# Plugin to get sketchup to behave like Solidworks: auto file referencing upon model opening **URL:** \ **Category:** Pro\ **Tags:** sketchup\ **Created:** [October 25, 2023, 1:07am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/plugin-to-get-sketchup-to-behave-like-solidworks-auto-file-referencing-upon-model-opening/245898 "2023-10-25T01:07:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rodog](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/rodog/32/71675_2.png) [@Rodog](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/Rodog)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2023, 1:07am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/plugin-to-get-sketchup-to-behave-like-solidworks-auto-file-referencing-upon-model-opening/245898/1 "2023-10-25T01:07:36Z")
Hi All. I am managing a large modular housing library in Sketchup. It entails nested components going right from individual fabricated plates and brackets, right up to fully complete house models having everything that would be sold in a single package/kit. These complete models are also sent to layout to produce architectural documentation for council etc. Because the system is still in its infancy there are ongoing changes to the size and even names of components right down to the smallest level and everything in between. This means If I open of my complete house models constructed in the past few years it is a highly manual process to select every component and manually select ‘reload’. It also results in duplicates and unexpected behaviors if model axis have been modified in any of the components or duplicates created with #1,2,3 after the definition. The latter particularly happens as some small components may feature as loose items in the main model but also happen to be nested inside some of the sub-components which are being reloaded to the main model. Is there any way or plugin to get a Sketchup model to reference a folder(s) to find the latest version of all its hosted components when the file is initially opened? If not, is there a better way for me to be managing this huge library which experiences unavoidable ongoing changes at al levels as the product is refined and developed? Thanks so much for your help. ---
**Author:** ![ateliernab](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/ateliernab/32/198399_2.png) [@ateliernab](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/ateliernab)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2023, 1:44am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/plugin-to-get-sketchup-to-behave-like-solidworks-auto-file-referencing-upon-model-opening/245898/2 "2023-10-25T01:44:19Z")
Hi, no, not exactly an extension doing 100% but maybe 60% ? 😃 It makes me thing of Eneroth’s Reference Manager [https://extensions.sketchup.com/extension/50b21fbc-8095-48da-9a31-6d3e1074c679/eneroth-reference-manager](https://extensions.sketchup.com/extension/50b21fbc-8095-48da-9a31-6d3e1074c679/eneroth-reference-manager) I remember checking it a few years ago, it works kinda like layout, giving you a list of the inserted components and a way to repair / update ---
**Author:** ![francisquitof](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/francisquitof/32/191263_2.png) [@francisquitof](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/francisquitof)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2023, 3:51am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/plugin-to-get-sketchup-to-behave-like-solidworks-auto-file-referencing-upon-model-opening/245898/3 "2023-10-25T03:51:02Z")
There’s also a free plugin called Xref, it’s very useful, it can also manage references from dwg files. ---
**Author:** ![Rodog](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sketchup/user_avatar/forums.sketchup.com/rodog/32/71675_2.png) [@Rodog](https://forums.sketchup.com/u/Rodog)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2023, 5:32am UTC](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/plugin-to-get-sketchup-to-behave-like-solidworks-auto-file-referencing-upon-model-opening/245898/4 "2023-10-25T05:32:27Z")
This could be the way to go. Interestingly just after I posted this I found a post recommending the same… > [@SolidWorks to Sketchup](https://forums.sketchup.com/t/solidworks-to-sketchup/145979/22): > > We use both SolidWorks and Sketchup side by side. Sketchup is our master model, SolidWorks ist for everything that has anything to do with “metal-construction”. We usually predesign in Sketchup so our SolidWorks guys know what we want, that makes the SW construction very quickly. The result is being reimported into Sketchup. So - I kinda know both ways of thinking. What I love about SolidWorks is that I can pick any part or assembly and make detailed “layout-drawings” of them - complete with pa… I’ll give it a go and report back for any one else in a similar situation.