PDXpert 11.0 release notes (change history)

Published updates in the PDXpert 11.0 series software (all dates are UTC).

◄ PDXpert PLM 10.3  •  PDXpert PLM 11.1 ►

Before upgrading: Read all release notes published from your current release to this new release.

The PDXpert system requirements identifies supported Microsoft products. PDXpert software no longer supports Windows XP or Windows Server 2003. If your PDXpert system currently uses SQL Server 2005, refer to the SQL Server upgrade instructions before installing this release.

Microsoft considers .NET Framework 4.5.2, 4.6, and 4.6.1 not secure. You should immediately update Windows server and client machines to a more recent .NET version to receive updates and technical support. .NET Framework 4.6.2 and 4.8 are highly compatible in-place updates (replacements) for .NET 4.5.2, 4.6, and 4.6.1. Microsoft continues to issue security updates for .NET Framework 4.6.2 and later versions.

If upgrading PDXpert 8.0 or earlier, uninstall all PDXpert clients. Or, upgrade to PDXpert 10 before upgrading to this release.

11.0.30620.2: 2016-04-12

New features and functions

• Change workflow can be set to automatically move an accepted change from Released to Completed state. More information. [b13250]

  Effect on your system Changes already at the Released state are not automatically promoted to Completed state. Change Forms collection members that previously had dispositioning enabled will have this checkbox marked. Change forms that did not have dispositioning enabled will not have this checkbox marked.

  After upgrading Review the Set to Released state before Completed state checkbox on each member of your Change Forms collection.

  Mark the Set to Released state before Completed state checkbox on the Change Forms collection member to edit releasing activities or status, or disposition affected items, on a released change.

  Update quality manuals or other process documentation to confirm that, upon approval, change forms may now move immediately to Completed state. Review and promote all released change forms as needed. Confirm that the workflow path for releasing a change includes users who should be notified when the change is completed.

• The Name{a} button on part and document records merges custom attribute values into the record's name. Each Part Types and Document Types collection member has a unique text template. This is copied from the part or document type to the new item, and can include an {attribute name} that's replaced by the custom attribute's value, as entered on the item's Custom tab. Custom values (text, dates, numbers) can be formatted. Some values may include extended properties, such as unit of measure or an abbreviation. More information. [b9205]

• The Show Materials tab checkbox on Part Types collection members makes the Materials list visible or hidden on parts. More information. [b3082]

  Effect on your system Your existing Part Types collection members are left unchanged, with their Show Materials tab checkbox marked.

  After upgrading Review each Part Types collection member to mark or clear the Show Materials tab checkbox. In most systems, mark only purchased and designed parts that require regulatory compliance; other part types won't normally show a Materials tab.

• Confirmation pop-ups are displayed when using the Item menu | Remove Object command on parts, documents and change forms. [b517]

• Note field on revision file attachments. [b659]

• Tab label symbol ≡ indicates when that tab's list isn't empty. For example, References ≡ signals that the item has references. [b754, b5172]

• Change form approval layout shows all groups where the current user's response is allowed, and updates layout, label, status messages and help topics. [b13255]

• Info pop-up describes possible solutions to Session no longer active error message. [b13263]

• Confirmation pop-up when first revision's BOM row may be replaced by different part. [b13276]

• Materials Collection import format for External Data Importer tool permits bulk-import of new collection members. [b13287]

• Status bar text displays the current connected server's name. [b14321]

• Change form permission expands users' assigned role permissions. A user can be assigned very restricted (or even no) permissions to view items, yet can review and approve affected items on behalf of their reviewing group. More information. [b14323]

• Organizations collection's Display name ! character assigns a status bar background color for non-production environments. More information. [b14343]

• Warn user when a collection member's name duplicates an existing member of the Persons, Organizations, Views, and Materials collections. Notify user when Organizations member has empty or duplicate Display name. [b14357]

• Add help topics for removing file attachments: Remove an item file or external link and Remove a revision file. [c30504]

• Info pop-up identifies that an item is blocked because user doesn't have sufficient permission to view it. [c30544]

Improvements to existing capabilities

• Item BOM, Sources and References lists include the Lifecycle abbreviation of child items. Add new abbreviation to Item Lifecycle Phases collection. [b13309]

  After upgrading Review all Item Lifecycle Phases collection members to ensure they have useful abbreviations.

• Installer excludes uninstaller tool for releases prior to PDXpert 8.0. [b14311]

  Effect on your system For systems using PDXpert 8.0 or higher: This has no impact, other than antivirus "false positives" are minimized because the pre-8.0 uninstaller is no longer run during the upgrade. Customers who are using PDXpert 7.5 or earlier must (a) manually uninstall the 7.x client application before upgrading to PDXpert 11.0 or later; or (b) upgrade in two steps: first upgrade to any release prior to PDXpert 11.0 (such as PDXpert 10.3), and then upgrade to PDXpert 11.0 or later.

• On Roles collection member window: Rename Permissions tab to Collections. Set implication rules between read-only setting and Manage; administrator setting and Manage; and  Browse and Manage. Add Set/clear all checkboxes. Adjusted layout. [b629]

• Improve starting widths of Item Explorer columns for new users and whenever account settings are reset. Remove column auto-wrap. [b873]

• Change workflow resets all previous Reviewed on dates when change is re-routed for approval. [b4105]

• Custom collections can be deleted by clearing the default member via administrator override. [b8187]

• Item Explorer Tasks excludes duplicate tasks where Assigned to me and Assigned by me overlap. Update default filter setting to exclude Assigned by me. [b12229, c30531]

• PDX package export sorts the PDXpert.Custom attribute list by Sort value, then by Name. [b12230]

• DEL key removes highlighted term from search history on Item Explorer Search tab. [b13246]

• Change workflow emails include reviewer's comments on Disapprove change or Hold change response. [b13270]

• Improve session logging and license management. [b13277, b14312, b14314, b14341]

• PDX package export enforces consistent package ID for contacts, to reduce false differences when comparing successive PDX packages in PDXplorer. [b13290]

• Improve readability of Markup Wizard tool layout: revise/add/simplify column headers; revise help panel instructions; remove unused strings in resources; permit Windows scaling on checkbox column; adjust all column widths; set row auto-sizing to wrap text; clear Qty and RefDes cells on reference documents. [b13312]

• Change form permits editing by the named analyst (not all analysts). All analysts have workflow permissions, and can re-assign a new named analyst. [b14315]

• Change form's Affected list opens the item iteration affected by change. An unapproved releasing change opens the item's pending iteration or, if none, the previously-released iteration. An approved releasing change opens the released iteration or, if none, the canceled iteration. [b14324, b878]

• Sort file names alphabetically on document's and part's Item Files, and change form's and Organizations member's Files lists. [b14338]

• Increase change form's textbox widths. Increase primary and secondary descriptions' default size, and allow to grow vertically with window re-size. [b14339]

• Increase custom attribute column widths. The left column now displays up to 40 numeric (about 35 uppercase or 50 lowercase) characters; the right column displays about 60 numeric (52UC/73lc) characters. [b14340a]

• Revise labels and fonts formatting: Apply monospace font to Data Transformations XML and Views SQL text. Identify F2 as command key for window padlocks. Eliminate Verdana font from item record forms and reports. Simplify Zip and Save Log Files buttons to Save Log Files. [c30463, c30464, c30465, c30467]

• Remove alphanumeric count on all textbox character counters. The total character count is still displayed. [c30468]

• Upgrade NLog and SQLite modules to current releases. [c30496]

• Item Explorer keeps the first type of each New section unselected when client is opened. [c30499]

• Part and document forms' iteration dropdown list increased to allow longer change abbreviations and numbers. [c30500]

• Adjust all Files lists for column widths and display order; copy row/list as text using display column order. [c30520]

• Assign Display selection for an additional person #1/#2 checkboxes as unmarked for starting values on Part Types, Document Types and Change Forms collections. [c30521]

• Starting database values: Refresh active currency exchange rates. Update change dispositioning and workflow settings. Remove PLMX export data transformation. Hide default part types' Materials list. [c30532]

• Improve Windows .NET display scaling for Change Forms workflow diagram path buttons. [c30540]

• Alphabetically sort administrator commands on Tools menu. [c30543]

• PDX package export sorts the PDXpert.Materials attribute list by Sort value, then by Name. Add home organization as package copyright contact (thisDocumentCopyright). Add PDXpert release as creating application (dataSource). [c30554]

• Revise email notification HTML template. Update nonessential message to This change may affect you. Review its content promptly. [c30556]

• Remove Add to Notification Text command from Process menu (replaced by reviewer comments [b13270]). Change descriptions are always included in workflow notices. [c30557]

• Report/Export Wizard notifies user when a data transformation has no data to export or report. [c30562]

• Improve email setup diagnostic messages. [c30567]

• Improve consistency of change form editing permissions for originator, analyst and administrator override. [c30598]

Maintenance fixes and changes

• Immediately display item's current title in Window menu. Limit window captions to 90 characters. [b125]

• DEL key deletes a BOM row only when selected (highlighted), and all selected panels are automatically unselected when text is edited. [b9199, b14328]

• A user with normal permissions cannot modify the change workflow state after a change form is routed. [b13294]

• Expanding a node Collection Explorer won't scroll the node out of window when the focus leaves, then returns to, the navigation tree. [b14310]

• Delete selected BOM rows when more than one row is selected. [b14327]

• Change form Affected list supports Copy As Text menu command. [b14329]

• Delete a date in custom attributes without throwing null exception. [b14336]

• Report header subtitle lengths (e.g., change descriptions) that exceed 90 characters are truncated. [b14350]

• Item BOM, Sources and References list supports Copy As Text menu command. [c30440]

• Item AppearsOn lists: select current row on right-click (open context menu). Open items by double-clicking anywhere on the row, rather than only on content. Disable multi-row select. [c30569]