Using Explorer View
When
you install SolidWorks Enterprise PDM on your system, the file list in
the Windows Explorer is modified. You can access all Enterprise PDM features
from the data directory you set up when you connect to your vault. When you connect
to the vault, a preview pane is displayed in the Windows Explorer, and
new menu options are added.
The color of folders
in Windows Explorer indicates their status in Enterprise PDM:
|
Green |
The folder is in a vault and you have access to the vault database. |
|
Blue |
The folder is in a vault but you are off line. Select Tools, Work On-line and log in. |
|
Gray |
The folder is local to your hard drive and does not exist in the vault
database. Right-click and select Add
to File Vault if you have permission to add files to the
vault. |
|
Yellow |
The folder is not in your local view of the vault, and does not exist
in the vault database. |
You can view all of these explorer view options
from any of the File
views. From the Bill
of Materials view, you can view only bills of materials.
File List from the File View
The files you have permission to access are displayed in the upper section
of the right pane in any of the File
views.
These standard columns in the file list cannot be changed or deleted:
|
Name |
Name of the file or the folder. |
|
Checked Out By |
The user who has checked out the file for editing. If blank, the file
is available to all users with access rights |
|
Size |
File size. |
|
State |
The current state of the file as defined in the workflow, for example,
Initiated or Waiting
for approval. |
|
Category |
The administrator-defined category to which the file is assigned. |
|
File Type |
The application used to create and edit the file. |
|
Modified |
Date the file was created or last modified |
|
Checked Out In |
Local path to the checked out file. |
Custom columns defined by the administrator (see the SolidWorks
Enterprise PDM Administration Guide) are also included in the file
list. A custom column might be created to display Drawing Numbers, for
example.
Drag column headers to change
the order of the columns in the file list.
File Preview from the File View
You can view file previews from the Preview
tab when you select an item from the upper pane of the File
view. The previews are generated by the viewer associated with
the file type.
To display the file preview:
Right-click in the upper pane of the File
view and select View,
File Preview.
Preview Tab
You can view file previews on the left side of the Preview
tab. The right side displays values for variables from the associated
data card.
To change a variable value:
Check
out the file and select the Preview
tab.
Double-click the value under the Value
column.
Modify the File Data Card in File Properties.
You can also update the card
directly from the File Data Card
tab.
File Data Card Tab
The File Data Card tab shows
the card layout for the selected file or folder. Different data cards
can be created for different file types and for different directory locations.
After checking
out a file, you can modify its data card directly in this window
without opening a separate property dialog box.
Setting the default configuration tab:
For files with configurations, the File
Data Card tab has a tab for each configuration. You can set a preference
to display the active configuration (the default) or the @ configuration.
The @ configuration displays the file custom properties.
Right-click in a blank area of the right
pane and select View, Set
focus to active configuration.
This toggles your view of the configuration
tab. To show the @ configuration by default, ensure that Set
focus to active configuration is cleared.
Version Tab
The Version tab lists information
about the file in your local vault, including the version and state.
A warning is displayed if
you do not have the latest version of the file on your local hard drive.
Bill of Materials Tab
The Bill
of Materials (BOM) tab lists the references contained in the
selected file. The columns can contain information such as Part
Number, Revision, and Category. The columns can be customized
by the administrator (see the SolidWorks
Enterprise PDM Administration Guide).
Available functions include:
Select a set of columns.
Export as a comma-delimited file.
Open in a spreadsheet.
Create a named BOM.
Select a BOM.
Activate a BOM.
Edit the BOM.
Change the display.
Filter the BOM.
Search for items in a BOM.
Display the BOM for the original part or assembly.
Contains Tab
The File Contains tab lists
files that are referenced to the selected file.
The list is generated from the database and
does not reflect changes in local files that are not checked in.
Available functions include:
Where Used Tab
The Where Used tab lists the
files that the selected file is referenced from.
For Version, select the version
of the file for which to view parent
files. To display all parent files regardless of the
child file version, select <All versions>.
Available functions include:
Export as a comma-delimited file.
Open in a spreadsheet.
Remove user-defined references.
Show all versions of all documents from which
the selected file is referenced.