Read-Only-PDM check-in

[chrissyd]

In my last job, I recall being able to check-out from PDM parts/drawings without taking ownership. It did not make the files become read-only. I was able to do "saves" locally without asking the owner to release it. It was only at the time that I checked it back-in that I would have to ask the owner to release ownership so I could check it back in. At the time I was in SW'05 & PDM'05. Now at my new job, I am still using SW'05, but with PDM'06. Is this no longer something possible in PDM'06, or could I possibly have some settings set up wrong in either SW, PDM client, or PDM vault admin. There are just so many variables, I'm not sure where to start. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Badwolf]

Hi chryssid

There is a setting in PDMWorks vault admin that can set the filesystem attributes read only if you are not the owner of a document. Its on the vault settings tab.

Hope this helps.

Regards

D

 

[chrissyd]

That's the funny part. The setting for read-only if you are not the user is not checked. This is on the vault settings tab. Is it somewhere else that I'm not aware of?

 

[rporter]

There is a setting in options (settings) to discard changes to read only files. This is in the collaboration area in 2006 I'm not sure in 2005 where it is at but look for that.

 

[EEnd]

Here is another setting that you may want to look into.

In the Vault Admin, Vault Settings tab, last item:
"Bind ownership to SolidWorks read-write / read-only status."

You will have to be careful if you set up the vault to work the way that you are asking about. It is by design that SolidWorks does not let you save changes to a vault document when you are not the owner. If you do you can easily be bitten by the following scenario.

1) When someone else has owenership, you get the document from the vault, make changes and save it to your local drive.
3) At the same time the person with ownership makes changes to the version on their computer.
4) You ask the owner to release ownership of the file, they check it in from their computer and then release ownership.
5) You take ownership and check in your local copy.

The result of all this sequence of events is that the changes made by the original owner of the file are no longer in the current version of the file that is in the vault, because they did not exist when you got the file from the vault. They are some what lost, and either your changes will have to be added to the version that the original owner checked in, or the original owner’s changes will have to be added to the version that you checked in.

I personally do not like the fact that you can make in memory changes to read only documents. That coupled with the option for discarding changes to read only documents can also lead to lost changes.

My apologies if I am just pointing out what you have already considered.

Eric