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MikeLockwood22-Sapphire I
22-Sapphire I
October 9, 2009
Question

Desktop Integration - mapping properties to attributes

  • October 9, 2009
  • 6 replies
  • 4423 views

Anyone using Desktop Integration with property mapping? We are interested in using it to make Word documents like "smart" Pro/E drawing formats.

From what I tried, we're missing something on the mechanism for refreshing attribute values - see attached. Note: To see the codes in Word, toggle Field Codes on / off.

No reply on this yet from tech support. We'd really like to use this - hoping that the content of the Word file that you download is not dependent on having DTI on each machine used for download - but that's secondary to getting it to update attribute values at all.

6 replies

H
HugoHermans12-Amethyst
12-Amethyst
September 6, 2010

Hi Mike,

Have you found solutions on mapping Windchill attributes to Ms Office document properties?

I'm trying to implement DTI as well, based on MS Office 2003. But the mapping isn't OK. If I interpret it correctly, your example isn't either. E.g., how do you retrieve the 'last modify date' or the 'modified by' attributes in Word?

I haven't logged a call yet, but will do shortly.

Regards, Hugo.


<< ProE WF3 M230 - PDMLink9.1 M050 >>

M
MikeLockwood22-Sapphire IAuthor
22-Sapphire I
September 6, 2010
There is no mechanism available to force updating of Windchill attributes that map to Word file properties on download of a Word document. The mechanism is there for getting the same via ProductView, but getting the file directly or thru ProductView one can expect that they will never match. Some method such as a simple work group manager may in fact be needed, in order to force updating of the attributes.

We don't know of any progress or plans for this from PTC. Seems that we cannot implement it as is though.
C
cc-21-Visitor
1-Visitor
September 6, 2010

Hello

we have a lot of MS Office files managed in PDMLink and we map the PDMLink attributes. As always we had surprises at the beginning but now it is working very well.

There are some client configuration. For instance in installing Windchill Desktop Integration even for the users who only read the file because in order to update/map the attribute one must use Windchill Desktop Integration as the Download Mechanism . The option for the download Mechanism is available in the user preferences/Attachment.

All the system attributes are not available for mapping but most of them are sometimes in weird name. For instance Description in PDMLink is Comment in Word. All our soft attributes are also available for mapping. Word is actually easy to do. excel a bit more tricky but it is not possible to map anything with Powerpoint.

I have attached some internal documentation + some I got from people who helped me in the past.

Hope this helps, otherwise let me know see if I can be of further help

Best regards

    C
    cc-21-Visitor
    1-Visitor
    September 6, 2010
    It only works for MS Office 2003 and 2007. We have tried with OpenOffice and it is not supported.
    J
    JoePriest10-Marble
    10-Marble
    September 10, 2010

    Mike,

    You mentioned the use of updating attributes via Productview. As was mentioned, it requires the DTI client on the user's end to process the updating of the attributes in the native doc. All Productview is doing is opening the static representation (PDF most likely) that has that attribute data captured as of the point in time the rep was made. Your doc worker will be using the DTI functionality on the back end when the rep is being made.

    Joe

    M
    MikeLockwood22-Sapphire IAuthor
    22-Sapphire I
    September 10, 2010
    Absolutely true.

    Both the DTI download and accessing via ProductView give the correct result.

    The only reason we're hesitant to start using is our reluctance to force the use of DTI download for ALL uses of MS Word doc's with Windchill. But - maybe our organization is ready for that now. It will just take some training and a lot of local installs (on all shared conference room computers also) of DTI.

    We think it's a good thing in general - just need to see if forcing all computers to have the install and to be set up correctly is worth it for the benefits - probably so.


    C
    cc-21-Visitor
    1-Visitor
    October 6, 2021

    Hi Mike @MikeLockwood 

     

    Just wondering, 11 years later,  are your still using DTI and what do you think of it.

    From my side, back in 2009, it had become the standard for all MS Office files checked in to Windchill.  We had WTDoc templates including subtypes and the more linkages with attributes the better.

    Over the years I have worked in different companies, some working with other PLM systems but having the same type of functionalities and I was always surprised to see that many admin did not even know what they could do with such functionalities.  While I find it so powerful.

     

    It is a shame though that Powerpoint still can't be integrated the same way as far as I know.

     

    What about you @HugoHermans ?

    ScottMorris
    ScottMorris17-Peridot
    17-Peridot
    October 6, 2021

    Microsoft still does not support Document Properties in Powerpoint, that is why there is no integration. I am always shocked with each new release that does not contain this critical capability.

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