Vault 2015 R2 - Subscription Release

Autodesk has just announced the R2 subscription release of Vault 2015 Workgroup and Professional.

The main improvements to the vault functionality are:

Copy Design

New workflows and productivity enhancements, including reference-based copy, property and file behaviour management, automatic file numbering, and performance improvements.

Vault Office

 

A new client is avaliable which allows non designers to participate in document release and change order management 

Unified Lifecycles

Items can now have a company defined lifecycle path in the same manner as files. Categories, Numbering Scheme and Revisions can now be controlled.

For the full list of changes see the link below:

http://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/vault-products/getting-started/caas/CloudHelp/cloudhelp/2015/ENU/Vault/files/GUID-0ADFC21B-C4E7-4197-A753-3132304F869D-htm.html

This new release should be regarded as an upgrade to the vault (the same as 2014 to 2015) not an update. Major changes to the Vault API means a full migration is needed after the install.

It should also be noted that some Vault Professional functionality has been removed:

• Compare Bill of Materials
• Item Import
• Item Export
• Item Package Service API’s
• Purge Item
• Purge
• Purge All
• Item Restore
• Item Rollback Lifecycle State Change
• Item Effectively
• Restricting Item Lifecycle State Change to Change Orders

We recommend that you fully read the whats new information before committing to the upgrade.  

It is also good practise to install any version upgrades, such as this, to a test environment prior to upgrading your production Vault. You will need to test how your workflow procedures and processes will be affected and understand any changes that may be required. Further user instruction may be necessary on the new version.

Vault 2014 Service Pack 2

Service Pack 2 for Vault has been released.
Do not install this if you are on Vault Subscription Release 1, see this blog article.


Ensure you thoroughly read the readme before applying this update, which can be found here:

http://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/vault-products/downloads/caas/downloads/content/autodesk-vault-2014-service-pack-2-for-autodesk-vault-basic-2014-autodesk-vault-workgroup.html

Vault WG/Pro 2014 update paths

Updating your Vault server and client is always something to plan in advance, especially the server as it will take the Vault offline while it upgrades and then take time to migrate your databases to the latest version.

If you are running Vault Workgroup or Professional and are using, or intend to use the Subscription Release, then the latest service pack offerings from Autodesk should be handled with slightly more care than usual.

The following upgrade path is advised:

Vault > Vault SP1 > Vault Subs1 > Vault Subs1 SP1

You should ignore Vault SP2 completely where the Subs Release is concerned.

If you are not on subscription, or do not want to use the Subs Release, then the standard path of SP1 then SP2 will not be a problem.

A tip is not to launch the ADMS Console until you have applied all updates.  Launching mid-way will require a separate migration for each stage.

S.C.

Installations and You, 2015

It is that time of year again!  The 2015 product releases are starting to trickle out on the subscription site, and many of you will be taking advantage and adopting early.  Whether you are keen to try out the new features, or just to take comfort in being at the latest version, it will pay dividends to pause for thought and consider the following before your itchy trigger mouse finger tries to cash cheques that your smooth-running design office can't handle.

Backup your data

Firstly, the Vault.  This is the most important one not to get wrong.  The potential for unexpected downtime while efforts are made to restore functionality is fairly high, and there is the possibility of data loss.
Pose these questions to yourself, or the IT individuals involved in your upgrade/install:

- Do you have experience with the installation or upgrade of Vault and are aware of the potential pitfalls?
- Have you read the installation guide, cover to cover?  There's a lot of content in there and it is all important.
- Do you have an understanding of how Vault relates to SQL Server?
- Do you know the part that IIS plays in your set-up?

If you answer no to any of these questions then you need to either put in some time to understand what is required prior to your install, or get an experienced professional involved.

Backup your data

When it comes to Inventor, there are some important aspects to consider particularly when upgrading.  Backing up your Application Options is just the tip of the iceberg:

- Do you know which resources are shared on your network and how to back them up?
- Do you understand which non-shared resources get completely replaced during an upgrade and how this might affect your projects?
- Are you aware of the migration process in its various forms?

Then there is licensing.  Do not mix up single and network at the install - a mistake here will likely lead you to reinstalling the entire suite (the registry can be modified instead but only if you are confident in knowing which keys to change, and this has to be done for every individual application).

Backup your data

- Do you have your new license file, with the correct server information?
- Do you need to upgrade LM Tools?
- Can your clients communicate with the license server and do you know how to diagnose if they can't?

Micro Concepts support line will be available to offer advice on any specific queries you have with your installation.  If you are certain that you want to proceed on your own then we would advise clearing up any gaps in your knowledge before you do and give us a call to run things through.

Backup your data

Unfortunately what we cannot do is guide you step by step or run installations remotely.  This is due to the length of time the actual installation process takes and this can become much longer when issues arise, the diagnosis of which is compounded by the sheer number of variables that could be the cause.  For Micro Concepts to be involved any deeper than an advisory role it is necessary to arrange a site visit.  If you choose to hire the services of another contractor, make sure you confirm with them that they absolutely know what they are doing!

Finally:  Backup your data!

Vault Transmittal - need only the dwfs but the transmittal doesn't give the required information

There's a pack and go tool in Vault that is great for sharing files outside of  vault, that gives options for a complete pack and go of assemblies, and all required parts or just the dwfs and sending these directly to an email. It even includes a tool for automatically creating a transmittal report and attaching that in the zip. The transmittal report is fully customisable to include the information and properties you require.
The only problem is when you create a pack and go and choose to just include dwfs (a common scenario when sending out information), the information in the report just includes the information about the dwfs, not the issue number and status of the main files.
Of course you can create your own custom add in to vault to do this (and even share files over a number of different methods such as directly to Autodesk 360), but that could be time consuming to get the extra 1% functionality required from the pack and go tool.
We have created a workaround to this problem which involves manipulating a generated pack and go zip once it is attached to an email, to strip out everything apart from the pdfs, and dwfs of drawings.
Using the pack and go tool, generate a zip of the models, drawings and dwfs and attach to an email. Building filtering in to the report template to only include information on the required files, and remove the information on spurious additional files. Then run the macro below in outlook to strip out all files except for required dwfs and pdfs.
It's a bit crude and basic, but functional and quickly helps achieve an outcome that overcomes the limitations in the existing functionality.

Public Sub clearzipattachedfile()

If TypeOf Application.ActiveWindow Is Outlook.Inspector Then
      processzip (Application.ActiveInspector.CurrentItem)
End If
End Sub

 

Private Sub processzip(obj As Outlook.MailItem)
Dim Att As Outlook.Attachment
Dim Path As String
Path = Environ("temp") & "\"
For Each Att In obj.Attachments
        If Right(Att.FileName, 3) = "zip" Then
            Dim tempfile As String
            tempfile = Path & Att.FileName
            'save zip to temp folder
            Att.SaveAsFile (tempfile)
            'remove zip file from email
            Att.Delete
            'delete files from zip file
            Call deletefilesfromzip(tempfile)
            'add updated zip back to mail
            obj.Attachments.Add (tempfile)
           'delete zip file from temp folder
            VBA.FileSystem.Kill (tempfile)
       End If
Next
End Sub

Private Sub deletefilesfromzip(zipfile As String)

'macro to delete all files in a folder
On Error Resume Next
'extract files to zipfile
Dim filenamefolder As String
filenamefolder = Left(zipfile, Len(zipfile) - 4)
MkDir filenamefolder
Set oApp = CreateObject("Shell.Application")
oApp.NameSpace((filenamefolder)).CopyHere oApp.NameSpace((zipfile)).Items
Set FileSys = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
FileSys.DeleteFile zipfile
Call newzip(zipfile)
Call deletefiles(filenamefolder, zipfile)
FileSys.deletefolder filenamefolder
Set FileSys = Nothing
End Sub

Private Sub deletefiles(foldername, zipname)

Dim FileSys 'As FileSystemObject
Dim objFile 'As vba.File
Dim myFolder
Set FileSys = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
Set myFolder = FileSys.GetFolder(foldername)
For Each subf In myFolder.subfolders
   Call deletefiles(subf.Path, zipname)
Next subf

'loop through each file and check for name match

For Each objFile In myFolder.Files
        If Right(objFile.Name, 7) <> "dwg.dwf" And Right(objFile.Name, 7) <> "idw.dwf" And Right(objFile.Name, 3) <> "pdf" Then
            objFile.Delete
        Else
            'add back to zip
            Set oApp = CreateObject("Shell.Application")
            Dim i As Integer
            i = 0
            On Error Resume Next
            i = oApp.NameSpace((zipname)).Items.Count
            oApp.NameSpace((zipname)).CopyHere objFile.Path
            Do Until oApp.NameSpace((zipname)).Items.Count = i + 1
                Application.Wait (Now + TimeValue("0:00:01"))
            Loop
        Set oApp = Nothing
        End If
Next objFile
Set FileSys = Nothing
Set myFolder = Nothing
End Sub

Private Sub newzip(sPath)

'Create empty Zip File

    If Len(dir(sPath)) > 0 Then Kill sPath

    Open sPath For Output As #1

    Print #1, Chr$(80) & Chr$(75) & Chr$(5) & Chr$(6) & String(18, 0)

    Close #1

End Sub

Mapping AutoCAD Block Attributes into Vault

In Vault, when you want to map properties from an Inventor file into Vault, it is a simple case of selecting that file at the mapping stage and choosing from the list of properties which are then populated in the Import Properties dialogue.

With AutoCAD block attributes, it's not so straightforward.  For these, you have to index them first on the ADMS console, which effectively requires access to your Vault server.

On the ADMS Console, go to Tools > Index Block Attributes

Create a New entry and give it the exact name of your AutoCAD block.  Here we are entering "Title1-1" which contains no link to any AutoCAD file - it is just a reference for now.

Adding an index for a block called "Title1-1"

Once you have the index in place, Vault will then be able to extract attributes from any AutoCAD file with a block which has that name, as properties.

On the Vault client, go to Tools > Administration > Vault Settings > Behaviours tab > Properties button

From here, either edit or create a new property and ensure it has an association.  It doesn't have to have the same name as the block but for clarity we have done so in this instance:

At the Import Properties stage, when you select the AutoCAD file containing the block, this window will now become populated with the attributes contained within.

Vault 2014 SP1 Hotfix 1

A new hotfix is available for Vault 2014, client and server.  Please read the readme and follow the instructions for your setup.

 DL21995541.zip

Description of the Issues

1. The Change Order Approval dialog now supports Windows authentication.
2. Resolved a revision sorting order that resulted in the 'attach file' and 'edit item BOM' features to be non-functional.
3. Resolved multiple content source property provider issues to prevent DWG check in problems and IIS worker process crashes.
4. The Web Client now logs in properly after an automatic log out.
5. Adding a new property to a replicated file and attempting to check out the file or edit the property, incorrectly resulted in the error, "The requested file was missing from the file store."

As always, updating Vault should be a planned event when it is most convenient for your users and server manager so please consult with each other before executing the fix.

Vault Ribbon disappears in Inventor 2014

There is currently an issue that the Vault Ribbon in Inventor 2014 disappears after doing some interactions in Inventor 2014:

Workaround:
Open the Add-In Manager in Inventor 2014 and "Show Hidden Members":

You will see that there are 2 EDM Addins.

Go to the EDM Addin with the location mscoree.dll and untick the Load Automatically option.
Restart Inventor and double check the EDM Addin (mscoree.dll) the "Loaded/Unloaded" and the "Load Automatically" should be unticked.
Now the issue should be resolved.
Thank you very much to Daniel Stockinger who shared this workaround!
This was originally posted (in German) here.

Vault 2013 Service Pack 1 Update 1 or Update 2?

After installing Vault 2013 Service Pack 1 Update 1 , you click on Help>About from the Pull down menu's

You notice that that under Build 17.2.9.0 you see "Update 2 "

This should read "Update 1"

Its minor, but possibly confusing. The build number indicates the installed version. 

Autodesk development are not currently intending to address this. However, it will be addressed if the opportunity arises in another update\fix.

Posted By Andy (Application Engineer)

Find Vault Files where DWF Previews are not Available or Out of Date

Have you ever wanted to find all files where the DWF(x) previews need to be updated? Or files that do not have DWF(x) previews at all?

Well you can, using the system property Visualisation Attachment, you can find all files which have no preview or a preview that needs updating:

Once found you can then select all files in the search result and perform an Update View - Queued Update (Update Locally will only work on a single file).

Note: the search results are only true with the current version of each file.

This is an extract from the Cracking the Vault, Manufacturing Community Blog

Support of SQL Server 2012 with Vault 2013

Autodesk Vault 2013 (all editions) and all previous releases of Vault are not supported with SQL Server 2012.

Possible support of SQL Server 2012 with the next version of Vault will be reviewed.

This is an extract from the Cracking the Vault, Manufacturing Community Blog

SQL Maintenance Plans For Vault

Maintenance Plans can be used to schedule tasks required to make sure that the database performs well, such as keeping database and transaction log file sizes small and checking the database for inconsistencies. Autodesk recommends that the plan be run at least once per week, during out of office hours.

In a Connected Workgroup Environment, this should be configured on each SQL Server.

Part of the Administrators tasks should be to regularly check that the plan ran successfully.

If the plan was configured for an earlier release of Vault Server, ensure that you check and update the plan in accordance with this article.

The following steps are universal across all versions of SQL in use with Vault Server (Express and Full SQL). The complete list of supported database engines is located in the product readme file.

Create a SQL Maintenance Plan for Full SQL

Create a Maintenance Script for Microsoft SQL Express

Vault Keyboard Shortcuts

For those of you who like their Keyboard Shortcuts, you can use hotkeys to quickly access Vault commands too.

Vault Client

Paste		Ctrl+V
Open		Ctrl+O
Print		Ctrl+P
Cut		Ctrl+X
Copy		Ctrl+C
Paste as link		Ctrl+Alt+V
Select All		Ctrl+A
Delete		Ctrl+D
Edit Properties…		Ctrl+E
Move to Folder…		Ctrl+Shift+V
Refresh		F5
Find		Ctrl+F
Manage Ownership…		Ctrl+M
Update		Ctrl+U
Change Item Number		Ctrl+H
Check In…		Ctrl+I
Check Out…		Ctrl+O
Go to Working Folder		Ctrl+W
Help		F1
Back		Ctrl+Left
Forward		Ctrl+right

Support of .NET Framework 4.5 and Vault 2013

Microsoft recently released the version .NET Framework 4.5.

At this stage Vault 2013 (Server and Client) and all previous releases of Vault are not supported with .NET Framework 4.5. Installing .NET Framework 4.5 is done at your own risk!

Autodesk have already received reports of Vault not working properly after installing .NET Framework 4.5.

This is an extract from the Cracking the Vault, Manufacturing Community Blog

Vault Office Addin Not Appearing After Installing DL19837065

After installing DL19837065 (link no longer available as it has been unpublished), you may notice that the Vault 2013 addin for Microsoft Office applications either stops working (the icons are greyed out) or you may get an error similar to this when trying to run them.

Could not load file or assembly
'Autodesk.DataManagement.Client.Framework.Vault.Forms, version=17.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=aa20f34aedd220e1' or one of its dependencies. An attempt was made to load a program with an incorrect format.

Autodesk have re-released a fix for this issue that includes additional fixes in DL20133057.

So uninstall DL19837065 and install the newer Hotfix.

This is an extract from the Cracking the Vault, Manufacturing Community Blog

Vault 2013 Re-Index File Property Improvements

Several controls have been added to the Re-Index File Property tool in the 2013 Autodesk Data Management Server (ADMS) console, enabling Administrators to filter by extension, provider and date range to help reduce the number of files affected by a Re-index operation.

To run a Re-Index File Property, log in to ADMS 2013 console on your server, then expand the Vaults folder to reveal your Vault (name may vary depending on configuration). Select your Vault to highlight it, then go to the Actions menu > Re-Index File Properties.

Check In Related Items from Inventor to Vault

New functionality on the Vault Addin for Inventor, allows users to scan the current project or model folder for related documentation, including IDW, DWG, and IPN files. This feature offers a major productivity enhancement for users who do not regularly Check In their design documentation as they create it.

• In previous versions of Vault when you ran a Check In from Inventor, it would check in the immediately related files. So in the example below we have a Drawing which contains views of a small Assembly and its Parts.

Batch Update Out of Date Vault Visualisation Files

For one reason or another it may be useful to do a batch update of Visualisation files (DWF/DWFx) inside Vault Professional. Below are steps to complete this on more of a batch level, rather than file by file, utilising the Job Server.

• The first step is to Enable Job Server, go to Tools > Administration > Global Settings > Integrations TAB, then tick on the option as below.

Expand All Levels in Inventor Vault Browser

Situation: You are working on a bigger Assembly in Inventor and if you look at the Vault Browser you do not see All Levels of the Assembly structure expanded:

Autodesk Vault Idea Exchange

It is Autodesk's mission to make Autodesk Vault the world’s best Data Management solution. But they can not do it without you.

Do you have a great idea for a new feature or enhancement you would like to see in Autodesk Vault? Share your wish list directly with the Autodesk Vault Development Team, and let them turn your ideas into reality.

The Autodesk Idea Exchange is a forum dedicated to improving Autodesk Vault software by sharing product improvement ideas directly with the developers. The Vault Team is listening. If you have a great idea, they will consider it for inclusion into the development plan.

Post your ideas, see what your peers are thinking, and give kudos to the ideas you like the best. The more kudos an idea receives, the better the chance of it making it into the product. At the Idea Exchange, you can even track the status of ideas as they grow from initial concept to ultimate release!

Share your ideas now at the Autodesk Vault Idea Exchange.

This is an extract from the Cracking the Vault, Manufacturing Community Blog