PROJECT SETUP FOR TAKING WORK HOME

[travistwinter]

This is a quick question for an Autodesk Employee

I use Inventor 2013 and Vault Professional 2013 which is on a server at work.

We use a single Vault Project File at the top of our file tree

When i take my work laptop home i do not have access to the work servers (inc. vault & template/design data files)

So i have created a Single User Project File in the same place as our Vault Project File with all the same setup except that i have directed it to a copy of our template/design data files which i have stored on my laptop.

When i go home i simply make sure i have the files i need checked out of vault, change to my Single User Project file and continue like normal.

When i go back to work i change back to the Vault Project file and check in my changes.

I have never had any problems with this practise and find it highly convenient.

However i have recently been told that having two project files in the same location is bad practice and can cause conflict errors. I have been reccomended that i should move files to another place at home and back again afterwards.

IS THIS TRUE? or am i fine going on as i have done for the past few years?

Also, if it is true, please explain what issues it can cause.

[pcrawley]

I'm not an Autodesk employee - so you might not be interested in my answer.  However, I'm not sure if the advice was given by someone who really understands what you've done, or if the question to them was worded differently, but the answer to the quesition you posed here is that you'll be fine.

You can tie yourself in knots with multiple project files in Vault if you're not careful.  You can even tie yourself in knots without Vault by not understanding Project files, but you sound like you've done all the right things.

[travistwinter]

Thanks heaps for the input 

The person who gave the advise is a "Consulting Techincal Lead" in his company.

He was doing a vault health check for us and noticed the multiple projects in the same folder. He's been in the Autodesk world a while and being a support guy, i wanted to listen to him, but at the same time, i've been working with Autodesk for 6ish years myself and i did not see the supposed problem that he was talking about, though I do agree that you can get muddled up if you don't know what you're doing.

Now i just need an autodesk employee to affirm that we are indeed correct (my manager needs convincing) 

[pcrawley]

Remember that this is a public discussion forum - not Autodesk Product Support.  You might be lucky and get an opinion, but that's all it will be.  Suggest you log the question directly with Product Support if you want a direct response.

The question you posed here was very specific and you worded it based on the comment from this "Consulting Technical Lead".  I suspect all he saw was a bunch of IPJ files in the Vault root and didn't perhaps fully understand your working practice.  I would have probably offered the same comment if I saw lots of IPJ's in your Vault.

The thing to remember is that Vault doesn't "do" anything to your files other than add/remove the read-only flag - so regardless of your projects, or Vault configuration, or anything else - they are still just Inventor files.  So how you chose to manage them is largely irrelevant providing you know how they go together.

[travistwinter]

Fair enough, and thanks again for your input Peter, it is greatly appreciated

I shall do as you direct, and chuck it in with product support 🙂

Travis

[cwhetten]

I don't work for Autodesk either, but I thought you might want some more confirmation--the more the merrier, right?

I second what Peter told you.  As long as you know what you're doing, and it seems that you do, your workflow as described is just fine.

I have done exactly what you are describing, and it worked just fine for me.  Never had any issues with it.

I have noticed some "inconveniences" by having multiple project files in the vault.  Maybe this is all that your consultant was talking about.  But, as long as you don't check your home project file into the vault, you won't even have those issues.

Cameron Whetten
Inventor 2014

[travistwinter]

Most certainly 🙂

I'll take all the confirmation i can get!

Thanks Cam