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no value transition condition

Question asked by Tom Strohscher on Apr 19, 2019
Latest reply on Apr 24, 2019 by Tom Strohscher

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I need a workflow transition to test for a missing variable and a missing value.

I've created workflow to set the rev level of documents based on the revision table in the drawing. This checks for the revision property.

How do I process files that do not have a revision custom property or files where the property is blank?

I could put custom property in our template but files that come from other sources might not have it and would get stuck in the workflow.

I've created a macro that can check and set the properties but users don't always run it.

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Paul Wyndham Apr 23, 2019 4:01 PM
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In order for PDM to create custom properties they need to be on the data card applicable to the folder the file is checked into. The data card could also file in a blank property to a default setting or maybe one from a list or something.
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- Tom Strohscher @ Paul Wyndham on Apr 23, 2019 4:46 PM
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  Thanks for the reply.
  
  Even though this doesn't answer the question I'll try to default the data card to a value and see how it's affected.
  
  I need a workflow transition to recognize that the revision property is missing or that the value is blank.
  
  The workflow transitions test for a slddrw file and for revision property.. Then it sets the revision level to match the property.
  
  The problem comes when there is no revision property in the file or if the revision property is blank. If I just test for a slddrw every file would follow this path.
  
  I need to simulate a "Case and Else" statement or test for every possible combination which is to test for a missing value.
  
  My issues is that users set the revision level in the drawing. But it seems that incrementing the revision is the preferred method for some ridiculous reason. Using "increment" is like hopping things stay in sync.
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Paul Wyndham Apr 24, 2019 9:15 AM
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Sorry if I am not really answering your question. I don't think I fully understand what you are trying to accomplish.
Could you show some screenshots of the workflow and how you are setting the revision from the drawing revision table?

You can set actions that run commands or tasks during state transitions. So I think that should be able to run your macro to check for the revision variable, but SWPDM does not really create any custom properties during a transition. It can modify them using the set variable command.

You could also create a dispatch that runs before or after a transition to a specific state. In a dispatch you can set card variables, but the dispatch has to check the file out, make the changes and then check it back in. The card variable is written to the custom property when the file is checked back in.

You either need to let the users set the revision manually or have SWPDM do it in transitions. If you allow the users to change it and have transitions change it you are bound to have problems. The issue is that you have to use both the "Set Revision" and "Increment Revision" in the workflow. You set the revision to what you want and then you increment it to that revision. The next time you set it the revision is set to what you incremented it to. SolidWorks never provides a really good explanation of how it works. So, I think of the Local Revision as the rev lock function. You set it to what you want then lock it there. The next time the file is modified you set it to the next revision in the schema. Then, when you transition it to released you lock it in at that revision using increment. If you allow the users to modify it during the process then it will most likely jump a revision during the next set revision step.

If you have the revision on the data card, when a user checks a file in it will create the Revision custom properties, so you will not have to worry about files not having that property. It would just be a problem with files that are already in the vault without the custom property. They would have to be checked out and back in with the Revision card variable set to the desired value.

Hope that gives you a little more information that you are looking for.
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- Tom Strohscher @ Paul Wyndham on Apr 24, 2019 2:02 PM
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  I would like the revision info to come from the drawing. This is the document we are revising. There is never (how we to things today) a need to make a revision on a database record without editing a drawing. Everything is based on a drawing. The Set Revision command would only be used for correcting revision information. We could get away with using properties only. But not knowing what the future holds I don't think it's smart to not use PDM revisions. So we have to try and keep them in sync.
  The user is already telling us wht the rev level is by putting the revision block on the drawing. This updates a Revision custom property.
  
  New drawings to the PDM system may start at any revision. If it's a pencil drawing that gets revised it's created, and modified in SW. The drawing could already have some revisions on it so PDM would have to start at the next revision. If PDM starts at rev "-" or rev "A" it would be wrong.
  The new parts being created or existing parts being revised move from Work in Progress to Set Revision stage. The automatic transitions
  sets the database rev level based on the files revision property. The data card revision variable is tied to the files revision property.
  
  I will need a transition for every revision property possibility or the file with stop in the Set Revision state.
  
  This logic is needed if there are multiple revision created at the same time. Someone may add 2 or more revision to a draw during the same file edit. The drawing may go from revision "A" to revision "C" with one computer file change.
  
  It doesn't matter what the revision letter is in the file. If it's valid based on a transition the data card and the database revision level is set the same as the revision property.
  
  If the file property is missing the file sits in the Set Revision state. If the file property is there but the value is blank the file sites in the Set Revision state. These cases should not typically come up. But they are possible. I would like to push the file back to work in progress and tell the user.
  I have also created a Dispatch script that asks the user for more information we would like on the data card. This happens after it's in the Set Revision state and I assume before the automatic transitions.
  I don't know how to test for a file property there and change the direction of the file.
  
  To give credit, many of these ideas have been taken from posts on the forum. So thanks goes out to everyone that posts this kind of stuff. It's a great help for beginners.
  
  I've not found an example that tests for missing information.
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