The Problem

Some Solid Edge users may have noticed that in moving from Windows XP to Vista or 7 that the document property columns in windows explorer do not display information about SE files as they once did. This is not due to any changes in SE but rather a change in the way properties are dealt with from XP to the newer OS’s. Windows XP forces all file types without explicitly assigned property handlers to use a default OLE Compound Document property handler. Windows Vista and 7 on the other hand assume nothing if a property handler is not explicitly mapped, resulting in the blank fields within windows explorer. Siemens do not provide a property handler that is specific to SE format files (.par, .asm, .psm, .dft), why? I don’t know but I suspect that Siemens expects all SE users to use either Insight or TeamCentre PDM software, removing any reliance on Windows explorer.

Anyway, for whatever reason Solid Edge doesn’t yet come with a custom property handler, as a workaround one can be defined. Fortunately in Vista and 7 you can use the Office Document property handler which will allow most (not all, only those document properties shared in common with other document file types) properties to be exposed to the window shell. You will not have access to the status and project properties that are specific to SE file types.

There is a workaround for this though:

Download and install Jason Newell’s excellent PowerToys for Solid Edge, among other things this provides a shell extension which provides access to the Solid Edge ’project’ and ’status’ property sets not recognised by the built in property handler.
Download and install Directory Opus, a windows explorer replacement application. It honours the XP style property handler implemented by Jason’s shell extension thus exposing the project and status properties. Directory Opus is not free, although a trial is available, so this workaround is not for everyone. There are other third party file manager programs that may also work with the old XP style property handlers.

This is What I did under Vista basically because I couldn’t stand the implementation of explorer. In the last few days I have installed windows 7 64bit and like the new explorer a lot so I am going to try using it for a while, sans project and summary information and see how it goes – I don’t really need instant access to this information anyhow.

The Partial Solution

Before you get started, for some background on this modification I suggest you visit these sites:

WARNING! – Edit the registry at your own risk. These changes worked for me without ill effect but are not verified or warranted on your system. Proceed with caution and if you are not comfortable messing around in the registry then don’t!

Open regedit and add the following keys:

HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\PropertySystem\PropertyHandlers\.par = {97e467b4-98c6-4f19-9588-161b7773d6f6}
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\PropertySystem\PropertyHandlers\.dft = {97e467b4-98c6-4f19-9588-161b7773d6f6}
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\PropertySystem\PropertyHandlers\.asm = {97e467b4-98c6-4f19-9588-161b7773d6f6}HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\PropertySystem\PropertyHandlers\.psm = {97e467b4-98c6-4f19-9588-161b7773d6f6}

{97e467b4-98c6-4f19-9588-161b7773d6f6} is the CLSID of the property handler used for MS Office (and perhaps other) file types, it will expose any properties that are mutual to SE and Office file types. I cannot verify that this property handler exists if you do not have MS Office installed on your system, I suspect it will, but… If you do not have MS Office installed perhaps do a search for ‘{97e467b4-98c6-4f19-9588-161b7773d6f6}’ before you begin. If it exists you should be good to go, if not, I doubt very much that continuing will benefit you.

Now look and see if these keys exist, if not add them:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\SystemFileAssociations\.par
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\SystemFileAssociations\.dft
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\SystemFileAssociations\.asm
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\SystemFileAssociations\.psm

Now add new string values to each of these keys as follows ( I have included spaces here to aid formatting but they are not required):

ExtendedTileInfo=prop:System.ItemTypeText; System.Size; System.DateModified; System.Author; System.OfflineAvailability
FullDetails=prop:System.PropGroup.Description; System.Title; System.Subject; System.Keywords; System.Category; System.Comment; System.PropGroup.Origin; System.Author; System.Document.LastAuthor; System.Document.RevisionNumber; System.Document.Version; System.ApplicationName; System.Company; System.Document.Manager; System.Document.DateCreated; System.Document.DateSaved; System.Document.DatePrinted; System.Document.TotalEditingTime; System.PropGroup.Content; System.ContentStatus; System.ContentType; System.Document.PageCount; System.Document.WordCount; System.Document.CharacterCount; System.Document.LineCount; System.Document.ParagraphCount; System.Document.Template; System.Document.Scale; System.Document.LinksDirty; System.Language; System.PropGroup.FileSystem; System.ItemNameDisplay; System.ItemTypeText; System.ItemFolderPathDisplay; System.DateCreated; System.DateModified; System.Size; System.FileAttributes; System.OfflineAvailability; System.OfflineStatus; System.SharedWith; System.FileOwner; System.ComputerName
InfoTip=prop:System.ItemTypeText; System.Size; System.DateModified; System.Document.PageCount
PreviewDetails=prop:*System.DateModified; System.Author; System.Keywords; *System.Size; System.Title; System.Comment; System.Category; *System.Document.PageCount; System.ContentStatus; System.ContentType; *System.OfflineAvailability; *System.OfflineStatus; System.Subject; *System.DateCreated; *System.SharedWith
PreviewTitle=
TileInfo=

These are lifted directly from the preset values for word documents (.doc extension). Using this as a starting point you can now modify these strings so that the properties displayed are what you would like to see - some additional googling will give you more information on what is possible here.

In Summary

Once this is done you should once again see information displayed in windows explorer columns and the details (summary) tab of the file properties dialogue. Perhaps of even more importance to some is that these properties are also available for indexing by windows or third party desktop search applications.

One thing I noticed in moving to W7 64bit and before loading SE 64bit is that the SE 32bit property sheet handler shell extensions don’t work. These extensions load the tabs into the file properties dialogue when accessing it from the right click menu in windows explorer. The good news is: when SE 64bit is installed the property handlers work again. I believe the property handler dll’s are different for 32 and 64 bit OS’s, but haven’t bothered to verify – if it works, it works.

If you rely on the windows shell for managing your SE data then this fix may be of benefit to you, if not then I doubt you even noticed that the property handler was missing – horses for courses.

Solid Edge Properties

The Problem

The Partial Solution

In Summary