Associating Document Versions
Using the Associated Documents functionality in PTC FlexPLM, you can associate documents to different object types. Earlier and current releases of PTC FlexPLM that do not have version control enabled only allow for a single type of document association, where the latest iteration of a document is associated to the selected object. These documents are called Reference documents. When version control is enabled, you are also able to select a specific version of a document to associate to the object. This association creates a Described By document, and the link always refers to the latest revision of the specific document version. It is possible to associate more than one version and revision of a document to an object using this method.
When viewing the Associated Documents table for an object, Reference documents and Described By documents appear in separate lists. The version and iteration values for the documents are also shown.
Associating as a Reference Document
Creating an associated document as a Reference document does the following:
• Document information always links to the most recent version and iteration.
• Only a single copy of the document can be associated.
Associating as a Described By Document
Creating an associated document as a Described By document does the following:
• Document information always links to the document version specified during the association.
• Different versions of the same document can be associated as a Described By document.
Associating a Document
To associate a document to a product, open the product and open the Actions menu in the Documents panel. The following options are available:
• Create New Reference Document
• Create New Described By Document
• Add Existing Reference Document
• Add Existing Described By Document
• Remove All Reference Documents
• Remove All Described By Documents
• Remove All Documents
Choose the option that matches the action you want to complete.
When creating or updating a Reference or Described by Document, you can drag and drop a file onto the Content area. If only one file exists, it is marked as the primary file. If more than one file exists, the system marks the first file as the primary file. You can select a different primary file under the Content section before saving.