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New SW PDM Standard User Questions

Question asked by John Pesaturo on Nov 15, 2018
Latest reply on Nov 16, 2018 by John Pesaturo

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So we've recently (end of last week) upgraded to SW PDM Standard and I had a general usage/operation question before I get too deep into teaching myself anything improper.

With the older PDM Workgroup we had a "Workgroup" folder on our local machines where all of the day to day info was kept and checked in from. This folder also contains the "SW Auto Recover", "SW Log Files" and "SW Temporary Files".

Now with the upgraded SW PDM Standard most of the folders are still being populated with back-up files, error logs and auto recover files as the day to day operations go on.

My question is whether or not I should be saving my save/save-as files to this folder or if they should be saving to the SW PDM Vault where it always directs me. Of course all of our files we actually want in the vault are supposed to go there and I have zero issues with that but the files such as DXF's that we save out for vendors or the misc. PDF's for customer reference and so on don't need to be in the vault in my opinion. This just ends up frustrating me due to the fact that every time I save out a file of this type I have to click to my desktop, find the PDM Folder, and point the file there instead.

Over and above that, we're getting used to the new Vault and can see the benefits over the older PDM Workgroup. We're just struggling initially with all the differences.

Off Topic: Feel free to link me to any key topics of interest for new users. I'm sure we'll have a number of questions as we get deeper into utilizing this great tool.

Tom Cote Nov 15, 2018 2:52 PM

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We work with many companies that are transitioning from Workgroup to PDM (Standard or Pro). Convincing them to work inside the vault is always the big challenge. I'd highly suggest that ALL your SolidWorks work be inside the vault view, never out of the vault somewhere else on your machine. Working outside the vault and bringing files in as you deem them ready tends to create a lot of file reference issues and is usually the biggest issue facing new PDM users.

However, I typically suggest that a company standardize their folder structure for the Backup and SW Auto recover folders. I'd suggest that you make a folder under the C drive and put it there, maybe C:\SWx Backup and below that make a Backup and SW Auto recover sub-folders.

Hope this helps and good luck.

~Tom

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Paul Wyndham Nov 15, 2018 2:38 PM

I usually say that you should save everything into the vault. That way everyone can find them. If they need a PDF you created they know where to look for it instead of having to ask around until they find the person that knows. But, that said if you save a PDF with the same name you will have to make sure you check out the existing one before you save the new one.

PDM saves the historical files so you don't have to save the new PDF's with a new name with the revision in the name or anything like that. But, when sending to a vendor it might be necessary to have a name with all that info in it so they don't open the old one accidentally.

You could make a PDF folder in the vault and save everything to that folder.

It is always a grey area on what to do with the non-SolidWorks native file formats.

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Tom Cote @ Paul Wyndham on Nov 15, 2018 2:52 PM

Hope this helps and good luck.

~Tom

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John Pesaturo @ Tom Cote on Nov 16, 2018 7:15 AM

Tom & Jim ... While I may not want to, my message inbox and our PDM Tech Support as well as a few other sources are all telling me the same. Work in the vault or just go nuts, defy convention and do whatever the heck you want. I guess in the long run, I'd simply say that we don't seem to like change unless it's called "Continuous Improvement". So I'm going to suck it up and deal with it. After all we have this brand new server that is dedicated to our vault and in the grand scheme storing zero's and ones are cheap. Thank you both ...

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Jim Steinmeyer Nov 15, 2018 2:57 PM

As far as where to save your daily backup files. Everywhere i have been we have done it the same as you have in the past. In fact this is one of the things I am using to advocate going to PDM over just using a Windows folder on the server. Every time you back up to the vault you create a new backup rev and I guess saving things there would be ok, but here we tend to create several ideas on revised parts or new models using the same basic assemblies. if I had a dollar for every assembly I have opened with dozens of incorrect parts we could afford PDM Pro. (unfortunately I can't convince upper management of that).

If you have a Workspace or Sandbox or Playground on your own PC you don't have to rename it and it never messes with anyone else until you check it in intentionally as the finished product.

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Jim Steinmeyer @ Jim Steinmeyer on Nov 15, 2018 3:02 PM

I see that Tom and I disagree, which isn't unusual since there are dozens of ways to do almost everything in SW. One thing that scares me about doing all of your work inside SW is that if you forget to rename a part or assembly before you edit it you have the same problem with messed up production assemblies that we do now. If you have a work space on the in the vault you would either need to rename all parts, then rename them back, or you would have to allow multiple files with the same name in the vault. i have been down that road before Kind of where we are now) and being to get away from that is a MAJOR advantage of the vault in my opinion.

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Paul Wyndham Nov 15, 2018 2:38 PM
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Correct Answer
I usually say that you should save everything into the vault. That way everyone can find them. If they need a PDF you created they know where to look for it instead of having to ask around until they find the person that knows. But, that said if you save a PDF with the same name you will have to make sure you check out the existing one before you save the new one.

PDM saves the historical files so you don't have to save the new PDF's with a new name with the revision in the name or anything like that. But, when sending to a vendor it might be necessary to have a name with all that info in it so they don't open the old one accidentally.

You could make a PDF folder in the vault and save everything to that folder.
It is always a grey area on what to do with the non-SolidWorks native file formats.
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- Tom Cote @ Paul Wyndham on Nov 15, 2018 2:52 PM
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  Correct Answer
  We work with many companies that are transitioning from Workgroup to PDM (Standard or Pro). Convincing them to work inside the vault is always the big challenge. I'd highly suggest that ALL your SolidWorks work be inside the vault view, never out of the vault somewhere else on your machine. Working outside the vault and bringing files in as you deem them ready tends to create a lot of file reference issues and is usually the biggest issue facing new PDM users.
  
  However, I typically suggest that a company standardize their folder structure for the Backup and SW Auto recover folders. I'd suggest that you make a folder under the C drive and put it there, maybe C:\SWx Backup and below that make a Backup and SW Auto recover sub-folders.
  
  Hope this helps and good luck.
  
  ~Tom
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  - John Pesaturo @ Tom Cote on Nov 16, 2018 7:15 AM
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    Correct Answer
    Tom & Jim ... While I may not want to, my message inbox and our PDM Tech Support as well as a few other sources are all telling me the same. Work in the vault or just go nuts, defy convention and do whatever the heck you want. I guess in the long run, I'd simply say that we don't seem to like change unless it's called "Continuous Improvement". So I'm going to suck it up and deal with it. After all we have this brand new server that is dedicated to our vault and in the grand scheme storing zero's and ones are cheap. Thank you both ...
    Like • Show 2 Likes2
    Actions
Jim Steinmeyer Nov 15, 2018 2:57 PM
Mark Correct
Correct Answer
As far as where to save your daily backup files. Everywhere i have been we have done it the same as you have in the past. In fact this is one of the things I am using to advocate going to PDM over just using a Windows folder on the server. Every time you back up to the vault you create a new backup rev and I guess saving things there would be ok, but here we tend to create several ideas on revised parts or new models using the same basic assemblies. if I had a dollar for every assembly I have opened with dozens of incorrect parts we could afford PDM Pro. (unfortunately I can't convince upper management of that).
If you have a Workspace or Sandbox or Playground on your own PC you don't have to rename it and it never messes with anyone else until you check it in intentionally as the finished product.
Like • Show 2 Likes2
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- Jim Steinmeyer @ Jim Steinmeyer on Nov 15, 2018 3:02 PM
  Mark Correct
  Correct Answer
  I see that Tom and I disagree, which isn't unusual since there are dozens of ways to do almost everything in SW. One thing that scares me about doing all of your work inside SW is that if you forget to rename a part or assembly before you edit it you have the same problem with messed up production assemblies that we do now. If you have a work space on the in the vault you would either need to rename all parts, then rename them back, or you would have to allow multiple files with the same name in the vault. i have been down that road before Kind of where we are now) and being to get away from that is a MAJOR advantage of the vault in my opinion.
  Like • Show 2 Likes2
  Actions

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