Category Administration

Category management provides a way to group project data logically. Grouping by category provides a means for assigning a defined set of behaviors and rules to objects.  A category labels Vault data and can assign user defined properties to all data in the Vault. Categories assigned to Vault data can also assign lifecycle definitions and revision schemes.

Files, folders, custom objects, and items do not necessarily have to be assigned to a category. Data that are not assigned to a category use the default behaviors defined for the vault.

Release Availability

This feature is available in certain editions of Autodesk Vault. Refer to the table below to see if your edition has this feature. 

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

Default Category Assignment

Any object that is not specifically assigned to a category will be assigned to the default category determined for that entity class. All objects will always be assigned to a category as there is a default for files, folders, custom objects, and items.

Category Configuration

A category has associated properties and behaviors that are applied to an object  when it is assigned to the category. Those behaviors are of three types:

Permissions

Roles with permission for this feature. 

Role

Access

Administrator

X

Change Order Editor

 

Content Center Administrator

 

Content Center Editor

 

Custom Object Consumer

 

Custom Object Editor (Level 1)

 

Custom Object Editor (Level 2)

 

Custom Object Manager (Level 1)

X

Custom Object Manager (Level 2)

X

Document Consumer

 

Document Editor (Level 1)

 

Document Editor (Level 2)

 

Document Manager (Level 1)

  X

Document Manager (Level 2)

  X

ERP Manager

 

Item Editor (Level 1)

 

Item Editor (Level 2)

 

Item Reviewer 

 

Create and Manage Categories

In the Vault Settings dialog box the Behaviors tab provides category management options. You can create and manage categories, category behaviors, and assignment rules.

You must be an administrator to use this feature.

Display a Category

  1. Click Tools  Administration Vault Settings.
  2. On the Vault Settings dialog box, select the Behaviors tab   Categories.
  3. Select whether you want to configure categories for files, folders, custom objects, or items from the drop-down list just beneath the Configure Categories dialog box title.
  4. Categories are listed in the first table under the toolbar. Select the category you want to view from the grid.
  5. In the Behaviors field, select the tab for the category details you want to display. The Life cycles (files, folders, and custom objects only), Revisions, and Properties tabs are available.

Create a New Category

  1. Click Tools  Administration Vault Settings.
  2. In the Vault Settings dialog box, select the Behaviors tab  Categories.
  3. On the Configure Categories dialog, select whether you want to configure categories for files, folders, custom objects, or items from the drop-down list.
  4. Click New to open the Category Edit dialog box.
  5. In the Name field, enter a name for the category.
  6. From the Color list, select a color to assign a glyph to the category.
  7. Select or clear the Available check box as needed. When the check box is selected, the category is available to users. To make the category unavailable to users, clear the check box.
  8. In the Description box, enter a description for the category.
  9. Click OK. The new category is created with the specified settings and appears in the Category Name list on the Configure Categories dialog box.

Copy a Category

You can clone a category by selecting copy on the Configure Categories dialog.

  1. Click Tools  Administration Vault Settings.
  2. In the Vault Settings dialog box, select the Behaviors tab  Categories.
  3. In the Configure Categories dialog, select whether you want to configure categories for files, folders,  custom objects, or items from the drop-down list.
  4. From the Configure Categories dialog box under Category Name, select the category you want to copy, and then click Copy.
  5. In  the Category Edit dialog box, the fields are populated with the settings from the copied category. Make desired edits and click OK to create a new category using the copied settings.

Edit a Category

Modify the name, color, description, and other category details on the Category Edit dialog box.

  1. Click Tools  Administration Vault Settings.
  2. In the Vault Settings dialog box, select the Behaviors tab Categories.
  3. On the Configure Categories dialog, select whether you want to configure categories for files, folders, custom objects, or items from the drop-down list.
  4. Select the category, and then click Edit.
  5. In the Category Edit dialog box, edit any of the following fields:
    • In the Name box, enter a name for the category.
    • From the Color list, select a color for the glyph that will color-code the category.
    • Select or clear the Available check box. When the check box is selected, the category is available to users. To make the category unavailable to users, clear the check box.
    • In the Description box, enter a description for the category.
  6. Click OK to apply the new settings to the category.

Delete a Category

A category that has one or more objects assigned to it cannot be deleted. If you attempt to delete a category that is in use, an error message is displayed.

  1. Click Tools  Administration Vault Settings.
  2. In the Vault Settings dialog box, select the Behaviors tab >  Categories.
  3. In the Configure Categories dialog, select whether you want to configure categories for files, folders, custom objects, or items from the drop-down list.
  4. Select the category you want to delete, and then click Delete.
  5. Click Yes on the confirmation message to delete the category.

Assign Categories

Rules govern which categories are assigned to a file, folder, custom object, or item. These are referred to as assignment rules. Assignment rules are used to automate category assignment to files, folders,  custom objects, and items  in a vault. Category assignment is determined by rules that the user sets up in the Rule Condition Builder. Use this builder to set conditions based on properties of the object.

Assign the Default Category for a Vault

A default category can be assigned to a vault. New files, folders, custom objects, and items are then assigned to the category by default if another category is not specified.

  1. Click Tools  Administration Vault Settings.
  2. In the Vault Settings dialog box, select the Behaviors tab Categories.
  3. In the Configure Categories dialog, select whether you want to configure categories for files, folders, custom objects, or items from the drop-down list.
  4. Select a category from the list and then click Set Default. The default category is assigned to new files, folders, custom objects, or items added to the vault.

Assign a Revision Scheme to a Category

Categories are assigned revision schemes, which are then applied to files and items assigned to that category.

  1. Click Tools  Administration Vault Settings.
  2. In the Vault Settings dialog box select the Behaviors tab, and then click Categories.
  3. In the Configure Categories dialog, select whether you want to configure categories for files or items from the drop-down list.
  4. Select a category from the Category Name list, click the Revisions tab in the Behaviors field, and then click Assign. The Add Revision Scheme dialog box is populated with information from the selected category.
  5. Do one of the following:
    • Add a revision scheme to the category. Select the revision scheme from the All Revision Schemes list, and then click Add.
    • Remove a revision scheme from the category. Select the revision scheme from the Assigned Revision Schemes list, and then click Remove.
  6. Click OK. The Configure Categories dialog box is then updated.

Assign the Default Revision Scheme for a Category

You can assign a default revision scheme for a category.

  1. Click Tools Administration Vault Settings.
  2. In the Vault Settings dialog box select the Behaviors tab  Categories.
  3. In the Configure Categories dialog, select whether you want to configure categories for files or items from the drop-down list.
  4. Select a category from the list, and then click the Revisions tab  Assign.
    • In the Assign Category dialog box, do one of the following:
    • To assign a default revision scheme from the Assigned Revision Schemes list, select the revision scheme and then click Default.
    • To assign a default revision scheme from the All Revision Schemes list, drag the revision scheme from the All Revision Schemes list (left) to the Assigned Revision Schemes list (right), and then click Default.
  5. Click OK. The configure Categories dialog box is updated.

Assign Properties to a Category

User defined properties (UDPs) are assigned to categories. The properties are then applied to files, folders, custom objects, and items assigned to that category. When a category is selected from the Configure Categories dialog box, its properties appear on the Properties tab located in the Behaviors group. From the Properties tab, click Assign to display the Assign Category dialog box where properties are assigned to the selected category.

  1. Click Tools Administration Vault Settings.
  2. In the Vault Settings dialog box, select the Behaviors tab  Categories.
  3. In the Configure Categories dialog, select whether you want to configure categories for files, folders, custom objects,  or items from the drop-down list.
  4. Select a category from the Category Name list, click the Properties tab  Assign.
  5. Do one of the following:
    • Add a property to the category. Select the property from the Available Property Definitions list, and then click Add.
    • Remove a property from the category. Select the property from the Assigned Property Definitions list, and then click Remove.
  6. Click OK. The Configure Categories dialog box is updated.
Note: Properties can be assigned to categories from the Property Definitions dialog as well.

Assign the Default Lifecycle Definition for a Category

A default lifecycle definition is assigned to a category so that files, folders, custom objects assigned to the category assume the properties of the default lifecycle definition if another lifecycle definition is not specified.

Note: Item lifecycle definitions are managed under the Items tab on the Vault Settings dialog.

  1. Click Tools Administration Vault Settings.

  2. In the Vault Settings dialog box, select the Behaviors tab Categories.

  3. In the Configure Categories dialog box, select a file category from the list, and then click the Lifecycle tab Assign. 

  4. In the Assign Category dialog box, do one of the following:

    • Assign a default lifecycle definition from the Assigned lifecycle definitions list. Select the category, and then click Default.

    • Assign a default lifecycle definition. from the All lifecycle definitions list. Drag the lifecycle from the All lifecycle definitions list (left) to the Assigned lifecycle definitions list (right), and then click Default.

  5. Click OK. The Configure Categories dialog box is updated.

Assign a Rule Set to a Category

You can assign a default rule set to a category, so that the category will be applies to files, folders, custom objects,and items that meet the conditions.

  1. Click Tools  Administration Vault Settings.
  2. On the Vault Settings dialog box select the Behaviors tab Rules.
  3. Select whether you want to configure rules for files, folders, custom objects, or items from the drop-down list just beneath the Assignment Rules dialog box title.
  4. Select the rule set you want to assign to a category, and then click Edit.
  5. In the Edit Rule dialog box, select the category to assign the rule set to, from the Category Assignment list.
  6. Click OK.
Topics in this section
Parent topic: Client Administration Tasks