Context Menu complete replacement

[leo_puliatti]

Good morning,
I already managed to add a custom CommandItem  to the Vault Explorer context menu. Since I'm aware that it's not possible to hide or remove single default standard CommandItem but just add new custom ones I was thinking about completely replace the Vault explorer context menu (see attachment) and replace it with another one created from scratch using C# code. I read about HiddenCommands and maybe I could use it at startup or at logon to hide the menu and replace it with another one from scratch. Is it currently possible ? The reason is that we only need to show the user a certain restricted set of commands and remove all the others. Thanks as always to everyone.

[Markus.Koechl]

Vault Data Standard (VDS) allows hiding user commands by configuration instead of custom coding. The Tutorials, Chapter 03 instructs how to do this (https://knowledge.autodesk.com/community/article/308936).

VDS leverages the Vault API to achieve it and hides all commands listed in the configuration; this said, should answer your direct question of whether hiding commands is possible with a clear "Yes". It is done during startup and persists for the client's session.

[GabrieleZelasco]

Thanks Markus, always very fast and valuable response.

Tutorial Chapter 03 has been very useful as well but, in the example, it just refers to how suppress NewLibraryFolder (NewLibraryFolder , NewLibraryFolderForContextMenus commanditems). Since I want to remove (suppress) also all the other items (see Attachment) and left just my custom items how can I do that ? What I miss are the names of the other menus. Unfortunately I can't find the excel file (Vault commands.xlsx) shown in the video with all the commands and their names listed, . I could run a custom function in C # and retrieve all the menu items and put those to be removed in the suppress section. Do you have any suggestions about it? Thanks again!

[Markus.Koechl]

The xls file is part of the training files: .\Chapter 00 - Introduction & ReadMe First\Training Files 2022\Vault Files\Designs\Chapter 03.

[GabrieleZelasco]

Markus, 

thanks again but, forgive me, I really can't find that directory. I don't have training files on my pc. Is something to install ? I have just Vault professional client on it. Thank you once again.

[Markus.Koechl]

Please accept my apologies. I directed you to Chapter 03 and expected that you read all the others before ;).

The Training files are part of Chapter 00/Readme section; so navigate to it and find the download package according to your Vault version at bullet point 2.: https://knowledge.autodesk.com/search-result/caas/simplecontent/content/vault-data-standard-tutorial...

[GabrieleZelasco]

Markus,

got the xls file! Thank you.

Job almost done. Few items to remove (attached). I can't find those items string in the xls file (New Standard File, New Standard Folder, Edit Folder Datasheet, Get, Delete). Do you just know if there's a workaround to manage that removal or it's not possible by design ? Thanks a lot

[Markus.Koechl]

New Standard * and Edit * Data Sheet commands are VDS additions. To disable them, you need to delete these from the VDS configuration file menudefinitions.xml.

Reviewing your screenshot, I openly share my concerns if you completely change Vault Explorer's intended behavior. The Vault API's UI customization targets extending functionality but not limiting it. If your custom commands (New Project, Edit Folder, ...) intend to customize folder/project creation, Vault Data Standard could be the best choice; it is one of the major purposes.

[GabrieleZelasco]

Markus, first of all thank you for your dedicated time and for the continuous punctual and precise answers. I understand your disappointment but what we are doing is still being tested and we are therefore verifying the Vault's customization capacity in order to meet the customer's needs. Surely our intent is to hide further complexities as much as possible rather than limit their use and thus provide a dry user interface aimed at the intended purposes. When you say that Data Standard is the best choice, do you mean by its ability to be customized? Thanks again

[Markus.Koechl]

Yes, I meant VDS is the best choice to flexible customize folder and file creation workflows by the individual user interface and business rules. Data Standard is a dedicated customization layer on top of Vault APIs.