Enforce User's to check out entire family table when intending to modify.

[BillRyan]

One challenge in our Windchill environment is that we have user's checking in iterations of a generic or a generic/instance without iterating all other instances at the same time.  We want all instances to be iterated when any change to a family table occurs.  (one reason is mitigation on marked as modified but untouched issues notorious with family tables).  How are other companies attacking this problem?  I see one solution as a config option that only shows the "entire family table" options as shown in picture below.  Maybe this is possible?  Or maybe there is another alternative?

[JoãoGonçalves]

For Revise you can edit the Preference:

• Revise :: Collector :: Include Related CAD / Dynamic Documents = All

For Checkout I cannot find any Property to achieve that.

[BillRyan]

Thanks Joao,

This could satifsy most customers needs for the revise process.  Unfortunately, in our environment with large assemblie we don't have any collector setting for CAD documents at "Required" or "All" with the exception of Checkin.  

[kpritchard]

Bill,

Maybe the solution is more on the Creo side than Windchill.

You may want to consider using JLink for a custom app that automatically processes Family Tables as you have described behind the scenes.

[bsindelar]

Extending Joao's idea:  there are several different "Collectors" in the preferences.  Although there isn't one for "Check Out" specifically, there is a "General Collector" at:

Display :: General Collector :: Include Related CAD / Dynamic Documents = All

There are several other collectors that may not be as obvious what they apply to - maybe one applies for the Check Out operation.

[BillRyan]

Keir, you are probably right in regards to "customization" with Jlink.  

Bob, The workflow I am trying to optimize is the check-out and check-in process within Creo as I'm trying to minimize the amount of time a user refreshes the embedded workspace table and accesses the WC browser windows.  I've evaluated the WC Side Collector settings quite extensively.  It's possible I just haven't stumbled across the right combination!  My issue I'm seeing with the collectors is that they are not CAD type specific.  I am looking for unique settings for each cad object type: family table parts, family table assemblies, stand-alone parts and stand-alone assembly.  If I was only working with family table parts or stand-alone parts, then I could use the "ALL" settings in the collectors for "Set for checkout".  Maybe WC10.2 improves this functionality? We are in WC10.1.

I've highlighted the applicable settings below.  The "Include related family table objects" set to "All" only adds all the instances to the workspace.  The "Set for Checkout" setting is the one that checks-out all instances(if they were not all initially selected).

The Set for Check Out Options enhancement that may be needed is "Selected with Applicable Family Table Objects"