Help with PDM organization.

[CubicleHound]

When we started using SW we organized our parts as follows: Folder A contains assemblies A1, A2, and A3. So in Windows Explorer you can see them listed. Now that we instituted PDMWorks, if A1 has some reference to A2 then "Project" A might only list A1, and A3, with A2 being a child of A1 and not initially shown. Is there any intuitive way to get A1,A2, and A3 to show up at the same level under Project A? Possibly forcing A2 to show up as a link under A1?

 

[PDMAdmin]

The structure in PDMWorks matches the way you assemble everything together in SolidWorks. The only way I can think of to get a "top level" view of the assemblies, as opposed to a "nested view," is to separate them into their own project folders.

 

[dsgnr1]

Hound,
I work in a corporate setting where PDMworks was transitioned in a few months after we started modeling with Solidworks. I tried to organize very much the way you describe. (I did not have to organize for revision control at the time)

As we have moved out of a different PDM and into PDMworks (this means every document from simple part drawings to quality documentation, quality procedures, etc.) the organization of the Solidworks files has been very smooth and very user friendly. I only requested that I have 1 folder for Soliworks files. Under that folder lies the file structure that PDMADMIN describes. The top level assemblies house the parts and sub-assemblies and drawings.

My recommendation would be the same. Just allow a natural transition to PDMworks and let the software do the organization. If it is necessary in the future to create projects and re-organize, it should be very easy, as all you must do is own a document to move to another project.

Another recommendation would be to search PDMADMIN'S threads (shout out to you, dude). He is very knowledgable about the add in. You will find loads of information by this action.

Don't sweat it.

dsgnr1

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[CubicleHound]

Thanks guys, that is what I was afraid of. The PDM organization is great, I am just trying to find a good relationship to way PDM organizes, and our legacy org so I can keep everyone happy. Believe it or not, some people here feel the old organization is their baby and then I come one day and try to toss it out the window.

 

[dezignstuff]

The non-hierarchical display of vaulted documents has been one of my favorite requests for new functionality in PDMW. Sometimes you just want to see an alphabetical list, not a BOM-like indented display.

Anyway, please go to the SW site and put in an enhancement. I've been asking for this for a while, and if others do it too, it's more likely to get put in.

Matt