Copy Paste Folder Structure

[grocha]

I am implementing Windchill in a customer which wants to have the same folder structure replicated in every first level folder, what's the easyest way to achieve this.

Once they have "|" in the name of numerous folders I can't create the folder structure in windows and then import to Windchill...

Guilherme Rocha

[Marco_Tosin]

Guilherme,

if you use templates you are able to create a new product or library with the same structure, as you can see on attached image.

Marco

[Lohbauer]

Marco,

This is a question I’ve also had. I have found that works well for the first series of folder/ Sub-folders. But what if you have the need for another instance of the same folder/ Sub-folder series? In ProjectLink I can load a zip file with the folders and sub-folders but I don’t have that functionality in PDMLink.

A beer to the

Bob Lohbauer

[mdebower]

If the contexts already exist you can create a folder structure on a local disk and then use the "Upload from compressed file option" to get the folder structure into Windchill.

-marc

[Lohbauer]

Marc,

I tried it and it worked if I had some piece of data in one of the folders. If you need to simply Create an empty folder structure you just need to put a dummy file into one of the folders.

Bob Lohbauer

[CaitlinWheeless]

• If you are working in product and libraries, you can use a template to recreate the folder structure. See CS129445
  
  


• If you are working in projects or programs (ProjectLink), you can use the Export to File action and only select "Folder Structure" in the export options. See "Exporting a Project or Program"
  
  


• If you want to recreate folder structures within the same context, or within existing products and libraries, then there is a workaround that is slightly tedious depending on how many folders you're working with.
  
  
  
  
  1. Ensure each folder one document within it that has been created from a local file. If they don't, upload a placeholder document with a unique name. For example, "StructureABC.txt" and then copy and paste it into each folder and subfolder.
     
     This is the tedious part, but theoretically you'd only need to do it once. If you are using desktop integration, you can do this really quickly from Windows Explorer. (For all folders except for the ones that include a restricted character in the folder name.)
     
     
  
  
  2. Select the top folder and the perform a Download Documents to Compressed File operation. Make sure you select the following options: Include contents of subfolders and Save full path information
     
     
  
  
  3. This creates "document_contents.zip" to save locally. If you open in, the folders with restricted characters ("|") are hidden, but that's ok.
     
     
  
  
  4. Navigate to where you want to duplicate the folder structure and perform the Upload Documents from a Compressed File operation. Make sure you select the Use folder names checkbox.
     
     
  
  
  5. This will recreate the structure of all folders that had a document saved within it.
     
     
  
  
  6. Perform a global search for the placeholder document ("StructureABC.txt" in this example) and then use the Search Results table to delete all instances of that document at once.
  
  

[mdebower]

I was thinking there was a catch that needed to be worked around…

[mdebower]

Caitlin,

I was told by PTC tech support that the Export to File from a project was intended to go from one Windchill system to another. I was running into some issues with using that to update the folder structure of some projects and ran into some issues. I don't remember the exact issues now, it was several months ago.

-marc

[CaitlinWheeless]

I'm not aware of any limitation that would make an import/export operation work correctly between two systems and then fail between projects on the same system. Especially if you're just doing a simple folder structure.

You're not supposed to use it between major releases (e.g. don't export info from a 9.1 system and try to import it into 10.2). There might also be issues trying to import/export between Classic project templates and EPP ones. But in a fresh Windchill install, for the purposes of taking one empty folder structure and recreating it in another project -- there should be no problems whatsoever.

I'm actually working on getting dev to review/define/update all those options that appear in the various project Import/Export windows. If you remember what your earlier issues were, let me know and I can try to roll those questions in next time I harass the development team about it.

[grocha]

I think I was not clear, windchil doesnt allow me to copy paste empty folders to reproduce The structure, thats The main problem.
Some time ago Ive cheated on that creating a fake file and copy pasting it to all folders in The structure, used The download to compressed file function to download The structure to Windows and then used The create from compressed file function multiple times to reproduce The folder structure multiple times, in The end I made a search and deleted all The resulting fake files.
I cant do that now because in windchill The folder names have The pipe symbol, as Windows doesnt support it in folder names, it replaces it with The underscore symbol, now The downloaded structure cant be imported because it has The wrong folder names.
I ended up creating all The folders manually, took like one hour to do it, if there was an option to copy and paste folders in windchill it would take like ten minutes.

Os there other options to do it?

[cc-2]

Hello

I am not bringing any new technical solution as everything has been said. I am just wondering of the need of so many folders and sub-folders. Does your customer know that folders in any PDM are not designed to sort the data but for access permissions ? I feel that your customer is trying to replica is legacy data management (surely based on Windows Explorer) and he is creating a hell of a nightmare to administrate all this.

I recall when we implemented Windchill in my company. We focused on our product so got the people to access to work product centric rather than site centric. For our tooling departments, well, my team could not be on every battle. so we let them with their tens/hundreds folders. Even if the folders have all the same access permission, guess what happened. The new staff quickly checked in all the CAD in the same top level folders, and those who wanted all those folders ended up doing the same !!!

Of course I do not know the particular reason of your customer and work from assumption based on my experience and I am really interested in knowing why as I have never met a reason to create any sub folder in Windchill except for keeping a Windows Explorer type structure.

Best regards

[grocha]

That’s exactly what I have to do, keep legacy windows folder structure


I try always to influence people to keep it simple, and I create so many
saved searches and work with the table searches, etc, that after some time
the users tend to avoid folders, the problem is that people don’t adopt to
that idea in a blink of an eye, people want to feel safe and confident
before they open themselves to change.


Every time I tried to start an implementation or even the first meets with a
new customer saying that they should simplify their folder structure or
change their process radically I hear something like "who are you to say
that I’m working wrong?", then we start the Project with the left foot and
people tend to avoid new ideas.


So I prefer to take one step at time and first make sure they feel
comfortable and confident, reproducing their freaking folder structure that
they love so much and things like that, meantime I research with the users
what are the saved searches they could use and I create AND make sure
everybody knows how to use and create them. From there they tend to care
less about folders but until they get the idea I can’t force them...


A small part of my customers adopted the radical way, changing everything
before the go live, and that was The more stressful projects because I had
to manage angry users and too much drama and resistance...

When you are in the other side of the process, I mean, when you are selling
and implementing a system you realize that angry, drama and resistance are
very bad to the business, you have to manage each customer as they respond
to your provocations, some will accept your advices, some won’t



It’s easy to sell this to IT people, I see their eyes bright and the heavy
breathing when I show all the functions, but the engineering people are a
very different story, usually they are older people, very experienced, very
accomplished in their fields but very limited when you talk about systems
and the benefits of changes in the way they work, some of them have worked
successfully for 20+ years that way so they resist to change, that’s
changing fast nowadays but in the construction area that I’m involved with
right now is still like that.

I have a lot of customers with The same story you told me, haha







Estou a disposição para qualquer esclarecimento.

[grocha]

That’s exactly what I have to do, keep legacy windows folder structure…

I try always to influence people to keep it simple, and I create so many saved searches and work with the table searches, etc, that after some time the users tend to avoid folders, the problem is that people don’t adopt to that idea in a blink of an eye, people want to feel safe and confident before they open themselves to change.

Every time I tried to start an implementation or even the first meets with a new customer saying that they should simplify their folder structure or change their process radically I hear something like "who are you to say that I’m working wrong?", then we start the Project with the left foot and people tend to avoid new ideas.

So I prefer to take one step at time and first make sure they feel comfortable and confident, reproducing their freaking folder structure that they love so much and things like that, meantime I research with the users what are the saved searches they could use and I create AND make sure everybody knows how to use and create them. From there they tend to care less about folders but until they get the idea I can’t force them...

A small part of my customers adopted the radical way, changing everything before the go live, and that was The more stressful projects because I had to manage angry users and too much drama and resistance...

When you are in the other side of the process, I mean, when you are selling and implementing a system you realize that angry, drama and resistance are very bad to the business, you have to manage each customer as they respond to your provocations, some will accept your advices, some won’t…

It’s easy to sell this to IT people, I see their eyes bright and the heavy breathing when I show all the functions, but the engineering people are a very different story, usually they are older people, very experienced, very accomplished in their fields but very limited when you talk about systems and the benefits of changes in the way they work, some of them have worked successfully for 20+ years that way so they resist to change, that’s changing fast nowadays but in the construction area that I’m involved with right now is still like that.

I have a lot of customers with The same story you told me, haha

Guilherme Rocha

[CaitlinWheeless]

Guilherme -- Sorry, I don't know of any other ways around it.

I tried it on a 10.2 M020 Windchill install with Windows 7 and Firefox, and I was able to perform the download/upload from compressed file without losing the pipe characters. I uploaded some screenshots just to verify.

If Windows is the one converting the characters, you might try to download the compressed file to a cloud location. For example, if you have Google Drive installed. If you don't try to open it or unzip it, that might work.

[cc-2]

Hi Guilherme.

the joy of being an external consultant (I assume). Your customer has surely already told you that you do not understand how they work and therefore should do what they tell you because only they know best 🙂

I bet in a couple of years the same will complain why you did not advice them to have a lot less folders ?

I take you told them already that you can also automate folder location based on context and file type and this is an increase of productivity (with simple WS configuration) and having to browse and select through so many folders will slow down their productivity ? Have they developed a comprehensive attribute structure which make then their folder structure redundant ? (same thing with speaking/meaningfull/intelligent numbers)

Anyway. good luck !!!!

[grocha]

Thank you,



Being an external consultant has its ups and downs, overall I usually can
influence my customers before the go live and make a good solution, It’s all
about provoking they to think about it.

You never can impose something cause that creates an immediate barrier, you
always have to think the right questions to ask so they think they found the
answer themselves, that’s challenging cause sometimes they can’t find it
whatever you say






Estou a disposição para qualquer esclarecimento.