Integration with Other Applications > Windchill Workgroup Manager Documentation > Introduction to Windchill Workgroup Manager > Windchill Workgroup Manager Overview > What is Windchill Workgroup Manager? > Managing Data Through the Workspace > What is the Windchill File System?
  
What is the Windchill File System?
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The Windchill File System is presently available only on the Windchill Workgroup Manager for SOLIDWORKS, Windchill Workgroup Manager for AutoCAD, Windchill Workgroup Manager for Autodesk Inventor and the Windchill Workgroup Manager for NX. Users of CAD tools other than these can skip this section.
The Windchill File System (WFS) is a component of, and is installed with, the Windchill Workgroup Manager client. WFS exposes Windchill as a set of folders on the file system which mirrors the Windchill Commonspace and Workspace folder structure seen through the web browser. This folder structure allows the CAD tool to access data in Windchill as though it were files on the local file system. WFS requires you to login to Windchill, and adheres to Windchill security policies, so you will not be able view data through WFS that you cannot ordinarily view in Windchill. You can configure the Windchill folder entry location within your existing file system.
Load Windchill Columns and CAD Tool extension registry entries after Windchill Workgroup Manager Installation
When Windchill File System (WFS) is enabled, Windchill Workgroup Manager provides Windchill PDM information within CAD application (File > Open) window as well as in Windows Explorer. This change enables you to see updated Windchill properties for objects located in the commonspace and workspace.
The following Windchill columns with respective CAD Document properties are seen in the WFS locations within CAD application (File > Open) and Windows Explorer:
Document name
Document number
Version (revision/iteration)
State (lifecycle state)
General Status
WFS exposes more comprehensive status information of an object in the Windchill Commonspace and Workspace with the General Status column in Windows Explorer.
For objects in Windchill Workspace or Commonspace, WFS exposes the following values in the General Status column:
Locked
Checked out by you
Checked out by you in another workspace
New
Checked out by another user
Checked out to a project
Checked-in
Another iteration is checked out by you
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In the General Status column, New is shown for saved and uploaded CAD documents.
When you uninstall Windchill Workgroup Manager, Windchill columns such as Document name, State, Version etc. from Windows Explorer column list are automatically unloaded.
CAD Tool extension registry entries are also automatically unloaded from Windows registry list.