What is the item master - and is it different from the normal view in vault?

[Anonymous]

So, this is potentially a stupid question - but when looking for solutions, I quite often see references to "select in the item master".

Is the item master something different from the normal thing I'm looking at when I first open vault explorer?

The specific reason I'm asking is that I'm trying to attach/link a pdf file (spec sheet) to a model file.  In the help, it says "right click on the item and select attachments"  There is no "attachments" in the right click menu when I click on an "item", in this case an .ipt file.

I am able to attach the pdf to the .ipt using the actions menu, and look at the attachment list using the actions menu, or ctrl + click, but I'm not sure this is what I'm looking for.

I'm looking for some kind of link between the .ipt file and the pdf spec sheet, so I can get to the spec sheet from the ipt, or ideally, when I print the final drawing, also print all the associated pdf spec sheets for the purchased parts included.

[tschaeferZNBXX]

Item Master is the tie between Vault and the rest of the world.  

Key functionality in Item Master is BOM control, ERP integration and additional meta-data that is not critical to the files/drawings/models.  

I have used it in the past for all three of these functions and tends to work fairly well.  It allows you to associate spec sheets and other supporting documents to drawings/models.

[cbenner]

@Anonymous

An Item can be described as "what you make, build, sell or manage".  Your product.  So, if you build widgets, that contain 20 parts.... the Item would be assigned to your widget assembly.  Automatically attached would be all of the components that make up that widget.  Activating each part in the BOM assigns them to their own Item as well.  (I'm simplifying things).  The Item Master is simply the Master list of all of your Items.  There is so much you can do with Items that you can't do with just files... so it all depends on the direction you'd like to take things.

>>Start here<<

Also look in the Knowledge Network, and try YouTube for videos about Items.  And as always you can ask questions in here, and we'll help any way we can.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the details - this helps.  We are not using the Item master, to my knowledge - our ERP/MRP system is custom rolled, and CAD doesn't really figure in it.

We're a research facility rather than a manufacturer, so everything is a one off... it works, for the majority of people.

So - curiosity based questions from here out - I don't see an "item master tab" is this something that needs to be activated to use?  The reason I think I'm so confused is there are no pictures, and there's an assumption that I will know WHERE all this is.  "Click on the item master tab" ok, right... where is that?

[8013068 · Accepted solution]

I know this is old, but it came up when I searched this same question, and I don't know why nobody answered it yet.

From what I understand, you need to create items by right clicking on a document and selecting "Assign/Update Item..." Then you should be able to view the item, which includes BOM data and other things. You can browse the items you have by clicking on "Item Master" which should be next to the "Project Explorer" and "Home" tabs.