Desktop Integration User Setup

Whether you install the DTI add-in yourself or an administrator installs it on your behalf, there are several steps you should take before working with documents outside Windchill.

The following steps ensure that Windchill Desktop Integration functions correctly:

1. From Windchill, set your Attachments > File Download Mechanism preference to Use Windchill Desktop Integration functionality to download files. For more information on setting preferences, see Preference Management.

2. Establish a connection with the Windchill server. You can do this as part of the DTI installation process. To later add a server, you can use the following options:

◦ Open Windchill in a browser and download the primary content of a Windchill document. This Windchill server is automatically established.

◦ Open a Microsoft Office application and select Windchill > Configuration. From the Windchill Desktop Integration Configuration window, you can manually configure and connect to a server. For more information, see Desktop Integration Configuration.

Most Windchill actions do not appear until you have established a connection with the server.

The Windchill Desktop Integration Configuration window includes the following options:

◦ Control whether checkin, checkout, and overwrite prompts appear when you open and close Microsoft Office documents.

◦ Use the Compare Tools tab to identify document comparison tools for Windchill documents. By default, Windchill Desktop Integration provides actions to compare Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Word documents and document versions. To compare additional file types, you can identify different third-party comparison tools.

The Attachments and Documents preference groups include the following options:

◦ Control document checkin behavior:

▪ Select the Send local file to Recycle Bin option by default.

▪ Select the Keep document open after check-in option by default.

▪ Determine whether the checkin process includes a step to edit attributes.

◦ Control upload and download behavior:

▪ Customize your default file path when downloading files from Windchill.

▪ Determine which contexts should appear in Windows Explorer by default.

▪ Determine whether you are prompted to open or save downloaded files.

For information on all Windchill preferences that affect DTI, see Desktop Integration Preferences.