Do Transition Dialog Box

You can associate files in the vault with a predetermined workflow that moves the files through a design and approval process. You can change the state of a file to move it through the workflow manually.

To display this dialog box:

  • In SOLIDWORKS PDM File Explorer, select the files and click Modify > Change State and select a state transition.
  • In SOLIDWORKS, in the Task Pane, select the files, right-click, select Change State, and select a state transition.

Toolbar Buttons

Some commands accessed from toolbar buttons are also available on the shortcut menu.

Next Warning / Previous Warning Only shown when warnings are present in the Warnings column.

In the file list, changes the focus to the next file with a warning or the previous file with a warning.

Clicking a warning icon expands the hierarchy if it is collapsed and the warning is on a referenced file.
Levels Displays file references for the entire file hierarchy (Show All Levels) or just the top level of the file hierarchy (Top Level Only).

The setting defaults to the most recent setting you used.

You can also expand or collapse the hierarchy using the and controls in the File name column.
Select Files Opens the Select Files dialog box, where you can specify a wildcard pattern to select files.
Open File List Open All opens a list of files in Microsoft Excel.
Open Visible opens a list of visible files in Microsoft Excel.
Save File List Export All exports the list of all files as a comma-separated .txt file.
Export Visible exports the list of visible files as a comma-separated .txt file.

File List

Three types of column set preferences are available based on the assigned administrative permissions: Default Columns, My Columns, and administrator-defined column sets. For more details, see Types of Column Set.

To switch preference, right-click any column header, select Column Sets, and then select your preference.

Select Sort to specify the default and custom columns in tables in ascending, descending, or tree structure order. Column sorting is useful within large datasets. If you sort a column in ascending or descending order, the column is highlighted in green and an arrowhead appears. When you sort a column in a table, SOLIDWORKS PDM removes the file structure hierarchy. Sorting turns off Show Tree Lines and Show Reference Selection Control.
Tree structure sorting is available only on File Name.
Type Displays a thumbnail preview of the file when you hover over the file type icon.
File name

Lists selected files and files referenced by them. For assemblies, the list can include drawings, parts, subassemblies, and SOLIDWORKS Simulation files.

The related drawings can be in the current folder or in a folder elsewhere in the vault. By default, SOLIDWORKS PDM checks the entire vault for related drawings. The scope of the search depends on administrative settings.
Warnings Result of validation, either blank, one or more warnings, or an error.

This column is blank if the validation is successful.

The detailed warning messages appear when a transition fails. If one or more conditions are not met, the Warnings column displays:

  • A warning in case of one failed condition.
  • A hyperlink in case of multiple failed conditions or all failed OR conditions.

You can click the hyperlink to see the details of the conditions that are not met. Based on the conditions defined in the transition, the warning includes details like condition type, comparison criteria, value, and configuration details.

For parallel transitions that require more than one approval, the Warnings column indicates:

  • The number of additional users that must approve the transition.
  • A warning with text indicating why the file cannot be transitioned. For example, that the transition is already pending for a referenced file.
To quickly locate files with warnings, use the Next Warning and Previous Warning toolbar buttons or Ctrl + the up-arrow or down-arrow on the numeric keypad.
Change state Applies state transition to selected files.
Version File version to transition.
Found in Vault folder containing the file.
State Workflow state of the file, for example, Under Editing.

Comments

History (Parallel transitions only)

Transition comments and notification comments made by users who have already approved the transition.
Comment Stores a comment within the file history about the change state operation.
Notification comment Stores a comment within the file history for state transitions with dynamic notifications.

When dynamic notifications are enabled, a user list lets the user performing a state change provide select notification recipients.

Administrators configure dynamic notifications for transitions.

Notifications for a parallel transition are held and sent as one notification when the file changes state on the last approval.
Notification list (Parallel transitions configured for dynamic notifications only)

Lists users who can receive notifications for this transition.

Type a substring in the Filter field to hide recipients whose names do not contain the substring.

Total to Change State

Displays the number and type of files you have selected for change state.

Shortcut Menu Options

Right-click in the file list to access these menu options:

Columns Lets you add or remove columns.

The displayed columns are indicated by a check mark.

Click More to open the Choose Columns dialog box, where you can add up to 10 additional columns by selecting SOLIDWORKS PDM variables on which to base column heads.
Show Reference Selection Controls For files with references (such as assemblies with parts), turns on a second check box to the right of parent files.

Use the left check box to select or clear only the parent file.

Use the right check box to select or clear the parent file and all of its references.

If all check boxes are not in the same state, the added check box displays .
Select All Selects all files, so that you can use a single keystroke to check or clear the Change state column.
Select Files Displays a dialog box where you can specify wildcards to select a group of files. You can then use a single keystroke to check or clear the files in the Change state column.
Show Tree Lines Adds tree lines to the File name column.
Change Thumbnail Preview Size Changes the size of thumbnail previews as Small, Medium, or Large. By default, Medium is selected.
When you select the size in one table, SOLIDWORKS PDM configures the same size in applicable tables and on tabs. The thumbnail previews for non-SOLIDWORKS files may not be clear when you select Medium or Large.
Change State on All Files Selects all files in the Change state column.