Add Preference to Enable Customers to Configure Available WTPART Link Options in Conflict Manager

[BillRyan]

REQUEST - Provide Preferences enabling a customer to turn on or off the 3 available options in the conflict manager when WTPart creation has issues on CAD checkins. (see first picture below)

ISSUE - PTC has no Preference to Prevent User's from creating "Image Link" Association in the Conflict Manager Window. 

• Note: Preference exists in CS221627 to hide "Contributing Image Link" options.  

WHY - We want our user's to only create Owner Links for all CAD Objects being checked in.  If the checkin fails due to a conflict like number match between M10-6000.asm and M10-6000.prt, then we want user's to either fail or not create a link at all.  It takes 10 times longer to find and repair bad links versus repairing to create a new link.

Also Reference Case - C15842798 -- PACCAR - RYAN - 4-14-2021 - HOW TO PREVENT USER'S FROM SELECTING "CREATE THE IMAGE LINK" ASSOCIATION FROM DROPDOWN IN CONFLICT MANAGER WINDOW DURING CREO PARAMETRIC CHECKIN OPERATION

This images below show the three options we want configurable.  The second image shows how we were able to hide one of the options using CS221627

[JenniferPierron]

Hello.

I wanted to let you know about a new feature in 11.0 M020 which enhances auto-associate and edit associations to easily relate the CAD Document to the same WTPart again with Owner association.  

In 11.0 M020, we introduced new capabilities to automatically and more easily manually move associations from an old version of the CAD Document to the latest version of the CAD Document.

If you automatically auto-associate upon check in AND the CAD Document was revised independently, then auto associate upon check in will move the association from the old CAD Document version to the new CAD Document version.  This is done with or without confirmation based on the setting of the  server-side preference Operations > Auto Associate > Modify Already Associated Parts On Check In.

See this help center document

Please try this functionality and let me know if you have any feedback.

Cordially,

Jennifer Pierron

[DanielReid]

@JenniferPierron, that is great news and I hope it applies to the idea presented.  The original post is about users creating image link associations as a result of the presented conflict work-around, when they should be creating an owner link to a different WTPart.  Cleaning this up has been challenging in many cases, especially if a revision has taken place.  I look forward to seeing the new edit association capability!

However, I would still like control of preventing an undesired association in the first place.

[BillRyan]

@JenniferPierron , The new enhancement does sound promising to automatically repair many of the bad associations we have on future checkins of the cad objects.  I'm wondering if the example 3 noted will "align the revision to the cad" instead of just iterate as noted.  (If we have the set revision of part to yes as highlighted in second image).  Maybe update the example text to say "align revision if the set revision for part preference is set to yes and then iterate the part"  Or something similar.

[JenniferPierron]

@DanielReid  - Thanks.  I understand what I am providing is not exactly the same and so I agree to keep the idea open.

@BillRyan 

You asked what would the behavior be like with the preference, Operations > Auto Associate > Set Revision For Part to Yes...

In this case, if the CAD revision is higher than the Part revision, it would not just move the association, the Part would also be revised.    For example:
- User revised ONLY CAD Document from B -> C.

- User checks in with auto associate

- Depending on the server-side preference setting of Modify Already Associated Parts on Check In, you may see the conflict to MOVE the association:

- If the Part was NOT revised and is still at Rev B (Design), then choosing this option will first revise the Part then move the association.

Thanks

Jennifer

[BillRyan]

@JenniferPierron , Thanks Jennifer for the pictures and the clarification.  Your solution will solve a lot of our files where the part is an owner link and was left behind in the revision.  But what I was interpreting from example 3 is that we may be able to repair bad links since the step includes "deleting" the association.  In my case I have the following:

1) CAD "set_rev_4_part.prt" at Rev B.1

      PART "set_rev_4_part" at REV A.2 (Image Link)

After your update I want:

2) Engineer checkin Rev B.2 of CAD.  

      Part "set_rev_4_part" at REV B (Owner Link)

Maybe there is a solution to solve my issue?  I do appreciate your answers as we are still in WC10.2 so don't even have the chance to test but do want to understand which settings we need to change.