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Brian Schanen joined Autodesk in 2005 as a Product Designer and currently is a Customer Success Engineer for Autodesk’s Data Management products. Brian has taught at Autodesk University numerous times and has authored white papers on Vault and Productstream. He works with customers to implement a complete digital prototyping solution specializing in Autodesk Inventor, Autodesk Vault and Productstream. Brian lives near Detroit, Michigan.
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Vault-Model Browser Toggle button
May 13, 2008 11:06 PMby Brian SchanenHere is a great usability tip for toggling the Inventor model browser over to the Vault browser – and back. This is especially nice for both Inventor power users and those of us who demonstrate Vault with Inventor regularly – and you know who you are. You can use the following code in a IVB file and then Create a button in a Toolbar and assign the Below macro to the button:
Sub Toggle_Model_Vault()
On Error Resume NextIf ThisApplication.ActiveDocument.BrowserPanes.ActivePane.Name = "Model" ThenThisApplication.ActiveDocument.BrowserPanes.Item("Vault").ActivateExit SubEnd IfIf ThisApplication.ActiveDocument.BrowserPanes.ActivePane.Name = "Vault" ThenThisApplication.ActiveDocument.BrowserPanes.Item("Model").ActivateExit SubEnd IfEnd Sub
You can also assign some short-cut (Accelerator) keys to execute the Toggle function while working in Inventor.
Cheers.
-Brian Schanen
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New White Paper - Multiple Site Implementations
April 30, 2008 02:17 PMby Brian SchanenIntroducing a new White Paper describing the multi site options with Productstream 2009. This document sets the recommendations for replicated environemnts and provides examples of site configurations.
http://images.autodesk.com/adsk/files/productstream-multiple-site-implementations.pdf
-Brian Schanen
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New White Paper - Publish Options for Vault 2009
April 28, 2008 09:52 AMby Brian SchanenVault 2009 has new options in the Publish Options .xml file. The XML file contains performance-friendly default settings for publishing DWFs of files checked in from Autodesk Inventor or any of the AutoCAD® verticals. You can customize the settings in the XML file to optimize publishing performance for your environment. Note the ability to publish only an image for Inventor 3D models and the new AutoCAD based options.
http://images.autodesk.com/adsk/files/publishing_options_for_autodesk_vault_2009.pdf
-Brian Schanen
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Vault and Inventor 2009 Integration - it's the little things...
April 25, 2008 03:53 PMby Brian SchanenFor those of you that have seen Vault grow over the years, I have a great post for you to read. I had been a Vault proponent as a reseller since the TruEVault days, way back to Inventor 5.3 (that’s old school) and watched it through the introduction of Productstream and beyond. Then I joined Autodesk to be a part of the design of the Data Management solution. In my opinion, the program as a whole has matured exponentially.
Now, the Inventor add-in prior to release 2009 remained largely unchanged – until this release. I would like to present some of the quality-of-life improvements made possible through a combined effort from the Inventor and Data Management teams. Sometimes it’s the little things that make a huge difference in the daily workflow with a product.
Single Step Check In
Save time when checking in work into the Vault. The Add Files and Check In commands have been combined to provide a single check in process that automatically adds files that are not already in the Vault. Check In operations are faster due to improvements in DWF publishing and optimizations made in the Check In command. In addition, you can now access the Check In command directly from the Vault browser.
Direct Access from File Dialogs
Access the Vault directly from frequently used file open/place dialogs. Click on the Vault icons located in these dialogs to work with files from the Vault. The Vault icon is available on the File Open, Place Component and Derived Part dialogs as well as the Base View dialog in the Drawing Manager environment and the Create View dialog in the Presentation environment. In addition, there is improved support for placing components with iMates.
Browser Performance
Experience better Vault browser performance with large assemblies. Browser overhead has been reduced by performing updates to the status icons only when the browser is accessed and only for items visible at the top level. Lower level status information is retrieved only when then assembly item is expanded.
On the topic of performance, I highly suggest checking out the new support for Inventor’s LOD Suppression through the Open from Vault dialog. This provides faster open and checkouts when working with complex assemblies. When you call out specific Level of Detail or Design View representations in the Open from Vault dialog, Inventor 2009 downloads only those files required for the selected representation reducing server traffic and increasing checkout speed.
Separate Server Login (Dual sign-on)
This is ideal for companies using Productstream Replicator, as you can configure separate servers for the Vault database and Content Center (local). You now have the option to specify and log into a separate server for Content Center libraries and the Vault. From the File menu, select Autodesk Data Management Server > Connection Options.
Separating content and vault servers provides more options for optimizing performance in large installations. This is also helpful for mobile users to work with Inventor and Content Center in an offline mode.
Inventor Integration
A new prompt is added to save files before checking allowing for an automated save without cancelling the action. This prompt can also be hidden with Yes as default, allowing for a more seamless workflow within Inventor.
The Productstream Property Write back function will automatically check out every file that isn’t currently locked ensuring that all properties are up to date. (Only when the command is manually selected, not when it is run via prompts.)
The Check Out command can be run on checked out files, allowing you to check out all children without first checking the file back in or undoing the check out.
Support for Inventor’s Substitution in the Level of Detail command with full support for an accurate BOM when checked in. Note the icon displays in Vault and this file classification is searchable.
A Vault Tool Bar has been added to Inventor. This needs to be turned on manually and is a great improvement in Vault interaction. In fact, you can do most of your work now without switching over to the Vault browser.
This release eliminates removes unnecessary interaction and improves the performance of check in and check out operations by avoiding steps. I invite you to check out (pun intended) these enhancements to Vault workflows with Inventor 2009. Enjoy!
-Brian Schanen
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Hotfix - R2008 Support for ADR R2009 Side-By-Side
March 31, 2008 09:54 AMby Brian SchanenAutodesk has released this hotfix which allows Autodesk Design Review 2009 to work with R2008 and R2009 products installed side-by-side. Autodesk Design Review 2009 is not compatible with Autodesk Productstream R2008 SP1
and Autodesk Vault R2008 SP1. This update resolves issues allowing the products to
be compatible in a side-by-side installation scenario with the R2009 products: -
Workspace Synchronization in Productstream 2009
March 26, 2008 10:36 PMby Brian SchanenThe new Workspace Synchronization feature reduces the need to manually manage the local workspace at each user’s machine. This feature compares the contents of a user’s Workspace against the contents of the corresponding vault. The command supports two primary operations; first downloading and updating out of date files and removing files that fall within the expiration rules.
Workspace Synch and Quick Synch
Two options for Workspace cleanup are available; the primary interface uses the Workspace Synchronization Wizard to provide full user interaction with the options as well as the ability to override its defaults.
The secondary interface is Quick Sync and will simply run the command without any user interaction accepting the defaults based on the previously configured settings.
Options and Settings
The Workspace Sync feature allows you to configure the different rules desired on a per user basis. The following rules can be applied: removing temporary files per extension, expiration rules for managed (in Productstream) and unmanaged files (not yet in Productstream) as well as the ability to set up exclusions. Additionally these rules can be stored in an XML file and shared out to other members of the design team.
Command line support
Most of the time, this command is invoked by the user. However, if there is a desire to automate the process, perhaps at the beginning of each day, command line support has been added. The following syntax can be used to run the process:
-Brian Schanen
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Autodesk Data Management Survey
March 24, 2008 02:54 PMby Brian SchanenHello,The Data Management team here at Autodesk is conducting a quick survey for all Vault customers. Please follow the link; this will only take a few minutes. Thanks!
-Brian Schanen -
Performance and Scalability in Productstream 2009
March 17, 2008 10:48 PMby Brian SchanenSeveral improvements to the Autodesk Data Management solution have been introduced to accommodate larger amounts of data and users. In this article, we’ll examine new features that address performance, scalability, and help maintain the system integrity. Note that the following features are also included in Vault as well.
New Search Engine Technology
The search engine technology used for Productstream has been updated with the latest technology available ensuring search performance is optimized. You will notice a dramatic increase in the response time of any search conducted in the system.
Negative Bias Property Management
In previous versions of Productstream, any new file level property that was found in the system was automatically added to the database and made available for searching. This process lead to unwanted properties displayed to the users and sub-optimal performance with searching. Productstream 2009 now offers a “negative bias” on property management; meaning that new properties will automatically be recognized but will not be made available in the system until the administrator turns them on and re-indexes the server.
Basic Find bar
Over the years users have told us that the primary way that data is searched in Productstream is through the “basic” find, or the “Find Bar” located throughout the system. Given this we’ve made it possible to now configure the specific properties that are relevant to users on a daily basis. This configuration leads to higher level of accuracy and faster searches. In addition to the improvements to the basic find; the search box is now available by default for all users and “always on” encouraging its use.
The Find Bar (formerly ‘Basic’ find) also offers a new Search Builder paradigm making it easy to build an advanced search at any time. Users can add multiple search criteria to quickly narrow down their searches.
Advanced Search Editing
The Advanced tab in the Find dialog has also been improved with a subtle workflow change that allows a change to a previously added property / value pair. By simply selecting the previously added criteria along and then the “Replace” button, users can quickly change out the value of a search criteria without having to click Remove and then Add the updated conditions and values to the list.
Parameterized Search
Parameterized searches are now available with the advanced find and saved searches. For any criteria you like you can set the value to “ask me later” as opposed to an actual value. These searches will then ask the user for information before actually executing.
Re-Indexing
The re-indexing command has been enhanced to run as a separate process on the server. This process will run as a “below normal” priority and will allow an administrator to re-index the server without loading the server. Additionally the re-index command can also be run without blocking access to the server and can pause and continue for operations such as backup and server reboots. Finally, each document that is indexed is run as a separate transaction ensuring that if any of the many documents fail to index the server will simply continue to the next instead of failing. A report of any failed documents can be generated at the end of the process.
Paging
In previous versions of Productstream entire search results would be returned regardless of the number of records that were possible for the query. In Productstream 2009 the administrator can set up a threshold for the maximum number of records that can be returned at a single time. If additional results are needed for the users work a “More” button is presented where blocks of data can be added to the search results.
This paging effects the following: search results, Item master, Change Order List, and Custom Views. Paging will not only provide fast performance as the amount of data scales but also requires less resources on the server as users search for data, since less data will always be returned.
-Brian Schanen
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Securing Company CAD Standards with Vault
March 5, 2008 09:45 AMby Brian SchanenAutodesk Vault provides the necessary foundation for controlling access to all of your company’s engineering related data – and beyond. Aside from the data used in your designs, Vault is also an excellent place to control your company standards. In this article, we’re going to take a look at configuring your Vault to house your Inventor Templates and Styles.
The location of where Inventor looks for Style and Templates is set in the Project file (.ipj). In addition, the ipj holds settings for the Inventor Styles.
Initially, the .ipj states the path for Templates and Styles as [Default], which points Inventor to load these definitions from Tools>Application Options>File tab in Inventor. If the .ipj states anything other than [Default], this is an override and Inventor will use that new path. This is where Vault comes in…
Whether you use the Autoloader to populate Vault or you create your own, you will need to configure the Vault project file with the override settings. There are several options to the location of the Templates and Design Data – local (each users’ machine), or network (common shared location).
If you opt for the local, the Design Data and Templates folder will reside adjacent to each users’ Workspace on their machine. Edit the Inventor Project file (you may need to Check it out from Vault) to have the folder for Templates and Design Data as relative to the .ipj, or as a subfolder. In other words, Templates will be stored in .\Templates, Styles will be stored in .\Design Data, and so on. This also follows suit with the Content Center Files, Libraries, and the Workspace in a Vault project file.
This method is particularly nice as it allows Vault users to be mobile, and carry the data with them while working offline. This is also my recommendation on how to set up each users’ machine.
If the network location is your goal, you will need to enter an ‘override’ working folder mapping. This is achieved by editing the properties of the Vault folders. Note that the network option conflicts with the Administrative option to set the Working Folder for all users. You have to change this to allow each user to define their working folder. Whichever method you choose, when you are finished, your Vault folder structure will resemble the image below.
-Brian Schanen
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Digital Design Reviews with Labels in Autodesk Vault
February 1, 2008 04:54 PMby Brian SchanenReverting to previous versions of files is a core feature of Autodesk Vault. In addition to per-file access to previous versions, users can ‘label’ a design. Labels, by definition are applied to a folder, and this folder could represent a project, job, purchase order, or customer. A Label is a tool that allows the CAD user to back track to older versions of designs in a folder.
The use of Labels also provides an export function for each captured stage. Optionally, users can create DWF Package files and leverage the Compare feature in Autodesk Design Review. In this post, we will discuss leveraging Labels as a milestone design review tool.
1. Check all files pertinent to the design back into the Vault. Make sure DWF’s have been created for all files, specifically .idw’s. In Vault, right Mouse Click on the top level Vault folder of the project. Select New Label.
2. Assign a Label name and enter comments to document the milestone that the Label represents. Next, go to Tools>Labels. Note the Label Name, Created By, and Create Date.
3. Now it’s time to modify the files. Check Out the entire design from the Inventor drawing. Edit the Inventor part or assembly. Switch over to the Inventor drawing. Save the changes and Check In from the .idw. Be sure the option to create DWF’s is selected (upper right hand corner of the Check In dialog box).
4. Back in Autodesk Vault, right click on the same folder as step 1, and select New Label. Assign a new name and enter comments.
5. From Tools>Labels, you can see a list of existing Labels. This time, select the initial Label created and click the Pack and Go option. In the Pack and Go dialog box, select DWF Package as a type, and Send to Destination Folder.
6. Repeat this for the second Label created. Note that each DWF package created will have the Label name and a .dwf file extension.
7. Launch Autodesk Design Review and open the first Label. Select the drawing sheet from the Contents area.
8. To display the differences between the Labels, we’ll leverage the Compare functionality in Autodesk Design Review. With the Drawing selected, go to Tools>Compare.
9. Browse to the second DWF Package created from the Pack and Go and click Open. In the Compare dialog box, choose the Drawing sheet and click OK.
10. The differences between the Inventor .idw’s are listed as Markups and highlighted in Autodesk Design Review’s graphic window.
Finally, the Labels can be restored within Vault if necessary. Labels should be viewed as a milestone utility to capture design options during the prototype stage. The key concept with the use of Labels and Autodesk Design Review 2008 is to keep the entire “What-If” process entirely digital by using a combination of features in Vault and Autodesk Design Review.
-Brian Schanen