We currently have a PDF version of a drawing done with pencil at Rev C in the vault. We want to revise it, by redrawing it in SolidWorks, and then making the necessary revisions. I would like to keep it as one entry in the vault; is there a way to do this? To replace a PDF with a SLDDRW? We will probably want to do this with DWG files, too. Thanks.
Yes, checkout the file, rename the extension from "pdf" to "slddrw", then save over the file in the vault with the SolidWorks file. This will maintain your history, even the rename in history. The only catch is retrieving older versions might not work properly. We always work with the latest version so it's not much of an issue for us.
The other issue, if you use the internal revision counter, is usually there is an accompanying model file that needs to be in the system at the same revisionas the drawing. We had to write an add-in to handle migrating in files at an existing revision letter.
Thanks. We have a simiar add-in. I am comfortable with part files that are not the same revision as the drawing, but the question there is, is that the part file needs to not go through the regular release process. Anyway, this is something I can work around.
I was hoping to avoid the "renaming the file" quandry, I'm afraid this may be confusing for some people. Regardless, if this is the procedure, then I will write it down and make it so.
I had not thought about renaming the file extension. when we had asked our VAR about this when we implemented EPDM, they said it was not possible to have a newer rev of a file as a different file type.
It just depending if you want to keep your history in one "container", and if you can live with the issues. We have some files where we didn't do this but instead move the old file to a "No longer used" state that is invisible to everyone except certain groups, mostly admins. I don't like this method as much as you get multiple extra files turn up in a search and the revisions are off so it's confusing to the users. That's why they are hidden to most users........and they only work the latest anyway for the most part.
Of course renaming the extension has issues that the end user must know how to deal with such as retrieving the previous revisions, it simply does not work in the system after you rename the extension. We have the setting "Always work with latest" so it's not a problem. If the user needs an older version they have to use the history dialogue and save the old version outside the vault somewhere. It's rare though that anyone outside admins would need to do that here.
Enhancement request time I guess.
I'm about to hijack my own thread.
How do you feel about "always work with latest". Any pitfalls? We do not have that turned on, and I've had quite a few users have problems with this. My biggest worry is that it could lead to mistakes, and that would be unacceptable. It could just be a learning curve issue, as we just implemented a month ago. Yet, it could lead to mistakes even with someone who knows what they should be doing, but forgets.
When do you not want to be working with the latest files?
I think that's my question. Not very often.
If it's not something that happens very often, then the person that needs to see an older version would probably know it and understand that they need to specifically ask for it. Personally I think its more dangerous to leave the option off, as you run the risk of accidentally grabbing old revs when you need to be working on the latest.
We turned it on because its not very obious in the system when you are opening an old cached file. The system doesn't prompt you that youa re about to open an old cached version, you just have to happen to be looking at the version tab. Problem with that is users here just double click files quickly to open them and completely miss the version tab. So it was determined early on that 99% of the time the users want the latest anyway so that option was least likely to cause issues for us.
One of the pitfalls of this setting is for groups who can't view files in all of the states that the file could be in. For example a drawing here can be in the states (InWork, InReview, Approved, Release). Certain groups only can see "Release". In this case they actually see the older version that is "Released", system handles that fine. However the search won't give them any results for these file if the checkbox "Search previous versions" is unchecked. The system needs a "Latest Released" option.
Thanks, that's the input I was looking for.
My company actually has TIF files for every drawing released, and that is what we use for production. So we have what I call a NDF (Neutral Data Format) directory that mirrors the CAD directory, but stores TIF/PDF/STEP/X_B, etc. formats. If you run a conversion task after signoff and release of the CAD, then you can have the CAD and NDF files linked together and still go back through the history without any problems.
BTW, pretty funny, Charles... "hijack my own thread"
Yes, checkout the file, rename the extension from "pdf" to "slddrw", then save over the file in the vault with the SolidWorks file. This will maintain your history, even the rename in history. The only catch is retrieving older versions might not work properly. We always work with the latest version so it's not much of an issue for us.
The other issue, if you use the internal revision counter, is usually there is an accompanying model file that needs to be in the system at the same revisionas the drawing. We had to write an add-in to handle migrating in files at an existing revision letter.