Item Master Attached Documents

[JosiahMorgan]

Is there a way to have an item master always keep the latest version of files attached to it?

the issue we are running into is that we have dwg drawings attached to the item master from conception of the part.  However, through the design process, these drawings would get changed.  However, when we go back to look at these drawings attached to the item master, the drawings attached to the item master are no longer up to date.

is there a way to attach the documents to the item master in a way such that the item master will keep the latest version?

thanks.

[Neil_Cross · Accepted solution]

Not really, but this is intentional and there is a good valid reason for that.

You have a DWG assigned to an Item, the Item is Work In Progress.  The Item has to be Work In Progress as you can't be continously editing a DWG assigned to a Released Item.

Items 'arguably' are used to give product visibility to non-engineering or non-CAD users.  These people need to look at products but don't have, dont want to have and don't know how to use a CAD program (buyers, shop floor etc).  So they have a Vault Client and look at the Item records instead.

If an Item is Work in Progress, there's a discussion to be had about whether these people need or should see the latest 'Work in Progress' version of the DWG.  If they look at the DWG attached to a Work in Progress Item and you're currently in the middle of a design change, the drawing is in bits, it's wrong, it's not finished, do you want these non-engineering staff to see that on the Item? Or do you want them to still be looking at the latest Released version of the drawing? What if they open the Item and see the broken DWG attached to it, then they take a print off from it?

That's the reason why the Item doesn't automatically update the attached CAD files.  When an Item is Work in Progress, Vault is waiting for the CAD user to submit the changes to the Item.  You're saying I'm ready to commit my changes to this DWG to the Item so that this is visible to the rest of the business.  Again that's why there's options in the web client to only show Released Items & files, to prevent personnel from accessing unfinished designs.

Hope that helps clarify?