Solidworks Revision control with PDMworks

[Randy1111]

Hi folks.
Our company went ahead and purchased solidworks.
I'm now trying to get everythign set up correctly.

I've used pdmworks before just as secure storage, but not for revision control. We want to have prerelease drawings with alpha, and post release revisions be numeric. I want the revision letter in the title block to update automaticaly also.

I found

http://www.solidworks.com/swexpress/may04/200405_techtip_02.cfm

Which shows how a system can be set up similiar, but it uses placeholders like @. So instead of revision 03 i'd get revision @03. I'd like to have just A, B, C, etc and then when released have just 01, 02, 03.

Am I missing something here, or is there no way to have it list only primary, then switch and list only secondary?

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Randy

 

[PDMAdmin]

Randy,

Secondary revs are meant to be displayed after the primary rev, plus a separator. Instead of worrying about secondary revs, why not do a custom list of primary revs that have A, B, C... etc., then 01, 02, 03? That's easy to do in the Vault Admin tool.

Look up $PRP in SolidWorks Help for more info on how to properly reference the PDM revs in your title block.

 

[ctopher]

Easy to do as PDMAdmin suggested.
Also, when you purchased PDMW, you should have received some type of quick training from your VAR.
The rev's should be numerical first then alpha for release. But, that's another issue.

Chris
Systems Analyst, I.S.
SolidWorks 06 4.1/PDMWorks 06
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home (updated 06-21-06)

 

[Randy1111]

No free training from Var.

Mining industry I'm in has all drawings come to me as alpha then numerical, which is why our company copied the revision scheme.

If i do one long list with both numerical and alpha, i didnt think I could bump from say rev 5, past 6-99, all the way to Rev A.

I'll research it some more, thanks for the tip.

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Randy

 

[PDMAdmin]

If i do one long list with both numerical and alpha, i didnt think I could bump from say rev 5, past 6-99, all the way to Rev A.

Yes you can.

See if your company will shell out a little $$$ for training. You'll waste far more $$$ in lost productivity if you try to learn it on your own. Trust me -- been there, done that.

 

[Randy1111]

I've used solidworks for years prior to this company, just dont have much experiance with pdmworks other than using it just as a simple secure location.

I've gone thru the basic and advanced courses.

I hate having to spend another $1000 on another training course every time i need a single issue answered. Software is $6000 a seat, subscription is $1500 a seat, network license is $500 a seat. So after paying $8000 to a var per seat of solidworks, they want $1500 to set up pdmworks.

Solidworks itself limits the help they give. If you dont pay subscrition, when you go to customer portal, you have no access to tips/best practices/instruction documentation, forum, etc.

Amazing at how much a price creeps up till its double the original with all the 'extras'.



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Randy

 

[Randy1111]

My above post sounds harsher than i meant.

Yes training in all solidworks courses available would be great. An unlimited budget would be nice too. But reality is I cant get it currently so its do-it-myself for the time being.

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Randy