Creating a New or Connecting to an Existing DesignSync Object

You can check files and folders into DesignSync from ENOVIA products. These files or folders can be uploaded by creating a new DesignSync file or DesignSync folder. Only one file can be created or checked in at a time. Checking in multiple files in a single operation is not supported.

Modules, files and folders in DesignSync can be connected (associated) with business objects in the ENOVIA products by creating a connection between the object in DesignSync and a business object in ENOVIA. When a connection is established, a business object is created in ENOVIA. This business object contains the information to locate the file or the folder in the DesignSync server.

Connections can be created for files that physically exist in DesignSync and also for those that do not exist but can be referenced later.

Before you begin: Navigate to the Content page for an object that lists documents, such as a workspace folder.
Related Topics
About Connecting to DesignSync Objects
About DesignSync Modules

  1. To create a new DesignSync object and associated ENOVIA object: click Create New > DesignSync Object from the page Actions menu or toolbar.

    Or:

    To connect to an existing DesignSync object (creates the ENOVIA object): click Create New > Connect to DesignSync Object from the page Actions menu or toolbar.



  2. Enter details to define the ENOVIA type used to connect to the Designsync object. See Connect to DesignSync Object Fields for information about the fields.

  3. Enter details to define the DesignSync URL (how the system connects this object with the DesignSync object):

    Field Name Description
    Store Select the DesignSync server from the drop-down list.
    Path Use the Select Object from Server button to select the path, or type the path into the text box. If you type a path to an object that does not exist, the DesignSync server creates the path. For a folder or module, do not include the name of the tar or gz file.

    Make sure that the checkin path for the object (store path + local path) is valid for the given type (file, folder, or object). Modules can only be checked into stores with a path of "/Modules" and stores defined with a path of "/Modules/*" can only hold modules. Files and Folders can be checked into stores with any path except "/Modules." If the store you are checking the object into does not have a path defined or has a path of "/," you can checkin any object type as long as the local path begins with "/Modules" for a module object.

    If you manually enter the path, it cannot contain any of these special characters: @,*?[]#${}"<>|: ' ~%^&()`= The path name should resolve to a module or module version on the DesignSync server. If the path needs to create a module, the new module cannot be created under another module.
    File/Folder/Module

    When checking in a compressed file, make sure you select the Folder option. If File is selected, the object is created as a compressed file (not a folder) and is not extracted. If you try to access the File Versions category for that folder, you see a message such as this: Invalid Connection: Possible File or Folder Mismatch Verify Property Page If you manually enter the path and select folder, the path field must not end with ';' since a folder cannot end with a semicolon.
    Selector. Enter the name of the branch where the file will be stored. If the branch entered is not a legal branch selector for checkin, an error is returned during checkin. If you do not enter a value in this field, you are prompted for a value.
    • If the branch does not exist, it will not be created. For example, if you use a selector such as abc:Latest, if the file does not already exist on the server, it will be checked in as 1.1 using a branch tag of abc instead of Trunk. The branch is not created, but the branch tag is. If the file already exists with a branch tag other than abc, the checkin fails and an error is displayed.
    • If you enter Trunk, the systems appends :Latest to the branch; the selector would be Trunk:Latest.
    • If you enter a text string with a colon, the system appends Latest to the branch. For example, if you enter Gold:, the selector would be Gold:Latest.
    • If you enter a text string other than Trunk without a colon, the system does not append anything to the branch. For example, if you enter Gold, the selector would be Gold.

    For folders: If you enter an invalid branch, no error is received, the folder appears to have been checked in, and the status becomes available. You can see the folders but no files are checked in and none show in the Folder Contents list. You will see subfolders, but no files.
    Viewer Format Select the format (for example, JT) in which you want the file to open for viewing. This option is disabled for folders.

    To search for a path:

    1. Click for Select Object from Server.

      A Select page opens with details of the DesignSync selected server. Every DesignSync server has an associated document folder in ENOVIA with the same name as the DesignSync server. The Select page shows this object with the server name as the root.

      When creating a DesignSync module, file or folder, the Select page lists only DesignSync modules and folders. Note that you cannot create a module under another module. When connecting to a file or a folder in DesignSync, the Select page lists both files and folders in the DesignSync server. Only branches and versions of files show a value in the Version or Tags columns; the top-level file is not a specific version and does not show versions or tags.

    2. Select a module or folder in the DesignSync server where you want to create the DesignSync object.
    3. Click Submit.

      Your choice for the path sets the button for the selected type of DesignSync object: File, Folder, or Module.

  4. Complete the task:

    • If creating a new object, see Checking In a DesignSync File or Folder to upload the needed file or folder, then the Actions page opens. See Library Central User's Guide for instructions.
    • If connecting to an existing DesignSync object from a document family in a library, click Done. The Actions page opens. See Library Central User's Guide for instructions.
    • If connecting to an existing DesignSync object from any other ENOVIA page, click Done.

    The connection is created. A business object is created and all metadata related to the connection are stored in this object for reference. The connect operation succeeds even if no physical file exists in DesignSync. If you see an error message with "connection refused", then the DesignSync server is down or otherwise unavailable. Contact your System Administrator for help.