Non unique Visualization file (Vault Pro 2014)

[Maxim-CADman77]

For unclear reason sometimes DWFs that were "system controlled" become "orphan" (link to "master" CAD file disappear from "Where Used" Tab).

"Healthy" DWF:

"Orphan" DWF:

Main problem - if "force unique filenames" option is enabled (which is our deliberate choice) the "orphan" DWF prevents creation of DWF to new version of CAD file.

The only "workaround" we've found till now - somebody (in our case administrator) should delete the orphan DWF. But there are considerable drawbacks of this:

1. leads to loss of all versions of DWF thus if you let say want to use Drawing Compare you should initiate "Create DWF" job for all versions of CAD file  and wait till jobs be processed (waste your time).

2. Is just annoying (why human-being should spend life-time for manual workaround system that is supposed to work on its own).

We'd like to know why it happens and how to prevent this from happening.

Issue history:

Thread http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/Vault-General/Vault-Collaboration-2010-Non-unique-Visualization-file/t... without real solution.

Case 08644553 without real solution.

PS: We also pay attention that some system DWFs stay in Мault after "master" CAD file was deleted.

PPS: Software used Vault Pro 2014 SR1 + Inventor 2014 SP1 Update 3.

[Maxim-CADman77]

This is not our case. Pay attention on my previous post - the CAD file
was neither moved nor renamed even so link is broken.

[Maxim-CADman77]

Regarding my yesterday's post.

The new version of file is uploaded now and system DWF is created (there were no "Non unique Visualization file" issue). 

This probably means that all theory that break of link is the reason of the issue is wrong.

[Maxim-CADman77]

Have just discovered at least one particular case how to reproduce the issue:

Check-in several versions of some Inventor file (for example IDW) and initiate Create.DWF job for all versions (Preview Pane, History tab, Show all versions - ON, select all entries and Actions>Update View>Queue Update).

Now start two independant Job Processors.

I almost sure you'll get several failed jobs with "Non unique Visualization file" error, right?

Steps are actual for both Vault 2014 (build 18.101.13.1) and Vault 2015

PS: BTW, how could one looking at JobQueue determine the version of file by the Create.DWF job entry?

[caddape]

I've noticed this at where I work too. Seems like the non unique files are older files in Vault, when vault used to use the file structure in the naming of the dwf. So now when I update older parts, most are non unique files.  I noticed when I was trying to figure out why my jpegs are not showing up in Vault, that in the ipj file there is a check mark to not force unique file name. I have no idea how to change this tho, or if it would even help yo in your case, I'm 10 months into using Vault, so I'm loosing some hair with it :S It's not so user friendly, especially with all these so called upgrades and pushing out product too fast before the issues are cleared up. Heck, put out a solid product every two years, by the time the new Autodesk version come out, the bugs are finally getting out of the program after 15 service pack, lol!  Sorry I started ranting... 😄

Josh

[Maxim-CADman77]

In our IPJ unique file names option is ON.

[Maxim-CADman77]

Nowadays most cases of getting this message are related to Property Editing.

I've removed the tick for it in the list of DWF-link-breaker commands (I don't think there is a real need to break a link to DWF after editing properties)

[ihayesjr]

But if you edit a property in the parent file and that property is going to be in the DWF, then the reference DWF will not have the proper value for the property. That is the reason for breaking the DWF from the new version of the file.

[Maxim-CADman77]

Your warning make sense but practical test showed even more interesting behavior:

Not only previous property value left in DWF but visualization attachment type has been changed from System to User!

Can you explain this behavior ?

PS:

I re-checked application settings of Inventor Vault in both sections and and both have

"CreateDWFAttachment" ="False" and "SendToJobServer"="True" (none uses which is known as an only option leading to creating visualizations).

[ihayesjr]

That behavior is there to warn you that the system, Vault, did not create a new DWF for the new version and that the user, based on unchecking the option, maintained the association to the old version of the DWF.

[Maxim-CADman77]

Hm. Seems reasonable ... but ... not in our case
.. as we have customized Vault in a such way that it initiates new queue job to generate a visualization for a new file version that have those comments generated by those standard actions.
In fact that is what customer need as default system behavior (but not another warning). Let users do their job and not read those endless warnings (what computers can do by itself ... let it do this).

[ihayesjr]

If you do not want the warning you can turn it off.

[Maxim-CADman77]

I don't object warnings when it is a last what can be done. But IMHO this is not the case.

PDM users just need to have an actual visualization, why warn him instead.