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Re: Wishlist: API for PDM standard
Michael Spens
Feb 22, 2016 4:35 PM
Hello Chris,
This is a great place for a discussion. I certainly know other WPDM customers who use the API to generate reports and alter its functionality as well. Can you share some of the things you do with the WPDM API? No need for code, just general concepts. I would hope many of the operations can be taken care of with core PDM Standard functionality without an API along with running queries on the SQL database. But I'm sure there are other uses out there where the API is needed. Please share!
Mike
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Re: Wishlist: API for PDM standard
Here is the one
we save our 2d drawings as PDF and send out to our vendors
We have a macro for a quick check to make sure the local copy (both 2D and 3D model) is the same as the one in the Vault and the rev. in the title block is up to date with the one in the Vault (both primary and secondary rev)
Of course we can do this without a macro but it's quick - it's just a click away
or a macro to show the list of info. we need to know about a file in the Vault - we can do this without a macro but we need many "clicks" to find out what we want
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Re: Wishlist: API for PDM standard
Michael Spens
Feb 22, 2016 7:01 PM
Good examples Chris. As you start using PDM Standard, I hope the consolidated workspace (no separate working directories to manage) will reduce the need for local file checking. I think you'll like the file data card view, where-used and contains views as well for quick access to file information.
Mike
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Re: Wishlist: API for PDM standard
Hey Chris,
Check out Flatter Files. It does the downstream publishing of your data from PDM for you. http://www.flatterfiles.com
Plus you won't have to email the PDF to your vendors, it's stored in Flatter Files. You just send them a link.
Hope this helps
Tim
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Re: Wishlist: API for PDM standard
Thank you, guys
Actually, we can get the job done without macros to access to the Workgroup PDM
Providing macros to my engineers, I just spoiled them to get used of doing many tasks at once - Also it works as reminding and checking stuff
We have our own archive system to back up all the released revisions to our vendors
Without API support, it's time consuming to keep track of all files between our own archive and Workgroup PDM - I can imagine all kind of mistakes we will have soon we upgrade to PDM standard without API support - and please don't mention to what can be done in PDM Pro since I got a very clear mesg from the big boss "NO" PDM Pro.
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Re: Wishlist: API for PDM standard
Michael Spens
Feb 23, 2016 11:34 AM
Ha ha, fair enough Chris, no mention of Pro.
As far as automating file operations, that is a nice advantage of the new platform. You can run macros and tools against the files using FileSystem methods rather than using a specific PDM API. You can force latest file copies to be cached locally for a given user when they log in. Check the cached files for updates or query the database for recent workflow changes. Then make file copies as needed, or even open in SOLIDWORKS and save PDFs to your new location.
I realize that means some additional work to create new tools. Hopefully you enjoy that as much as some of us other API hacks!
Mike
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Re: Wishlist: API for PDM standard
Thank you, Mike
It's just a start and I know for sure it's not easy at all
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Re: Wishlist: API for PDM standard
Hi Mike,
We have an ERP (MS Dynamics NAV) that is used by production control, purchasing, and other people that need to view and/or print Solidworks drawings but not modify them.
We developed a small program using the PDM Workgroup API, that will fetch the file from the PDM WG Vault and show it in edrawings.
We also use this, for instance, to print drawings for production orders.
When we are forced to migrate to PDM Standard all this will stop working!!
It is not only that we will need to re-write the code (that would be quite a nuisance) but apparently we will not be able to do this unless we upgrade to PDM Professional with the substantial extra cost involved.
I would appreciate any sugestions about how to deal with this issue.
I really think that when replacing a product with a new one, care should be taken to ensure that no important functionality is lost.
The way I see it, this is clearly not the case here.
Thanks in advance for your help.
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Re: Wishlist: API for PDM standard
Michael Spens
Mar 28, 2016 12:51 PM
Great use of the Workgroup PDM API Juan Ramon. You're right, the PDM Standard offering today wouldn't take care of your needs. Hopefully, over the course of the next couple of years of WPDM product support, you and your VAR can come up with a viable alternative, whether that's being able to justify the cost/benefit of PDM Pro, using Windows APIs to get files from PDM Standard, or future development in PDM Standard. We are taking this kind of feedback into consideration as we continue to develop our PDM offering.
Mike
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Re: Wishlist: API for PDM standard
Michael,
To use Windows API to get file from PDM, you mean files from Vault?
Thanks
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Re: Wishlist: API for PDM standard
Michael Spens
Mar 28, 2016 1:07 PM
Good question Christian. Directly from a PDM Standard "Local View". If you're not familiar with the PDM Pro/Standard interface, the local view is a view into the vault as well as a cache of local files located in a windows folder structure. As long as the files are cached on a client machine (you can configure caching at login), you can use standard Windows file system APIs to access them.
Mike
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Re: Wishlist: API for PDM standard
Mike,
I'm still in the process of reinstalling PDM standard into my computer and have not checked the PDM standard Vault file structure
if the history , Revisions, Owners are stored in form of a text file as in wPDM Vault, then I believe hacking into the Vault to get the latest info. won't be too hard
Christian
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Re: Wishlist: API for PDM standard
Michael Spens
Mar 28, 2016 2:14 PM
Hi Christian,
Metadata like history, revisions, owners, etc. are stored in the SQL database for PDM Standard. Use TSQL queries in your application to find the fileID and map the metadata. This does take some SQL experience to test and map your queries. I would suggest using Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio (MSSMS) to do your query building and testing first. There are several forum threads discussing different EPDM queries and they would all typically map to PDM Standard. Here are just a few...
Is there a sql query, that list all files, which belong to selected EPDM categorise?
Re: Using Excel to make a Report Generator with Hyperlinks
Re: Find documents where system Rev doesn't match document Rev
Mike
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Re: Wishlist: API for PDM standard
Hi Michael,
If you have any suggestions abiut how to use Windows API to get drawings from PDM Standard I would reaaly appreciate them.
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