Vault Locked categories and Copy design

[LOONYLEN]

Gentlemen,

I'm having an issue with Vault where I have a library of standard assemblies that are used by numerous designers over a network. This standard assemblies category is marked "Read only". The designers use these standard assemblies as a "starting point" for a new design. The standards would be modified to become new assemblies. The problem arises when the designers use "Copy design" to copy the standard assembly to a location where they can modify it. After using the "Copy design" tool, we are noticing that the category is being copied as well. This does not allow them access to edit their "New" designs because it is copying that "Read only" category. It would be a great enhancement if we were given the option of changing the category of a part or assembly that is being copied, when the 'Copy design" dialog appears.

Does anyone know of a workflow for a scenario like this? Does anyone have a work-around that wouldn't require a third party with access rights to get involved?

As it is now, I have the rights to the read only categories and have been changing the categories for the designers, but this is not efficient.

Can anyone help with this? 

[olearya · Accepted solution]

HI There,

We have captured similar requirements in the past - allowing users to set file properties on copy including category, state, revision, part numbers etc. to address issues like this.  

In the interim though I wonder if you would not be able to better manage access to these files using lifecycle states.  I am thinking you could simply create a restricted lifecycle state called "locked standard" that only the CAD manager has access to transition. 

When you copy all files should be created as WIP.

[LOONYLEN]

olearya,

Could you show me step by step how to do what you've suggested?

I am new to Vault and do not fully understand Lifecycles vs. States vs. Categories.

Could you help?

Thanks,

Len

[olearya]

Hi Len,

Apologies for the delay, the best resource to explain this may be the Autodesk Wiki:

http://wikihelp.autodesk.com/Vault/enu/Help/Help/0097-Administ97/0127-Client_A127/0151-Lifecycl151

[plembourg]

Hello for me this case is not solved.

The need is to change category during a copy design.

Several customer has the same problem.

[olearya]

Hi there,

We are aware of the limitation and have logged the request.  Thanks for your feedback.

[tmoney2007]

Is there any chance for a hotfix to make copy design assign categories based on the rules instead of just copying the previous category.

This would solve the problem for my company, and we are in the middle of a very eye opening implementation of this software.  It seems like it simply wasn't intended to be used in an environment with multiple design groups and anything more than the most basic security structure.

[olearya]

Hey tmoney,

This is something we are looking at for the future but note that new functionality cannot be delivered through hotfixes.  WIll reach out to you to discuss this further.

[tmoney2007]

We figured out a way to do it using a combination of lifecycle and folder based security.

Basically, the WIP lifecycle state doesn't have any security defined.  Then, the security for that state is defined on a folder (the "standards" folder, for clarity).  At all other lifecycles, there is a security profile that covers all of the groups that are given read access based on the folder permissions.  In another folder, the same groups are defined, but allowing modify access to a group, called "copy design".

$\Designs\Standards

Folder security

Standards RW   Read: Allow, Modify: Allow, Delete: Allow

Copy Design    Read: Allow, Modify: Deny, Delete: Deny

Everyone Else   Read:Allow, Modify: Deny, Delete: Deny

$\Designs\Copy Design

Folder security

Standards RW   Read: Allow, Modify: Allow, Delete: Allow

Copy Design    Read: Allow, Modify: Allow, Delete: Deny

Everyone Else   Read:Allow, Modify: Deny, Delete: Deny

Lifecycle Security

WIP- *No State Based Security Defined*

Release-

Standards RW   Read: Allow, Modify: Deny, Delete: Deny

Copy Design    Read: Allow, Modify: Deny, Delete: Deny

Everyone Else   Read:Allow, Modify: Deny, Delete: Deny

If there is no state based security, the folder security takes over, if there is both, the state based security has priority.

Files in the "Standards Folder" cannot be modified by people in the "Copy Design" group.  If they use copy design and the new files go into the "Copy Design" folder, they will have modify rights in WIP and will be able to change the file category.

Clear as mud?  It's kind of convoluted, and it requires the use of folder security, which I don't really like.  Also, the rights of the groups defined at the folder level have to be specifically called out in each state of each lifecycle definition to be used in those folders, or the folder rights will override.

Hopefully, this will be taken care of with the new Copy Design.