PDM/Works

[pdybeck]

I am in the process of implementing PDM/Works and have a loaded question for anyone out there. When do you typically check in files to the vault for the first time - by this I mean at what point in the product's stage? This seems to be a tricky question for us to answer because at times our product's design changes very quickly and parts that were in an initial assembly are not being used in the latest revs. This leaves us with a whole group of parts that are not being used in the latest assembly. We don't want to delete these parts because then our design history would be incomplete. The solution is to make an obsolete or history sub-folder in the project and place all the old parts not currently being used into that folder. That is fine, but I want to control the number of those parts. Does anyone have a good rule of thumb that they folllow for initial check in? I know about the working copy function, it may seem best that the initial check in be in the working copy rev. That way, the vault is more like a save instead of a design history at that point. Does this make sense to anyone? It seems that there should be some functionality to make a project in certain design stages - such as one where no revisions can be created. Ideally we would like to work in that environment in the initial porion of the design - be able to delete unused parts and not have to worry about the history. Then at a later point allow revisions to be made. Some might ask - why not just develop the product outside the vault and when you are ready, check it in. I feel in that situation we would loose the other features of PDM/Works - the collaborative environment when working with a whole group of people. Has anyone come up with some good solutions? I really think there needs to be a better solution for early product deleopment in the vault.

 

[Standing]

pdybeck,
You have some very good questions. When I run up against issue that would affect our future way of doing things in a big way, I ask our VAR for help. Rule number 12 maybe of interest.
Our rules of thumbs are as follows:

PDM Rules to Live by:

1. Get latest parts from PDM.
2. Work only within your local working PDM directory, never sub directory.
3. Keep your your local working PDM directory clean.
4. Take ownership as soon as you know you are going to change, if an ECN is required keep ownership until you give it to Documentation.
5. Do not check out or take ownership unless you are going to change it.
6. Do not take ownership of an assembly and all children.
7. Upon check-in, add short note as to what you did.
8. Release Ownership (if applicable) during check-in not afterwards.
9. Do not add suffices and prefixes to SKU parts being checked-in to PDM.
10. Do not check-in junk names; get a SKU if it needs to be in PDM. If you want someone else to see your junk named files, put them in your scratch directory.
11. If you are working on projects that are not ready for PDM, create a sub-directory within your local working PDM directory for those models. Remember rule number 2.
12. If you want others to share in your work check it in.
13. Clean C:\swSolidWorksBackups directory; defrag your C:\ drive as often as needed.
14. Do not delete relationships and external references.

I am leaving for vacation today 6/20/2003 at 2:30 p.m. pacific time, I will be back 7/14/2003. If you ask a question and I do not answer you know why. I am not here in the office.

Bradley

 

[metman]

Adding to Bradley's comments:

We have about 15 seats and most of my associates prefer to check in a component/assembly to PDM Working directory on the server with a legitimate pn/description filename in the early stages of design. Once the model(s) has been checked and signed off by the chain-of-command, it is then bumped from Rev 00+ to Rev 01 for initial RELEASE and checked back into the Working directory. Our CAD administrator then moves the file(s) (Change Project} from the Working directory to a secured address which only the administrator and one or two others have write access.

Within the secured directory we have a subfile for superceded Rev's so we always have an historical record.

Bradley's rule "5. Do not check out or take ownership unless you are going to change it." does not apply for us. Maybe because we are using the PDM Working directory to collaborate and because we do not - repeat DO NOT - bump from Rev 00+ until finalized. In fact we mostly have someone always take ownership so parts do not get unintentionally corrupted. This is only sligthly painfull to email the owner if you need to make a change. But this allows the owner to be apprised of a possible change or to challenge it if concerned. It's not that difficult since PDM tells you at a glance who owns a file.

Also we do not as Bradley in rule "6. Do not take ownership of an assembly and all children." The cognizant engineer or his designee keeps ownership of the assy model and any of its children unless someone needs to change an item. This way you can tinker to your hearts delight on your local version and then ask permission to update the Working directory on the server or if your tinkering turns afoul simply update/reload from the working version to your local drive.

And yes as Bradley says in rule: "7. Upon check-in, add short note as to what you did." This can be so very helpful.

By the way, our documentation must be immaculate since it must pass FAA requirements and approval. Part of the reason for this is that we have a unique drafting short cut that relies heavily on clean electronic files since much of our work passes directly fron SW to Surfcam.

Hope this helps,

Jesus is THE life,
Leonard