DM5427 Dogs and Cats Living Together:
Coexisting Items & Documents in Autodesk Vault
Brian Schanen
Product Manager | PLM | Autodesk, Inc.
Ryan Small
Manager | Mfg Professional Services | SolidCAD
© 2011 Autodesk
Class Summary
Autodesk Vault Professional provides a centralized location for all design data,
delivering Revision and Lifecycle control processes on files resulting in faster cycle
times and better-quality engineering data.
In addition to file management and security, Vault Professional extends data
managed by Vault to the extended organization through the use of Bill of Material
and Items, also with Revision and Lifecycle Management.
But which to use? The good news: you can leverage both for your company’s
needs. Attend this class to learn from the experts how to deploy Item and Filebased workflows in your organization.
© 2011 Autodesk
Item Definition
Handout: Page 4
© 2011 Autodesk
Item
(Number)
Title, Description, Category, Unit of Measure
Material, Vendor, Vendor P/N, Cost, Product
Type …
What is an Item?
Documents
.doc
.xls
.txt
.pdf
.html
…
Images
.jpg
.tiff
.avi
…
Other
.loc
.iges
.dxf
.vrml
…
CAD
.ipt
.iam
.idw
.dwg
File Sharing
.dwf
© 2011 Autodesk
Item Management Overview

Creating Items from Files
 What is an Item?



An item is the unique record that tracks all
related data to a physical part, assembly,
document, process, product and more
Items contain metadata (properties) as well as
links to files
An item with other items linked to it = Bill of
Materials (BOM)
© 2011 Autodesk
Item Management Overview

What is the Item Master?


A complete list of all items within the system
Representation of the current ERP/MRP Item Master database
© 2011 Autodesk
Item Management Overview

Bill of Materials for Items
 Contain structure (assemblies), quantity
and (row) order
 BOMs can be built for newly created
items
 BOMs can be edited after creation (add,
remove, reorder)
© 2011 Autodesk
Demo
© 2011 Autodesk
Lifecycle Definition for Files
Handout: Page 6
© 2011 Autodesk
File Security and Lifecycle Management
Declare files ‘released’ and protect
from unauthorized access

Identify status of files in the form
of ‘lifecycle states’
 Create and customize multiple
lifecycle definitions
 Configure file security based on
lifecycle state
© 2011 Autodesk
10
Lifecycle Definitions
•
Accessing
•
•
Initially a List of Definitions
•
•
•
•
•
•
Tools>Administration>Behaviors
Options for
New
Copy
Edit
Delete
Must click Edit to modify
© 2011 Autodesk
Lifecycle Definitions
•
•
•
Consider as ‘Routings’
Use as ‘Templates’
Several included:
•
Basic Release Process
• Flexible Release Process
• Simple Release Process
• Long Lead Time Release Process
© 2011 Autodesk
Lifecycle States
•
Name applied to describe the stage of
Work of files:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Work In Progress
For Review
Pre-Release
Released
Quick Change
Obsolete
© 2011 Autodesk
Lifecycle States
•
•
•
States can be renamed
Create new states
Optionally removed
•
Through the Remove option
• OR through transition rules
•
•
State names appear throughout Vault
Can be written back to Titleblock
© 2011 Autodesk
Transitions
•
•
•
Configurable transition from one
lifecycle to another
Define the next available state from
a given Lifecycle
Each transition has optional criteria
•
Enforce company standards
• Prevent transition until criteria met
• Property based
© 2011 Autodesk
Transitions
•
•
Transitions have optional
automation of Revision ‘bumping’
User Groups are either allowed or
denied ability to transition
© 2011 Autodesk
Security
•
•
•
Lifecycle definition can be
configured to meet company
standards
Range from Full Control to No
Access
Provide a granular level of security
to files
© 2011 Autodesk
Control
•
•
•
Contains the option to declare the
state a 'Release' state
Has implications during the Purge
command
Several options for files NOT to
purge
•
All
• First and Last
• Last
• None
© 2011 Autodesk
Comments
•
•
•
Each state has options for description
and comment
Appears in CAD add-in and Vault
Align with Company terminology
• Further ‘tailors’ Vault to a customer’s
needs
© 2011 Autodesk
Demo
© 2011 Autodesk
Lifecycle Definition for Items
Handout: Page 12
© 2011 Autodesk
Lifecycle State Rules




Work In Progress
 Item is available for editing
 Allows associated files to be edited
 Allows updating the item
 Note: New items are automatically assigned to “Work In Progress”
In Review
 Item is in review and awaits further action
 Prevents associated files from being edited
 Prevents updating the item
Released
 Released items are available for production
 Prevents associated files from being edited
 Prevents updating the item
Obsolete
 Item is no longer used in production.
 Prevents updating the item
 Prevents the item from being used in a BOM
 Only state where items can be permanently deleted
© 2011 Autodesk
Item Lifecycle Transitions Rules


Each Lifecycle state has transitions
rules
Bump Revision

Primary
 Secondary
 Tertiary
 None
© 2011 Autodesk
Item Lifecycle State Configure


State names are preset in the
systems
Display name can be changed


This permeates through all interfaces
Ideal for combining Docs and Items
© 2011 Autodesk
Item Lifecycle State Security

Defines behaviors for Item States:

Review
 Released
 Obsolete

Manage by Groups


ACL model, similar to File States, Folders
Important when combining Docs and
Items
© 2011 Autodesk
Vault Professional Item Lifecycle States
“Work
In Progress”
“In
Review”
“Released”
“Obsolete”
© 2011 Autodesk
Demo
© 2011 Autodesk
Revision Management
Handout: Page 15
© 2011 Autodesk
Revisions Overview
•
Initial schemes provided
•
Standard Alpha
• Standard Numeric
• Default ASME Y14.35M Format
•
•
Define revision schemes based off
of existing
Or import from a pre-defined file
© 2011 Autodesk
Demo
© 2011 Autodesk
Revision Management for Files
Handout: Page 16
© 2011 Autodesk
Revise Command - Files
•
Lifecycle state changes typically
dictate the rev 'bumping' of a file
•
•
Released to Work In Progress
Revisions can be bumped primary,
secondary, or tertiary outside of the
Lifecycle state transition using the
Revise command
© 2011 Autodesk
Demo
© 2011 Autodesk
Revision Management for Items
Handout: Page 17
© 2011 Autodesk
Revise Command - Items

Rev-bumping is configurable between
Items Lifecycle Transitions
 Options available to skip rev bump
(Quick-Change)
 Manual revision bumping available
through Item interface
© 2011 Autodesk
35
Demo
© 2011 Autodesk
Property Management
Handout: Page 19
© 2011 Autodesk
Property Management
•
Vault property management accessible
via one interface
•
Item
• File
• ECO
•
Contains multiple Property types
•
Intrinsic (System)
• User Defined
© 2011 Autodesk
38
Property Association
•
Properties associated to Files, Items or
Change Orders through a dropdown
© 2011 Autodesk
39
Property Mapping
•
Establish links between the File, Item or System properties in Vault and File Properties or
attributes
• Control over direction of mapping
© 2011 Autodesk
Demo
© 2011 Autodesk
Categories
Handout: Page 23
© 2011 Autodesk
Category Definition
•
•
Opt in feature for any file that is
checked into Vault
Allow the user to create standard
behaviors
•
Lifecycle definitions*
• Revision Schemes
• User Defined Properties
• Security
•
When a file is assigned to a
category, it inherits the default
behaviors assigned by that category
*Files only
© 2011 Autodesk
Assigning
•
•
Categories can ‘Assign’ manually or
automatically
Automatic assignment of categories
(on file check in) should be enabled
after the following three areas are
outlined
•
•
•
Lifecycle definitions and the security
model the company uses for each state
Revision scheme(s) that are enlisted at
the company
Properties that are mandatory per
category
© 2011 Autodesk
Demo
© 2011 Autodesk
Engineering Change Orders
Handout: Page 27
© 2011 Autodesk
Communicating Change
Challenge
 Tracking the change and release process within a single tool, eliminating
workarounds and mistakes.
Solution
 Built-in digital paper trail of all edits, comments, markups, and supporting
documentation of change.
 Predefined routings, email notifications, and business process within a the Data
Management interface.
© 2011 Autodesk
Engineering Change Orders and Files
Handout: Page 28
© 2011 Autodesk
Engineering Change Orders and Files


Enforce the use of Change Orders on
File state changes
Leverage ECO states in Criteria



Eg: Change Order State is Work
Prevents accidental State changes
Creates digital paper trail of changes
to files
© 2011 Autodesk
49
Demo
© 2011 Autodesk
Engineering Change Orders and Items
Handout: Page 28
© 2011 Autodesk
Engineering Change Orders and Items



Enforce the use of Change Orders on
Item state changes
Prevent accidental State changes
Creates digital paper trail of changes
to Items
© 2011 Autodesk
52
Demo
© 2011 Autodesk
CAD Integration with File-Based Workflows
Handout: Page 32
© 2011 Autodesk
Revision Awareness in CAD
•
•
•
Tag a lifecycle state as ‘Releasedequivalent
Applies new rules for revision-aware
files
Rules allow Vault to calculate which
files to GET
•
based on the state and revision of the
file and children
• *See Revisions White Paper
© 2011 Autodesk
What is ‘Released Biased’
•
Non-Released Biased: Use newer edits for related files
•
Released Biased: Use released data for related files when available
© 2011 Autodesk
56
Revision management ‘in the window’
Track and manage revisions of
vaulted design files directly within
CAD



Quickly understand the status of a
design with the enhanced browser
Stay focused on your design while
controlling its state in the window
Easily open and place the revision you
need for your design
© 2011 Autodesk
57
Demo
© 2011 Autodesk
CAD Integration with Item-Based Workflows
Handout: Page 33
© 2011 Autodesk
Project Integration with Inventor
Access Project related data from
within Inventor

Files
 Items
 Change Orders
 Projects
© 2011 Autodesk
60
Assigning Items from Inventor
 Create
Items and Bills of
Material From CAD Data
 Fully
integrated with
 Inventor’s BOM (assembly)

AutoCAD Electrical
 AutoCAD Mechanical
 Solidworks
 Pro E
© 2011 Autodesk
Demo
© 2011 Autodesk
Vault Configuration for Revision Control - Files
Handout: Page 36
© 2011 Autodesk
Vault Configuration for Files


Vault Professional interface displays
different revision levels
Revision access extends to the CAD
application

Provides control over revision level of a
file when opening or placing
© 2011 Autodesk
64
Demo
© 2011 Autodesk
Vault Configuration for Revision Control - Items
Handout: Page 37
© 2011 Autodesk
Vault Configuration for Items

Item records have a revision and state
and this information can be

displayed within Vault Professional
 Consolidated BOM consisting of both
engineered and non-engineered data can
be produced reflective of an entire project
© 2011 Autodesk
67
Demo
© 2011 Autodesk
Vault Configuration for Revision Control –
Files & Items
Handout: Page 38
© 2011 Autodesk
Vault Configuration for Items and Files



Item’s revision and state is
separate from the file’s revision
and state
Define the files lifecycle definitions,
revision schemes, properties and
categories
Configure property mapping so that
the Vault’s System property for File
Revision is written-back to the file
property or attributes
© 2011 Autodesk
70
Demo
© 2011 Autodesk
Resources
Handout: Page 41
© 2011 Autodesk
AU 2011 Data Management Must-See classes

DM4941 Get Vaulted: The Truth about Autodesk Vault Integrations
 DM3679 Go Big or Go Home! Part 1 - Large-Scale Autodesk Vault
Deployments
 DM5609 Go Big or Go Home! Part 2 Collaborating across a Distributed
Environment
 DM5575 Go Big or Go Home! Part 3 Extending Vault to the Enterprise
Neighborhood
 DM5363 The Proper Care and Feeding of Your Vault
 DM5533 Organize and Manage your Intellectual Property with Autodesk®
Vault Workgroup Projects
 DM6321 Solving Problems with Autodesk Vault Using Standard
Troubleshooting Techniques
© 2011 Autodesk
AU 2011 Data Management Must-See classes







DM2480 Maximizing the Autodesk Vault Verticals (Workgroup,
Collaboration and Professional
CP4547 Vault Programming: Now with Events
MA5001 Why You Need integration Between Your Autodesk Vault
Professional Data Management System and ERP/PLM Systems
MA5034 "LEAN" Into The Vault: Using Autodesk Vault to Support Lean
Approaches to the Development Process
MA4282 Integrating AutoCAD Electrical with Autodesk Vault Professional
DL5010 Big Projects with Vault Professional: Successful Implementation
DM7180-U The Vault Knows All: Using for Autodesk Vault for Data
Management
© 2011 Autodesk
More Vault Resources







Under the Hood Blog – Official Autodesk Data Management Blog by Brian
Schanen - http://underthehood-autodesk.typepad.com/
TheVaultKnowsAll – Official YouTube channel dedicated to Vault
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheVaultKnowsAll
Autodesk Vault Facebook page - http://www.facebook.com/autodeskvault
Autodesk Vault Wiki - http://wikihelp.autodesk.com/Vault/enu/2012
Whitepaper on the Vault Property system and it’s configuration http://images.autodesk.com/adsk/files/technical_brief__vault_2011_properties.pdf
Whitepaper on the use of Vault for File-based revision management http://images.autodesk.com/adsk/files/vault_revision_management.pdf
Autodesk University Online - http://au.autodesk.com
© 2011 Autodesk
Autodesk, AutoCAD* [*if/when mentioned in the pertinent material, followed by an alphabetical list of all other trademarks mentioned in the material] are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders. Autodesk reserves the right to alter product and
services offerings, and specifications and pricing at any time without notice, and is not responsible for typographical or graphical errors that may appear in this document. © 2011 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.
© 2011 Autodesk