PDM Transition
PDM Transition
(OP)
Hi All,
I work at a small design company of about 4 SW users. PDMworks was purchased earlier in the year - which I am attemting to implement. I have done heaps of online learning from this website and others - not to mention all the help files and webcasts on the solidworks web pages. All of which has helped me understand how PDMworks essentially.
The thing I am grappling with is the transition for this small dynamic and busy company to getting PDMworks up and running. There are continually a number of different projects on the go, some ongoing from over 18 months ago.
Where do I draw the line about which projects to convert into the PDMworks? Only new ones from here on or should I be going back to the last 3-5 projects?
If I do go back to the last 3-5 projects how do I contend with the sometimes differing Revision systems the projects used when I had intended to use PDMworks controlled revisioning?
For example if a change request comes in for a part that once used a revision system "REV 003" and in PDMworks I have set it up to be say "D.2" primary and secondary style revisioning, will the drawing revision block just go from one to the other or do I need modify the old style revisions? Or should I not change to the newer style.
Also past projects didn't use the same part numbering system we now want to implement (or any numbering really at all). Do I trawl through old projects getting them up to the new standard or leave them be?
I know it's a Friday but any thoughts on these queries or other transition ideas would be greatly appreciated - this has been doing my head in lately.
We do have VAR support but no funding or time for the PDMworks course they offer at this point.
Thanks heaps
James
I work at a small design company of about 4 SW users. PDMworks was purchased earlier in the year - which I am attemting to implement. I have done heaps of online learning from this website and others - not to mention all the help files and webcasts on the solidworks web pages. All of which has helped me understand how PDMworks essentially.
The thing I am grappling with is the transition for this small dynamic and busy company to getting PDMworks up and running. There are continually a number of different projects on the go, some ongoing from over 18 months ago.
Where do I draw the line about which projects to convert into the PDMworks? Only new ones from here on or should I be going back to the last 3-5 projects?
If I do go back to the last 3-5 projects how do I contend with the sometimes differing Revision systems the projects used when I had intended to use PDMworks controlled revisioning?
For example if a change request comes in for a part that once used a revision system "REV 003" and in PDMworks I have set it up to be say "D.2" primary and secondary style revisioning, will the drawing revision block just go from one to the other or do I need modify the old style revisions? Or should I not change to the newer style.
Also past projects didn't use the same part numbering system we now want to implement (or any numbering really at all). Do I trawl through old projects getting them up to the new standard or leave them be?
I know it's a Friday but any thoughts on these queries or other transition ideas would be greatly appreciated - this has been doing my head in lately.
We do have VAR support but no funding or time for the PDMworks course they offer at this point.
Thanks heaps
James






RE: PDM Transition
I would recommend starting a job from fresh for PDMWorks.
You have obviously been running without it, successfully, so work will still get done. Perhaps the next 'small' job you get can be done entirely within the vault. This way, you can see the how it works in your environment, and make any changes accordingly.
Trying to push older jobs into the vault will give you headaches you don't need, especially, if your just starting.
Steve
RE: PDM Transition
About your revisions, I would suggest making the new revision follow the old. E.g. REV 003 would become R3, the next change to that drawing would be R4. If you need the version to show up start at R3.1. I would not put R3.1 in the revision block in the title block. I would put it somewhere else. People outside engineering do not understand the version concept.
Bradley
RE: PDM Transition
In your case, don't use the automatic update on the dwg revision block for PDMW.
Setup lifecycles to work with old and new projects.
Setup PDMW to accept your two styles of revions. When an old file is updated, convert to your new style.
Check-in everything you have.
Remember, PDMW is not a "revision" controlled program, it is a "document" controlled program...it just takes care of the revs for you.
Chris
Sr. Mechanical Designer, CAD
SolidWorks 05 SP3.1 / PDMWorks 05
ctopher's home site (updated 06-21-05)
FAQ559-1100
FAQ559-716
RE: PDM Transition
thanks for the tips. Think I will start small with a new project and think about working back later.
Chris - If I am going to check in old projects should I bother giving them part numbers or just check them in without it?
Also I am not exactly sure how to get PDMworks to deal with two styles of revisions. As far as I knew you could only have one revision scheme specified. Or do you mean by doing it manually some how?
One other question - Do people in general make sure any part checked into the vault has a part number? Or are they happy to wait until later in the development process to give things part no's?
Thanks
James
RE: PDM Transition
We have Engineers who refuse to get part numbers for parts they feel they are testing. For example “Nut” instead of a real number. “Nut” happens to be a common name others are using in the PDM. The latest “Nut” will be inserted into all assemblies using nut.
Numbers are cheap and very easy to use.
PDM Rules to Live by:
1. Get latest parts from PDM.
2. Work only within your working directory.
3. Keep your working directory clean.
4. Take ownership as soon as you know you are going to change, if an ECN is required keep ownership until you give it to Documentation.
5. Do not check out or take ownership unless you are going to change it.
6. Do not take ownership of an assembly and all children.
7. Upon check-in, add short note as to what you did.
8. Release Ownership (if applicable) during check-in not afterwards.
9. Do not add suffices and prefixes to part numbers being checked-in to PDM.
10. Do not check-in junk names; get a part number if it needs to be in PDM.
11. If you are working on projects that are not ready for PDM, create a sub-directory within your working directory for those models. Remember rule number 2.
12. Do not delete relationships and external references.
13. Clean swSolidWorksBackups directory; defrag your C:\ drive as often as needed.
Bradley
RE: PDM Transition
You can have primary, secondary and tertiary revs. Have PDMAdmin set it up.
Chris
Sr. Mechanical Designer, CAD
SolidWorks 05 SP3.1 / PDMWorks 05
ctopher's home site (updated 06-21-05)
FAQ559-1100
FAQ559-716