topic Re: Layer visibility control on visual files in Vault Forum

Layer visibility control on visual files

f_calebh — Tue, 29 Sep 2020 19:46:05 GMT

Is it possible to control visibility of layers when viewing a preview of an Inventor file? I'm not seeing an option for layer control.

I shouldn't need to open it in Design Review, should I? I feel like I'm missing something fairly simple here.

Our company has some layers that are hidden by default, but we'd like to be able to turn them on when viewing a file.

Re: Layer visibility control on visual files

gandhey — Wed, 30 Sep 2020 06:15:36 GMT

Hello,

You need to open the DWF file in Design Review, to see/hide the visualization based on the layers.

Regards,

Yogeshwar

(Vault team)

Re: Layer visibility control on visual files

f_calebh — Wed, 30 Sep 2020 14:26:00 GMT

Is there a way to include layers that are hidden when creating these visualization files in Vault? Our company is in the process of transitioning from our own PDM system to Vault and we've run into a bit of a roadblock with the limited control on visual files.

Here's some background on our current workflow:

Some layers we use on prints are used only by specific groups. We currently have what I guess you could call a 'homegrown job processor' that creates these visualization files automatically. It turns all layers on when publishing the dwfs so that they get included in the dwf files. Then the PDM system has settings that can then be set to have some layers turned off. A user who may need that layer can have the PDM system set to have visibility of that layer turned on or they can just turn it back on through the PDM system themselves.

The result is the ability for an individual group to view a print with a particular layer turned on, and another group view the same print with the layer turned off.

In a more detailed example, some components we'll send out to an external supplier but we also have the ability to make this part in house. We'll put information that's only used when making the part in house on that hidden layer.

Is there a way we can maintain this workflow after our transition to Vault? Or is this going to be a lost function?

Re: Layer visibility control on visual files

gandhey — Thu, 01 Oct 2020 14:03:20 GMT

Hello,

No, out of the box Vault currently donot have a way to include the 'hidden layers'. As far as I see - a DWF exported from Inventor application out of the box as well donot have this capability.

If in your earlier PDM system - you could do this, was this using any APIs? If yes, you can try DWF creation customization using the API and Job Processor.

regards,
Yogeshwar
(Vault team)

Re: Layer visibility control on visual files

f_calebh — Thu, 01 Oct 2020 14:44:16 GMT

It's hard for me to say what was used in the original PDM build, but I think it's quite possible the API was probably used for that. I'll see if I can get some more information to see if we can work it into the job processor. Thanks for your response.