Automatic file name generation for office docs

[Anonymous]

Hi,

could it be that the automatic file numbering does not work with the Microsoft Office AddIn? If I start MS Word, log into vault and create a new doc, the file name generation does not work.

It works within Inventor/ACAD.

System: Vault Prof 2012

Thank you,

klaus

[LakshmiRams]

Hi,

Automatic file numbering is not available in Microsoft office add-in. The workaround is to rename the file after checking into the Vault and select numbering scheme as shown in the attachment.

Thanks,

Lakshmi.

[RyanHou]

Klaus,

MS Office Vault Add-ins didn't support automatic file numbering in Vault Prof 2012. Thanks for your valuable feedback. 

I will forward this feedback to our product design team. 

Thanks,

Ryan

[Anonymous]

Thanks for putting it on the wish list 🙂

I think the best idea would be to make the number generation more dynamic, so that you are able to define rules that define how the number generation works.

E.g. rules based on criteria like the group where a user belongs to, specific file types,...

klaus

[scottmoyse]

yup, auto numbering defininately needs to be tied to categories, just like properties, lifecycles and revision schemes.

[B.Rawling]

Can anybody confirm if this situation is any different in the newer Vault Products i.e. 2014

can the Vault 2014 Pro Client generate the filename automatically when using the Office Addin?

much appreciated

Bry

[ryan]

Vault 2014 with the Data Standard Subscription add-in will allow you to do this.  Workflow; Create the file in Vault Explorer (right-click and select New Standard File) and then double-click to check-out and open in MS Office.

-Ryan

[B.Rawling]

Thankyou Ryan

Another reason to upgrade.

cheers Bry

[mikel_martin]

As a designer for Vault I have some questions about this subject.

How would you prefer this functionality to work? (forget about what it does now)

Their are a couple different ways I have seen different systems work.

1. Naming standard is applied before the file is allowed to be added to the Vault and/or saved.

2. File is added to the Vault in a way that it can not be used for anything until the correct standards are applied. For example maybe only the creator (and admin) can see the file until it is compliant with the standards (including naming).

3. File is added to the Vault but it can not be moved from the WIP state until it complies with the standards (including naming).

4. Naming is automatic based an a "script" that gets values from multiple properties of the Vault data (when property values are changed the name of the file is changed automatically)

5. Some other sugestion

6. A combination of any of the above

How does file location play into this?

How important is working with "other" file types, or is just CAD your main concern.

Please explain your prefference. Details are usefull to help us understand what you would like.

Thank you for your input.

Feel free to email me directly if you dont want to post your answer for some reason.

mikel.martin@autodesk.com

[scottmoyse]

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mikel.martin wrote:

1. Naming standard is applied before the file is allowed to be added to the Vault and/or saved.

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YES! Out of all the options this is the one which covers all the bases. In my experience with Vault, users get very tetchy about it blocking them from doing things. This approach guides them from the get go, rather than essentially making them rework stuff or blocking them because they haven't done what they are meant to. Gently gently catch the monkey!

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mikel.martin wrote:

2. File is added to the Vault in a way that it can not be used for anything until the correct standards are applied. For example maybe only the creator (and admin) can see the file until it is compliant with the standards (including naming).

---

This is something which is needed not only for file naming. But for library/standard components which must be approved prior to use. It can be achieved with lifecycles, but full of compromises.

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mikel.martin wrote:

3. File is added to the Vault but it can not be moved from the WIP state until it complies with the standards (including naming).

---

I think this is a good back up. But would be a VERY bad move as the primary means of dealing with the issue

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mikel.martin wrote:

4. Naming is automatic based an a "script" that gets values from multiple properties of the Vault data (when property values are changed the name of the file is changed automatically)

---

I think this needs to be part of option 1. i.e: one of the tools used to achieve option 1. It is already possible using Data Standard, but that requires a degree of programming knowledge

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mikel.martin wrote:

5. Some other sugestion

How does file location play into this?

How important is working with "other" file types, or is just CAD your main concern.

---

File location is very important in a lot of cases. Especially when you have part numbering conventions which grow & match the folder names as you get deeper into the structure.

It's important to distinguish between Filename & Part number though, they aren't always the same. So setting this up for Part Numbering is more important IMO, with the option to use the Part Number as the filename.

There is a good argument for supporting any file type for which Autodesk provide a Vault Add-In. CAD & Office in other words.

BUT the most important thing is to store the numbers which are in use in a database. Then release their availability if the save isn't committed or the file is deleted from Vault. This is especially true when using structured part numbering systems. The current implementation is appalling with Multi Body workflows & a structured numbering system. It does far more damage than good, but is also 10 times slower than numbering manually.

I'm pleased to see an interest in this from Vault PM, so thanks for chiming in here. But you should fix the disparate UI first. That just got worse with 2014 & I can't comment on 2015 yet.

[Anonymous]

Hi,

i would prefer to have a consistent way of how vault deals with files: categories now define the life-cycle, properties and revision. in my experience most of the use cases regarding the naming scheme could be connected to the file categories - so it could be a good idea to make naming dependent from the category.

per category i would like to define, if i want to have auto numbering at all or which numbering scheme should be available (as it is with all other category based configurations).

as the files typically get created BEFORE a category is defined in vault, this would a problem Autodesk has to think about.

for the numbering scheme itself: it would be a good idea to be able to make the numbering schemes more configurable, e.g. let file/folder properties be a part of the number. example: <location code>-<property value derived from the folder the file gets checked in>-<auto generated number>.<file extension>.

klaus

[B.Rawling]

Mikel

I agree with Scott

Option 1 is  best.

However I believe that the file name should be just a unique number or reference , it is only important to include the files meta data if the file is to be shared outside of the Data management system i.e. third parties etc.

If the file is to be retained and accessed from the system then all the other properties are availiable for compiling the actual document reference i.e. stringing together different properties to compile an inteligent document number which does not need to be the same as the filename.

Many like the way that AutoCAD and Inventor will use the defined auto numbering scheme to name the file when connected to vault. The user therefore only has to decide on the location of the file. Why can this simple approach not be used with the Office programs.

Autodesk need to add this capability and sort the basics before we look to incorporate more elaborate solutions.

My wish list  would be in order of preference:

A. Add the auto file naming to Office apps simple using the defined Vault Numbering schema as per the functionality in AutoCAD and Inventor.

B. Incorporate using  specific numbering schemes which are automatically selected based on the file type or property value of the file similar to using category rules.

C. Additional functionality and editability of the number schemes has been requested for years, editing a number scheme after it has been used should be possible why is this restricted by Autodesk.

D.Adding more functionality to the configuration of the file name i.e. the ability to string multiple properties together would be useful. The file could then use this alternative number schema for identification and be renamed if propperties are updated.

Much appreciated

Bry