MASTERING PDMWorks

[uGlay]

so i have been using PDM for about 2 years but i have never really taken any courses on how to use it and how to use its full potential.

How many of you guys think you have a pretty firm grasp on how everything works and how to utilize the program to its full potential. And if you do chime in, could you please give me a direction on how to go about furthering my knowledge of this program.

Thanks!

 

[JMirisola]

I believe I have a fairly firm grasp on PDMWorks. Short of taking a class, I'd say the best way to learn is to go through the help files and ask questions here. There might even be some stuff on YouTube. Set up a dummy vault and mess around with it. See what works and what doesn't.
After two years, you should have a decent grasp on things I would think. In what capacity do you use it (i.e. user or admin)?

Jeff Mirisola, CSWP
Certified DriveWorks AE

http://designsmarter.typepad.com/jeffs_blog

Dell M90, Core2 Duo
4GB RAM
Nvidia 3500M

 

[uGlay]

I have always been a user. at the previous company I worked at, we had ISO standardized system for documentation control so the many options that the vault gives you were disabled. All document tracking was done manually by documentation control department... where I am working at now I am a user however the vault does get more of its logging options utilized. However, there are a couple of 'revision systems' in place right now so it is hard to track projects.

For example, some people like to do A-00, B-00, C-00.
others like to use T1, T2, T2
then you got the date guys 11-02-08
then you have the Version guys v1.1, v1.2, v2.0, vA1, vA5 (yes version A 5)
then you have the number guys Rev 1, Rev 2, Rev 3

LASTLY, you have the Product SKU# which trumps all other numbers before it, and the SKU also has a revision attached to it...

 

[JMirisola]

That is no way to run document control. The revision scheme should be decided by whoever is in charge and then said scheme should be implemented in the vault with the lifecycle process. How the h-e-double hockey sticks do you guys keep track of anything?

Jeff Mirisola, CSWP
Certified DriveWorks AE

http://designsmarter.typepad.com/jeffs_blog

Dell M90, Core2 Duo
4GB RAM
Nvidia 3500M

 

[uGlay]

it's a huge clusterfreak. hence why i am taking the intitiative to learn more about PDM that way i can present a viable solution to the department. I have to interact with purchasing, incoming inspection, qa and production and as such i am sort of the 'hub' for all drawings. so you can guess it always comes back to me when there is screwy stuff going on in the drawings...

 

[smcadman]

It sounds like there are too many chiefs and not enough indians. There should be a single person in control instead of everybody doing it the way they want. Until that is established, you can expect to have problems.

There are a few threads on here about naming conventions, part numbering, etc. that can help you establish one that works for your company.

(at first it was a headache here because there was no standard either and everybody did whatever they wanted in regards to part naming also)

Flores

 

[uGlay]

yeah naming conventions and part numbering i need.

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

This is probably one of the better threads for naming/numbering.
thread559-45542

 

[samuelm]

I have been using PDMWorks for about 6 years. Most of my learning has been on the job. I agree with Jeff's advice especially setting up a dummy vault so that you can safely test all its functionality. Design the vault ,set up various users and scenarios an see what happens. Also it is very useful to have remote access with full admin rights to the test vault if it is separate box from yours and it's located in different location.

 

[macduff]

I would say if you have been using it for 2 years you should have a grasp of things as far as an everyday user. The place to expand with PDMWorks is the Vault Administrator. This where you really need to know the software, but don't know if you have rights to this area. It is usally controled by your DC department. If vault is setup right, with groups, permissions and lifecycles, it pretty much runs itself, and awful hard to break.

Colin Fitzpatrick (aka Macduff)
Mechanical Designer
Solidworks 2007 SP 5.0
Dell 490 XP Pro SP 2
Xeon CPU 3.00 GHz 3.00 GB of RAM
nVida Quadro FX 3450 512 MB
I'm just a little verklempt. Talk amongst yourselves. I'll give you a topic. Pink Floyd, was neither Pink nor Floyd. Discuss!--“Coffee Talk” Mike Myers SNL

 

[Standing]

uGlay,
If you can get the Engineering manager behind you, come up with a Revision control scheme. Then you roll out the control with management backing you.


Bradley
SolidWorks Pro 2008 x64 SP3.0
PDMWorks Workgroup, Dell XPS Intel(R) Pentium(R) D CPU
3.00 GHz, 5 GB RAM, Virtual memory 12577 MB, nVidia 3400
e-mail is Lotus Notes

 

[uGlay]

Bradley, yes you are right. I have begun dialog therefore this is why I am expanding on my knowledge. I sense a lot of resistance from the people who have been working here 'since the begginning' and they feel they can do whatever they want because they are special in their minds...

There seems to be this rejection towards part number which doesnt help. As it is, the names grow to be humongous, and then when the part is released, the words: SKU XXXXX - get added to the begginning of the filename which has been released for production. As a consequence, whatever assembly was using that part gets a broken reference.

 

[Badwolf]

I agree with the other posts. Set yourself up with a dummy vault. Most PCs should be able to handle it. You don't need to run it on a server. The vault server is then "localhost". Test and play around with the settings and then you can apply them to your working vault.
Be aware though, that if you have lots of legacy data in your production vault, you will still have to allow for revisions etc that maybe do not occur in you new scheme. The best time to set in stone in PDMWorks is before you have production data in. That unfortunately is not always how you able to work.

 

[uGlay]

When you guys download the parts/assemblies from the vault, do they go on project folders on your computer? or do you have the vault folders set up on your computer just the same way?

sorry for the dumb question

 

[Standing]

uGlay,
We put our files copied from the Vault to anywhere we like. We manage our own work and most of the time no one ever sees the files on our computers. When one checks the files back into the vault they automatically go to the project folder they were copied from.

Bradley
SolidWorks Pro 2008 x64 SP3.0
PDMWorks Workgroup, Dell XPS Intel(R) Pentium(R) D CPU
3.00 GHz, 5 GB RAM, Virtual memory 12577 MB, nVidia 3400
e-mail is Lotus Notes

 

[uGlay]

oh okay then i do it the same way. was just wondering if anyone has the same folder scheme on their computer as on the vault...

 

[fcsuper]

By project is my recommendation because that is how PDMWorks works best.

Matt Lorono
CAD Engineer/ECN Analyst
Silicon Valley, CA
Lorono's SolidWorks Resources
Co-moderator of Solidworks Yahoo! Group
and Mechnical.Engineering Yahoo! Group

 

[uGlay]

FCSUPER can you please elaborate?

 

[uGlay]

I have another question. WHEN do you upload files to the vault?

When you release the part for production?
When you are done working with the part?
When you hand it off to another engr?

Just trying to gauge how other people do it.

 

[Standing]

uGlay,
We have two rules that are not always followed:
1. If working on your local hard drive you must copy all files to network drive every day. So others can see the work if you never show up for work again and the network drive gets backed up. We have had engineers loose their hard drives.
2. Or check in your work to PDM everyday, no matter what state of completion.
extra:
3. Do not release ownership till complete.


Bradley
SolidWorks Pro 2008 x64 SP3.0
PDMWorks Workgroup, Dell XPS Intel(R) Pentium(R) D CPU
3.00 GHz, 5 GB RAM, Virtual memory 12577 MB, nVidia 3400
e-mail is Lotus Notes