Directories and config files

maybe not as writing to c:\program files needs administrator rights.

my suggestion

- general options in \loadpoint\text

Options in loadpoint\test\config.sup cannot be overridden

- personal options in \home

- project specific options in startup folder. You may have more than one icon with startup folder for different projects

Reinhard

I am a contract engineer that has many configs required for different clients. It is almost overwhelming to maintain a stable config for each client. I am just coming out of a 2000i workstation so things are a lot more complicated today; yet familiar.

The only hint I found to manage configs so far is to set up a start folder in the Creo shortcut for each client. I am hoping this will keep all my configs well separated and easy to manage if changes are required during a session.

Although I don't have to worry about WindChill or anything, I do have to manage format files, search folders, start parts, appearance management, and even rendering environments for each client. It is a bit more than I prefer to manage from memory, but once I get more familiar with these concepts, the better I will get with them. The problem is when I take a 3 month break from PTC and I have to get back into it with a new client. Some very basic guidelines for this enterprise model would be extremely helpful.

Hi Kevin...

I can provide some information from my experience as an admin. I'm still an admin and I mess with this stuff frequently. Here's my input...

• Don't have your users' starting directory on a network drive. This slows things down and I've found it to be a bad idea. The only real case for doing this is backups. If you have that network drive automatically backed up, then that's a plus. But in my opinion, sacrificing speed for the ultra rare occasion you'll need a backup isn't worth it.
• I wouldn't bother trying to delete files from each users' workstation. Many experienced users like the ability to add a mapkey or scoot some icons around on their interface. Removing their config.win and config.pro will destroy these. You're not going to win any popularity contests by doing that. Reinhard's suggestions are good:
  • If you have options you MUST enforce, put them in the config.sup in the users' loadpoint
  • If you have options you'd like to set for everyone as general options, put them in the config.pro of the loadpoint
  • Allow the user to have their own personal config options in their home profile directory (using config.pro).
  • If you don't have Windchill or Pro/INTRALINK, manage project-specific config settings using the config.pro of the start-in directory otherrwise just keep the users' configs in their home directory.
• Copying the company standard config.pro, config.sup, and config.win from a protected network location can be an effective method for making sure all users start from the same basic palette of settings. We do that in my organization. That way if I need to make a change to everyone's settings, I can do it. I make the change and it's pushed out when they start Creo. The settings are copied into their loadpoint directory so as not to override any mapkeys they have in their home profile.

The inevitable question pops up... what if a user is overriding some setting that company finds mandatory? In that case, move that setting into the config.sup and they cannot override it. What if the setting they're trying to override is a mapkey? If this happens, there's an entire thread on PTC Community where I show a method to prevent this. If you need it and can't find it, ask... and I'll dig it up.

Reinhard's note about not copying files down into the Program Files directory is valid. In some companies, the Program Files folder is locked so users cannot install software or manually add items down into that directory. But in your circumstances, you have 7 people to manage. In this case your IT people may simply lift that restriction (or not impose it in the first place). If your IT people will not let you copy the config,pro, config.sup, and config.win from the protected network location to each users' loadpoint, consider moving the Pro/E (or Creo) loadpoint! There's no reason it needs to be in Program Files. You can install the software anywhere including in the Users/<Username>/Documents directory. By moving the loadpoint to a location not under IT restriction, you can copy the files from the protected network location without a problem.

I hope that helped without making things more confusing. If I've made it worse, write back and I'll do what I can to help you sort it all out!

Thanks!

-Brian