If I check out a SW assembly, update data card, then check in will it update the version of the components?

[bnemec]

I'm assuming any check in of a SW assembly will update the refs in PDM for that file to whatever are on that local machine's cache. I'm thinking of two examples where this might be unexpected.

By the way, we cannot always use latest version of all components, users are to get by referenced version, not latest.

1) Designer (CAD User) is peer reviewing a drawing for release. The transition from Review to Released that the peer reviewer initiates will update some data card variables and is marked to overwrite version. The reviewer has a bunch of files in local cache, naturally. Some of those files may not be the same version that are referenced by the drawing (and assembly) being reviewed. So they are supposed to ALWAYS get the files by referenced version, not latest. However maybe the user already knew the file was good and didn't open it up on their machine like they are supposed to. As I understand it when the reviewer approves the files by changing state to released, PDM will check out the files, update the data card variables per transition action settings, check the files in. It is at this point that the file in PDM is updated to use whichever versions are currently in local cache on the reviewer's computer and we have now changed the files after the designer last checked them in (while in WIP) and set to review?

2) I am doing Admin stuff and I get an email that some description is wrong on a file that's been released. So I check the file out (likely from PDM Search Tool) fix the data card, save it and check in. Now I have just also updated the referenced versions of any file references to whatever might have been in my local cache at the time of check in? Even though I never even opened the file in Solidworks.

[jcapriotti]

We always work with latest so I don't have a suggestion off the top of my head other than depending on the version of PDM, maybe the branching and merging function could be helpful for you situation. If we were keeping PDM I would consider it here where I work but it basically allow you leave the files at "Release" and then branch off a version copy, then merge it later.

Outside of that, it may require a custom add-in to intercept the open command and ask the user what version to open. This is a major shortcoming of PDM I've found.

[Diaval]

I'm assuming any check in of a SW assembly will update the refs in PDM for that file to whatever are on that local machine's cache. I'm thinking of two examples where this might be unexpected.

By the way, we cannot always use latest version of all components, users are to get by referenced version, not latest.

1) Designer (CAD User) is peer reviewing a drawing for release. The transition from Review to Released that the peer reviewer initiates will update some data card variables and is marked to overwrite version. The reviewer has a bunch of files in local cache, naturally. Some of those files may not be the same version that are referenced by the drawing (and assembly) being reviewed. So they are supposed to ALWAYS get the files by referenced version, not latest. However maybe the user already knew the file was good and didn't open it up on their machine like they are supposed to. As I understand it when the reviewer approves the files by changing state to released, PDM will check out the files, update the data card variables per transition action settings, check the files in. It is at this point that the file in PDM is updated to use whichever versions are currently in local cache on the reviewer's computer and we have now changed the files after the designer last checked them in (while in WIP) and set to review?

2) I am doing Admin stuff and I get an email that some description is wrong on a file that's been released. So I check the file out (likely from PDM Search Tool) fix the data card, save it and check in. Now I have just also updated the referenced versions of any file references to whatever might have been in my local cache at the time of check in? Even though I never even opened the file in Solidworks.

Check in will default to attach the local cached version of a reference file (this is the PDM mechanism to allow the user to attach an older version of a reference to a new version of a parent). But the check in dialog also gives the user a way to select if the cached version or latest version of the reference should be attached to the new parent version. When reviewing the check in dialog, the user should look at the "New version" column for referenced files to ensure the correct versions are going to be attached at the end of the check in process. The version shown in this column is the one that will be attached.

1. Not exactly. The transition doesn't care about your local cache (this is why you can transition files without having them cached at all). The way that PDM determines reference versions to use during a transition that versions the file is completely dependent on if the referenced file transitions with the parent and gets a new version itself.

• if the parent file transitions by itself (without the referenced file in question), the new parent version will reference the current referenced version of the child no matter what version is cached or if the referenced version is not the latest version.

• If the parent file transitions with the referenced file (both files transition together and are versioned in the transition), in this case the transition will update the parent file referenced version to use the new child version that was created in the transition. PDM expects that if you are transitioning the files together, and the transition versions the files, the parent should reference the new child version at the end of the transition.

2. Potentially yes. This is why it is important to be careful to review the child referenced versions listed in the New Version column with the check in. I would suggest best practices for this type of task should be to check out the the file. immediately run a Get Latest on the file and select to get Referenced Version to cache the referenced versions of all children. Then make your change. With referenced versions cached, the check in dialog will default to use these versions for the new parent version on check in. Not ideal but until PDM can implement a way to get referenced versions of children on the check out dialog this is the best workaround I have found.