Integration with Other Applications > Using Creo Parametric with Windchill > PDM Actions > Keeping Workspace Objects Up-to-Date
  
Keeping Workspace Objects Up-to-Date
There are three actions available in the Windchill workspace that enable you to ensure that you are working with the most up-to-date data. These actions are summarized in the following table.
Action
Description
Update
Modifications to an object (primarily revisions or iterations) made by other users, or by you in another workspace, may cause your current workspace object to become out-of-date with respect to either:
• The document configuration specification (for CAD documents and dynamic documents)
• The part configuration specification
These are defined in the workspace preferences. The default workspace configuration specification is the latest iteration on the latest revision. So, the File > Update action typically checks for a later version of an object on the server, and if one is found, replaces the object in your workspace with the later, server version.
Refresh
The Refresh action creates a fresh rendering of the workspace page. It can be performed explicitly (by clicking the refresh icon in the workspace toolbar). It can also be triggered implicitly, in one of the following ways:
• By a new invocation of the workspace page
• By returning to a workspace page from elsewhere in Windchill
• Upon completion of a PDM action, using the embedded browser
• (In the background) During PDM actions performed from the CAD application (mechanical CAD applications, only)
• By the function of the preference, Workspace > Access rights refresh interval
, which sets a frequency for checking access rights and performing a comprehensive workspace refresh (default is 1800 seconds)
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During a workspace refresh, many object statuses are compared to, and updated by, server information. If the preference Workspace > Refresh to synchronize File Name is set to Yes, a refresh includes updating theFile Name of workspace objects whose File Name has changed on the server. When the preference is set to No, File Name updates require an explicit Synchronize action.
Synchronize
The Synchronize action includes all of the updates included in a workspace refresh. In addition, when you select Tools > Synchronize, additional server checks are performed, including the following:
• Synchronizing out-of-sync objects— for example, changes made to the workspace on another computer
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For best results, it is recommend that out-of-sync objects be synchronized by opening the object in its CAD application and saving to the workspace.
• Updating the client with modifications made to server preferences
If you work in a multi-user environment, you are likely to encounter the situation where changes to product data are made by others while you have the objects in your workspace. To manage this dynamic situation, Creo Parametric and Windchill Workgroup Manager can notify you of changes in object status and allow you to update selected or any changed workspace objects to be sure that you remain current with the latest server information. Status information regarding whether a workspace object is out-of-date is communicated via three optional status columns, which you can add to your workspace table view. The status columns are the following:
• Out of Date status
• Out of Date with Workspace Configuration status
• Compare status
For more information on these status columns, see About Object Status.
You may select one or more objects to update (for example, when their status column symbols indicate that they are out-of-date). In addition, you can select the Update action without preselecting an object (action-object). In this case, the Update page is automatically populated with any out-of-date objects from the workspace. After you specify how you would like the content handled (for example, whether to update, download, or link for download as needed), executing the update adds the latest iteration of an out-of-date object to the workspace.
For more information, see Updating Out-of-Date Objects.
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Use the Creo Parametric configuration option overwrite_contents_on_update to control behavior during the Update action from the Creo Parametric user interface. Note that "yes" is the default setting.
• If set to "no," the system does not overwrite the locally modified contents for out-of-date objects, but updates their metadata only.
• If set to "yes," the system overwrites the locally modified or out-of-date objects with the ones in the server in addition to updating their metadata.
The Synchronize (workspace) action updates the local cache with the latest information for objects already in the workspace (for example, modifications made from a standalone browser) and is described in the section Refreshing the Cache.