Renaming a file in PDM Standard does not update the file name on it's data card. My VAR tells me auto - update works only in PDM Professional. Has anybody found a workaround?
Renaming a file in PDM Standard does not update the file name on it's data card. My VAR tells me auto - update works only in PDM Professional. Has anybody found a workaround?
Hi Prasad,
Our "file name" field on the data card is set to "Special value" and file name without extension.
Thank you for your input regarding Pro and Standard.
That Special Value is only the Default Value. The way it works is the value is set when the file is added to the vault. To update it after the file has been added, you would have to either manually update it, use a Dispatch script to update it (I've done this a lot), use a custom API tool written or I think you can do it through workflow transitions. Unfortunately for you, I think the only option you'll have is manual since you're in PDM Standard.
Thanks Steve. Between what you and and Prasad have written, I have a better understanding of what is happening.
They don't update during Check-in?
No, no update upon check in.
Jonathan,
The only thing I would add to the previous discussion would be that you could write a macro to update value for the property you are using for the part number to the file name without extension. At least that way you eliminate typos from users updating the value on their own. You could also use the macro in the SolidWorks Task Scheduler to bulk update. Just don't forget to check out the files in the vault before running it.
P.S. Make sure you don't have Default Overwrites checked for the variable in the data card.
I don;t understand why people want to put the file name in the data card. I know the file name because I just clicked on the file name to bring up the card in the first place.
Just one more field I have to keep up-to-date.
Jeff,
I agree if that's all that's being requested. I, perhaps incorrectly, concluded that this was about having a part number value synchronized with the file name without its extension. Personally, I don't understand the need for the part number and file name to match, but many people do (in fact one was my manager and he won ).
I gave up on that fight a long time ago. If they want the filename (part number) to be on the data card so be it. There are easier battles to fight than adding a simple field of data on the card. It only gets juicy when you want to rename files and have the value on the data card update with it (hence the current thread).
I do agree to a degree, I think about it in another way as well, SolidWorks PDM has the ability to put the filename in the datacard, it should have the ability to update a value if linked, if the name is updated.
For anyone stumbling upon this thread as I did, there is an SPR Enchancement request already created for this, please vote for it:
SPR 403481: Enhancement: Special value, Default value, 'File Name' (or name based on serial number) should update in data card variable if file is renamed or named via move-tree
For anyone wondering why someone would want to have file name = part number;
Our company is creating thousands of files per year, we don't want to use effort when naming the files, description should be enough and since you can show description at SolidWorks feature tree we are not missing out. We are also using unigue filename policy enabled at PDM, so if people would try to name files themselves they would be stopped very briefly at check in dialog when someone else already used that part file name. Also it's easier to share files to people outside your organization when the file is already named as the part name.
The reason we have part number as data card variable is due to ERP export from PDM. Export rule has setting to use other Variable than PDM internal ID to identify the parts.
We also have few exceptions to the rule of filename = part number. Our company has some really old legacy parts from the 40s / 50s with part numbers that contain slash-marks /, and since you can't use slashes at filenames, we need to use diffrent symbols at filenames and write the actual part number to the data card to keep ERP Export working. This also makes it impossible for us to use only file name as part number.
Voted for this!
Hi Jonathan, how do you have your data card setup for the filename?
Is there a field on the data card that defaults to the filename; eg Part Number? If so that will only update when a file is created not when it is renamed. The default values for any datacard file only apply to new files not making changes to existing files.
This is the same in PDM Professional or Standard.
What you can do in PDM Professional is have programming run to update the file card if you have renamed the file or vice versa rename a file using a value on the datacard.
Hope this helps
Prasad