Automatic PDF From Task to Released State

Hi Matt,

Here's an approach I've used before:

On your PDF file card, add a variable called "File Destination" or something similar.

In the workflow transition from "work in progress" to "approved" you may have to add a secondary transition for "slddrw" files only and add a set variable action to set the variable "File Destination" to "approved".

In your convert to PDF task, in the step "File Card", set the variable value of the output file's card "File Destination" variable to the source file "File Destination" variable.

Lastly, add an automatic transition from the initial state in the workflow to the "approved" state with 2 conditions 1) Filepath %.PDF and 2) "File Destination" variable value "approved". This should restrict the transition to only files your programming has made prior arrangements for.

Make sure the workflow governing the folder where the PDF gets created is the workflow you add the automatic transition.

This should do the trick. Try it and let us know if it does the trick.

Tim

First, we have a separate workflow for PDFs because our CAD data has lots of approvals and processes that are not needed for PDFs.  Our PDF workflow has a starting State called "Pending Release".  The user must change the State of the PDF to "Released For Production" which gives them the opportunity to add dynamic notifications to others who might be interested in the release of the drawing and have a link to it in an email.  Without this notification feature requirement, Tim's suggestion is a good solution and I have used a similar approach to automatically move PDF files into special States for Customer Approval when the variable is checked.

Matt,

        Do you have something in EPDM that accommodates for duplicate files. I would have to write something that would check out the current pdf first before I would be able to make a pdf. How do you by pass the check in process?