Forms in Windchill PDMLink (or ProjectLink)

[dguidry]

I am looking for others in the PTC/USER community that have an interest in creating and managing forms in Windchill.  The business case I have in mind are a few forms that are related to parts and and it would be nice to have them in Windchill to take advantage relating them and integrating the forms' workflows and/or incorporating them in change object workflows.

If you interested in any situation where you would like a form as an object in Windchill, please send me a message or post to this discussion.

Thanks!

Darren Guidry

[kpritchard]

Hi Darren,

I'm probably missing something but I'm thinking you can use a combination of Document Sub-Types and Templates.  The Template is essentially the form at that point and creating a new Document essentially creates a new "Record" Document (with unfilled form as initial content).  The question I have is would you relate to the Part (WTPart) or a Part Instance?

Maybe you can elaborate on your use case?

[dguidry]

Having a document subtype and template is my "workaround".  The issue is, I do not want primary content, only attributes and maybe attachments.  Having a doc type of a form (something like a document where it is by definition no content, so users wouldn't even have the option) would be easier to work with, and something I think is missing in Windchill.  Also, if we can get PTC's attention, forms would likely have different kinds of relationships to other objects than documents have being they usually behave differently in business processes than typical documents. 

So, anyone using documents as forms and finding that there are shortcomings with the document's behavior is who I am looking to connect with.  Maybe you are one of those people?

[cc-2]

can't you force your document subtype template to be NO CONTENT ?

[dguidry]

I have not figured that out yet, but it still wouldn't quite get me what I want, which is another tool in my toolbelt for process architecting.  In the end, I may live with what I can do with documents (and possibly Desktop Integration) to meet my company's needs.  I am just hoping to see if anyone else sees need in this.

[sm]

Darren, I would suggest posting this as a new Windchill Product Idea. The only method I am aware of to simulate a form in Windchill is a no-content document with attributes. I hosted a Windchill Technical Committee session on this topic two years ago. There was a lot of interest, but different use cases and needs. Some folks were interested in an integration with Adobe Forms, while others were looking for more advanced form layout tools in Windchill like Sales Force to create native forms.

[dguidry]

Scott,

I was hoping to gain some other people interested before I put the idea over as a Windchill Product Idea.  I was at that Technical Committee meeting two years ago, and have been disappointed that it didn't take off.  I will be attending the Technical Committee Meetings starting today.  If you are here in Nashville, contact me. 

[sm]

I am right there with you on forms. I assumed this was a core capability people would be excited about. Unfortunately, I am not at the conference this year. If you're interested in process and get a chance, stop by the Process Director booth and have a chat with Jon Archer. He's got some pretty cool stuff that not a lot of people have seen.