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mu View Drop Down
Milling Master
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote mu Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Data Management
    Posted: Oct/08/2009 at 6:10pm

I'm trying to get our team more organized and one of the ways I want to do that is by getting a data management system for all our files.  What we done in the past is just use shared network folders but this is horribly unorganized.

Does anyone use SolidWorks PDM or any similar program (e.g. Inventor Vault) and what do you think of it?
Andy

2009-2010 Ohio State Baja SAE Captain
www.osubaja.com
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote johnfar109 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Oct/08/2009 at 6:51pm
RIT started Using PDMworks Last year for the most part it worked out well.
The major issue we had were getting everyone to use it and not the older folders on the server.
another issue was migrating all of our older stuff in to the system. We run 2 cars every year so we have to keep 2 cars worth of cad files straight. ..... a mess in its own right......

PDMworks Gives yo the ability to attach related files to parts which is handy when you have a mastercam file for many of your parts.

you wont be able to get rid of that shared network folder completely but you can minimize what cad files are in it.

At the place i currently work we uses SVN for all of our files. that works out a lot better if only one person is using any one computer. it gets to be a mess with many users on one computer.

in the end it will come down to what kinda of stuff will work best of the way your team works. in the beging it will be a bain to "train the monkeys" but one your over that hump i don't think you will regret getting files in order.

If you want more info about our setup i can get ahold of someone form the team and put together a bit more info.

- John
- John Farnach

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote mu Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Oct/08/2009 at 8:54pm
Thanks for the input, John.  If you could give me some more info that would be great.

I was thinking of talking to our IT guy to see if we can get a server specifically for PDM.  My hope is that we can set it up so that I will be able to access it offsite.

Training the monkeys shouldn't be a problem since I'm the only guy currently on the team that did any design last year.  This is why I'm trying to get all the new guys off to a fresh start.
Andy

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote johnfar109 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Oct/09/2009 at 3:28pm
Here is shot of the PDMworks Tree:


We are going in to our second year of using it and it has been nice.
I believe We are using the PDMWorks for Work groups.... it is the version our school and team get for free with the Academic License. Last year Solidworks did int include it in the Student copy made available to SAE students but i have been told that it is in the 2009-2010  copy that shiped this summer.

You will have to get someone in IT lad on your side for this one. the initial install isn't too bad but setting up users, projects/sub projects and permissions is a good workout.

We run our team File server, PDM server, SVN server and Web Server all off of one Box. The Department IT guy has been a huge asset in the process of figuing out waht and how we wanted to manage files. (It doesn't hurt that our IT guy Goes wheeling with some of the guys on the team form time to time.)

I have been told buy the guy on the team now administrating the server that there is a lot of info about how to set up PDM available online so check that out too.


- John Farnach

RIT BAJA SAE

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote paasch Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Oct/09/2009 at 5:43pm
We use Siemen's Teamcenter to manage product data for our Formula SAE team.  Once we get more comfortable with the program, we will migrate OSU Baja as well.

Several years ago we installed and tested PDMWorks, but when we made the decision to use Catia V5 for both Formula and Baja,  PDMWorks was out for us.  Since we use Catia, we tried the PDM products from Dassault (Smarteam and Enovia), but they were impossible.  Forget them.

Teamcenter is a full enterprise level PLM package, and it runs over either a Microsoft SQL or Oracle database.  A big feature for us is access from multiple distributed locations, and it's what the universities that were involved in the old GM PACE program (led by BYU) used to manage global distributed design.  It is a LOT more difficult to install and run than PDMWorks.  I had to send one of my GTA's to Teamcenter class to learn how to set it up.  We run one server for Teamcenter, and a second for SQL.

If you're using Solidworks for CAD, and only have design people in one location, then PDMWorks is probably your best choice.

Bob Paasch
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Oregon State SAE
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote mu Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Oct/09/2009 at 5:49pm
Thanks again.  I just checked the 2009-2010 student edition of SolidWorks.  It seems like they included the PDM server with it.

How's accessing the server offsite?  Is it fairly easy?
Andy

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote johnfar109 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Oct/09/2009 at 8:18pm
accessing the server off site is not an issue. RIT has done a lot to there network to Secure it so in some cases you have to jump through a few hoops to get in. Using VPN i pulled files out of PDM in Oregon last year as well as reviewed files while in Brazil.

The Solidworks Add-in is nice but you can also install solidworks Explorer stand alone and check files in and out without having a full blown Solidworks install. This is handy if you are using pdm to keep design calculations and other files.


- John Farnach

RIT BAJA SAE

That Guy 04-09'

RIT 2010 Maneuverability Captain & Track Prep and Construction
RIT 2013, 2016, 2019 Electronic Scoring & Track Prep and Construction
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