Create, Update, and Share Files in Vault Professional

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[MUSIC PLAYING]

00:04

ANDREW SHAW: Welcome and thanks for joining me.

00:06

This presentation is focused for new users which

00:09

will be creating an updated new CAD files

00:12

and sharing these files using Vault Professional.

00:16

The safe harbor statement is just a reminder

00:18

that the Autodesk software changes regularly

00:21

to continually improve the software

00:23

and make it a better experience for you.

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If I happen to make any forward looking

00:27

statements in this presentation, please

00:30

do not make any buying decisions based on it.

00:33

My name is Andrew Shaw.

00:35

I'm a technical account specialist.

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I have been at Autodesk since January 2012.

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And my specialty is data and document management.

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To begin the presentation, I will share an introduction

00:47

of the Vault workflow that is used

00:49

to create, update, and share your CAD

00:52

files in Vault Professional.

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This workflow will also align with the following objectives

00:57

which will be discussed.

00:59

We will start with learning how to create new files in Vault

01:02

Professional.

01:03

This will focus both on creating new files with your CAD

01:06

software and using the Copy Design tool

01:09

within Vault. Oftentimes, you won't need to create new files

01:13

and will be modifying existing designs from the Vault.

01:16

For these situations, you will learn

01:18

how to download and check out these files using the Get

01:22

and Open commands, so you can make the required changes.

01:26

You will next learn the Vault tools

01:28

to upload your modified design versions into Vault,

01:32

as well as how to change file lifecycle states.

01:35

Finally, we will discuss how you can notify teammates

01:39

that you have updated files and how

01:41

to use the tools within Vault to review the files history,

01:46

refresh, or get the local file.

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With that, let's get started.

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The workflow for creating, updating, and sharing files

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starts with either copying an existing file

01:58

or creating a new file.

01:59

To make changes, the file or files

02:02

need to be checked out and downloaded,

02:05

and then changes are made to your local copies.

02:08

To share the changes, the files are checked into Vault.

02:12

When files are checked in, you can also change a file state,

02:15

but this isn't always needed.

02:17

Finally, teammates can be notified

02:20

of updated files in order to refresh

02:22

our designs that may be using the file which was updated.

02:26

As I continue through the presentation,

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I will reference this workflow and highlight

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which stage we are at as we go.

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But to begin, I wanted to provide

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some general information about Vault to help you get started.

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Firstly, I wanted to mention that as you

02:43

are learning Autodesk Vault, the Help Documentation is

02:47

a great resource.

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I have listed five items that might be good topics that you

02:52

could look at reviewing.

02:54

The first two topics are great to help

02:56

you get started with understanding

02:58

the benefits of Vault and how, once your administrator sets

03:03

you up with access, to login.

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As you will soon learn, Vault has add-in modules

03:09

that you can install on your working computer

03:11

to integrate Vault functionality directly

03:14

into your software application.

03:16

The Help Documentation on these is a great way

03:18

to get you started and learn about this.

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The last topic is one that you will really

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benefit from as you become more familiar with Vault

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so that you can customize the screen layout of the software

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with your preferences.

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You can access the Help tool in Vault using the Help menu.

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Once it's launched, you will find the search tool

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in the top right hand corner, great for searching

03:40

for specific topics.

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Autodesk Vault is a client server application

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which means it has a server component and clients

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with access to data on the server,

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as shown here in the image.

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The server and client can be installed on the same computer.

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But in most cases, the server is installed

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on a different machine and clients are given access to it.

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The Vault server is a repository where documents and files

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are stored and managed.

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Users access the Vault server from a client machine.

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The client machine will have the Autodesk Vault client

04:13

software installed.

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This is a standalone application for viewing files in the Vault.

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Users can use the Vault client software, also known

04:21

as Vault Explorer, shown in the image on the left,

04:24

as a front-end interface to access data from the server.

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Users can also access the Vault using Vault add-ins, which

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are modules that integrate Vault functionality directly

04:36

into software applications that you use.

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The right hand image shows Inventor

04:41

with the add-in installed.

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You can see a Vault tab and a browser have been added,

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and it allows you to do basic Vault tasks directly

04:49

from within Inventor.

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Other add-ins are available for AutoCAD, AutoCAD Mechanical,

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AutoCAD Electrical, Civil 3D, et cetera.

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There is also an add-in for Microsoft Office applications.

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Files stored in the Vault server cannot be directly modified.

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They must be downloaded from the Vault server

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to a working folder on the Vault client machine

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prior to viewing or making changes to a file.

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The downloaded files can be read-only or read-write,

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depending on if the files are checked out

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from the server or not

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By default, the working folder is

05:25

defined in the My Documents/Vault

05:28

folder on the Vault client.

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But depending on how your Vault administrator has set up

05:33

the Vault, you may be allowed to set a specific working

05:36

for the location yourself.

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This is done using the Set Working Folder option,

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as shown in the image.

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It is recommended that you do not change the working folder

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once you start working with the files in the Vault.

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Changing the working folder would create duplicate folder

05:51

structures on the local computer and might

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cause problems resolving files in your CAD application.

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This may be why your administrator

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may limit your access for setting this folder.

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Once the working folder is set up

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and files are downloaded from the Vault server,

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a server's file structure will be

06:08

replicated in the client's working

06:10

folder, as shown in this image.

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Keep in mind that in this image, no files in the ICU

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Valve, Optic Mount 2, and Rotary Vee folders

06:21

have been downloaded, so their structure is not shown.

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Within Vault client, you can view the files

06:28

in the working folder using Windows File Explorer

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by clicking Go To Working Folder in the Actions menu

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on the client.

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One final thing to keep in mind is

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that only files in the working folder structure

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can be checked into the Vault.

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As previously mentioned, administrators

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can decide whether they want to control relocation

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of the working folder.

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In the working folder options, they

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can select to either allow users to set their own working folder

06:54

location, or they can enforce a standard location for everyone

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on their client machine.

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If you can't change your working folder,

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it is likely that this was disabled by your administrator.

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And you will receive the error message shown on the right.

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As a product moves from conception through development

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to completion, it is important to maintain

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a history of all the parts and any engineering

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related documents.

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Autodesk Vault automatically manage

07:21

this using file versions.

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When you initially add a file to the Vault,

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it is added as version 1.

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When the file is next checked out,

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it is temporarily assigned the next version

07:33

number and the previous version remains unchanged.

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A permanent version number is not assigned to the file

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until a modified file is officially checked back in.

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If the file isn't changed when it's checked back in,

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it is not assigned a new version number.

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So the key thing to remember here

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is that with each file modification and check in,

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a new file version is created and all older versions also

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remain in Vault.

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In Vault, you can use the History tab

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to review the recorded history of all the files.

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At any time, you can retrieve any older version of a file.

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This means that if the current design fails,

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you can go back to a previous design.

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You can also view file properties

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such as comments about the version, who checked it out,

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when it was modified, and so on.

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The Users tab is also an excellent tool for you

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to know which version of files are

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being used in the parent file.

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For example, in the Users tab shown here,

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the version of the assembly is free,

08:35

whereas the part file used is version 6.

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One final term to understand is revisions.

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A revision of a file is a collection

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of versions with a common label, such as A or B. It often

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represents a significant milestone in the design.

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For example, revision A of a new component

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may consist of 12 versions to get to a point

08:58

where significant progress has been made,

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and it will be released for

09:04

A new revision that you started becomes a work in progress

09:08

again, and the file version will keep incrementing.

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Depending on how your administrators has

09:13

set up and implemented Vault, revisions can be done manually

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or they can be automatically generated

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through a lifecycle change.

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I will be talking more about life cycles a little later

09:24

in the presentation.

09:27

So with the introduction out of the way,

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we will begin by discussing some of the methods you can use

09:32

to create files in Vault. Going back to the original workflow

09:38

that I shared, you can see that the first topic represents

09:41

the first step in the create, update, share workflow,

09:45

as shown here in green.

09:47

There are a couple of methods for getting your files

09:50

into Vault. You can either reuse an existing

09:53

design from the Vault to create a new design.

09:56

Or you can create files from scratch in your CAD software,

09:60

and then check them into Vault. In the next few slides,

10:04

I will explain these methods, and then

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I will show a demonstration.

10:09

The first method I mentioned creates new files in Vault

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by leveraging existing styles that already exist

10:15

in Vault. This is an efficient method

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to use if your new design is similar to an existing design

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because you won't have to build all the files from scratch.

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In using an existing file or files,

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you have the flexibility to decide

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how you want to copy the file and its children

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using specific Copy Design options.

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I would be showing you a demonstration of the Copy

10:38

Design tool in a few minutes.

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But first, I wanted to give you a quick overview

10:43

of the overall procedure broken down into five easy steps.

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Initially, you need to locate a file

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to copy in Vault. In the case of Inventor,

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this could be a part, assembly, or even a drawing file.

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Once located, you select the Copy Design option,

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as I have shown here in the image.

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The files that have been selected to be copied

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are then presented in the Copy Design dialog box.

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This is where you will customize how the file or files will

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be copied.

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For example, if you choose to copy an assembly,

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any subassemblies and parts will all

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be presented to you in the dialog box.

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By defining how the file is copied,

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you can set the destination folder

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and whether files are included, reused, or not copied at all.

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You can also set how copied files would be named.

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Step four in the overall procedure

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is a good reminder to verify that all options are

11:37

set as required before selecting Execute Copy.

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This presentation really provides you

11:43

with an introduction to Copy Design.

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For more in-depth information on this topic,

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consider reviewing the Help Documentation or the Vault Copy

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Design Accelerator, which is focused specifically

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on this tool.

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If there is no existing design in Vault, it can be reused.

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You can work directly in your source CAD software,

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for example, Inventor or AutoCAD, to create a file.

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In fact, you can also create new Microsoft Word documents

12:11

using Vault add-ins.

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The file must be saved in the working folder, which

12:15

we discussed earlier.

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So in the case of Inventor, you will use the Vault project

12:19

file set up by your administrator that

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reflects this folder location.

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Once a new file or files are created and saved,

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you will notice an icon in the Vault plaza

12:29

that indicates that the file has not yet

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been checked into Vault. You can use the Check In option

12:36

on the Vault ribbon or you can use the Vault

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browser to right click on the file name and click Check In.

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If you had previously used Copy Design

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and are ready to check in the file,

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the check in procedure steps are the same.

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The dialog box that appears enables you to set and control

12:54

the check in details.

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At the top of the form, there are two options.

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These enable you to customize what

13:00

will happen to your files on your local system

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after check in.

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The top option is Keep files checked out and should

13:07

be enabled if you intended to add files to Vault, maybe

13:11

for backup or sharing purposes, but then want

13:13

to still keep working on them so that no one else can

13:16

make changes.

13:18

The Close files and delete working copies option

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enables you to remove all the parts from your local system

13:24

after check in.

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If you choose not to select either of these options,

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the files are fully checked into Vault.

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And the files will remain on your local system

13:34

for future use.

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However, keep in mind that if you

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want to use these files again, you

13:39

should ensure that they are the most up-to-date files

13:42

before working on them, in case other users have checked out

13:46

and made changes to the source.

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This list of files in the center of the form

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enables you to verify the files in the folder

13:53

that they will be checked into.

13:55

At the bottom of the screen, there

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is an area to add comments about the check in.

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This is a great way to communicate what was changed,

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or in the case of the initial check in,

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you can add details on the initial design

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to help teammates learn about what was done in the design.

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One last thing I want to mention is

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that Vault provides thumbnail previews of the files

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to help you visually identify the design.

14:20

In this form I have shown here, the icon

14:22

with the red line through it is identifying

14:25

that a visualization file will not be created at check in.

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To enable this, you can go into the setting options

14:32

and enable it.

14:34

This is recommended when checking

14:35

in the file for the first time so

14:37

that the thumbnail is created.

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To check in the file, click OK.

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The file is then added to the Vault.

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Now that we have discussed these two methods,

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I want to play a video that shows you

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how to do this in Vault.

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[VIDEO PLAYBACK]

14:50

There are two main ways to create a new file.

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You can either copy an existing file

14:55

or create a new one from scratch.

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First, I'll show the way of creating a new file

14:59

from an existing file using the Copy Design command in Vault.

15:04

It can be launched as a standalone application

15:06

or in Vault after selecting a file to copy, select

15:09

Copy Design from the Edit menu, or from the right click

15:13

menu as we'll do here by making a copy of the Rotary Vee

15:17

assembly.

15:19

The Copy Design window opens showing its interface

15:22

and lists the files related to the Rotary Vee assembly.

15:26

The Copy Design command enables you

15:28

to copy an entire design, including all related files.

15:32

You can see here a drawing of the Rotary Vee assembly,

15:35

it's subassemblies, and parts.

15:38

With Copy Design, you can choose to copy, reuse, replace,

15:42

or exclude specified files.

15:44

Here we'll copy the top level assembly,

15:47

one of the subassemblies, and the housing part using Copy To

15:51

from the right click menu to copy

15:53

the files into a folder that's different

15:56

from the original folder.

15:57

In this case, we'll create a new folder

15:60

and name it Rotary Vee New.

16:05

You can see that the destination path column updates

16:08

with the new folder name.

16:10

You'll see that for the drawing, it

16:12

shows Auto, which means it too will be copied.

16:15

In this example, let's also replace

16:17

one of the parts with a different part.

16:19

We'll replace cylinder with the part cylinder 2.

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Now, for the naming of the copied files,

16:34

you can do this a number of ways, such as in the main table

16:38

by manually changing the names shown in the destination name

16:41

column, or using Find and Replace,

16:46

or you can do it in the numbering pane.

16:49

For this example, let's remove the default prefix and add

16:52

the suffix _new.

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You can do this by right clicking in the background

16:58

and selecting Set Values, Prefix,

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and selecting OK to show no prefix.

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And now selecting Suffix and entering _new.

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Before executing the Copy Design command,

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review what you plan to do by selecting

17:20

each tab in the Actions pane.

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First, select the Actions pane and then for Copy,

17:26

you see the copied files, including the drawing.

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Now select Reuse to see which files are being reused.

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And then Replace, you can see that the cylinder

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is being replaced by the cylinder 2 part.

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Now select the Execute Copy command.

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When done, the check marks confirm that the Copy Design

17:50

was successful.

17:51

To see the copied files in the new folder,

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select Go To from the right click menu

17:57

and select Destination Folder.

17:59

And here you'll see all the new design files in the new folder.

18:06

Now to show how to create a new file from scratch,

18:09

you can create the new file from a CAD or other authoring

18:12

program.

18:14

I'll show an example here in Autodesk Inventor

18:17

by first selecting New and then selecting

18:21

a template from the list.

18:24

We'll select the Standard part template,

18:28

and then click Create to create the part.

18:33

You can save the file locally as usual

18:35

until you are ready to share it by checking it into the Vault.

18:47

After finished modeling, click the Save icon

18:51

to save it locally to a folder that is already

18:54

mapped to a Vault folder.

18:56

Change its file name if you like, then click Save.

19:00

Let's first look at the Vault browser

19:02

to see that it's not yet in the Vault and to use Check In.

19:11

To check it in, click the Check In icon from the Vault tab,

19:18

then add your comments, and then click OK.

19:32

Now we can select the Vault icon to switch back to the Vault,

19:36

refresh the folder that it was checked into, and see the file.

19:41

Clicking on the file, we can see some information in the preview

19:44

pane.

19:45

The version is one since we've checked it in once.

19:48

We can also see our check in comment.

19:51

[END PLAYBACK]

19:53

In the previous topic, we discussed creating new files

19:56

in Vault. But oftentimes, you won't need to create new files.

19:60

You will simply need to modify existing designs

20:02

from the Vault. This topic, we'll

20:04

discuss how you can update existing files.

20:08

With reference to the original workflow that I shared,

20:11

we've now finished creating files in Vault.

20:13

And we can move into the update file stage of the create,

20:17

update, share workflow.

20:20

The three green workflow steps make up the update stage.

20:24

In order to make changes, the files

20:26

need to be checked out and downloaded,

20:29

and then changes are made to the local copies.

20:32

The final step includes checking in the file

20:35

and changing the file state if needed.

20:38

Each of these free steps will be described further

20:40

on the next slides.

20:42

And I will finish this topic off with a software demonstration.

20:46

When an update is required to an existing file,

20:49

the file needs to be downloaded to the working folder,

20:52

checked out, and opened in the CAD software.

20:56

I will be showing you a demonstration

20:57

of updating an existing file in Vault in a few minutes.

21:01

But first, I wanted to give you a quick overview

21:04

of the steps in Vault.

21:06

First, you need to locate the file in Vault to be updated.

21:10

Once located, you must initiate a Get command.

21:14

One way is from the right click menu, as shown here.

21:18

The files that have been selected

21:20

are then presented in the Get dialog box.

21:23

This is where you will select the Check Out Files

21:25

icon which adds a check mark in the Check Out column.

21:29

Additionally, you can change any options

21:32

related to whether children, parents, and related

21:36

documentation are included in the Get operation

21:39

and the working folder.

21:41

Optionally, you can add a comment describing why

21:44

you are checking out the file.

21:45

A good tip to keep in mind is that the check

21:48

out count and download count is summarized in the bottom left

21:52

of the dialog box.

21:53

So it is a good idea to review this before completing the Get.

21:57

To download and check out the file, select OK.

22:01

In the workflow we are discussing,

22:03

we are getting files with the intention

22:05

of making design changes.

22:07

If you want to simply download and use files

22:09

without making changes, you still use the Get command,

22:13

but you do not select the blue check

22:14

out option in this dialog box.

22:17

This will provide you with a read-only local version

22:20

of the file.

22:22

The final step to update the file

22:24

is to simply open the file in the CAD software.

22:26

This can be done using the Open option in the Vault client,

22:29

as I have shown here.

22:31

You also can open it directly from the working folder

22:34

or from the CAD software.

22:36

As you become more familiar with Vault,

22:38

you will learn that you can also use

22:40

Open to download the file into the working folder

22:43

and open it in the CAD software.

22:46

Then you are prompted to check out the file if not already

22:49

checked out.

22:50

This is an alternative to using Get.

22:53

However, as you are getting started

22:55

I would recommend using Get as it would allow you to add notes

22:58

and identify all the files more easily.

23:02

Once the file is open in the CAD software,

23:04

you can make any updates to the design.

23:07

In this case, we added a hole and change

23:09

the color of the part to green, as shown on the right.

23:14

Notice in the Vault browser how a status icon

23:16

shows us a white circle with a check mark.

23:19

This identifies the file is checked out to you.

23:23

In the right hand image, the file name

23:25

has an asterisk appended to the end.

23:28

This identifies to you that a save is required.

23:32

Once the file has been saved, the status icon

23:34

will turn green indicating that your local file is newer

23:38

than the version in Vault, which reminds you that you

23:41

should be checking in the file.

23:43

Additionally, the asterisk at the end of the file name

23:46

changes to a plus sign to help you identify

23:49

where the file was modified.

23:52

In the previous topic when we discussed creating files

23:55

using Copy Design as well as creating them from scratch,

23:59

the final step was checking in the files to Vault

24:01

so that other users could access them.

24:04

In the case of updating design files,

24:06

the final check in is done in the same way.

24:09

In review, there are three main steps.

24:13

First, you initiate the Check In command

24:15

from within the authoring program by selecting Check In,

24:18

as shown here.

24:20

Next, you can review and select Settings

24:22

for inclusion of the children, parents, and related files,

24:27

as well as the visualization attachment options.

24:30

Select the Keep files checked out checkbox

24:33

if required and the Close files and delete working copies

24:36

option if available and required.

24:39

You can add descriptions, and in this case,

24:42

you can see that the thumbnail image will be created.

24:45

Lastly, click OK to check in the file.

24:49

This last image that I wanted to show

24:50

you is how the status icon changes for the file

24:54

now that it's checked back into Vault. The white circle

24:57

no longer has a check mark, indicating

24:59

that it isn't checked out.

25:01

And the White circle alone indicates

25:04

the local version of the file is the same

25:06

as the version on the Vault.

25:08

You can also hover over the icons

25:11

at any time to view a tooltip.

25:13

As you can see in this image, the file

25:15

is available for check out by anyone with access

25:18

to the Vault. To manage design data,

25:22

you can control the various stages from design

25:24

to manufacturing.

25:26

To do this, you mark an item using

25:28

a file state or more specifically, a file lifecycle

25:32

state.

25:33

This represents a certain point in the lifecycle of the file.

25:37

Common lifecycle states include Work in Progress, For Review,

25:41

and Released.

25:43

Lifecycle states are set up by a Vault administrator.

25:46

In each lifecycle state, the ability

25:48

to view and modify project data is specified.

25:52

So, for example, when a file is in the Released state,

25:56

users will not be able to make changes

25:58

to the file in this state.

26:00

Vault can also be configured to automatically create

26:03

a new revision with a state change.

26:05

For example, when moving from a Released state

26:08

to a Work in Progress state, the revision

26:10

can be configured to automatically change

26:13

from revision A to B, or B to C, et cetera.

26:17

In the upcoming demo, I will be showing you

26:19

how to change the life cycle state of a file.

26:22

But first, I wanted to discuss the high level procedure.

26:25

So in the example I have shown here,

26:28

I have a part file that is currently

26:30

in the Work in Progress state.

26:32

And I want to move it to For Review state.

26:34

First, in Vault, I look at the file

26:37

and then initiate the Change State command

26:39

on the right click menu.

26:41

In the Change State dialog box, you simply

26:44

select the lifecycle state from the dropdown list.

26:47

In this case for my part, I want to move it into the

26:50

For Review state, so I am selecting that state.

26:53

In the lower portion of the dialog box,

26:56

you can define options for how children and parents would

26:58

be handled.

26:60

And you can also enter a comment.

27:02

When finished, click OK.

27:04

[VIDEO PLAYBACK]

27:05

A file residing in Vault can be

27:07

updated by using the Get command to check out the file

27:10

and download it to the local working folder for editing.

27:14

To do this, right click the file to be updated

27:17

and select Get, and expand dialog box,

27:28

then we'll select the Check Out icon.

27:30

Since by default the Get command downloads

27:33

only a read-only version of the file to the working folder

27:36

without checking it out, a check mark

27:39

is added to the Check Out column.

27:44

You can change any options related to the children,

27:48

to the parents, and to the related documentation.

27:52

And, optionally, you can add a comment describing why

27:55

you were checking out the file.

27:57

You're also shown the check out count and the download count.

28:04

Click OK when finished.

28:11

The file has been checked out, as shown by the check mark.

28:15

And now you can open it in the CAD application,

28:17

in this case, Inventor, and make the edits.

28:24

We'll make a change to the shaft from 12 inches to 20 inches.

28:33

Once the change is made, we can check it back

28:38

into the Vault for others to access.

28:44

In the Vault tab, select Check In.

28:52

Yes to save.

28:55

And then enter a comment, changed length, and then

29:01

click OK when finished.

29:08

Now going back to Vault, you can see

29:10

that the file has been checked in after doing a refresh.

29:19

And you can see the longer shaft length

29:22

in the thumbnail and the comment indicating the changed length.

29:29

Now right click the file and select Change State,

29:33

and we'll select For Review since the file is now

29:39

ready for somebody to review.

29:42

[END PLAYBACK]

29:46

The last topic in the presentation

29:48

is aligned to the last step in the workflow which

29:50

is sharing the changes you have made to your files.

29:54

At this point, you have learned that parts

29:56

can be added to Vault by copying an existing design

29:59

or simply by creating them from scratch.

30:02

You also learned how to check out parts from the Vault,

30:06

made changes to them, and then put them back in Vault.

30:09

We also discussed revisions and how to change file states.

30:14

And now the final step in the workflow

30:15

is learning how to share the changes so that your design

30:18

team knows that changes have been made.

30:21

Specifically, we will discuss how Vault can help you do this.

30:26

In a collaborative design environment,

30:28

Vault files are a bit worked on by many different users.

30:32

Check in and check out functionality

30:34

is one way Vault controls who has access to all the files.

30:38

But as we have been discussing throughout,

30:41

Vault also provides status icons in Vault client, shown

30:45

in the image on the left, and in the Vault plaza, shown

30:49

in the image on the right, to help

30:51

you know if you or others are working on files

30:54

and whether the files are up to date.

30:57

Once you're at the sharing your data stage,

31:00

understanding these icons is important.

31:04

We have introduced a number of these icons already,

31:07

but I wanted to present this as a bit of a review.

31:11

To understand what the icon is telling you,

31:13

think of the icon as a separate foreground and background icon.

31:18

Both of which are providing guidance

31:19

on the status of the file.

31:21

I kept it simple here to explain the basic icons

31:24

with a number of others that you may come across.

31:28

The Help Documentation provides a good list

31:30

by searching on keywords, status icons.

31:35

So as a reminder, once you have completed the design,

31:38

be sure to always check in with completed files.

31:41

Also remember that adding a comment helps let your team

31:45

members know what changed.

31:47

There is no internal notification system in Vault

31:50

when parts are checked in.

31:52

So you can use email or chat with colleagues

31:55

to let them know you are done and the parts are

31:58

ready for them to use.

32:01

If you personally have just received notification

32:03

that the file was updated and checked in,

32:06

you can review the file in the Vault plan

32:08

to see the version, who created the version, the date,

32:11

and a check in comment, as I have shown here.

32:15

It is also possible that you might have the modified

32:17

file already saved locally.

32:19

So a red refresh Vault status icon

32:22

will appear, indicating that new edits are available in Vault

32:26

and that your version is out of date.

32:29

To get the latest file from Vault,

32:31

you will want to refresh the file.

32:34

One final topic I wanted to mention

32:36

is how you might want to share designs

32:38

with users that don't have access

32:39

to Vault. This could be internally

32:42

with sales or externally with customers.

32:45

Autodesk shared views is a great tool for this

32:48

as it doesn't involve inner threats

32:50

with screenshots or sending native 3D model

32:54

files, which is often not even allowed with external clients.

32:58

Shared views can help you avoid these problems.

33:01

Shared views provides a better way

33:03

for designers, engineers, and visual artists

33:06

to get feedback on their work in progress, simplifying

33:09

and speeding up review cycles.

33:12

It enable users to quickly create

33:14

online visual representation from within desktop application

33:18

and generate a link that can be shared with any stakeholder.

33:22

Stakeholders can then view the shared view,

33:24

add comments and mark-up via the Autodesk viewer.

33:28

And authors can review comments and see feedback

33:32

they've received within the authoring application,

33:34

and then respond if required.

33:37

The following video shows you how shared view works.

33:41

[VIDEO PLAYBACK]

33:42

Autodesk Vault helps you to collaborate with your team

33:45

both inside and outside your organization.

33:49

Share a view of your design directly from inside Vault

33:52

to create a 2D or 3D view of all of your design

33:55

file which can be reviewed with virtually any cloud connected

33:59

browser or handheld device.

34:03

Reviewers don't have to download or install any software

34:06

to collaborate on your designs.

34:08

They just need a secure web link.

34:11

Reviewers can navigate, section, explode,

34:16

and measure your design.

34:18

All model information and structure

34:20

can be shared with the reviewer.

34:23

In addition, reviewers can comment and mark-up

34:26

on your designs.

34:27

And all comments are logged and can

34:28

be viewed in your Vault client.

34:32

Because the focus of this workflow

34:34

is work in progress feedback, the 2D and 3D viewables

34:38

are temporary visualization files, not your native CAD

34:41

data.

34:43

These temporary visualization files automatically

34:46

expire unless extended by you.

34:49

Autodesk Vault shared views help you to connect and collaborate

34:53

with your extended design team.

34:56

Ensure that your designs are correct and coordinated,

34:59

and support review and commenting

35:01

from non-CAD users with Autodesk Vault shared views.

35:04

[END PLAYBACK]

35:06

Don't forget to review Autodesk's Customer Success

35:09

Hub where you will find various catalogs of live coaching

35:13

sessions.

35:14

Autodesk offers a live coaching sessions

35:16

to companies with an enterprise business agreement.

35:19

Your team can get personalized guidance on the latest Autodesk

35:22

workflows directly from industry and product experts.

35:27

Sessions can be tailored based on your team's capabilities

35:30

and typical project use cases.

35:33

Thank you for listening.

Video transcript

00:00

[MUSIC PLAYING]

00:04

ANDREW SHAW: Welcome and thanks for joining me.

00:06

This presentation is focused for new users which

00:09

will be creating an updated new CAD files

00:12

and sharing these files using Vault Professional.

00:16

The safe harbor statement is just a reminder

00:18

that the Autodesk software changes regularly

00:21

to continually improve the software

00:23

and make it a better experience for you.

00:25

If I happen to make any forward looking

00:27

statements in this presentation, please

00:30

do not make any buying decisions based on it.

00:33

My name is Andrew Shaw.

00:35

I'm a technical account specialist.

00:37

I have been at Autodesk since January 2012.

00:40

And my specialty is data and document management.

00:44

To begin the presentation, I will share an introduction

00:47

of the Vault workflow that is used

00:49

to create, update, and share your CAD

00:52

files in Vault Professional.

00:54

This workflow will also align with the following objectives

00:57

which will be discussed.

00:59

We will start with learning how to create new files in Vault

01:02

Professional.

01:03

This will focus both on creating new files with your CAD

01:06

software and using the Copy Design tool

01:09

within Vault. Oftentimes, you won't need to create new files

01:13

and will be modifying existing designs from the Vault.

01:16

For these situations, you will learn

01:18

how to download and check out these files using the Get

01:22

and Open commands, so you can make the required changes.

01:26

You will next learn the Vault tools

01:28

to upload your modified design versions into Vault,

01:32

as well as how to change file lifecycle states.

01:35

Finally, we will discuss how you can notify teammates

01:39

that you have updated files and how

01:41

to use the tools within Vault to review the files history,

01:46

refresh, or get the local file.

01:49

With that, let's get started.

01:51

The workflow for creating, updating, and sharing files

01:55

starts with either copying an existing file

01:58

or creating a new file.

01:59

To make changes, the file or files

02:02

need to be checked out and downloaded,

02:05

and then changes are made to your local copies.

02:08

To share the changes, the files are checked into Vault.

02:12

When files are checked in, you can also change a file state,

02:15

but this isn't always needed.

02:17

Finally, teammates can be notified

02:20

of updated files in order to refresh

02:22

our designs that may be using the file which was updated.

02:26

As I continue through the presentation,

02:28

I will reference this workflow and highlight

02:31

which stage we are at as we go.

02:34

But to begin, I wanted to provide

02:36

some general information about Vault to help you get started.

02:41

Firstly, I wanted to mention that as you

02:43

are learning Autodesk Vault, the Help Documentation is

02:47

a great resource.

02:49

I have listed five items that might be good topics that you

02:52

could look at reviewing.

02:54

The first two topics are great to help

02:56

you get started with understanding

02:58

the benefits of Vault and how, once your administrator sets

03:03

you up with access, to login.

03:06

As you will soon learn, Vault has add-in modules

03:09

that you can install on your working computer

03:11

to integrate Vault functionality directly

03:14

into your software application.

03:16

The Help Documentation on these is a great way

03:18

to get you started and learn about this.

03:21

The last topic is one that you will really

03:23

benefit from as you become more familiar with Vault

03:27

so that you can customize the screen layout of the software

03:30

with your preferences.

03:31

You can access the Help tool in Vault using the Help menu.

03:36

Once it's launched, you will find the search tool

03:38

in the top right hand corner, great for searching

03:40

for specific topics.

03:43

Autodesk Vault is a client server application

03:46

which means it has a server component and clients

03:49

with access to data on the server,

03:51

as shown here in the image.

03:53

The server and client can be installed on the same computer.

03:56

But in most cases, the server is installed

03:58

on a different machine and clients are given access to it.

04:02

The Vault server is a repository where documents and files

04:05

are stored and managed.

04:07

Users access the Vault server from a client machine.

04:11

The client machine will have the Autodesk Vault client

04:13

software installed.

04:14

This is a standalone application for viewing files in the Vault.

04:18

Users can use the Vault client software, also known

04:21

as Vault Explorer, shown in the image on the left,

04:24

as a front-end interface to access data from the server.

04:29

Users can also access the Vault using Vault add-ins, which

04:33

are modules that integrate Vault functionality directly

04:36

into software applications that you use.

04:39

The right hand image shows Inventor

04:41

with the add-in installed.

04:43

You can see a Vault tab and a browser have been added,

04:46

and it allows you to do basic Vault tasks directly

04:49

from within Inventor.

04:51

Other add-ins are available for AutoCAD, AutoCAD Mechanical,

04:54

AutoCAD Electrical, Civil 3D, et cetera.

04:58

There is also an add-in for Microsoft Office applications.

05:03

Files stored in the Vault server cannot be directly modified.

05:07

They must be downloaded from the Vault server

05:08

to a working folder on the Vault client machine

05:11

prior to viewing or making changes to a file.

05:15

The downloaded files can be read-only or read-write,

05:18

depending on if the files are checked out

05:21

from the server or not

05:23

By default, the working folder is

05:25

defined in the My Documents/Vault

05:28

folder on the Vault client.

05:30

But depending on how your Vault administrator has set up

05:33

the Vault, you may be allowed to set a specific working

05:36

for the location yourself.

05:38

This is done using the Set Working Folder option,

05:41

as shown in the image.

05:43

It is recommended that you do not change the working folder

05:45

once you start working with the files in the Vault.

05:48

Changing the working folder would create duplicate folder

05:51

structures on the local computer and might

05:53

cause problems resolving files in your CAD application.

05:57

This may be why your administrator

05:59

may limit your access for setting this folder.

06:02

Once the working folder is set up

06:04

and files are downloaded from the Vault server,

06:06

a server's file structure will be

06:08

replicated in the client's working

06:10

folder, as shown in this image.

06:12

Keep in mind that in this image, no files in the ICU

06:17

Valve, Optic Mount 2, and Rotary Vee folders

06:21

have been downloaded, so their structure is not shown.

06:25

Within Vault client, you can view the files

06:28

in the working folder using Windows File Explorer

06:31

by clicking Go To Working Folder in the Actions menu

06:34

on the client.

06:35

One final thing to keep in mind is

06:37

that only files in the working folder structure

06:40

can be checked into the Vault.

06:43

As previously mentioned, administrators

06:45

can decide whether they want to control relocation

06:48

of the working folder.

06:49

In the working folder options, they

06:51

can select to either allow users to set their own working folder

06:54

location, or they can enforce a standard location for everyone

06:58

on their client machine.

06:60

If you can't change your working folder,

07:01

it is likely that this was disabled by your administrator.

07:05

And you will receive the error message shown on the right.

07:09

As a product moves from conception through development

07:12

to completion, it is important to maintain

07:14

a history of all the parts and any engineering

07:17

related documents.

07:19

Autodesk Vault automatically manage

07:21

this using file versions.

07:24

When you initially add a file to the Vault,

07:26

it is added as version 1.

07:29

When the file is next checked out,

07:31

it is temporarily assigned the next version

07:33

number and the previous version remains unchanged.

07:37

A permanent version number is not assigned to the file

07:39

until a modified file is officially checked back in.

07:43

If the file isn't changed when it's checked back in,

07:46

it is not assigned a new version number.

07:49

So the key thing to remember here

07:51

is that with each file modification and check in,

07:53

a new file version is created and all older versions also

07:58

remain in Vault.

08:00

In Vault, you can use the History tab

08:02

to review the recorded history of all the files.

08:05

At any time, you can retrieve any older version of a file.

08:09

This means that if the current design fails,

08:12

you can go back to a previous design.

08:14

You can also view file properties

08:16

such as comments about the version, who checked it out,

08:20

when it was modified, and so on.

08:23

The Users tab is also an excellent tool for you

08:26

to know which version of files are

08:28

being used in the parent file.

08:30

For example, in the Users tab shown here,

08:33

the version of the assembly is free,

08:35

whereas the part file used is version 6.

08:39

One final term to understand is revisions.

08:42

A revision of a file is a collection

08:44

of versions with a common label, such as A or B. It often

08:49

represents a significant milestone in the design.

08:52

For example, revision A of a new component

08:55

may consist of 12 versions to get to a point

08:58

where significant progress has been made,

09:00

and it will be released for

09:04

A new revision that you started becomes a work in progress

09:08

again, and the file version will keep incrementing.

09:11

Depending on how your administrators has

09:13

set up and implemented Vault, revisions can be done manually

09:17

or they can be automatically generated

09:19

through a lifecycle change.

09:21

I will be talking more about life cycles a little later

09:24

in the presentation.

09:27

So with the introduction out of the way,

09:30

we will begin by discussing some of the methods you can use

09:32

to create files in Vault. Going back to the original workflow

09:38

that I shared, you can see that the first topic represents

09:41

the first step in the create, update, share workflow,

09:45

as shown here in green.

09:47

There are a couple of methods for getting your files

09:50

into Vault. You can either reuse an existing

09:53

design from the Vault to create a new design.

09:56

Or you can create files from scratch in your CAD software,

09:60

and then check them into Vault. In the next few slides,

10:04

I will explain these methods, and then

10:06

I will show a demonstration.

10:09

The first method I mentioned creates new files in Vault

10:12

by leveraging existing styles that already exist

10:15

in Vault. This is an efficient method

10:17

to use if your new design is similar to an existing design

10:21

because you won't have to build all the files from scratch.

10:24

In using an existing file or files,

10:28

you have the flexibility to decide

10:30

how you want to copy the file and its children

10:33

using specific Copy Design options.

10:36

I would be showing you a demonstration of the Copy

10:38

Design tool in a few minutes.

10:40

But first, I wanted to give you a quick overview

10:43

of the overall procedure broken down into five easy steps.

10:48

Initially, you need to locate a file

10:50

to copy in Vault. In the case of Inventor,

10:52

this could be a part, assembly, or even a drawing file.

10:56

Once located, you select the Copy Design option,

10:59

as I have shown here in the image.

11:02

The files that have been selected to be copied

11:04

are then presented in the Copy Design dialog box.

11:08

This is where you will customize how the file or files will

11:11

be copied.

11:12

For example, if you choose to copy an assembly,

11:15

any subassemblies and parts will all

11:18

be presented to you in the dialog box.

11:20

By defining how the file is copied,

11:22

you can set the destination folder

11:24

and whether files are included, reused, or not copied at all.

11:29

You can also set how copied files would be named.

11:32

Step four in the overall procedure

11:34

is a good reminder to verify that all options are

11:37

set as required before selecting Execute Copy.

11:41

This presentation really provides you

11:43

with an introduction to Copy Design.

11:46

For more in-depth information on this topic,

11:48

consider reviewing the Help Documentation or the Vault Copy

11:52

Design Accelerator, which is focused specifically

11:54

on this tool.

11:56

If there is no existing design in Vault, it can be reused.

12:00

You can work directly in your source CAD software,

12:03

for example, Inventor or AutoCAD, to create a file.

12:07

In fact, you can also create new Microsoft Word documents

12:11

using Vault add-ins.

12:13

The file must be saved in the working folder, which

12:15

we discussed earlier.

12:16

So in the case of Inventor, you will use the Vault project

12:19

file set up by your administrator that

12:21

reflects this folder location.

12:24

Once a new file or files are created and saved,

12:27

you will notice an icon in the Vault plaza

12:29

that indicates that the file has not yet

12:32

been checked into Vault. You can use the Check In option

12:36

on the Vault ribbon or you can use the Vault

12:38

browser to right click on the file name and click Check In.

12:43

If you had previously used Copy Design

12:45

and are ready to check in the file,

12:47

the check in procedure steps are the same.

12:51

The dialog box that appears enables you to set and control

12:54

the check in details.

12:56

At the top of the form, there are two options.

12:58

These enable you to customize what

13:00

will happen to your files on your local system

13:02

after check in.

13:04

The top option is Keep files checked out and should

13:07

be enabled if you intended to add files to Vault, maybe

13:11

for backup or sharing purposes, but then want

13:13

to still keep working on them so that no one else can

13:16

make changes.

13:18

The Close files and delete working copies option

13:21

enables you to remove all the parts from your local system

13:24

after check in.

13:25

If you choose not to select either of these options,

13:28

the files are fully checked into Vault.

13:30

And the files will remain on your local system

13:34

for future use.

13:35

However, keep in mind that if you

13:37

want to use these files again, you

13:39

should ensure that they are the most up-to-date files

13:42

before working on them, in case other users have checked out

13:46

and made changes to the source.

13:48

This list of files in the center of the form

13:50

enables you to verify the files in the folder

13:53

that they will be checked into.

13:55

At the bottom of the screen, there

13:57

is an area to add comments about the check in.

13:60

This is a great way to communicate what was changed,

14:03

or in the case of the initial check in,

14:05

you can add details on the initial design

14:08

to help teammates learn about what was done in the design.

14:12

One last thing I want to mention is

14:14

that Vault provides thumbnail previews of the files

14:17

to help you visually identify the design.

14:20

In this form I have shown here, the icon

14:22

with the red line through it is identifying

14:25

that a visualization file will not be created at check in.

14:29

To enable this, you can go into the setting options

14:32

and enable it.

14:34

This is recommended when checking

14:35

in the file for the first time so

14:37

that the thumbnail is created.

14:39

To check in the file, click OK.

14:41

The file is then added to the Vault.

14:44

Now that we have discussed these two methods,

14:45

I want to play a video that shows you

14:47

how to do this in Vault.

14:49

[VIDEO PLAYBACK]

14:50

There are two main ways to create a new file.

14:53

You can either copy an existing file

14:55

or create a new one from scratch.

14:57

First, I'll show the way of creating a new file

14:59

from an existing file using the Copy Design command in Vault.

15:04

It can be launched as a standalone application

15:06

or in Vault after selecting a file to copy, select

15:09

Copy Design from the Edit menu, or from the right click

15:13

menu as we'll do here by making a copy of the Rotary Vee

15:17

assembly.

15:19

The Copy Design window opens showing its interface

15:22

and lists the files related to the Rotary Vee assembly.

15:26

The Copy Design command enables you

15:28

to copy an entire design, including all related files.

15:32

You can see here a drawing of the Rotary Vee assembly,

15:35

it's subassemblies, and parts.

15:38

With Copy Design, you can choose to copy, reuse, replace,

15:42

or exclude specified files.

15:44

Here we'll copy the top level assembly,

15:47

one of the subassemblies, and the housing part using Copy To

15:51

from the right click menu to copy

15:53

the files into a folder that's different

15:56

from the original folder.

15:57

In this case, we'll create a new folder

15:60

and name it Rotary Vee New.

16:05

You can see that the destination path column updates

16:08

with the new folder name.

16:10

You'll see that for the drawing, it

16:12

shows Auto, which means it too will be copied.

16:15

In this example, let's also replace

16:17

one of the parts with a different part.

16:19

We'll replace cylinder with the part cylinder 2.

16:32

Now, for the naming of the copied files,

16:34

you can do this a number of ways, such as in the main table

16:38

by manually changing the names shown in the destination name

16:41

column, or using Find and Replace,

16:46

or you can do it in the numbering pane.

16:49

For this example, let's remove the default prefix and add

16:52

the suffix _new.

16:54

You can do this by right clicking in the background

16:58

and selecting Set Values, Prefix,

17:01

and selecting OK to show no prefix.

17:04

And now selecting Suffix and entering _new.

17:15

Before executing the Copy Design command,

17:18

review what you plan to do by selecting

17:20

each tab in the Actions pane.

17:23

First, select the Actions pane and then for Copy,

17:26

you see the copied files, including the drawing.

17:30

Now select Reuse to see which files are being reused.

17:34

And then Replace, you can see that the cylinder

17:37

is being replaced by the cylinder 2 part.

17:41

Now select the Execute Copy command.

17:47

When done, the check marks confirm that the Copy Design

17:50

was successful.

17:51

To see the copied files in the new folder,

17:54

select Go To from the right click menu

17:57

and select Destination Folder.

17:59

And here you'll see all the new design files in the new folder.

18:06

Now to show how to create a new file from scratch,

18:09

you can create the new file from a CAD or other authoring

18:12

program.

18:14

I'll show an example here in Autodesk Inventor

18:17

by first selecting New and then selecting

18:21

a template from the list.

18:24

We'll select the Standard part template,

18:28

and then click Create to create the part.

18:33

You can save the file locally as usual

18:35

until you are ready to share it by checking it into the Vault.

18:47

After finished modeling, click the Save icon

18:51

to save it locally to a folder that is already

18:54

mapped to a Vault folder.

18:56

Change its file name if you like, then click Save.

19:00

Let's first look at the Vault browser

19:02

to see that it's not yet in the Vault and to use Check In.

19:11

To check it in, click the Check In icon from the Vault tab,

19:18

then add your comments, and then click OK.

19:32

Now we can select the Vault icon to switch back to the Vault,

19:36

refresh the folder that it was checked into, and see the file.

19:41

Clicking on the file, we can see some information in the preview

19:44

pane.

19:45

The version is one since we've checked it in once.

19:48

We can also see our check in comment.

19:51

[END PLAYBACK]

19:53

In the previous topic, we discussed creating new files

19:56

in Vault. But oftentimes, you won't need to create new files.

19:60

You will simply need to modify existing designs

20:02

from the Vault. This topic, we'll

20:04

discuss how you can update existing files.

20:08

With reference to the original workflow that I shared,

20:11

we've now finished creating files in Vault.

20:13

And we can move into the update file stage of the create,

20:17

update, share workflow.

20:20

The three green workflow steps make up the update stage.

20:24

In order to make changes, the files

20:26

need to be checked out and downloaded,

20:29

and then changes are made to the local copies.

20:32

The final step includes checking in the file

20:35

and changing the file state if needed.

20:38

Each of these free steps will be described further

20:40

on the next slides.

20:42

And I will finish this topic off with a software demonstration.

20:46

When an update is required to an existing file,

20:49

the file needs to be downloaded to the working folder,

20:52

checked out, and opened in the CAD software.

20:56

I will be showing you a demonstration

20:57

of updating an existing file in Vault in a few minutes.

21:01

But first, I wanted to give you a quick overview

21:04

of the steps in Vault.

21:06

First, you need to locate the file in Vault to be updated.

21:10

Once located, you must initiate a Get command.

21:14

One way is from the right click menu, as shown here.

21:18

The files that have been selected

21:20

are then presented in the Get dialog box.

21:23

This is where you will select the Check Out Files

21:25

icon which adds a check mark in the Check Out column.

21:29

Additionally, you can change any options

21:32

related to whether children, parents, and related

21:36

documentation are included in the Get operation

21:39

and the working folder.

21:41

Optionally, you can add a comment describing why

21:44

you are checking out the file.

21:45

A good tip to keep in mind is that the check

21:48

out count and download count is summarized in the bottom left

21:52

of the dialog box.

21:53

So it is a good idea to review this before completing the Get.

21:57

To download and check out the file, select OK.

22:01

In the workflow we are discussing,

22:03

we are getting files with the intention

22:05

of making design changes.

22:07

If you want to simply download and use files

22:09

without making changes, you still use the Get command,

22:13

but you do not select the blue check

22:14

out option in this dialog box.

22:17

This will provide you with a read-only local version

22:20

of the file.

22:22

The final step to update the file

22:24

is to simply open the file in the CAD software.

22:26

This can be done using the Open option in the Vault client,

22:29

as I have shown here.

22:31

You also can open it directly from the working folder

22:34

or from the CAD software.

22:36

As you become more familiar with Vault,

22:38

you will learn that you can also use

22:40

Open to download the file into the working folder

22:43

and open it in the CAD software.

22:46

Then you are prompted to check out the file if not already

22:49

checked out.

22:50

This is an alternative to using Get.

22:53

However, as you are getting started

22:55

I would recommend using Get as it would allow you to add notes

22:58

and identify all the files more easily.

23:02

Once the file is open in the CAD software,

23:04

you can make any updates to the design.

23:07

In this case, we added a hole and change

23:09

the color of the part to green, as shown on the right.

23:14

Notice in the Vault browser how a status icon

23:16

shows us a white circle with a check mark.

23:19

This identifies the file is checked out to you.

23:23

In the right hand image, the file name

23:25

has an asterisk appended to the end.

23:28

This identifies to you that a save is required.

23:32

Once the file has been saved, the status icon

23:34

will turn green indicating that your local file is newer

23:38

than the version in Vault, which reminds you that you

23:41

should be checking in the file.

23:43

Additionally, the asterisk at the end of the file name

23:46

changes to a plus sign to help you identify

23:49

where the file was modified.

23:52

In the previous topic when we discussed creating files

23:55

using Copy Design as well as creating them from scratch,

23:59

the final step was checking in the files to Vault

24:01

so that other users could access them.

24:04

In the case of updating design files,

24:06

the final check in is done in the same way.

24:09

In review, there are three main steps.

24:13

First, you initiate the Check In command

24:15

from within the authoring program by selecting Check In,

24:18

as shown here.

24:20

Next, you can review and select Settings

24:22

for inclusion of the children, parents, and related files,

24:27

as well as the visualization attachment options.

24:30

Select the Keep files checked out checkbox

24:33

if required and the Close files and delete working copies

24:36

option if available and required.

24:39

You can add descriptions, and in this case,

24:42

you can see that the thumbnail image will be created.

24:45

Lastly, click OK to check in the file.

24:49

This last image that I wanted to show

24:50

you is how the status icon changes for the file

24:54

now that it's checked back into Vault. The white circle

24:57

no longer has a check mark, indicating

24:59

that it isn't checked out.

25:01

And the White circle alone indicates

25:04

the local version of the file is the same

25:06

as the version on the Vault.

25:08

You can also hover over the icons

25:11

at any time to view a tooltip.

25:13

As you can see in this image, the file

25:15

is available for check out by anyone with access

25:18

to the Vault. To manage design data,

25:22

you can control the various stages from design

25:24

to manufacturing.

25:26

To do this, you mark an item using

25:28

a file state or more specifically, a file lifecycle

25:32

state.

25:33

This represents a certain point in the lifecycle of the file.

25:37

Common lifecycle states include Work in Progress, For Review,

25:41

and Released.

25:43

Lifecycle states are set up by a Vault administrator.

25:46

In each lifecycle state, the ability

25:48

to view and modify project data is specified.

25:52

So, for example, when a file is in the Released state,

25:56

users will not be able to make changes

25:58

to the file in this state.

26:00

Vault can also be configured to automatically create

26:03

a new revision with a state change.

26:05

For example, when moving from a Released state

26:08

to a Work in Progress state, the revision

26:10

can be configured to automatically change

26:13

from revision A to B, or B to C, et cetera.

26:17

In the upcoming demo, I will be showing you

26:19

how to change the life cycle state of a file.

26:22

But first, I wanted to discuss the high level procedure.

26:25

So in the example I have shown here,

26:28

I have a part file that is currently

26:30

in the Work in Progress state.

26:32

And I want to move it to For Review state.

26:34

First, in Vault, I look at the file

26:37

and then initiate the Change State command

26:39

on the right click menu.

26:41

In the Change State dialog box, you simply

26:44

select the lifecycle state from the dropdown list.

26:47

In this case for my part, I want to move it into the

26:50

For Review state, so I am selecting that state.

26:53

In the lower portion of the dialog box,

26:56

you can define options for how children and parents would

26:58

be handled.

26:60

And you can also enter a comment.

27:02

When finished, click OK.

27:04

[VIDEO PLAYBACK]

27:05

A file residing in Vault can be

27:07

updated by using the Get command to check out the file

27:10

and download it to the local working folder for editing.

27:14

To do this, right click the file to be updated

27:17

and select Get, and expand dialog box,

27:28

then we'll select the Check Out icon.

27:30

Since by default the Get command downloads

27:33

only a read-only version of the file to the working folder

27:36

without checking it out, a check mark

27:39

is added to the Check Out column.

27:44

You can change any options related to the children,

27:48

to the parents, and to the related documentation.

27:52

And, optionally, you can add a comment describing why

27:55

you were checking out the file.

27:57

You're also shown the check out count and the download count.

28:04

Click OK when finished.

28:11

The file has been checked out, as shown by the check mark.

28:15

And now you can open it in the CAD application,

28:17

in this case, Inventor, and make the edits.

28:24

We'll make a change to the shaft from 12 inches to 20 inches.

28:33

Once the change is made, we can check it back

28:38

into the Vault for others to access.

28:44

In the Vault tab, select Check In.

28:52

Yes to save.

28:55

And then enter a comment, changed length, and then

29:01

click OK when finished.

29:08

Now going back to Vault, you can see

29:10

that the file has been checked in after doing a refresh.

29:19

And you can see the longer shaft length

29:22

in the thumbnail and the comment indicating the changed length.

29:29

Now right click the file and select Change State,

29:33

and we'll select For Review since the file is now

29:39

ready for somebody to review.

29:42

[END PLAYBACK]

29:46

The last topic in the presentation

29:48

is aligned to the last step in the workflow which

29:50

is sharing the changes you have made to your files.

29:54

At this point, you have learned that parts

29:56

can be added to Vault by copying an existing design

29:59

or simply by creating them from scratch.

30:02

You also learned how to check out parts from the Vault,

30:06

made changes to them, and then put them back in Vault.

30:09

We also discussed revisions and how to change file states.

30:14

And now the final step in the workflow

30:15

is learning how to share the changes so that your design

30:18

team knows that changes have been made.

30:21

Specifically, we will discuss how Vault can help you do this.

30:26

In a collaborative design environment,

30:28

Vault files are a bit worked on by many different users.

30:32

Check in and check out functionality

30:34

is one way Vault controls who has access to all the files.

30:38

But as we have been discussing throughout,

30:41

Vault also provides status icons in Vault client, shown

30:45

in the image on the left, and in the Vault plaza, shown

30:49

in the image on the right, to help

30:51

you know if you or others are working on files

30:54

and whether the files are up to date.

30:57

Once you're at the sharing your data stage,

31:00

understanding these icons is important.

31:04

We have introduced a number of these icons already,

31:07

but I wanted to present this as a bit of a review.

31:11

To understand what the icon is telling you,

31:13

think of the icon as a separate foreground and background icon.

31:18

Both of which are providing guidance

31:19

on the status of the file.

31:21

I kept it simple here to explain the basic icons

31:24

with a number of others that you may come across.

31:28

The Help Documentation provides a good list

31:30

by searching on keywords, status icons.

31:35

So as a reminder, once you have completed the design,

31:38

be sure to always check in with completed files.

31:41

Also remember that adding a comment helps let your team

31:45

members know what changed.

31:47

There is no internal notification system in Vault

31:50

when parts are checked in.

31:52

So you can use email or chat with colleagues

31:55

to let them know you are done and the parts are

31:58

ready for them to use.

32:01

If you personally have just received notification

32:03

that the file was updated and checked in,

32:06

you can review the file in the Vault plan

32:08

to see the version, who created the version, the date,

32:11

and a check in comment, as I have shown here.

32:15

It is also possible that you might have the modified

32:17

file already saved locally.

32:19

So a red refresh Vault status icon

32:22

will appear, indicating that new edits are available in Vault

32:26

and that your version is out of date.

32:29

To get the latest file from Vault,

32:31

you will want to refresh the file.

32:34

One final topic I wanted to mention

32:36

is how you might want to share designs

32:38

with users that don't have access

32:39

to Vault. This could be internally

32:42

with sales or externally with customers.

32:45

Autodesk shared views is a great tool for this

32:48

as it doesn't involve inner threats

32:50

with screenshots or sending native 3D model

32:54

files, which is often not even allowed with external clients.

32:58

Shared views can help you avoid these problems.

33:01

Shared views provides a better way

33:03

for designers, engineers, and visual artists

33:06

to get feedback on their work in progress, simplifying

33:09

and speeding up review cycles.

33:12

It enable users to quickly create

33:14

online visual representation from within desktop application

33:18

and generate a link that can be shared with any stakeholder.

33:22

Stakeholders can then view the shared view,

33:24

add comments and mark-up via the Autodesk viewer.

33:28

And authors can review comments and see feedback

33:32

they've received within the authoring application,

33:34

and then respond if required.

33:37

The following video shows you how shared view works.

33:41

[VIDEO PLAYBACK]

33:42

Autodesk Vault helps you to collaborate with your team

33:45

both inside and outside your organization.

33:49

Share a view of your design directly from inside Vault

33:52

to create a 2D or 3D view of all of your design

33:55

file which can be reviewed with virtually any cloud connected

33:59

browser or handheld device.

34:03

Reviewers don't have to download or install any software

34:06

to collaborate on your designs.

34:08

They just need a secure web link.

34:11

Reviewers can navigate, section, explode,

34:16

and measure your design.

34:18

All model information and structure

34:20

can be shared with the reviewer.

34:23

In addition, reviewers can comment and mark-up

34:26

on your designs.

34:27

And all comments are logged and can

34:28

be viewed in your Vault client.

34:32

Because the focus of this workflow

34:34

is work in progress feedback, the 2D and 3D viewables

34:38

are temporary visualization files, not your native CAD

34:41

data.

34:43

These temporary visualization files automatically

34:46

expire unless extended by you.

34:49

Autodesk Vault shared views help you to connect and collaborate

34:53

with your extended design team.

34:56

Ensure that your designs are correct and coordinated,

34:59

and support review and commenting

35:01

from non-CAD users with Autodesk Vault shared views.

35:04

[END PLAYBACK]

35:06

Don't forget to review Autodesk's Customer Success

35:09

Hub where you will find various catalogs of live coaching

35:13

sessions.

35:14

Autodesk offers a live coaching sessions

35:16

to companies with an enterprise business agreement.

35:19

Your team can get personalized guidance on the latest Autodesk

35:22

workflows directly from industry and product experts.

35:27

Sessions can be tailored based on your team's capabilities

35:30

and typical project use cases.

35:33

Thank you for listening.

  • Create a new file from an existing file using Copy Design 
  • Update an existing file in Vault using the Get command 
  • Share a file version with others using Check in
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