Auto check-in?
- Thread starter cclark440
- Start date
Wow, I wrote that? I probably had someone else talking to me while I was try to write that.
Basically, I was asking if anyone else use multiple users in the Vault creating models and drawings?
The problem I have is if our other user creates a new assembly in the vault and doesn't check in all of the parts, I can't see any of them. If she only checks in the assembly and not the parts it depends on, the assembly will fail to load. This is really becoming a problem for us. We have been considering adding an additional seat of Alibre, but are holding off until we are sure that by doing so we are not complicating things further. The last thing we want to do his pay two people to model and detail the same part just because someone forgot to check in all dependents of an assembly file.
I have also spoke with both Alibre and Motive. Motive says that all of the functionality is built in, it is up to Alibre to implement it.
It seems that if Alibre really wants to start gaining market share beyond single users installations, this is a pretty basic issue that needs to be resolved.
Basically, I was asking if anyone else use multiple users in the Vault creating models and drawings?
The problem I have is if our other user creates a new assembly in the vault and doesn't check in all of the parts, I can't see any of them. If she only checks in the assembly and not the parts it depends on, the assembly will fail to load. This is really becoming a problem for us. We have been considering adding an additional seat of Alibre, but are holding off until we are sure that by doing so we are not complicating things further. The last thing we want to do his pay two people to model and detail the same part just because someone forgot to check in all dependents of an assembly file.
I have also spoke with both Alibre and Motive. Motive says that all of the functionality is built in, it is up to Alibre to implement it.
It seems that if Alibre really wants to start gaining market share beyond single users installations, this is a pretty basic issue that needs to be resolved.
NateLiquidGravity
Alibre Super User
Would an AutoHotkey program that regularly prompts the user to check in their files work? It could also bring up the 'checked out to me' view depending on the response. I could whip that kinda thing up in a short amount of time.
If auto check in for Alibre files is a feature that a lot of people want I may start looking into it even farther.
If auto check in for Alibre files is a feature that a lot of people want I may start looking into it even farther.
It certainly isn't ideal that auto check-in doesn't work.
Surely it doesn't take much education to get people to select the 'checked out to me' view, then select all, then check in. There are occasions when auto check-in would actually not be a desirable approach, so better to get the underlying understanding and behaviours right.
Surely it doesn't take much education to get people to select the 'checked out to me' view, then select all, then check in. There are occasions when auto check-in would actually not be a desirable approach, so better to get the underlying understanding and behaviours right.
DavidJ said:
I've got myself trained to usually check in all checked out files, but I use the PC for lots of things other than Alibre during the day and work with multiple Vaults as well. It's all too easy to forget that a file opened briefly for a minor change in one of my secondary (little used) Vaults has not been checked back in at the end of the work day. I hope Alibre fixes this before I lose something important.
Mike
NateLiquidGravity
Alibre Super User
I personally use the Log Out function in the task tray icon right click menu to check if any are checked out yet. But since I am in a single user environment I only do it once or twice a day when leaving my pc.
albie0803
Alibre Super User
It annoys me that the automatic check in feature has not been fixed. The early posts in this thread show the necessity of this function particularly in a multiuser function. The function of automated vault backups is also compromised by the necessity of having to manually check in all files at the end of the day, or more, REMEMBERING to check them in.
It is a shame that the integration of the vault has not been fully implemented in that it ends up not working as its documentation says it does which is frustrating and potentially devastating when its restore function is actually needed.
PLEASE, Alibre, get together with Motive and get this worked out!
It is a shame that the integration of the vault has not been fully implemented in that it ends up not working as its documentation says it does which is frustrating and potentially devastating when its restore function is actually needed.
PLEASE, Alibre, get together with Motive and get this worked out!
Hop
Senior Member
I hope this Newbie question isn’t totally off-topic to this thread. Could someone bring me up to speed on what the check-in problem with M-Files is? Does this only apply to a multi-user environment with multiple seats of Alibre Design sharing a common project database?
I have an M-Files server and a client installed on my work PC. I can (hopefully) access the Vault from home via VPN connection, but so far I haven’t found the time to actually learn how to use it, either at home or at work. Everything Alibre is now saved in the Windows file system, and after several years of “playing around” with AD, it is getting pretty messy. Things I did way back then, or imported parts, are becoming very difficult to find and re-use now. I would like to get up to speed on Vault and move everything Alibre into that environment.
Please tell me that if I check out one or more files to use in AD, and then close AD, the files I have checked out are automagically version-updated, saved, and checked back into the Vault. Please tell me that if I have checked out files at work, I can still access those files as “read only” from at home.
Is it worth while as a single user to install and use Vault?
Hop
I have an M-Files server and a client installed on my work PC. I can (hopefully) access the Vault from home via VPN connection, but so far I haven’t found the time to actually learn how to use it, either at home or at work. Everything Alibre is now saved in the Windows file system, and after several years of “playing around” with AD, it is getting pretty messy. Things I did way back then, or imported parts, are becoming very difficult to find and re-use now. I would like to get up to speed on Vault and move everything Alibre into that environment.
Please tell me that if I check out one or more files to use in AD, and then close AD, the files I have checked out are automagically version-updated, saved, and checked back into the Vault. Please tell me that if I have checked out files at work, I can still access those files as “read only” from at home.
Is it worth while as a single user to install and use Vault?
Hop
NateLiquidGravity
Alibre Super User
As a single user I check in periodically (1-4 times an average day) in case of catastrophe. I believe that the files are only stored in temp files locally until checked in to the vault. So if you don't want to loose new files or changes its a good idea to check in. Those checked out files or changes are also not included in backups - So check in everything before a backup or all that data is missing from a restore.
If you vpn to your pc using the same user account then you have access to everything you did from on location. It would be the same vault user and therefore already checked out and available to you.
For multi-user environment you additionally need to check in for other users to access the files.
If you vpn to your pc using the same user account then you have access to everything you did from on location. It would be the same vault user and therefore already checked out and available to you.
For multi-user environment you additionally need to check in for other users to access the files.
NateLiqGrav said:
May not be true, depending upon the precise detail - If you actually 'remote control' the work PC then this is true - if you have vault client on a separate PC at home (even with same user name) the checked out files aren't available as they are checked out to a different PC (even though same user). The checked out files are in the local cache (on hard drive) of the machine they were checked out on. Hope that is clear (sometimes difficult to get the wording just right).
albie0803
Alibre Super User
I had a hard drive crash and lost quite a lot of work due to the fact that it is not well documented that because Alibre doesn't auto check-in files, that the vault is not correctly backed up as Nate said. It all has to be done manually.
At the moment the manual should say in large letters that vault integration is not fully implemented and that all Alibre files must be manually checked in at the end of each session.
Another thing is that some of the fields that come auto setup with the Alibre vault cannot be called into field boxes. eg. Customer Name is a default field in the vault yet I cannot call it for a title block in a drawing. I could create a new field in the vault for customer name and I could call that one, yet I cannot call the default one! :roll: :roll: :roll:
At the moment the manual should say in large letters that vault integration is not fully implemented and that all Alibre files must be manually checked in at the end of each session.
Another thing is that some of the fields that come auto setup with the Alibre vault cannot be called into field boxes. eg. Customer Name is a default field in the vault yet I cannot call it for a title block in a drawing. I could create a new field in the vault for customer name and I could call that one, yet I cannot call the default one! :roll: :roll: :roll:
NateLiquidGravity
Alibre Super User
The Alibre help section about using the Vault does now caution and explain this well.
Also I thought they fixed that vault field thing?
Also I thought they fixed that vault field thing?
aeromorrison
Senior Member
I would be frustrated if my models were automatically checked in all of the time...especially in a multi-user environment. One of the reasons for check-out and check-in is to have some control over what is acceptable for use or Work-In-Progress. That said, it certainly takes some time to get your mind thinking in these terms all of the time. I came from a background using other PDM/PLM system, so check in/out came pretty natural for me. It's certainly not obvious to a new user of Alibre that this workflow is needed to make sure you don't lose data. It could be cleaned up quite a bit. Maybe just a dialog when exiting Alibre that asks if you would like to review the list of checked-out models for potential check-in. This would produce an immediate awareness without forcing automatic check-in on everyone.