Sharing a Document Version with Export Privileges

Doug_Jones

Hello, I am trying to share a version of a document to an outside vendor for quoting, along with download privileges so they can evaluate in their own CAD tool if needed.  But I do not want the vendor to have access to the real-time document, only the "quote version".  Is this possible?  Basically looking for version-specific sharing control.  Thanks!

Jake_Rosenfeld

@Doug_Jones

I think your best option here is to:

• derive the version of your part studio into a fresh document, or
• bring the version of your main assembly into a blank assembly of a fresh document as a sub-assembly

(Two options because I'm not sure if you're trying to share a part studio or assembly)  Then share that fresh document to the vendor.

In this way, the document you share will have a link back to the original document, but also only contain only the geometry from the version you want to share.  It will also be easy to update those references to a new version if you want to make changes in the working document and then get a updated quote from the vendor.

Doug_Jones

Thanks for the workaround ideas, Jake. We have vendors who use Pro/E, SolidWorks etc., and ideally would be able to download whatever they need (STEP's, etc.) for analysis in order to support a specific quoting event.  A lot of our quote processes are multi-round with tweaks made between rounds, so creating separate documents for each version would get out of hand.  The version control within one document is great for processes like this, but not being able to download from a version complicates matters from a change visibility standpoint.  I think the simplest thing will be to give access to the live document and point them to the specific versions for review.  Thanks.

noa

@Doug_Jones just to clarify Jake’s suggestion - by linking parts/assemblies into a fresh document, you can selectively and purposefully choose to update that document to new versions as they become available.

This means that you derive/insert your parts/assemblies into a new doc once. Then, if your design progresses and you have a new version that you prefer for your vendor to see, you just update the link in your second document to point to that new version.

In this way, your supplier only sees updates as you’d like them to.

Additionally, you can share that second document to your vendor with comment and export access so that they cannot edit what is there.

Perhaps still not as good as directly sharing a version of the original doc, but I have seen this workflow work with good success!

brucebartlett

I am also having issues sharing with vendors. I have given this heaps of thought and don't seem to be able to come up with a neat workflow solution. Some vendors will also want to redo with their own drawings and part numbers, parts work nicely for this with links to another doc but not assemblies and BOM's. Ideally, I want to branch and hand this off to a vendor and be only able to give vendor privileges to the work branch without seeing the whole document. Ideally, I don't want to have to create a new doc but be able to share a cut-down branch, linked back to a released version.