PDXpert PLM Software
On-line Help Guide

This help topic describes the current PDXpert PLM release. Earlier releases may be different. To view your release's version of this topic, open PDXpert and press the F1 key or select the Help menu.

How to work with documents

Documents show the design, construction, service and support information of a product or procedure.

When you add a new document to PDXpert, you're making a document record that is an "index card" or container for one or more related electronic files. These are added to the document record's Files lists and stored in the PDXpert file library.

A document record can also identify a real physical object, such as a paper drawing or photographic film.

A document always has at least one iteration and, as your design changes, many more may be added:

  • Zero or one pending iteration.
  • Zero or one released iteration.
  • Zero or more canceled iterations.

Making a new document §

Starting the new document §

Make the new document by

In both of these, you'll permanently identify the document by its type, owning organization, and number.

Finishing the new document record §

The document record opens with its first pending iteration. Each record iteration can reflect the document's name, revision, and lifecycle phase, such as Preliminary or Production.

Item-level attributes §

Some attributes are associated with the item, and shared across all revisions of the item.

  • General information includes the document name and data on the Attributes, Custom, and Notes pages.

  • The Files: Item Files list has background files and external links for history, manufacturing records, websites and other information that's not managed by revision.

Revision-level attributes §

Revision-level data is related to a specific iteration, and changes are tracked using an executing change form.

You may add relationships between the document and other items. You establish these relationships by dragging items from the Item Explorer's Search or Recent lists, and dropping them onto the correct markup list

  • Add documents to the References: Markup list, such as customer source drawings, industry specifications and regulatory requirements. You can also identify physical parts such as tools and equipment used in a test or calibration procedure.

  • Add one or more design files to the Revision Files list. These files can be original technical drawings (like CAD or Word files), information derived from drawings (like CNC code or PDFs), or both.

  • Add an informal reminder to the Tasks list to prepare the iteration for release.

After you add new information, save your document.

Releasing the document for the first time §

When you've completed adding information, the pending document record is released by (1) adding it to an executing change form Affected list and (2) routing, approving, and releasing the change form.

Until you submit the change form for approval, the document record remains pending and can be changed in whatever way that you want.

After the change form is approved and released, the document record is released, and the final child relationships are shown on the Current list.

  • Many of the released document record's attributes are locked and can never be modified;

  • Some attributes can be modified by the item trustee and members of the product team; and

  • Some document attributes (such as revision files) can be modified only by making a new pending iteration of the document record.

See the Release your document help topic.

Revising a released document §

Revise a released document record by making a new iteration.

On the new iteration, you can markup the BOM, Sources and References lists. You can also add, edit and remove revision files.

The new iteration remains pending until you release it on an executing change form. At that time, you'll also cancel the preceding iteration by adding it to the same change.

See the Revise a released document help topic.

Canceling a released document §

When a released document is obsolete and no new iterations are needed, it's canceled without a new iteration.

Cancel a released iteration by adding it to a new executing change form's Affected list, and releasing that change form.

Do not create a new iteration. All references and files stay on a canceled document, so no changes are needed.

To show that a document is no longer useful, you can choose to cancel the released iteration, or to release a new iteration with lifecycle of (say) Obsolete. A lifecycle change can show the document is obsolete, but doesn't block its use. Canceling is better. Canceling the document makes sure that:

  • All pending and released parent items are revised to remove the document before it's canceled.

  • After the document is canceled, it can't be accidentally added to a markup list.

  • Users can't open the canceled document unless they have the correct role permissions.

The document can be used again by releasing a new iteration, even with the same revision and lifecycle.

See the Cancel a released document help topic.

Deleting a document §

You can remove (delete) a pending document iteration from the database if it's not used by another document, part or change form.

See the Remove your document help topic.

Printing and exporting document data §

View and share document information using:

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