Projects and the PDM

elecworks™ allows you to connect to your document management system, also known as a PDM. Two management modes are available, depending on your environment (your company-specific PDM, or SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional. The projects manager displays specific to let you update data in the PDM.

PDM file updates are based on configuration parameters.

An option dialog box opens asking you if you want to update the report and terminal strip drawings (according to the project configuration settings).

Update drawings: All report, design rule and terminal strip drawings are updated before running the command.

Continue action without updating: Report, design rule and terminal strip drawings are not updated and the command runs.

Cancel: The command stops and drawings are not updated.

Specific PDM

Select this command, and files are copied into the base directory managed by the PDM, according to configuration parameters. Integrating files into the PDM remains the user's responsibility.

SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional

The SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional group of icons in the projects manager is visible when a SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional client is installed on the workstation and you select the Check In/Check Out option in the PDM settings.

Two commands are available to transfer a project from the SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional vault to elecworks™ and back.

The PDM status column in the list of projects displays the status of the project in relation to SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional.

An empty column means that the project is not in SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional.

Checked Out means that the project is managed in the SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional.

Check In

Save a project in SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional. elecworks™ creates an archive file and stores it in the directory managed by SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional (vault). Several projects can be saved simultaneously.

After saving, a dialog box opens to let you define project removal options.

Project is in progress: The project is saved in SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional, but is not removed from the projects manager.

Project is complete: The project is saved in SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional and removed from the projects manager. Use the Check Out command to access it later.

Check Out

Import a project stored in the SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional vault. The project is dearchived and added to the list of projects. Checked Out is displayed in the PDM Status column for the project.