Advantages of using AutoCAD WGM in Windchil

[dinilmohan]

We store AutoCAD drawings in Windchill as wt.documents. Other than the option to do a check in directly from AutoCAD using the AutoCAD WGM what else are the advantages of using a AutoCAD WGM and managing the documents as EPM documents, over storing it as wt.documents?

We are evaluating on whether we should move to AutoCAD WGM and start managing these documents as EPM Documents or continue managing them as wt.documents.

Currently we are not using wt.parts but plan to use it in the future.

[pmooteri]

Hi Dinil,

In Windchill, AutoCAD WGM can carry out various workflows that can be productive to the end users and the company. Some of the few points that you can look into are as below:

• PDM Interface integration with AutoCAD

  • AutoCAD has the embedded PTC Windchill Ribbon menu through which you can carryout various actions such as Check-in, Checkout, Revise & Check-out, Undo Checkout, Update Models, Open from Windchill etc.

  • Using PDM actions, you can open the cad document directly from Windchill & start working in CAD application.
• Content & Relationship Management

  • Windchill understands AutoCAD relationships and file types such as Drawings, External References

  • Preference controls if drawing need to be considered as Standard Drawings
  • Understands more complex references
  • Create sub types of Windchill CAD Documents.
  • Flexible Soft Type support is available.
  • User can create New CAD Doc from HTML UI using a template
• External References Management

  • Windchill is capable of locating all drawings referenced by a drawing model and automatically relating them to the part of the model.

  • Windchill supports external references (XREFs) not only to other AutoCAD drawings, but also to images and other non AutoCAD objects such as spreadsheets, documents etc.
• BOM Management

  • Generate Windchill WTPart structures from AutoCAD “Blocks”.

  • Configuration file filters which blocks are exposed to Windchill as WTParts.
• Support for AutoCAD Electrical Projects

  • Choose to manage related Project configuration files as attachments or separate documents.

  • Commands introduced to Save Project and Check In Project.
  • Electrical Project functionality enabled by preference.
  • Creates a Windchill “Reference” relationship between top level Project file and related files to enable easy retrieval to Workspace.
  • Electrical file shave their own icons in Windchill.
• Block Specific Attribute Mapping

  • Specify block name in Windchill attribute mapping if attributes of the same name exist in several blocks. This prevent attribute mapping confusion by specifying Block Name and having greater control on usage of attribute mapping.

For more information, please refer to “PTC Windchill Workgroup Manager for AutoCAD Administrator's and User's Guide ”

Regards,

  Pankaj Mooteri

[pmooteri]

Also:

AutoCAD Drawings vaulted in Windchill can be directly viewed in the lightweight viewer "Creo View" without needing a license of AutoCAD for users that just need to view the drawing.

AutoCAD drawing checked in as CAD documents does not require server side publishing unlike NX, SolidWorks CAD workers.