Rename number option greyed out - modify identity?

[ptc-2734082]

I am a mechanical engineer and working with the system administrator to implement Windchill 10 at our company.

Once a part is checked-in, we would like the ability to rename the "number" in the system. We often start a new product with names like "block" and "screw". Once a product moves into to the quote stage, individual parts are given company part numbers. Is seems that once a part is in Whindchill we can not rename the "name" of the part. This option is greyed out. The work around that we are currently using is to do a save-as.

From reading the help files it seems that we need to grant the Modify Identity Permission, but out sys admin does not have this option.

Any help would be greatly apreciated!

[mspencer]

It should be there...but may depend on how your system is setup and where your access policies are defined. Ours are setup in the Product level, but they could also be pushed down from the organization or site level. Are you at the product -> Utilities -> Policy Administration. You can drill down from the organizations and view the policies from there. Depending on your access level, you can also see if they are inherited from the orgainization level. hope that helps.

[ptc-2734082]

Max,

Maybe this is what I am looking for? Do you think you could provide additional information. All I would like to do is modify the name of a part.

[mspencer]

It is difficult to help out specifically because there are many different ways to control access policies. The method i pointed out is where you need to go (utilities -> policy administration). Areas to understand are how complicated is your structure, where are you wishing to grant this permission, and what object types are you are wishing to modify (WTParts, EPMDocuments, etc)? If you have multiple organizations, products, or libraries, think before you make a change and plan for the best context. the general steps are to: locate the context where you wish to grant the permission, identify the role of the person who should be granted permission (designer, engineer, etc), find the associated entry in the list of permission rules, and finally edit it to give modify identity permissions. Also, if you are planning to create more products/libraries in the near future, it would be a good idea to update the product/library template with the change if you are making the change in that context.

Sorry to answer your question with more questions and open ends, but it can vary widely between installations and the access policies can get quite complex. In my system, the access policy for modify identity is granted within the specific product/library context. hope that helps.

[ptc-2734082 · Accepted solution]

We discovered the solution to the problem. It required editing a .XML and loading it into windchill. Apparently the default setting prevents allowing this parameter from being edited. We needed to remove the setting in the .XML file. Why PTC does this...I have no idea.

[MikeLockwood]

You very likely used the default auto-numbering configuration. This is a feature of the system - but it seems that few real companies use it - in favor or "semi-significant" numbering.

Editing the XML file is part of managing object initialization rules (OIR's), which is a key element of business admin. Making the decision to autonumber or not is a key one - made for each object type in each area potentially.

One other note. The Modify Identity permission needs to be applied for all existing states of an object (e.g. a Drawing CAD Document). If for example the history includes A.1 In Work, A.2 Released and B.1 In Work, then a user needs Modify Identity at both the In Work and Released states.

Note also that "Rename" gives access to change both the Number and Name; for CAD, also the filename - each of which is independent.

[ptc-2734082]

Odd that PTC sets the default auto-numbering configuration to a setting that most companies don't use.

Why not make the default a setting that allows for easy editing, then if a company requests an advanced option they are directed to the .XML file?

I am sure there is a reason but PTC makes setting configurations extremly difficult, complex, and not user friendly. As if they make it complicated to force contacting of distributor training and services.

Perhaps a different conversation, but if PTC does not work to make setting configuration more user intuitive they are going to really start hemoraging customers to SolidWorks and Inventor.