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Single-Project File Vault set-up questions

14 REPLIES 14
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Message 1 of 15
fischergabbert
1264 Views, 14 Replies

Single-Project File Vault set-up questions

Hi there,

 

I am a part of a small company that has begun implementing Autodesk Vault to help with data management, particularly for our inventor models. We only have (4) workstations running Inventor.

 

It was reccommended that we use a single vault project file to manage our vault, and we have run into a few problems.

 

We were told that each clients LOCAL workspace must have the exact same folder structure as the vault explorer.  We have done this. However, does this mean that everytime a new folder is created inside the Vault, each client must manually create this folder in their workspace? Is there a way for the Vault to automatically recreate it's structure in each person's workspace (perhaps through the project file?)

 

Another issue is that we were under the impression that if we check something into the vault,it would check in under the matching folder inside the vault explorer. If it doesn't, maybe we are missing a vital path mapping step?

 

 

 

Thank you very much for any advice!

 

14 REPLIES 14
Message 2 of 15
minkd
in reply to: fischergabbert

When you get vaulted files into your workspace, any necessary folders will get created for you.

 

-Dave



Dave Mink
Fusion Lifecycle
Autodesk, Inc.
Message 3 of 15

"However, does this mean that everytime a new folder is created inside the Vault, each client must manually create this folder in their workspace?" After creating the Vault folder just do a CTRL+W to go to the working folder. This will create the folder in your local workspace and open the local folder.

 

"Another issue is that we were under the impression that if we check something into the vault,it would check in under the matching folder inside the vault explorer." The checked in file must reside inside the Project Location (your root workspace) and any file checked in will go to the same folder/location in Vault. If the folder was created locally and a file saved to it, when the file is checked in the folder will also be created in Vault.

Brendan Henderson

Web www.blhdrafting.com.au
Twitter @BLHDrafting

Windows 7 x64 -64 GB Ram, Intel Xeon E5-1620 @ 3.6 GHz
ATI FirePro V7800 2 GB, 180 GB SSD & 1 TB HDD, Inv R2016 PDSU SP1 (Build 210), Vault 2016 Professional Update 1 (Build 21.1.4.0)
Message 4 of 15
karthur1
in reply to: fischergabbert

Just to add a little to what others have posted......If vault is not placing the files where you think they should be going when you check them in, consider these tips.

 

1. Until you get better aquainted with Vault, dont suppress any of the dialogs.  when you check in a file, the dialog will show you where it is going before its checked in.

2.  In Vault explorer, I like to have the working folder location shown. (under tools>Options, "show working folder location". When you click on a folder, the local path will be shown in the title bar in VE.

3. If the your working folder is not set correctly, when you check in files, they will not go where you expect them to go.  You can change this in VE by right clicking on the "Vault Explorer ($)" folder and choosing properties, then "Change".

 

 

Message 5 of 15
BeKirra
in reply to: karthur1

Appreciated your tips as I am a new user of vault.

Just a question:

What I can see is that it would most likely heppen that each user creates different folder name in their local workspace for the same project, equipment or component before checking in the file, expecially there is a large group of users.

Is there a simple sulotion for it when it happens?

Please mark "Accept as Solution" and "Like" if my reply resolves the issue and it will help when others need helps.
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A circle is the locus of a cursor, starting and ending at the same point on a plane in model space or in layout such that its distance from a given coordinates (X,Y) is always constant.
X² + Y² = C²
Message 6 of 15
BeKirra
in reply to: BeKirra

The reason which I ask question above is that from my experience there is nobody really caring about how to create folders in our office - they just do what ever they want.

Please mark "Accept as Solution" and "Like" if my reply resolves the issue and it will help when others need helps.
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A circle is the locus of a cursor, starting and ending at the same point on a plane in model space or in layout such that its distance from a given coordinates (X,Y) is always constant.
X² + Y² = C²
Message 7 of 15
karthur1
in reply to: BeKirra

There is really no reason to create a seperate folder for each user.  I know that might be an "old habit" that they will have to break.  If they do that, then when they check in the file, the folders that they have created will appear in Vault.  Once they are in vault, the files can rearranged any way you want, but that might cause confusion with the original creator since the files in their workspace would be different than whats in Vault. To correct the issue, the original creator would have to "Get Latest" from vault on the top most file.

 

The best thing to do is to explain to them to not create the "individual" folders.  You can always tell who placed the files in vault by adding a "Created By" column in Vault.

 

Hope that helps.

Message 8 of 15
BLHDrafting
in reply to: BeKirra

Your comment about "that each user creates different folder name in their local workspace" begins the discussion process about company standards. At my workplace, and after discussion with the CAD users and our VAR, I implemented a standardised folder structure that everybody is familiar with, agrees with and can navigate. Each job (project) is named after the ERP like accounting system job number, then standard folders such as DXF and CC (content centre) and OFFICE and a few others are created under the job (project) number.

 

I suggest you have a meeting with your team and discuss company standards with the focus on standardisation and the benefits of it.

Brendan Henderson

Web www.blhdrafting.com.au
Twitter @BLHDrafting

Windows 7 x64 -64 GB Ram, Intel Xeon E5-1620 @ 3.6 GHz
ATI FirePro V7800 2 GB, 180 GB SSD & 1 TB HDD, Inv R2016 PDSU SP1 (Build 210), Vault 2016 Professional Update 1 (Build 21.1.4.0)
Message 9 of 15
BeKirra
in reply to: BLHDrafting

Thanks to karthur1 and Brendan.
The "company standards" is the thing that I can think of.
I know the Vault can enforce its users having the same working folder root in their hard drive. But I would like to learn from you about the working folder setup.

to Brendan:
Do you think it is necessary to setup a Content Center folder for each project separately?
What are the pros and cons?
Thanks.
Please mark "Accept as Solution" and "Like" if my reply resolves the issue and it will help when others need helps.
= ♫ = ♪ = ♫ = ♪ = ♫ = ♪ = ♫ = ♪ = ♫ = ♪ = ♫ = ♪ = ♫ = ♪ = ♫ = ♪ = ♫ = ♪ = ♫ = ♪ = ♫ = ♪ = ♫ = ♪ = ♫ = ♪ = ♫ = ♪ = ♫ = ♪ = ♫ =
A circle is the locus of a cursor, starting and ending at the same point on a plane in model space or in layout such that its distance from a given coordinates (X,Y) is always constant.
X² + Y² = C²
Message 10 of 15
BLHDrafting
in reply to: BeKirra

Content Centre is another topic on it's own. I model/design/draw as both a manufacturing company and a drafting company. Over the last 6 years I have heavily customised the CC to suit my needs and the standards I work with (primarily AS and BS).

 

The term 'project' can be misleading. I use it in place of job, of which we do around 1000 per annum. As far as Vault is concerned it is an IPJ file where the configurations for the project are set (paths, libraries, templates, etc...). You can have multiple IPJ files with them all pointing at the 1 Content Centre. I am unsure if you can have multiple CC's but I am leaning towards not.

 

Switching IPJ files can cause some problems. Originally my VAR set ours up with 2. 1 for our jobs and another for Library Edit which was a file store of our commonly made/used items which once added to Vault were never to be touched again. The theory was that having 2 IPJ files there was separation between the active work and the Library. Good in theory but it sucked in practice. At the last update/migration (from Basic to Workgroup) we changed this to only 1 IPJ file and Release Cycles and permissions to control the Library items. This has worked much better.

 

So our Vault structure looks like this. The framed items are our active paying/paid work and the highlighted folder is the store for the Library items.

 

vault.jpg

 

 

I can't give you a definitive answer about the multiple CC's as I have had no experience with this concept. Certainly 1 is enough for me to use and administer. The whole purpose of the CC is 1 folder structure to share files from. If it is possible then multiple CC's breaks this and would result in lots of identical copies of files, although the iProperties might be different.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Brendan Henderson

Web www.blhdrafting.com.au
Twitter @BLHDrafting

Windows 7 x64 -64 GB Ram, Intel Xeon E5-1620 @ 3.6 GHz
ATI FirePro V7800 2 GB, 180 GB SSD & 1 TB HDD, Inv R2016 PDSU SP1 (Build 210), Vault 2016 Professional Update 1 (Build 21.1.4.0)
Message 11 of 15
BeKirra
in reply to: BLHDrafting

Thanks for your help.

I used to have a Content Center folder for each project before using Vault and it works fine.

Yes, you are right - I think that a single Content Center is enough when vault implemented.

 

Another one:

You said: "You can have multiple IPJ files with them all pointing at the 1 Content Centre."

In what circumstance you use multiple ipj files?

 

Please mark "Accept as Solution" and "Like" if my reply resolves the issue and it will help when others need helps.
= ♫ = ♪ = ♫ = ♪ = ♫ = ♪ = ♫ = ♪ = ♫ = ♪ = ♫ = ♪ = ♫ = ♪ = ♫ = ♪ = ♫ = ♪ = ♫ = ♪ = ♫ = ♪ = ♫ = ♪ = ♫ = ♪ = ♫ = ♪ = ♫ = ♪ = ♫ =
A circle is the locus of a cursor, starting and ending at the same point on a plane in model space or in layout such that its distance from a given coordinates (X,Y) is always constant.
X² + Y² = C²
Message 12 of 15
BLHDrafting
in reply to: BeKirra

Some drafting companies do work for multiple customers, all or some of which have custom templates and Content Centre requirements and drawing styles and material styles and blah blah. This is a common use for more than 1 IPJ file.

 

The wiki link below is a good resource for understanding Projects.

 

http://wikihelp.autodesk.com/Inventor/enu/2013/Help/0126-Tutorial126/0127-Inventor127/0128-Projects1...

Brendan Henderson

Web www.blhdrafting.com.au
Twitter @BLHDrafting

Windows 7 x64 -64 GB Ram, Intel Xeon E5-1620 @ 3.6 GHz
ATI FirePro V7800 2 GB, 180 GB SSD & 1 TB HDD, Inv R2016 PDSU SP1 (Build 210), Vault 2016 Professional Update 1 (Build 21.1.4.0)
Message 13 of 15
BeKirra
in reply to: BLHDrafting

Thank you very much.

We are doing mech design and our company has many clients.

We do use a single set of company templates all time and use the standard content centers and materials shipped from Inventor.

Should we use multiple ipj files for different projects? Thanks.

Please mark "Accept as Solution" and "Like" if my reply resolves the issue and it will help when others need helps.
= ♫ = ♪ = ♫ = ♪ = ♫ = ♪ = ♫ = ♪ = ♫ = ♪ = ♫ = ♪ = ♫ = ♪ = ♫ = ♪ = ♫ = ♪ = ♫ = ♪ = ♫ = ♪ = ♫ = ♪ = ♫ = ♪ = ♫ = ♪ = ♫ = ♪ = ♫ =
A circle is the locus of a cursor, starting and ending at the same point on a plane in model space or in layout such that its distance from a given coordinates (X,Y) is always constant.
X² + Y² = C²
Message 14 of 15
karthur1
in reply to: BeKirra

We also do mech design as well for different clients.  We use only one project for ALL of our work and everyone shares the same ipj file that is stored in Vault. If you were using different idw templates for your different clients (although you said you use teh same one), you could always create another folder under the \Templates folder to hold all the special/unique templates for each customer.

 

One thing about using multiple ipj's is if you have something open in Inventor and you need to look at something else that uses a different ipj in another window, you cant do it.  That is because you can only have one ipj at a time.  In order to look at the other, you will have to close everything that is open in Inventor, change ipj's and then open it.

 

 You wil have to determine yourself if you need to use multiple ipj's, but I would start with one if at all possible.  If you structure your workspace right, I dont see why you could not do it with one.

Message 15 of 15
BLHDrafting
in reply to: BeKirra

I fully agree with Karthur1's comments. It is just simpler to understand and navigate with 1 project file. It means having to manually browse through template folders and such but it will become familiar.

 

As mentioned previously I went from 2 IPJ files back to 1 when I upgraded from Basic to Worjgroup. And I've never looked back from that. Plus the release cycles in Workgroup lock things down pretty good compared to Basic.

 

1 issue you might have with the CC is if your customer want part numbers. Company A could want an M12*40 Zinc bolt as part 1234-5 whereas Cmmpany B could want it as XWZ-98 and Company C might not want it at all. As a manufacturer and drafter I only have 1 part number so it's pretty simple. If your customers do want part numbers then you could setup different columns in the CC family (based on each companies numbering system) and use this 'custom' column in the IDW template per each company. Or you could manually edit in Vault but I see that as being a bit tedious.

Brendan Henderson

Web www.blhdrafting.com.au
Twitter @BLHDrafting

Windows 7 x64 -64 GB Ram, Intel Xeon E5-1620 @ 3.6 GHz
ATI FirePro V7800 2 GB, 180 GB SSD & 1 TB HDD, Inv R2016 PDSU SP1 (Build 210), Vault 2016 Professional Update 1 (Build 21.1.4.0)

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