UserDefined Attributes of PDMlink on a Released Drawing with Promotion Workflow

[BrianSullivan]

We have a process where we nned to place the Approver and the Approved_By Date on Pro/Engineer Drawings and AutoCAD Drawings.

Current Process: Standard PTC Functionality
1. Drawing, Work in Progress, Checked Out. The User has to fill in ProE Parameters for Approver and Approved_By_Date.
2. Check In
3. Initiate a Promotion
4. In the Promotion the Approver Signs Off and the Promotion sets the state to "Released"
5. ProductView Publishes a New Viewable updating the System Attribute "Lifecycle State" on the Drawing.

We would like to have a Promotion Process update the USer Defined Attributes of Approver and Approved_By_Date for the Objects being promoted, Automatically.

The Current Process does not capture the true Approver (Could have been Delegated) or the true date of Approval (Could be 3 months before Approved)

The Alternate Workflow provided by default is to allow a group of Users access to the Released Objects... so that it can be Checked Out, the Actual Approver Update, the actual Approval Date Updated and then Checked Back in at Released. (The Negative of this is 2 iterations Checked In and the Second did not go through an approval process -which will not get past out Validation Team)

Process we would Like:
1. User Checks In
2. User initiate a Promotion
3. Approver Approves
4. (The Workflow updates the UserDefined Attributes for the objects)
5. The State is set to Released.
6. ProductView Publishes (Updates the Apprver, Approved_By_Date and the Sytem Attributes)

Has anyone made a workflow update the objects User Defined Attributes?

Brian Sullivan

[matthew.yacono]

Brian,

What version of Windchill are you on?

Matthew Yacono (x7559)

[MikeLockwood]

Probably not possible (and undesirable) to change any attributes without iterating. Probably need to start with that fact. It becomes chicken or the egg first type of problem.

Is possibly using the variables in a ProductView watermark instead of attributes in a drawing title block an option? SInce the watermark is evaulated when a user accesses the drawing's viewable, this might do it. There are limited variables available OTB to PV, but maybe they could be supplemented.

[BrianSullivan]

I was asked the Build.

Windchill 9.0 M060.

Also Mike, Life Cycle State is an Attribute and we all change it all the time from CommonSpace. (Intralink 3.X, PDMLink, etc.. create a token.. i.e. it holds the new value and updates the Pro/E when it opens... Just Migrated AutoCAD data from Intralink... Attrbutes change in Intralink 3.x update into the AutoCAD2008 in PDMLink...)
I think it is the fundamental nature of the system to be able to pass information to the CAD Objects... My intent is yes that the Visuliazation File would show the information... since the Visualization is the File seen by 98% of employees. (Pro/E and AutoCAD would be updated each time it was opened)... but yes a Risk since not actually in the iteration Released prior to it being released.

Lastly,
I have gotten one response from Germany that it is possible by developing an infoengine task that does it from a consulting company in Germany. They did it for a attribute Checker and Checker Date.

Brian

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