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Autodesk Vault property mapping w/AutoCAD files

6 REPLIES 6
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Message 1 of 7
BrianForeman7947
2513 Views, 6 Replies

Autodesk Vault property mapping w/AutoCAD files

To make a long story short, we have several thousand 2D AutoCAD files (2004 or older).  Someone (not me) made the titleblock used for nearly all of these drawings as normal text, not attributes (yes, it sucks).  I migrated the entire batch forward to AutoCAD 2010.dwg format so to allow creation of custom properties within these AutoCAD files.  Currently, we have a straight-forward LISP routine that allows a user to select the appropriate text within each dwg file (yes, we have to open and edit them.  I'm sure there is a way to automate the process, but I just do not have the time right now.)  My main objective is to get this entire mess into the Vault, eliminating unneeded files and especially the multitude of copies these well meaning soles created.  Right now, I'd say there is about 90-95% complete, with everyone trying to track down the stragglers.

 

With all that, we are going thru the portion of the AutoCAD set we consider "active" and not obsolete.  As we pick thru these files, we are creating custom properties within the drawing properties so to have data which allows us to search for more than just a file name. 

 

As CAD Manager, I am configuring the Vault to map some of the important custom properties into ones the Vault can see.  These are in addition to the standard set that comes with Vault. 

 

My problem:  I am having some issues with creation and mapping of some custom properties from AutoCAD files (drawing properties).  I am noticing that the only files displaying those mapped custom properties are the ones added after the mapping was done.  Ones that were in before are not.  How do I get the entire Vault to add those mapped properties?  Surely, I don't have to take the files out of the Vault and re-install them.  I can't find what I need to do.

 

In a perfect world, I would have had all these properties defined before installing any files into the Vault, but I didn't think I had to.  Anyone care to shed some light on this?

 

Thanks

 

Autodesk Vault Workgroup 2012

AutoCAD 2012

AutoCAD Inventor Professional 2011 (migrate to 2012 as soon as I finish this)

AutoCAD Electrical 2012 (just started)

 

6 REPLIES 6
Message 2 of 7

May want to try Re-Index File Properties on the database at ADMS console. If there are a lot of files, do re-index after office hours or during the weekend.

 

Hope this helps,



Chee-Kit
Autodesk, Inc.

Message 3 of 7

I will try that this weekend and let you know if it solves the issue.

Message 4 of 7
tannro
in reply to: BrianForeman7947

Brian,

 

Do you have a mixture of file properties and attributes?  If so, are you aware the attributes require configuration on the ADMS?  If a block and attribrute are not enabled on the Vault server the value is not available for mapping to Vault properties.

 



Ross Tanner
Autodesk, Inc.


Be sure to check out the Vault Help Wiki!
Message 5 of 7

The vast majority of the current files do NOT contain defined attributes.  The lead designer years ago stripped the titleblock of all attributes turning them into dumb text.  What we have done is used a third party LISP routine to copy the text into the drawing properties so we have data with which to search with.

 

All of this data is old 2D AutoCAD files (originally created in AutoCAD 2004 or earlier software).  Prior to transferring the info into the Vault, all files were migrated using TrueView DWG convert.  Now we have begun the tedious process of identifying current and obsolete files and labeling each accordingly.  At the same time, we are creating custom properties within the drawing properties of each file and inputting the data from the CAD file.  Tedious yes, but the LISP routine helps alot.

 

Our goal is to have all current useful files identified and the necessary data input complete over the next few months.  These steps are long overdue in our organization, but it will produce increase our ability to locate needed files. 

 

We have transitioned over to Autodesk Inventor and just started working with AutoCAD Electrical for all future projects.  With the built-in properties of these packages, much of the data will be readily accessible for searches, something that has been a major pain for years.

 

 

Message 6 of 7

I still have this problem.  I have created several Custom Properties in our AutoCAD drawing files (These files are in Vault).  I then map User Defined properties in Vault to those newly created Custom Drawing Properties.  The properties are there but I cannot get them to display in the Property window.  Any ideas or suggestions?

Message 7 of 7

I may have found my own answer.  If I edit any file (or group of files) in Vault Explorer, the property display will update and include the previously unseen properties for that file.  Checking out/Checking in doesn't work, nor does re-indexing the properies.  Now I just need to find a way to mass update them all.

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