This is a summary of the 2 responses I've got to the question below. Anyone
else want to share more info?
Is anyone out there using Solidworks EPDM to manage their Pro-E files? How
well does it work and is it easier and/or cheaper to maintain than the
PDM/Intralink solution.
We are currently using Intralink 3.4 and ProE WF3, soon we will upgrade to
WF4 which works with our current version of Intralink3.4. We are also
looking for a replacement to Intralink. We looked at Solidworks EPDM, Design
Data Manager and PTC's Product Point. We haven't made a decision on which
way to go yet but I found pro's and con's to all of them. The SolidWorks
EPDM looks easy to use but I have heard it may take a lot of search paths
and setup to operate with ProE. It manages folders more than it manages
files. The Design Data Manager has some nice features and I know of a few
companies who have implemented it with ProE. PTC's Product Point 1.0 has
some promise. The newer version 2.0 is coming out and is suppose to have
many enhancements that the others have already. I would be interested to
find out what kind of response you get on this subject.
I looked at SolidWorks EPDM a couple months ago (for managing SolidWorks
data). I'm not sure of the cost comparison because our Windchill licenses
are bundled with our Pro/E licenses, so I don't know the exact cost of the
Windchill licenses. SolidWorks EPDM has a very slick interface and it's
certainly easier to use than PDMLink, but it lacks in some big ways compared
to PDMLink. Here are a couple major points comparing the two:
. No workspaces with SolidWorks EPDM. The local working environment
is basically like a single workspace - no ability to create separate
workspaces as you can with PDMLink. No way to do multiple "what-if"
scenarios without copying data outside of the PDM environment with
SolidWorks EPDM.
. To modify anything in SolidWorks EPDM, it must be checked out
(again, no way to do a "what-if" scenario without checking out the data, or
saving a copy outside the PDM environment). PDMLink has the ability to
modify data locally without checking it out.
I haven't seen anything with SolidWorks EPDM managing Pro/E data. There
isn't a non-PTC data management solution that will manage Pro/E data like
PDMLink does. One big thing to watch for with any non-PTC data management
software is renaming. If renaming parts, assemblies, and drawings is
something you do periodically, it can be very tricky or impossible with
non-PTC software. Most can rename something in the database, but won't
update the local file (where a user has data in his local
cache/workspace/etc.)
Mike Johnson
Senior CAD Designer
Carlisle Industrial Brake & Friction
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812-334-8797
