External Rule (API) Password for Project

[Anonymous]

Hello Friends -

We are a small company and have chosen to use Legacy (shared type projects)

Twp part question -

I have already found the solution to apply an internal rule that prompts the user for a required password when they open the file... But I do not want to apply this rule one by one to thousands of drawings! I have skimmed the surface regarding API and ilogic....

Question 1. How would you create an external rule (password required to activate a Project)?

I want the shared Project type to be password protected... that way all inventor files associated will be protected under that project. More or less this is just to alert who is accessing inventor files under this project to be aware (prevent users) from editing accidentally released files... 

If this password protection is an over kill, and there is another way to protect the files under the project from being edited accidentally... please convey!

Perhaps using the iproperties  (status: Design state)?

Question 2. Is the check in and check out feature only accessible through Vault type projects?

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Problem...

Opening a Inventor file in two PC's or two inventor applications active on a single machine....

Inventor doesn't prompt with an alert when the file is opened by two people (applications)...

Both persons editing the file and still no prompts (alerts) from inventor....

However, 

Inventor prompts this when a file is open and if you attempt to save your modified (edit) part.

If you answer "YES", you are given the second prompt and if you answer "NO", you can continue editing the part

If you answer "No" than you can continue saving the part and the other person tries to save the same part, inventor prompts him this...

So, my point is by than you would have two different parts... or lost changes to one of them...  Is there another way to prevent this other than using Vault type projects?

When i check the "status" under iproperties, it doesn't seemed to matter weather it is "Released", "Work in progress" results are the same... and the check out and check in features are grayed out.. with fields empty.

Thanks,

Brian

[MechMachineMan]

I'm about 90% sure there is a better approach, and it is as follows:

Set up proper project files.

- Realize that parts in locations that are listed in the Project File as a Library Location are NOT EDITABLE. Trying to edit one of these parts will cause inventor to say the part is in a library location and not editable.

- Get your users to use the proper library file relevant to what they are doing;

     - If they want to edit things, use a project file that does not have the files they want to edit listed as in a library.

     - If they do not want to edit things, use a project file that DOES have the files they want to be protected from editing listed as a library.

Also:

 - User opened a large project file under the "viewing" project, but decided they want to edit parts still. How do they accomplish this?

      Option 1: Close everything and reopen under the proper project file.

      Option 2: Open a new instance of inventor and set the project to an editing one. Open the parts you want to modify, modify them, save them, and                         close them. Go back to your original inventor, Use the File > Manage > Refresh Command.

This is how things should be set up as Autodesk apparently intends it.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the reply...

I should have explained my existing project folders... I discovered your answer through another post before I posted this post.

I have already established the two Shared projects...

Project WIP; (Libraries: Released) So the files are protected if user has WIP as active project.

Project Released; Has no library's

My boss wants the Project Released to be protected...

Example: If a user is working with inventor and for gets he's in the Released Project the password would initially prompt him before activating... however, if the user forgets later he's still in the project, how could saving a file be prompted to alert him that these files are protected?

Example: Prompted "Your currently in the Released folder, are you sure you want to save edits?"

Possibilities???

A: Changing the iproperties status to "RELEASED"?

B: Adding an internal trigger to prompt him?

C: Using the Check out/Check in feature?

I'm looking for a fail safe method...?

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See below my Project setup

If another Inventor is open with WIP project active then the additional highlighted yellow line appears on the additional applications open thereafter the first application.... But either application doesn't have a file open... but both have the WIP project active! What does this mean? I can understand if a file is open in more than one instance.. I think the second instance should alert the user that file is check out to ???? and is read only?

 

With the first application open (No highlighted area) and I open a file within the WIP active project and start to edit it... I am prompted this

If I say yes, than I am give this statement..

But if I choose NO, than I can edit the file... but if I save it again, and try to edit it again it will prompt me the same thing...

If i go back to the first application and edit and save I am prompted with this...

So, I guess I have two questions... 

How to protect my Released drawings and alert users that are in the Released project?

The second questioned, while two or more applications are open with the same file, how to alert the additional applications with same file open?

Thanks for all your efforts..

Brian

[MechMachineMan]

Have you much experience using shared projects?

Do you know about the dropdown menu in the browser to check files back in/check their statuses?

Are you aware of how the shared project file works with files?

It would largely appear not based on those questions..

[Anonymous]

I have no experience... 

I found the dropdown menu... Ill see if I can figure how to apply it?

The help menu didn't seem to mention the dropdown check out/status? I will attempt to figure it out.

Thanks,

Brian

[Anonymous]

Here is what I receive after I use the resolve option as the other options don't have an affect?

[MechMachineMan]

Without understanding how to properly use the shared projects, you are probably better off just using a Single user project file accessible on the server, and browsing to it from each user's project manager.

[Anonymous]

Well that isn't a solution more of an avoidance... thanks for your efforts. Ill seek a solution and find the resources to resolve my issue.