle the "Version to Use" option. This allows you to grab the latest of each component or the version of the referenced file that was approved at the time of its release. You do not have to remember to even get a local copy of the files because Copy Tree will cache them for you. This is not something Pack and Go can do and it can cause a lot of problems with file sets being sent out. 

To not lose a reference component or drawings for sending to customers or vendors, I recommend using Copy Tree in PDM Tools. 

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