I found that I HAVE to use the repository system to get adequate performance from Alibre. The performance, particularly with assembly drawings (not so much models) is slowed down if you use the WFS.
I found that there are shorcomings in the WFS that I cannot tolerate (on top of the slow performance). I have raised these problems with Alibre support.
Now that I am happy using Alibre with the repository I expected that it was just a simple case of the creator enabling sharing with the repositories that are on our network and then our other users would be able to read and write to them VIA OUR NETWORK. I'm not contemplating an intranet either.
Now it seems (though I have yet to confirm this because I only activated one account and didn't load Alibre on two machines in our office yet) that to access our files we have to be logged into the AD server and the files will actually travel over the internet.
We cannot be relying on internet access to work within our company. I don't think we can get internet access realiably enough for that. No way will the MD (CEO) agree to that.
Just to make a point. Last year in our area, just south of Manchester UK (not the backwoods, we are in a large town. Half the population of UK is within 1.5 hours drive of here). There was a little problem with a fire in an access tunnel under a road. This took the whole areas telephones out. most of the mobiles (cellulars) didn't work. All the cashpoints stopped working for 2 days. Many businesses didn't get phone or internet for 2.5 weeks.
That was a good 2.5 weeks to catch up on some design work!
Thats the UK, we have a pretty good infrastructure.
So sharing our own copyright design data would be crippled if Alibre were, for some reason, not there, or we don't pay the annual maintenance fee, or as happens at least once a month in my experience, the internet link is down.
...unless we use the WFS. But then, in my opinion, I am already crippled.
Trying to implement Alibre in a manner that will suit our office is proving to be a real emotional roller coaster ride so far.
Hence this post.
You guys must have been through this already!
On the plus side, Alibre support is very very good!