You can use categories to group and organize files and items, such as sending them to the correct workflow. Enterprise PDM assigns one and only one category to every new vault file and item.
When you create a category, you define the conditions under which new files and items are assigned to that category. For example, you could create an Engineering Files category for all file types used by engineers (such as drawings, assemblies, and parts). When users initially check in files of these types, they could automatically enter the Engineering workflow.
You can also use categories to specify a document type for files using the same extension. For example, a .doc or .docx file can be either a memo or a fax. Using categories, you can assign the correct type and workflow for the different document types.
Default Category
If a file or item does not match the conditions for any other category, Enterprise PDM assigns the default category, named
-
(hyphen). By default, the default category has no conditions. You can rename and add conditions to the default category, but you cannot delete it.
When a File Does Not Match a Category
Every file and item must satisfy the conditions of at least one category. If a user tries to check in a file or item that matches no category, Enterprise PDM displays an error message and the check-in fails. Ensure that you define categories that cover all files types used in the vault, or have one category (such as the default category) that has no conditions. Files and items that match no other category are assigned to the category with no conditions.