SolidWorks Enterprise PDM - Versioning Files One of the primary benefits of SolidWorks Enterprise PDM is the ability to modify files and retain a history of all file changes. If necessary, users can retrieve older versions of files. Solidsworks Enterprise PDM protects your design data with secure managed access and controlled versioning. An easy-to-track approval process ensures files never get overwritten. And you can quickly enable job sharing by expanding access to other departments, partners and subcontractors. Versioning allows for the following: Administer permission and data access protocols to control versiong Know who has the file at every stage in the process Simplify collaboration over a network or via the Web Be proficient in minutes it s easy to use as Windows Explorer Replicate vault data to multiple offices to localize performance A file that is stored in a SolidWorks Enterprise PDM file vault has one or more file versions. A version stores the changes that were made to the file after modifications to the previous version. The original version of a file in the file vault is 1. To modify a file, you check it out for editing and make the changes with an associated application. To later commit the changes to the file vault for other users to see, you check it in. Each time a modified file is checked in, a new version is created, but the filename remains the same. This file history can be viewed at any time by right-clicking a document and selecting history. The history dialog provides an audit of actions performed on the selected file. Check Out The Check Out command creates a writable copy of the latest version of a file in the working folder of the file vault. By checking out a file, SolidWorks Enterprise PDM ensures that no two users can simultaneously edit the file. If you want to edit a file, you must first check it out. To check out a file in Windows Explorer: Select the file to check out Right-click on the selection and select Check out, or click Actions, Check out from the SolidWorks Enterprise PDM menu.
If you have sufficient rights to check out the file, the file is marked as checked out in the file vault. Optional Check Out method Since SolidWorks Enterprise PDM is fully integrated into the Windows Explorer interface, you can us the Check out command directly from within any Windows application using its open dialog. If you are working with files such as Word documents or Excel spreadsheets, click File, then Open and the Open dialog box appears. Browse to the folder in the SolidWorks Enterprise PDM file vault that contains the desired file. When you have found the correct file, right-click it. Select, Check out the file is now checked out in the SolidWorks Enterprise PDM file vault and you can open it to modify the file. To submit the changes to the file vault for other users to see after saving the file, you have to check it in.
Files Containing References If the files you are checking out contain references to other files, a check out dialog opens to let you check out or retrieve the referenced files. References as, Found in and State are not displayed by default. To view these, right click and select to toggle the option display on/off. Additional Options If you right click in the Check out dialog box, the additional options available will include:
Columns: You can select which columns to display in the Check Out dialog box. Select All: Selects all file displayed in the Check Out dialog box.
Select Files: Allows you to select files that match a wildcard pattern. Check Out All Files: Toggle all checkboxes in the Get column.
Open File List: Open an Excel file containing the check out information currently displayed Save File List: Similar to Open File List, this option creates a.txt file with the check out information currently displayed.