How to lock CAD objects

[jhall2]

Greetings

We are using Creo 2.0 and Windchill 10.2

We need to occasionally create CAD models that are lightweight representations of complex assemblies.  We want to use these so called dummy models in other assemblies and drawings.

The question is, is there a way to lock these files in Windchill?  We are going to have a naming and storage convention for them, but we don't want them Released, just somehow locked.

Any ideas?

Thanks, James Hall

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[TomU]

You can control changes to them by permissions on the context or by permissions on the lifecycle state.  The context is probably easier, but if it's more logical to keep them in the same location as the files they are built from then an extra lifecycle state probably makes more sense.  Out of the box there is "Obsolete".  Normal users can view objects at this state but are not allowed to revise or check them out.  It sounds like you are looking for the exact same thing but with a different name.

[STEVEG]

You beat me by a hair.

[jhall2]

Similar.  There is a Lock State in OOTB Windchill, not sure if that works.  We don't want a bunch of tasks clogging up our list of tasks, so I'm not sure about the lifecycle.

I want a way a designer could just set it to locked, then that designer or an admin could unlock it.

When you say context in the lifecycle state, could you expand on that a little?

[STEVEG]

It's not "context in a lifecycle state".  Windchill has what's called Contexts.  They are either Products or Library.  Technically they function exactly the same.  It's just a way of differentiating between types of data.  In our business the Product Context is where we put our CAD data that we sell.  Our Library Context is where we put CAD data such at tooling or drawing formats.

Lifecycle is the State all files are at: In Work, Released, Obsolete.  You can set different rights in different Contexts on different States for different users or groups.

[STEVEG]

How many files are you talking about?  You could create a Library context for these objects.  Then set the rights so that nobody except the admin or someone else has rights on it.

[jhall2]

Library is pretty interesting.

So, let's say we call these dummy objects.  We drop them into the dummy object folder?  Then give it a library sort of context?

I think we want the designer who made them to have access to unlocking their own, not just the admin..

Good discussion, guys, thanks

[STEVEG]

Unfortunately, as far as I know PDMLink doesn't have something that Windows has.  A group called CREATOR OWNER.  I have set 1 or 2 directories on the network such that the only person that can delete, overwrite a file is the person that created it.

[TomU]

It would be good to clarify if you are trying to prevent inadvertent changes (by anyone) or if you want to absolutely prohibit changes by anyone other than the creator.

[jhall2]

Tom,

We are wanting to prevent inadvertent changes that would affect what the creator used the original file for. That's a great question.

Currently they are In Work, and subject to editing by anyone.  We create them, and then later find them hacked up by designers all over the world.

[TomU]

What does your release "process" look like today?  Does everything stay at work, or are objects being changed to other lifecycle states when completed?  (Knowing what you're doing now may help determine the best approach for your environment...)

[jhall2]

CAD objects are associated with WTParts and go to either Released or Prototype.   Released objects require an ECN to change them. Prototype parts do not.

These parts are pretty much only used by the designers to provide graphic representation on drawings.  For example if we are building a skid, we want to detail the brackets, and frame, but the real pump assembly is to data heavy to bother with (they can take an extremely long time to load).  So we create these dummy files. It's these files we want to lock, but not to require a whole ECN to edit, if we need to in the future.

Does that help?