External Collaboration Example Using an Export Only Package Delivery and Windchill ProjectLink
In this example, a company is collaborating with a supplier who needs product structure data to work with when creating their parts. The supplier does not have a PDM system. The user creates a package for the supplier partner so they can review the object data using their limited access to a project in the Windchill installation.
Sending Side
To prepare the package, the sending user follows this flow:
• The user creates the package using the Add to Package action from an object that has related objects they also want to include in the package.
• The user collaborates with other users to evolve the package contents. This includes applying filters to the package content to limit the included objects, explicitly including and excluding particular objects, and including and excluding certain file types from the package. The user locks the package and routes it for final content review and approval.
• The user creates the delivery object that specifies the package recipient as the partner, the package sender as the user creating the delivery, and the delivery medium as a ProjectLink Project.
• After the package content is approved, the package ZIP file is created and the Export Only format is selected. The user also decides to include a manifest file that lists the package contents. Once the ZIP file is created, it can be shared to a project where the intended recipient is already a member. The user marks the delivery as sent using the Send Package action and Windchill sends the recipient a notification. As the package sender intends the recipient to directly use the Receive Delivery action, the sending user grants the recipient the ability to modify the package delivery using the Edit Access Control action.
Receiving Side
A flow is also followed by the supplier partner who is the recipient of the collaboration:
• The recipient receives the email indicating that the delivery is available. The recipient logs into the Windchill system and downloads the ZIP file from the delivery. The recipient also marks the delivery as received using the Receive Delivery action.
• The recipient opens the Manifest.txt file from the top level of the directory structure within the ZIP file. The Manifest.txt file lists all of the objects included in the package so the recipient can verify that they have received everything that was agreed upon.
• The recipient extracts the files from the CONTENTS directory and verifies that the contents are correct using the appropriate native authoring application.
• The recipient logs into the Windchill system and marks the delivery as accepted using the Receive Delivery action.