Part file locking

: "Alistair Craig" wrote : Is there a way to lock a part file so that it cannot be altered by a third : party : Pro/e has no way of marking files read only or locking out changes to parts aside from marking features as read only. This is easily defeated by removing the read only designation. So, if you can open a file in Pro/e you can change it.
That leaves external schemes of file protection: directory permissions, a variant of this in password protected zip folders and a strict releasing procedure on a data management server.
An operating system that allows creating folders with restricted access or restrictions on read/write access can protect files by restricting whether they can be saved over the official file. At the highest level of protection, you are the only one with access to a folder and/or the only one with write access to the files. Simply restricting write access, making hte folder read only, prevents the official files from being overwritten; it doesn't prevent them from being changed and stored elsewhere.
Restricted access to files through a pdm system acts the same way in both keeping people outside the group from getting to the files, and keeping people with permission from overwriting the official, released version by checking out the files as a new part revision or as read only files. I'm not sure if the read only status can prevent changes but it does prevent storing the file on the pdm server. Additionally, the server software, like Intralink, runs a tracking database, updates this and checks everything against it.
None of these may be exactly what you were hoping for. But one might be good enough.
David Janes

altered by a third "Who's on first?"
You can make features read only (new in WF2?) to guard against inadvertent changes. Other than that I think I'd look at copied geometry, simp reps, neutral translations, etc. Read only and password protect? Dunno.....

: "Jeff Howard" wrote : > Alistair Craig wrote : > Is there a way to lock a part file so that it cannot be : > altered by a third party : : "Who's on first?" : : You can make features read only (new in WF2?) No, not new. Been around since rev.18 at least. Don't really know what the intended function is but it's a PITA. There's no indication anywhere until you've made a change and tried to regenerate that the feature is R/O. Then, you get that dumb message "can't regen, feature id#2314 read only". Then you just remove the R/O status.
: to guard : against inadvertent changes. Other than that I think I'd : look at copied geometry, simp reps, neutral translations, : etc. Read only and password protect? Dunno..... : This is something I've meant to mention in this connection before. The concern for whether files sent to vendors for down stream operations have been 'improved' is a legitimate concern. There are always file dates that can be checked (was the file changed after it left your tender care). Of course, you could have changed a version of the file while it was in someone else's possession. Doesn't directly prove they changed it. But here's something that does, probably good enough for the US Office of Patents: 'Info>Audit Trail'. This gives the history of changes, by Hostname. It lists every machine the file was saved/changed on. Remember how you have to provide PTC with the host id? Well, on top of that, it captures the hostname of your computer and stores this with the Pro/e part file. It does this for each and every computer that opens this file, starting with the name of the computer that created the start part. If you see any extra, unknown hostnames in the audit trail, your vendor may have 'fixed' something for you and not told you.
Since this kind of tracking information is available in the part file, PTC/Pro-e should be using this to provide a system for locking out changes by any machines other than certain known and approved hostnames. Submit this as an improvement request?
David Janes