InFlow Technology

ePDM Tips and Tricks: Update References Tool

One of the benefits of EPDM is that it takes over responsibility for managing file references. Once you have files in EPDM and linked, you will not have to worry about the references again. If you bring files into EPDM with broken references, you need to use the Update References Tool.

User Interface

The Update Reference Tool is a handy tool for cleaning up broken references on files as you bring them into EPDM. Before we get into the nuts and bolts of how we can use this tool, a word of warning: If you check in a file with broken references, those files will be removed from the reference tree. So, if you want to update those references, you will need to cancel and fix them before check-in.

Ok, with that out of the way let's talk about what references are and how they work. A reference is how SolidWorks links parts, assemblies, and drawings together. It is how SolidWorks knows what files make up a drawing or assembly and where they are stored. We call this the reference tree. In the reference tree, we have parent and child relationships. In the above example, The "iBeam.SLDASM" is the parent of all the parts (children) within the tree. The tree is stored within the parent file.

Typically, the children do not get lost. But sometimes when you move files around or rename them, before check-in, those references can be broken. SolidWorks can find them because they are not where it found them the last time the parent was saved. This commonly happens when moving from a local or network folder structure to a new Enterprise PDM system (ePDM). If you were to reorganize your files without updating the reference tree, all those references would be broken. This is because Solidworks uses a relative path scheme to locate the files. If it can't find those files in the same relative path, SW will attempt to heal the broken references in three ways. First it will look in the last place it found the files, next it will look at the files you have open in SW, then it will look to the same folder as the parent. If it's not there, the reference is shown as broken. There is one additional step that is taken for ePDM users. Within ePDM, you can set an external reference folder location for SW to search as well.

Ok, enough with the inner workings of SolidWorks references. Let's take a look at the problem at hand. Three files in the assembly are currently broken. If I were to open this assembly, those files would not be there. So let's take a closer look and fix them without having to open SolidWorks or deal with "File not found" warnings.

We have three tools at our disposal to fix these references. They are:

Find Files

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Find files allows us to search the vault for the missing file. This is a shotgun approach. It will return every file that matches that name. You can select from the list of returns to update the reference. This is a good method to use when you are not sure exactly where the file is located. It is also good to get a feel for just how many duplicates you might have. In fact you can use the update reference tool to whittle down those duplicates by standardizing on one version of the file

Replace File

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Replace file allows us to navigate to the missing file. This is a surgical approach to locating the missing file. We can tell the system exactly the files we want to use going forward.

Add Files to the Vault

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If the file exists outside the vault, we can import the file to a location within the vault. We will not be prompted for card information, but you can push the

 "Show Properties" button and update the card.

 

Updating the Reference Tree

Once we have all the files accounted for, we can press the update button to commit the modifications

We can now check in the parent and all the children knowing that the references are correct.

Now that these files are secured by ePDM, we can move them around and rename them without worrying about the references. This is because ePDM will automatically update the references in the background.

The Update Reference tool is great to use when bringing new files into the vault and changing their location, replacing files, or fixing long standing errors in old assemblies. This tool lets us fix these annoying issues without the need of SolidWorks.

InFlow Web Access vs EPDM Internal Web

Since InFlow released the InFlow Web Access tool last summer, we have recieved quite a few requests to explain the differences between the InFlow tool and the SolidWorks Web interface.  Instead of explaining in written form, I have put together a video.

 

More videos will come in the near future, including more details on the InFlow Web Access tool.  For more information, check out our website at www.inflow-tech.com.

Enterprise PDM File Migrations

Being part of a PLM/PDM implementation team, my nights and weekends are sometimes consumed by data migration work.  Just thought I would share some of my recent experience.

Last week...we migrated around 30,000 versions into EPDM from a PDM application called ProductCenter.  We loaded pro/engineer files plus their history.  This week, we migrated about 135,000 files into EPDM from a folder structure on a network drive.  For this folder structure migration, we had to rename the files, rename folders, rebuild SolidWorks related links, all during the loading process.  So when the users left work on Friday, they had files on a network share.  When they came into work on Monday, they had a nice clean EPDM vault filled with files in a nice organized way.

Other Migrations we have done:

• AutoDesk Vault
• ProductCenter (mentioned above)
• Sharepoint
• Baan PDM
• DBWorks
• SolidWorks Workgroup PDM

Although data migrations can be a challenge, they can really help get users onboard with your new EPDM system.  Users just seem to adjust more quickly when they are forced to go into the new system to find their files.  So...if you are starting your own EPDM implementation, do not forget to consider a file migration.  We are always open to providing suggestions.  Feel free to look us up on www.inflow-tech.com.

An Election Update - Enterprise PDM 2013 Brings 2 sides together

To demonstrate that Republicans and Democrats can work together, see the image below:

We can see files checked out by Mitt Romney and Barack Obama, in the same EPDM vault!  

New in Enteprise PDM 2013, we can highlight over the "checked out by" name and an image will pop up.  The image contains relevant information for that user including a picture, website, phone number, and how many files they have checked out.  You will also find single click links to dial their number, send an email, or IM.  Once you are displaying the image, you can pin it so it will stay open while you contact them or even look at information for another user (or candidate in this case).

In addition to seeing the image, each user is in control of their Presence Note.  The Presence Note can be changed so others can see your status.  See image below:

From his Presence Note, we can tell what this user is currently doing...

So EPDM Administrators, get out your cameras.  You will now be able to take pics of your users and display them for all to see.  For users...now you have to be nice to your administrators.  Enjoy this new and quite handy feature.

By the way...neither Barack Obama or Mitt Romney are responsible for the contents of this message.

Enterprise PDM Upgrade to 2013

It is the time of year when new version of Solidworks products get released. All of us want to upgrade to the latest version to take advantage of the new features and performance benefits. With the release ofSolidWorks 2013 and Enterprise PDM 2013, we have seen increased volume of support issues related to the upgrades. Please review the following steps to ensure the upgrade process will not cause any problems and downtime.

1. Test Environment – Setup a test environment and run through a standard scenario. Create new files, workflows, revision bump etc. Even though resources and time will be needed to set up a test environment, the transition to the new version will be less painful. Remember, once you upgrade the systems, there is no going back. If any issues pop up during the test, you have the time to work through the problem. When the systems go live and you encounter an issue that could have been discovered in test, productivity will suffer.
2. Documentation – Please refer to the Enterprise DVD for excellent documentation related to the upgrade process. Installation Guide.pdf can be accessed from \Support\Guides\GB folder. This PDF has a section called “Upgrading Enterprise PDM” that explains the upgrade process indetail.
3. Server Backup – Ensure you have a complete backup of the EPDM system before starting the upgrade process. Backup should include the File vault Database, Enterprise PDM Master Database, Archive server settings etc. Please refer to the “Backing Up and Restoring File Vault” section in Installation guide.pdf for more details.
4. Client Backup - If a user has EPDM related data checked-out to his/her local view, it is recommended to check these file back in before the upgrade.
5. Client upgrades - EPDM server and clients have to match versions and service packs.  So, server will have to be upgraded first and then the clients. You can upgrade EPDM before SolidWorks, but do not upgrade SolidWorks to 2013 without upgrading EPDM.
6. Operating System and software compatibility – Make sure your server and clients operating systems are supported. EPDM 2013 is the last version to support Windows Vista O/S client and Windows 2003 server. SolidWorks 2013 and Enterprise PDM 2013 client products will not install on computers using Windows XP.
7. License – New license keys are required for version (not service pack) upgrades. The license keys can be accessed from the SolidWorks web site under customer assets section. For more information, refer to  the following blog from SolidWorks http://blogs.solidworks.com/solidworksblog/2012/10/enterprise-licensing-made-simple.html?

Inflow has a team of SolidWorks Enterprise PDM professionals that can provide consulting upgrade solutions packages ranging from a “start-to-finish upgrade” or just “best practices” to ensure a successful transition. For “do it yourself” upgrades that develop issues, the InFlow
support team can be available for help or assistance during normal business hours, but may need to schedule dedicated additional paid consulting time based on the complexity of the issue.  We will do our best to make sure the issues are resolved in the shortest time possible. You can contact us by phone at 800-875-3009 or email support@Inflow-tech.com

An upgrade to the latest SolidWorks Enterprise PDM should not be a painful process. With proper preparation, testing, backup and training, it can be a smooth transition with positive results.  To reduce the risk of any issues occurring, plan on using InFlow’s consulting services for your next scheduled upgrade.  Please contact your CATI Sales Representative or InFlow PLM Consultant for additional information.

Customize the Preview Pane in Solidworks Enterprise PDM

Preview Feature

The preview feature at its core allows a user to select a file and view its contents without launching the native application and opening the file. This can be a benefit when searching for a specific item or when just looking to work faster. Perhaps a lesser known feature in Solidworks Enterprise PDM is the ability to customize this preview pane to use "other" applications beyond those supported by the default previewers.

Customize

Here is an example of how to customize Solidworks Enterprise PDM to use a specific application in the preview pane based on one or more file types provided. The steps required for this example may be different for each user based on their software installations and settings.

To get to the Preview Custom Settings, launch your EPDM Administration Tool, select a vault and expand it to see the design objects. Choose a user, all users or a specific Group to apply this customization to by expanding the lists as needed under the Group or User Categories. Right click your selection and choose settings and then select the viewers option at the bottom left of the window.

AVI Example

1. Install QuickTime (as needed)

2. Download and install codec(s) and reboot your pc as needed (You will likely need codec h264 for this example which is available for free on many sites)

3. Navigate to your viewers settings for the user(s) or group(s) in the EPDM Administration Tool.

4. Right click the <Add> button to create a new line item for your AVI file type.

5. Enter AVI in the top extensions field on the settings window and enter or browse to enter the path for the QuickTime application. Use the ">" button or type to add the %1% option at the end of the applications path.

6. Return to your Solidworks Enterprise PDM Vault view, add an AVI file to the vault and check it in.

Selecting the AVI file now should launch QuickTime and play the file in the preview pane.

Solidworks Enterprise PDM provides default previewers that will cover most if not all of your vaulted files. It's great to know that options are available as well for special circumstances.

"File already exists" warning in Enterprise PDM but I can't find it in the vault!

The most likely reason for the warning "File already exist" would show when adding a file to a folder is that a file with the same name already exists in that folder, but the logged in user does not have sufficient permission to see the file. It is not possible to have two files with same name in same folder.

Example A – restricted state permission

1. Logged in user on Workstation2 has read and add permission to the folder, but only read access to workflow state "Waiting for approval".

2. A file that is in "Under editing state" and has not yet been in the "Waiting for approval" state exists in the folder (a user with read access to the state can see it on Workstation1).

3. If the user tries to add another file with the same name to the folder, add will fail with ""File already exist"

Solidworks provides us with a couple of examples that explain the most likely scenarios and a query to help us investigate the file further.

Example B – users private state

1. User "Tor" on Workstation1 has added a file to a folder. The file will end up in user Tor's "private state". The private state is where files are placed when added, but not yet checked in and assigned a workflow. Note that files still in user's private state will not show a state name in the state column.

2. User "Bastien" logs in on Workstation2 and browses to the folder. The file will not be visible since it is in Tor's private state.

3. If Bastien tries to add a file with same name to the folder, add will fail with "File already exist"

Note: The "Admin" user login is the only user able to see files in other user's private state.

- When troubleshooting this type of warning, make sure you assign "Admin" full permissions in all folders and workflow states. If Admin can see the file, but not the user, it is likely caused by the restricted user permission.

- If the file still cannot be found when logged in as Admin; the below "ShowFileInfo" query can help display information from the database about a specific filename.

"ShowFileInfo" query

--Query to list file details of specific file. Update with filename below.

SELECT

p.Path + d.Filename as [File path],

d.DocumentID,

CASE

WHEN S.StatusType = 3 then (W.Name + '.' + S.Name)

ELSE

'<Private state - ' + (Select Username from Users where InitialStatusID = S.StatusID) + '>'

END as [Current State],

CASE

WHEN (d.LockProject != 2) then 'Yes <' + (Select Username from Users where UserID = D.UserID) + '>'

ELSE ''

END as [Checked out?],

CASE WHEN d.Shared > 1 then 'Yes' ELSE '' END as [Shared?],

CASE d.Deleted WHEN 1 then 'Yes' ELSE '' END as [Deleted?]

from Documents d

join DocumentsInProjects dp on d.DocumentID = dp.DocumentID

join Projects p on dp.ProjectID = p.ProjectID

join Status s on d.CurrentStatusID = s.StatusID

join Workflows w on s.WorkflowID = w.WorkflowID

Where d.ObjectTypeID = 1 and

d.Filename = 'Part1.sldprt' --<<< Update with filename to check

Order by [File path]

Reference: Solidworks Solution Id: S-054335

Web Access for Enterprise PDM

I think most people would agree that SolidWorks Enterprise PDM is easy to use.  But, at InFlow Technology, we are always looking for ways to improve the overall experience for our EPDM customers.  So, this month, we launched our new web browser interface for SolidWorks Enterprise PDM.  This new tool, called EPDM WebAccess, opens EPDM to standard browsers (IE, Chrome, Safari, Firefox), giving users a faster and easier way to search, view, print, download, upload, and change the state of EPDM documents.

 In addition to client time savings, it is also meant to reduce the installation time required by IT staff during EPDM upgrades and rollouts.  Instead of installing 50 client PCs for EPDM contributors and viewers, your IT staff would simply install one client on a web server.  The WebAccess tool would connect to this client and make sure an EPDM license is available before the login is allowed.

 For a quick preview, just check out the embedded video.

  

The application may look familiar to some of you out there.  It is built from code originally developed in the SolidWorks labs.  InFlow worked for some time to make the application more configurable and faster, resulting in the product you see here.  Any questions, please reach out to us on the web at www.inflow-tech.com.  If you see the product is missing a feature that would benefit your business, let us know and we can propose company-specific customizations.

ePDM Tips and Tricks: Copy Tree

 Why start from scratch when you can easily and quickly create products that are the same but different using an enterprise PDM tool called Copy Tree.

Copy Tree allows users to duplicate a group of files that are identical to the parent project. That is the "same as" part, but what about the "different"?Within the tool, users can select what files to copy versus reference, rename files, relocate files, and even compress the project to a zip file. 

On the surface, duplicating a project sounds easy. Just copy paste, right? Those of you who have tried know what a mess it can create. Copy tree handles all the incoming and outgoing file references to make sure your projects copy clean. This can save hours of tedious work involving renaming parts, resolving solidworks references,  and making sure the project's files are all looking to the right location. So, lets take a quick tour of the copy tree tool and see what it can do for us.

User Interface

1. Simple Copy or Zip – Do you need a simple copy of the tree or a packaged version? Normally we use copy tree to copy a drawing or assembly. You can also use copy tree to make a compressed version of the selected file structure for easy sending or as an archive
2. Destination Folder – Where the new files, or zip, will go (also seen in the target path).
3. Copy Tree Options – These allow you to tweak the metadata of the files as they are copied.
   1. Preserve relative paths – maintain folder hierarchy or make flat
   2. Regenerate serial numbers – if serial numbers are used, issue new ones
   3. Use latest\attached version – latest uses latest version of all files, attached uses version from referenced tree (shown in version column – bold if different)
   4. Check in with comment – like it says, handy to establish original copy without modification
   5. Include drawings – will include all drawings associated
   6. Name drawings after parts – will rename drawings to match new part names given during copy tree operation (if used, warnings may show in result column – these are OK)
4. Transform – This tool allows you to easily change the name of the selected files
5. Referenced File Tree – Information for each file in the reference tree

Using Transform

Transform allows you to add on or change the names of the files used during the copy tree operation. You can add a prefix or suffix to the file name, replace certain characters (such as a part number), or Rename with an auto generated number (serial). This is useful when most or all of the files need to be renamed in the same way. Otherwise, a simple rename might be preferable.

 

 

 

 

Simple Rename

If all you need to do is rename a single file during your copy tree, a simple rename will work the best. For each file you want to rename, select and click in the target path colmn. This will allow youto manually rename the file however you like. You can even manually add or remove folders

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Copy or Link files?

Next to each file in the reference tree is a "Copy" check box. When selected it indicates that those files will be copied to the new location – re-associating the references. If this box is unchecked, the original file will be referenced, or linked, and not copied.

What about all those options?

Using these varies greatly from one scenario to the next. You can see the effects for each of the options before initiating the copy tree. Toggle the settings and see how they affect the results in the reference file tree. If a copy tree operation doesn't quite as planned, they can generally be tweaked after the fact – or simply deleted and re-run. Once you establish the criteria used to successfully generate new parts and references, they can be used over and over again on future projects. Copy tree is a very useful tool when needing a similar file set within the vault. It handles the necessary reference relationships and gives you a good level of control within the results. The benefits are greater when used to generate new part numbers, using transform, or regenerating entire assemblies using shared components.

Try copy tree the next time you have the need of a design that is the same… but different.

Ensuring the Health of Enterprise PDM

Solidworks Enterprise PDM offers a number of tools and techniques to keep the software working efficiently and effectively and more easily identify issues when they presents themselves.  

Archive

1) Keep tabs on the Archive Server Log:

EPDM Administration /Your Server /RMB /Show the Archive Server Log.

2) Review the replication monitoring too (when applicable).

- in the Administration tool you have the archive status dialog showing the total number of versions needing replicating to a particular server.

By right-clicking the node you can get a list of files not yet replicated to a server.

You can also use the SQL query to get a list of files needing replicated

Client

3) EPDM Client log:

EPDM Administration /Local Settings /Log File.

This log file gathers information from different components of EPDM system and

often, messages from these applications have the error descriptions that received from SQL Server.

4) Windows Event Viewer /Application Log

- here you can find events from SQL Server (Event Source: MSSQLSERVER) and SolidWorks EPDM Database Server.

Database

5) Monitor the SQL Server error log available in the SQL Server Management Studio

By default, the error log is located at Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.n\MSSQL\LOG\ERRORLOG and ERRORLOG.n files.

6) Also available is the Activity Monitor component of MS SQL Server Management Studio to get information about users connections to the Database Engine and the locks that they hold.

/RMB /Activity Monitor.

7) You can set up email alerts to help monitor EPDM file vault databases in MS SQL Server:

8) Keep an eye on space used and available. i.e. Free space on the local drives that SQL Server and Archive Server are using and the transaction log size and on the trace files numbers/ size.

9) Make regular backups of:

• Vault Databases and ConosioMasterDb:
• Archive Server Settings:

    Archive Server Configuration Tool /Menu /Tools /Backup settings.

File Vault Archives: