Editing a local copy without checking a file out can be dangerous!

[steveh3]

Gang...ran across a potential issue that is concerning.

We have a scenario where users will modify a local copy without checking a file out. It's for testing an initial layout but they don't want to keep it.

Once you edit this local file and answer yes on the prompt to edit the local copy, the file can be saved locally.

Unfortunately, there's not much of a warning that this local copy has been edited and getting the latest and greatest file can only be obtained if you do a "Force Over-write"

We have had several cases where a user assumes that they are getting the latest and greatest from Vault, but the local copy won't over-write. They open the idw from Vault which uses this incorrect local copy and they check the .idw into Vault and the file actually gets released.

There needs to be more of a warning or an open from vault over-writes the edited local file.

Here's a video illustrating the concern..... 

http://autode.sk/1lPphwu

Anybody else run into this scenario? Idea station?

Thx,

Steve H.

[Mark.Lancaster]

Edit..  Sorry I was thinking of something else..  Disregard my first sentence

I always thought it left the file in a read-only state even when you said continue with edit...   What happens if the file/item wasn't locked, like in a work in progress state.

Also the way that items are changed in Inventor 2016, working with items through the 2014 client is not recommended.

[karthur1]

I'm with you.  Sometimes when I do a Get/Checkout from Vault, I will see this prompt.  Not sure what exact scenario triggers this, but that seems to be what is needed here.... Something to let us know when the local copy has been edited.

This is a vault prompt (Tools >Options). 

[Mark.Lancaster]

I was informed this behavior was changed in 2014.  So what you are seeing is how it works now.

[karthur1]

I think I have figured out what triggers the "Comfirm File Replace" dialog. This is with Vault Pro 2016.

User "A" locally edits a part

User "B" checks out, changes and checks in the same part.

User "A" does a "Get" from Vault or does a Refresh from the Inventor Vault browser the "Confirm File Replace" dialog will appear.

In order to see this prompt, the part has to be edited/checked in from a different user after the local edit.

It would be better to see this prompt when we open from vault (and a local edit has taken place) regardless if the part has been checked in later by a different user or not.  We all ASSUME that we seeing the latest and greatest when we do an Open from Vault.