DTI to allow viewing of "Files" of CAD Viewable

BrianSullivan · ‎09-22-2016

PTC has not made an easy mechanism for Purchasing Department to send CAD Drawing Viewable (PDF) out to the NON Windchill Community. It is not easy to collect 10 to 20 PDFs for a Structure. let alone 2 to go to a Vendor.

OOTB (Manually)

1. You can Open in Creo Parametric or Creo View and Print to PDF

2. Could Package an Assembly and Drawings/ Unzip/ Pull out PDFs.

OOTB (Automatically)

1. We can Publish a Drawing using PDF in the Recipe File.

2. We can Use a Publish Rule to Publish Secondary Content (PDF, Iges, Step, DXF, etc) typically on Check In but also Defined in PTC Literature to Publish these Secondary Files when an object reaches a specific state such as "Released"

To Locate the Files you must search on the individual object, switch to content tab, Right Click on Viewable, select Files then Download. (Not the Easiest Location to Teach)

Enhancement Request.

"Desktop Integration should see these Secondary Viewable Files of an EPMDocument and show them when you select the Folder."

Example:

Project Bicycle Folder contains Assembly, Parts and Drawings for a Bike.

The CAD Objects are Released (Therefore Access Control Permissions, I would Technically be able to see them.. except they are EPM Documents)

What I would like to see in Folder are the Files, any PDF, Step, Etc... of the Viewable of the EPM Document

This will allow Purchasing to Browse through Folder Structure and Grab Related PDF or Step or STL or DXF easily.

Would be enabled via a Preference

Brian Sullivan

PS

Currently there are at least 10 VAR Customizations to output PDFs of an Assembly Structure, or show PDF as Icons against Windchill Web Folder page or via Search... Note that Desktop Integration is the simplest interface to Windchill for Purchasing, Manufacturing, etc... who consume content created and managed in Windchill.

PPS

Workaround:

3. A Publish Rule Delegate to create a Document for Each Viewable Publish Content can be setup and is partially Documented by PTC. As it is a Document it is then visible in DTI but also in Windchill. The intent however is not to create another Document of Record in Windchill that is Searchable, The Source Drawing is sufficient for that Functionality as Releasing the Source Content Releases its Viewable.

sm · ‎09-23-2016

The problem here is that Windchill Desktop Integration only supports wt.documents and their primary content. There has been an enhancement in the backlog to open up access to secondary content, but it has not been prioritized yet. I don't foresee Windchill Desktop Integration supporting epm.documents any time in the near future.

You may want to take a look at PTC Navigate as a possible means to achieve the use case you described above.

BrianSullivan · ‎09-23-2016

Thanks Scott.

That is the point of an Enhancement Idea. If 300 People Voted Up. It would no longer be a back burner Item.

Making a Custom Navigate falls in line with the VAR Customizations but yes, Implementing all the components for Navigate and Creation of a Custom Navigate that list all the Secondary Content for a Production Structure to be downloaded is an option. But then the Enhancement Request would for that to be an OOTB Navigate.

Its always the same issue, that PTC does not prioritize need to export content from Windchill. Probably why #1 customization is to Output PDFs to a Network Folder.

BenLoosli · ‎09-23-2016

I think the functionality you are requesting is good and needed, but it does not belong in the DTI area. DTI is to integrate MS Office tools into Windchill and it does that task. Leave DTI to do what it was created to do.

I also agree that there are many 3rd party utilities that do the PDF export function like you need. Why should PTC develop another module, probably charge for it, when other companies have already invested the time and resources to market a product.

PTC Navigate, while not exporting the PDF's, does allow others to see into Windchill to view the data.

There are many other things with Creo, Mathcad, ThinkWork and Windchill that improve core functionality that PTC needs to be spending their resources on than adding another PDF export utility.

BrianSullivan · ‎09-23-2016

The Point of DTI in that it is Integrated with Windows File Explorer, (The MS Office Products are part of it but I did not say make it Visible in OFFICE Products) The Point is Browsing DTI is the preferred way for Non CAD People to use Windchill.... They like that Windchill appears as a simple Folder Structure.

This is not necessarily about PDF, But PDF, Step, Iges, Dxf, DWG, STLs... All the Files the Pubish Rules make Iteration to Iteration and ensure have an Approved Source Drawing or Assembly.

Sure someone can make an enhancement for Simple Output of Structures Viewables similar to a customization. My point on there being SO many is that that is a clear GAP. PTC's enhancement should be from the view that if multiple VARs make a patch for missing functionality then we should be adding it.

Ben,

Critical Point. PTC does NOT have a PDF/Step/Iges/DXF Export Utility at ALL.

They have Per File:

Locate the Files you must search on the individual object, switch to content tab, Right Click on Viewable, select Files then Download for that objects

That should have been #1 enhancement for Windchill 9, 10 or 11. They should have a fixed budget for Improving Interface/ Process for every user of Windchill. Manufacturing and Purchasing are two groups spending money with PDMLink Light Licenses. (Why is it always about the Authors? the Contributors and View Print Users are just as valuable and maybe 50% of Licensing cost., what enhancements do they get for their maintenance dollars)

Customers work with 3rd Party Vendors on Quoting/Etc..... Expand my enhancement and wtDocuments with Office Worker that make a PDF Viewable could also show up.

But to Save Money. Treating Viewable Files as Visible to File Explorer in DTI was in my thoughts a LOW cost solution. And Fits with Usability.

And For PTC.... a method that Actually INCREASES Revenue, as customers would buy View Print Licenses to install DTI on the Computer versus NO REVENUE for people who use a Custom App to Export out of Windchill to a Network folder

I want it in Windchill so the file is controlled and current. (Not Old and out of date on a Network drive) Not a Purchase Person wasting time collecting one at a time, Or an IT Budget buying a Custom App and having to Maintain for Windchill Release to Release.

mdebower · ‎09-23-2016

I agree! I just wish I could vote more than once.

My only concern would be that DTI seems to be very dependent on having a single office version across an enterprise and we have a mix of versions.

BrianSullivan · ‎09-23-2016

Marc.

Your Office Version is a concern. My enhancement is because they have been adding niceties to DTI....

How about you open an Enhancement Request for a Viewable Content Download Utility based on Search or Structure with Drawings.

OR Enhancement to improve Workflow of Package and Package Deliverable to only be the Viewable File Content...

I'll vote for that in return.