Lifecycle Definition Administration

A lifecycle definition is an engine that can be configured to automatically assign security, behaviors, and properties to Vault objects based on where the object is in the life of the design process. This functionality allows you to streamline your work environment by removing the overhead involved in managing groups of files, custom objects, or an entire project.

A lifecycle definition uses states to identify the object's status in the lifecycle. Examples of states are Work in Progress, For Review, or Released. An object moves from one state to another based on the lifecycle definition's transition rules. These transition rules determine when the state change happens, if it can occur manually or automatically (or both), based on criteria determined by the administrator. The lifecycle definition also determines if any other automatic behaviors occur based on a state change.

For example, a lifecycle definition can be configured to automatically revise a file when it moves from a Work in Progress state to a Review state. Or if a user changes a folder's status to obsolete, the lifecycle definition can automatically apply security settings to the folder so that only an administrator can modify the folder and its contents or reinstate it for use.

Note: You must have administrative access to perform these tasks.

Lifecycles can be used with files, project folders, and custom objects.

Release Availability

The Lifecycle feature is available in certain editions of Autodesk Vault. Refer to the following table to see if your edition supports this feature.

  2012 2013 2014
Autodesk Vault Basic    
Autodesk Vault Workgroup
Autodesk Vault Collaboration
Autodesk Vault Professional

Several lifecycle definitions are included with the "out-of-the-box" install. These definitions will asisst administrators in assigning definitions to Vault content without having to create them.

Lifecycle Definition

Description

Basic Release Process

Basic manufacturing life cycle process for release control. This definition can be used with most manufacturing project content.

Flexible Release Process

Flexible manufacturing life cycle process for release control. This definition includes all of the Basic Release Process states as well as a Quick Change state for editing released data.

Long Lead Time Release Process

Best suited for long lead time manufacturing projects. This definition includes a pre-release state indicating that the project data has been sent to manufacturing but is still in a state of change.

Long Lead Time Release Process with Change Order

Best suited for long lead time manufacturing projects directed by change orders. This definition includes a work in progress, review, and pre-release state. The pre-release state indicates that a file has been sent to manufacturing but is still in a state of change. When there are no more change orders for the file, it moves to a released state. From there the file can return to the pre-release state through a quick-change.

<None>

This definition allows any category to assign a null definition to opt out of using a lifecycle definition but to still retain category behavior.

Simple Release Process

A generic lifecycle process for many different types of project data. This definition consists of a Work in Progress state and a Released state.

The Lifecycle Definitions are located in the Vault Settings dialog box in the Behaviors tab.

Create a New Lifecycle Definition

You can create and configure your own life cycle definitions in the Lifecycle Definition dialog box.

  1. Click Tools  Administration Vault Settings.
  2. In the Vault Settings dialog box click the Behaviors tab  Lifecycles.
  3. Click New to launch the Lifecycle Definition - New Definition dialog.
  4. Give the new lifecycle definition a name by typing it into the Definition Name field.
  5. Select the categories to which you want the lifecycle definition assigned from the Category list. The category field is separated into entity types because the lifecycle definition can be assigned to multiple categories and multiple entity types (i.e., files, folders, and custom objects).
  6. Enter a description for the new lifecycle definition in the Description field.

Create New Lifecycle States

Copy a Lifecycle Definition

You can create another lifecycle definition based on an existing defition by using the Copy command.

  1. Click Tools  Administration Vault Settings.
  2. In the Vault Settings dialog box click the Behaviors tab Lifecycles.
  3. Select the life cycle definition that you would like to copy.
  4. Click Copy to launch the Lifecycle Definition - Copy dialog. A copy of the life cycle definition is generated with the same values as the source definition.
  5. Enter the name of the copied life cycle definition in the Definition name field.
  6. Select the categories to which you want the life cycle definition assigned from the Category list.
  7. If necessary, enter a new description for the life cycle definition in the Description field. 

Edit a Lifecycle Definition

You can edit the name and description of a lifecycle in the Lifecycle Definition dialog box.

Display the Lifecycle Definitions dialog box

  1. Click Tools  Administration Vault Settings.
  2. In the Vault Settings dialog box click the Behaviors tab  Lifecycles.

Locate a Lifecycle Definition Using a Filter

Edit a Lifecycle Definition Name

  1. In the Lifecycle Definitions dialog box, select the definition, and then click Edit. The selected definition name appears in the title bar.
  2. In the Definition Name field, enter a new name, and then click OK

Edit a Lifecycle Definition Description

  1. In the Lifecycle Definitions dialog box, select the definition and then click Edit. The selected definition name appears in the title bar.
  2. Select the text in the Description box and replace it by typing in the revised description.
  3. Click OK. The revised description replaces the previous description.

Edit Category Assignment

  1. In the Lifecycle Definitions dialog box, select the definition and then click Edit. The selected definition name appears in the title bar.
  2. Select the categories to which you want the lifecycle definition assigned from the Category list.

    Lifecycles are used for files, folders, and custom objects. The lifecycle can be assigned to more than one entity type.

  3. Click OK to save the new category assignments.

Edit Lifecycle State

  1. In the Lifecycle Details Box, perform any of these tasks:
    • Click Add to insert a new lifecycles state in the Lifecycle States grid. Enter a name and description for the new state.
      Note: The requisite transitions are added automatically.
    • Click Remove to delete a state from the lifecycle definition.
      Note: A default state cannot be deleted.
      The lifecycle state is removed if the state is not in use by the leading version of any revision.
    • Select an existing state and enter a new name and description for it in the General tab.
  2. The first state added to the lifecycle definition is automatically the default. To set another state as the default, select it and click Set Default.
  3. Click OK to save the changes and close the dialog.

Delete a Lifecycle Definition

A life cycle definition can only be deleted if none of the life cycle states associated with the definition are in use by the leading version of any revision.

Locate a Lifecycle Definition Using a Filter

Delete a Lifecycle Definition

  1. From the Lifecycle Definitions dialog box, select the definition, and then click Delete. A warning dialog opens listing the categories to which the lifecycle definition is assigned.
  2. Click Yes to continue. A prompt will ask if you want to permanently delete the lifecycle definition. Click Yes.

    Click Print Preview to display a copy of the affected categories grid. Select whether to print or save the information.

Assign a Lifecycle to a Category

The life cycle of a file, folder, or custom object is determined by the category to which it is assigned. When a category is selected in the Configure Categories dialog box, the assigned life cycles are listed on the Lifecycles tab in the Behaviors group.

  1. Click Tools  Administration Vault Settings
  2. In the Vault Settings dialog box, select the Behaviors tab  Categories.
  3. On the Configure Categories dialog box, select a category from the Category Name list, and then click the Lifecycles tab  Assign.
  4. In the Assign Category dialog box, do one of the following:
    • Add a lifecycle definition to the category. Select the lifecycle definition from the All Lifecycles Definitions list on the left, and then click Add.
    • Remove a lifecycle definition from the category. Select the lifecycle definition from the Assigned Lifecycle Definitions list and then click Remove.
  5. Click OK. The Configure Categories dialog box is then updated.

Note: If a category only has one lifecycle definition assigned to it and it is not <None>, then it becomes the default definition. This lifecycle definition cannot be removed from this category until a new lifecycle definition is assigned as the default.

Topics in this section
Parent topic: Client Administration Tasks