By default, visualization files are created and attached to data files automatically when files are checked into the vault. Visualization files are only created for files that have changed or for files that do not have visualization files published already. The automatically generated files that are stored in the vault can also be stored on the local computer. You can specify a default folder location for the published visualization files. Automatic publishing can be turned off to save room and keep the size of the vault down.
Automatically generated visualization files are hidden in the file list by default. Use Show Hidden Files on the Options dialog to display the hidden attachments. The paper clip icon is not displayed for automatically published visualization files.
Define Visualization Attachment Options
Note: You must be assigned the role of Administrator to perform this action.
- Click .
- In the Vault Settings dialog box, click the Visualization tab.
- Click Define. In the Visualization Attachment Options dialog, Enable Visualization Attachment Options is turned on by default. When enabled, visualization files are only created for files that have changed or for files that do not have visualization files published already. Automatic publishing can be turned off to save room and keep the size of the vault down. The paper clip icon is not displayed for automatically published visualization files.
- Select one of the following options:
- To turn off local visualization file publishing, select Disable Visualization Publish Folder Location. Automatically generated visualization files are still created in the vault.
- Select Flat List to store all the visualization files in a single folder on the local computer.
- Select Duplicate Vault Folder Structure to store local copies of the files in a folder structure that mimics the one used in the vault.
- If either Flat List or Duplicate Vault Folder Structure is selected, click the browse button and select a shared network folder to which all users have access for storing the visualization files and then click OK.
- Select Turn off the warning that occurs when the DWF is not system generated to suppress this warning.
Note: By default, automatically generated visualization files are hidden in the file list. Select Tools ► Options to turn on Show hidden files.
Attach Files to Other Files in a Vault
You can add attachments between any two or more files within the vault. Attaching a file to another in Autodesk Vault creates an association between the two files in the vault. Using attachments, you can check out all the files that are linked together and work on them as a unit, regardless of the applications that created the files. For example, you may want to attach a set of images to a Microsoft Word document if the images are linked to that file. In a design environment, you may want to assign a relationship from a document that represents assembly instructions to the actual CAD assembly files.
Attachments are indicated by a paper clip in the main pane. The paper clip icon is not displayed for automatically published .dwf files.
Note: Attaching and detaching files from another file in the vault creates a new version of the file.
Attach one or more files in the vault to another file in the vault
Note: Attaching and detaching files in the vault creates a new version of the associated file. Attachments are indicated by a paper clip in the main pane. The paper clip icon is not displayed for automatically published .dwf files.
- Select a file from the vault to which you want to attach files.
- From the Actions menu, select Attachments. The Attachments dialog box is displayed. If the file currently has attachments, they are listed in the Attachments dialog box.
- You may only create or modify attachments for the latest revision. However, to see attachments to older revisions, select the appropriate revision from the drop-down list.
- Click Attach. A file browser is displayed. You can use the Find dialog box from the browser to help locate the files within the vault.
- From the file browser, select the file or files to attach, and then click Open. The selected files are listed in the Attached Files list in the Attachments dialog box.
- Click OK to attach the selected files and close the Attachments dialog box. A new version of the file is created in the vault with the selected files attached to it.
Remove attachments
- Select the file in the vault from which you want to remove an attachment.
- From the Actions menu, select Attachments. The Attachments dialog box is displayed. If the file currently has attachments, they are listed in the Attachments dialog box.
- Select the attached files to be removed, and then click Detach.
- Click OK to detach the selected files and close the Attachments dialog box. A new version of the file is created in the vault with the selected files removed from it.