search results columns

[davehaigh]

Is there a way to show the filename in a column of the search results?

I've added the preference to show the filename field in the search criteria. The search results however only show the name and number columns not the filename column. I see no way to add that column in view customize.

Using 9.1. Did they update this for 10.0?

Our ProE users don't give a damn about the name and number. They want to know what the filename is.

David Haigh
Phone: 925-424-3931
Fax: 925-423-7496
Lawrence Livermore National Lab
7000 East Ave, L-362
Livermore, CA 94550

[MikeLockwood]

Nope. Need to use a query builder report instead.

[davehaigh]

The problem with advanced search is there is no default field to type in the filename to search for.

You have to change what your searching for to Workgroup Manager CAD Document.
Then change the Criteria to File Name, Add that and then type in the string you want to match.
Finally you would have had to customize the search results view to show the filename.

The issue is, if you have FAST indexing everything. Then using the keyword field to search for filenames doesn't work.
The most effective way to find ProE files is to use the filename field inside the simple search. (you have to turn on a preference in order to see this field.)
[cid:image002.jpg@01CC7D07.A9B18BD0]

It seems stupid to me that PDMLink makes it so difficult to search for filenames, and get results that show filenames. The name and number mean virtually nothing inside ProE, other than the name = common name in ProE. The problem is the common name/name can be wrong or non-unique. My users want to see the filename. It's rare that they need to go to advanced search to search on parameters.


David Haigh

[MikeLockwood]

Major, major point - the CAD Document NUMBER should match the CAD filename - then all works well.

[davehaigh]

I will bet that most ProE designers start designing with logical names for their ProE parts and assemblies. They names get changed in PDMLink before release.

That's the way I work, it's the most efficient way to find the parts I'm looking for while I'm designing.

I don't think you can ensure or mandate that the number and filename field match. There is no automatic method to make them match. And since you start modeling in ProE, which knows nothing about "numbers" in PDMLink, I don't think any automatic method can be devised.

All I'm asking for is to allow me to show the filename in the results of the simple search. That can't be that hard.
I'll bet my bottom dollar that a lot of other users besides CAD jockeys want to see the filename in the search results.

PTC, how hard can this be?

David Haigh
Phone: 925-424-3931
Fax: 925-423-7496
Lawrence Livermore National Lab
7000 East Ave, L-362
Livermore, CA 94550

From: Lockwood,Mike,IRVINE,R&D [

[avillanueva]

What about the search tab within Wildfire?

[davehaigh]

Certainly find inside of ProE is another method to search on the filename. And it does allow you to modify the results columns to show the filename.
However that only works inside of ProE. There are many tasks you want to do outside of the embedded browser.

This morning's task was to delete a bunch of files for a user. I wasn't in ProE and didn't want to start ProE just to do the delete.

It's like PDMLink wants to hide the filename from the user. Out of the box, PDMLink shows you one set of columns when looking at Product Folders and a different set in a different order in the workspace. Totally confusing to the new user. I want to see the filename in the first column regardless of the context I'm in. When a users primary job is working with files, they want to see the filename.

If I were just working with data in PDMLink, stuff that has no associated file, I can see where the filename column is unimportant. However most of what happens in our system concerns actual files.

David Haigh

[avillanueva]

I can see the frustration with simple or basic search. However, basic
search needs to be general for all objects. Many items do not carry
primary content, so filename would only apply to CAD docs and WTDocs.
For WTParts returning in the search results, its an empty field. That
being said, the advanced search should suffice since it can be
configured like you want. Save that search and then make it available
to all users. It should be at most, 2 clicks away. Click search, use the
save search drop down and you are there. I do not know about the
stickiness of the search results custom view but I think it may align to
the saved search. What I have found is that while you cannot link
directly so search results, it is possible to link directly to a saved
search. This allows users to jump directly to a pre-configured save
search where all they need to do is fill out a few parameters to run the
search. You can create a webpage in whatever sites you run with the
standard saved searches to assist the users.

[sdrzewiczewski]

After you run the advanced search as an admin you can edit the default table view for that object type. This will easily allow you to show filename for any advanced search for epm docs.

Also you can determine the URL of the saved search and share that or bookmark it. The easiest way you can get the URL is from the saved search page that allows you to show and hide them. If you right click on the search name that will give you a URL that will allow you to run it over and over again.

Steve D.

Sent from my iPhone

[pperry]

As Mike said it is good practice to have the Number and the filename to be the same. There is a vehicle to do this automatically (at least in 9.1 M040) whenever you do a rename or a save as. If you click on the Set New Name icon in the toolbar the interface has a checkbox to keep the filename the same as the number.

From a user standpoint I really do not care what the filename is. What ever number is being sent to prodcution that is going to be placed on our product is what is of concern to me. That "part number" is reflected by the Number field in our Windchill. We do use WTParts to report structure and our WtParts are related to the number field of the EPMDocuments -- not the filename. If we have a particular problem from a warranty issue, the customer calls us with the part number, not the filename.

In my design experience (going back to the original days in CAD) nobody really cared what I named the file, they only cared what number was on the output (in the old days it was a plot) that I handed them. In the original days of cad we did not have PDM system so it was a requirement to have the file same as the drawing number just so we could find the proper file. With PDM systems that is no longer a restriction. I can remember working on objects in Intralink that the filename in Pro/E did not reflect the Intralink name in a workspace (Intralink handled the "renaming" on the fly).So how important is the actual file you modify if production gets the right number?

Patrick Perry -- BAE Systems (Sealy)