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PDM and Moving Files w/o PDM

PDM and Moving Files w/o PDM

PDM and Moving Files w/o PDM

(OP)
We are in the process of determining which PDM to get and are looking at PDMWorks Workgroup, PDMWorks Enterprise (formerly Conisio), and DBWorks.  PDMWorks Workgroup is basically a flat file system that would likely work.  I am told there is "Absolutely no way to migrate this into the databased PDM's", such as the other two.  This makes it very unappealing since we do expect to grow to the point in a few years where we need the broader capabilities.

Do any of you have any comments on this?  Is this true or is there a way afterall to migrate a PDMWorks Workgroup vault to one of the other systems?

In the meantime, since we don't yet have a PDM system, We want to move SWX files from a Development area into a Production Released area.  I just found out that the current version of SWX Explorer (2007) cannot do this!  AAAAAGH!  My VAR says there is already "a customer submitted request to add this back in".  Why the hello would this have ever been taken out is beyond me.

Does anyone know when or why SWX Explorer was crippled this way?

- - -Updraft

RE: PDM and Moving Files w/o PDM

I have not used PDMWorks Enterprise, I don't know why PDMWorks Workgroup couldn't migrate into Enterprise.
I have not used DBWorks.
I was not aware you could move SWX files from a Development area into a Production Released area through SWX Explorer.
I think you would be safe with PDMWorks Enterprise for future expansion.

Chris
SolidWorks 06 5.1/PDMWorks 06
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home (updated 02-10-07)

RE: PDM and Moving Files w/o PDM

Hi, we are currently in the process of moving from Workgroup to Enterprise. There is a migration tool, although I understand that it is currently beta. Our VAR is currently playing with this. From their comments, it is far from perfect. There are issues with taking a whole vault from one to the other and various lifecycle and revision issues. It is possible to migrate a vault piecemeal though. Given a choice, I would jump straight to Enterprise and avoid the pain of moving later. Either way, time spend setting up the vault and testing it, before adding production data, is time very well spent.

RE: PDM and Moving Files w/o PDM

(OP)
Badwolf, (are you not big?)

Thanks for your information.  We have a demo setup for Workgroup and Enterprise to compare them so I will know more very soon.  At this point I expect that Workgroup would meet our immediate needs, but the expectation to need more in 2-3 years and the uncertain ability to migrate the data has me concerned.

For those of you not using a PDM, how do you control or separate development files from released files?  This used to be easy with the move capability of SWX Explorer.

- - -Updraft

RE: PDM and Moving Files w/o PDM

Updraft,
Do you not have SolidWorks Professional or SolidWorks Premium? PDM Workgroups comes with both of them.

As for working without PDM I would create a write protected directory that only an administrator could write too. Then the administrator would pack and go drawings, assemblies, and models to that directory. Only release drawings would go into this area.

Bradley
SolidWorks Professional x64 2007 SP2.2
Intel(R) Pentium(R) D CPU
3.00 GHz, 3.93 GB of RAM
NVIDIA Quadro FX 3400

RE: PDM and Moving Files w/o PDM

(OP)
Bradley,

I have only the basic SolidWorks, no Professional or Premium, so no PDMWorks either.

Our directory structure, until we move onto a PDM system, is simple:
1. Develop all part, assy, and drawing files in a "Development" directory.
2. Upon releasing a part and its drawing for production move it to a "Released for Production" directory.  This directory has read privileges for those who need to see the files.  Only the engineering personnel with administrator rights can delete from this directory or write to it.

Pack and Go is not an acceptable option option because it is just a convenient way to make copies.  I don't want copies because then we have multiple files out there.  I want to move these files.  In this way we can have a new assembly that references both these released files (in their protected but visible area) and other parts still in development (in their development area visible only to the engineers).

Right now the only way I can do this and maintain the links of the parts to all the locations they are referenced is the following:
1. Open the part to be released.
2. Do a "Save As" with the same filename to the new "Released for Production" directory.  (Do not use the "Save As Copy" option).  This tells the other SWX files that reference this part to look in the new directory location for it.
3. Delete the original part file from the "Development" directory.

Using SWX Explorer I was (emphasis on the past tense) able to pick a file and move it to the new location.  There were no "Save As" or deletions necessary and I didn't even have to have SWX open to do it.  Explore does not seem to have that ability anymore.

How do you guys without PDM manage document control and protection?  I'm looking for a good solution.

Thanks,

- - -Updraft

RE: PDM and Moving Files w/o PDM

We tried for a few years (several years ago), but never worked properly and there was not any Configuration Control. I always suggest to SW users to purchase PDMWorks or similar.

Chris
SolidWorks 06 5.1/PDMWorks 06
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home (updated 02-10-07)

RE: PDM and Moving Files w/o PDM

(OP)
We just had a Web-ex demo of DBWorks and were quite impressed!  $500 for the basic version and only about $1100-$1200 for the Enterprise version.  Migration from basic to Enterprise is simply paying the difference, getting a new authorization code and you're done - no moving of files, no installation of new software.

Have any of you had any bad experiences with DBWorks?

- - -Updraft

RE: PDM and Moving Files w/o PDM

Updraft,
Have you tried "Pack and Go" in SW 2007? It actually works quite well. It allows you to grab everything applicable to your top-level assembly and or sub-assemblies.

Open your top assembly in SW. Then select "File" then "Pack and Go" a dialog box will appear. Notice it grabs all the parts associated to that assembly. Select the Check Box for "Include Drawings" and then save to a file folder. Pack and Go takes all the information relative to that assembly and leaves the rest behind. This might help you when you go to a PDM system. It will also flag you what needs to be fixed as far as bogus filenames for drawings, parts and assemblies (i.e. screw, connector…etc…) Parts that are named alike this will cause you a lot of grief when a PDM system is being integrated. Especially when filename parts have the same name, and there’re physically different. Totally chaos!

Hope this helps,

Macduff spin
Colin Fitzpatrick
Mechanical Design Engineer
Solidworks 2007 SP 2.2
Dell 390 XP Pro SP 2
nVida Quadro FX 3450/4000



RE: PDM and Moving Files w/o PDM

(OP)
Macduff,

Pack and Go is a nice way to make a copy of files.  It is a lot like the options you have in File->Find References.  The original files remain in their original locations and they are linked to whatever had been referencing them.  It does nothing to eliminate duplication of files.  In fact, it just makes that easy to accomplish resulting in total chaos, as you said.

I have nothing against the new appearance or functionality of SWX Eplorer, I just cannot understand how the move function could be gone with no suitable alternative.

- - -Updraft

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