Using AutoCAD and AutoCAD Mechanical with Vault

Thanks to Michael Thomas again for another great blog post on the Vault line of products.  Without further ado...

We had a gentlemen phone in the other day looking for something to help him manage his AutoCAD drawings and the hundreds of images he is using.  The first thought…. what about Vault?

Many people associate Vault with Inventor and perhaps even with Civil 3D, but forget about AutoCAD. I think this has to do with Autodesk’s marketing and positioning of the Vault product line but the truth is that Vault is very well integrated into AutoCAD.

One of the strengths of Vault is how well it manages files and file references.  This is very true with the Vault and AutoCAD data as Vault will manage any of the external reference attachments that AutoCAD uses.  This includes XREFS (DWG), raster Images (like .bmp, .jpg, etc), DWF underlay, DGN underlay, and the new 2010 option for PDF underlay.

So what’s in it for you to use Vault with your AutoCAD?  Here are a few reasons.

1. Check-in / Check-out:  This helps stop inadvertent changes as you are prompted to check out the file before you are allowed to make changes and save the file.  If someone else is working on the file you will not be able to make changes until they have completed their changes have checked the file back into the Vault.  You will also know who is working on the files.
2. Where Used:  Pick on a file within Vault and instantly see each and every location that file is used
3. Reference Management:  Move or rename drawings, images, pdfs, and any other attachments and the Vault will automatically correct all references where that file is used
4. DWF Visualization:  As an AutoCAD drawing is checked into the Vault it can automatically generate a DWF which can be viewed within the Vault client without having to use AutoCAD or some other CAD product.
5. Searching:  Vault uses a SQL database to store meta data (title, subject, author, part number, etc) and as it is SQL based searches are extremely quick making it easier to find files and reuse designs.

Here are a couple shots of an AutoCAD drawing being checked into the Vault.  Notice how it automatically detects all attachments, even the nested attachments, and checks in the entire collection into the Vault.

Once checked into the Vault neither the drawing nor any of the attachments can be modified as they will be set to read-only until checked out.

Files stored in the Vault can also be directly attached to a file right from within AutoCAD, including a find option. The find function is Vault wide and extremely quick meaning if it’s in the Vault you will find it.

When checked back into the Vault a DWF is also created for others to view

Once stored in the Vault you can use the Vault Explorer to view information about the files like “uses” information to see which files are attached to a drawing and “where used” information so you can see EVERY single place a drawing, image, or underlay is used within the Vault. So if you’re considering changing something why not check what the change will impact first?

Renaming a file within Vault auto-corrects the reference in each file it is used… that’s right I said automatically so if you rename something or move it there are no worries about your drawing not finding the references in the future. An extremely powerful tool!

In the images below the file “FoundationDetail_16b.tif” was renamed to “FDetail.tif” using the Vault Explorer. When the main drawing is reopened in AutoCAD there is no prompting or repathing as the AutoCAD drawing is already aware of the changes.

What about some of the other AutoCAD based products? Outside of AutoCAD LT (which has no Vault support) any of the AutoCAD “flavored” products can use Vault (for example AutoCAD Electrical, AutoCAD Mechanical). Some have their own additional integration with the Vault

For example… AutoCAD Mechanical has the extra bonus that AutoCAD Mechanical structure components and part references that are used to build the AutoCAD Mechanical Bill of Material (BOM) and Parts List integrate completely with Vault Manufacturing and its item master.  Although you have a single AutoCAD drawing Vault Manufacturing can extract the BOM components.

The following image shows an AutoCAD Mechanical Parts List.  This was built using the data of the drawings part references and structure components.  Notice how Vault Manufacturing can extract this information from the single AutoCAD Mechanical drawing and build the corresponding items.

Wrapping up, the issue for the gentleman considering Vault to help manage his AutoCAD and raster data is not really about using Vault but what is the best approach to get it.  Vault is included with AutoCAD Mechanical, AutoCAD Electrical, Civil 3D, and the Inventor suite of Products…. not AutoCAD.   It’ll probably be the easiest for him to upgrade to AutoCAD Mechanical (and if he chooses run it as a “vanilla” AutoCAD) which will not lose any functionality that he currently uses and will even allow him to continue using his Raster Design.

If you are considering Vault don’t forget about your AutoCAD data.  If you are using AutoCAD or some flavor of AutoCAD why not take a look at Vault to manage that data for you.  And remember IMAGINiT is always available to assist.

Comments

[auto cad drawing]

Great post

[autocad drawings]

Cool great step by step directions