My thinking was correct but a few people added pearls of wisdom worth sharing (and archiving):
ORIGINAL QUESTION:
Hi - we're migrating from IL 3.4 to PDML and going over our mess of parameters... trying to determine what the criteria is for deciding to migrate parameters to the new database.
Just because a parameter is used on a model doesn't necessarily mean you need it in PMDL, correct? I would think you only want to migrate parameters that are actually used (as search criteria?) inside the database... any holes in that logic?
REPLIES:
How many of those parameters in your legacy files are designated? If you have designated parameters in the file, but no mapped attributes for them in PDMLink, you will continue to be prompted about the mismatch whenever you check in.
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Too many CAD folk think they should just export all their CAD attributes, but like you said, if you aren't showing them in reports, using them for some integration (say to ERP) or using them for search, there is little use in exporting the data so that it shows in the PDM system.
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Sounds like sound logic to me. There are a lot of parameters - those that are used in only one or a handful of models & not in all the others - that you don't want tracked in the database; this is why pro/e has the Designate function.
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Search criteria is a good way to determine what parameters you what in PDML. Also consider/add any that you wish to report on (such as including in a BOM). Finally, consider if there are parameters that don't belong in the model, but do belong in your database (maybe
cost?)
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Our parts may have dozens of parameters inside them. We only have two that we declared to intralink. Description (defore IL had descritpion) and Material. Lately we have added revision description because we had to. We're still on IL for now, I'm just saying - you only want the parameters you search by.
-Ter
Terrence (Terry) McFall
CAD Systems Administrator
Varian Medical Systems
911 Hansen Way
Palo Alto, CA 94304
650-424-6039 desk
650-799-0179 cell
