Before you start PlantDataManager, you have to start Plant 3D on the machine on which you want to use PlantDataManager. Follow these steps:

1.Start Plant 3D

2.Open Vault Project in Plant 3D
Opening the project will automatically execute the Refresh from Project command. This means, that the project data in the Plant 3D databases are up-to-date.

3.Close Plant 3D
When closing Plant 3D the PlantDataManager Plugin will create several xml file (if they don't exist yet) which are needed in PlantDataManager
 

Now you can start PlantDataManager. Before you open the project you have to set PlantDataManager to version 2024. After starting PlantDataManager check which version is shown in the title. If it shows 2024 already you can skip the next steps.

If it shows some other version, then follow these steps:

1.Click FileàSettings
 

2.Select 2024
 

3.Click OK

PlantDataManager will now restart.

After the restart follow these steps

1.Open the Vault Project with Open Project...
 

 
You have to open the project in the work folder set in Vault.
 

 
If the project was opened recently, then you can select it from the most recent list

2.After the project was opened, you can start editing.
You can click on the desk icon in the toolbar to save the changes you already made.

3.If you are done editing, you close PlantDataManager
You will be shown the Save Changes dialog with various options. Details can be found under Save & Close. If you are done entering your changes you typically use Save + Ready for Import. This way your changes can be imported.
 

 

In this chapter we will look how you can import the changes you just made yourself.

In your local project a data cache file with your windows user name will be created. It contains your changes.

To import the changes you made, follow these steps:

1.Start Plant 3D

2.Click Review in dialog box #1054 when the project gets opened
 

3.Check Out all Drawings which are listed under Drawing ins PlantDataManager Plugin.
 
The reason for this is, that currently PlantDataManager Plugin cannot self-checkout drawings when using Vault.
 

 
Checking out is sufficient. Also opening the drawings is not required. This is done by PlantDataManager Plugin later.
 

4.Accepting Changes
 
In PlantDataManager you click on Accept all changes. This will open one drawing after the other and import the changes. There are also methods to only import changes of some specific users or for specific drawing. For details check Data import.
 

 
At the end the coloring in PlantDataManager Plugin will be gone and all changes made it into the drawings.

After closing PlantDataManager Plugin, the PDMDataCache file will be deleted again.

Before you import the changes, you can also check and change some settings to control the behavior of the opened drawings. Details can be found here PlantDataManager Plugin Settings.

Remark: It is not recommended to use Automatically save and close all new loaded drawings, because AutoCAD does get triggered when the PlantDataManager Plugin imports the changes. You have to save the drawings yourself before checking them in later.

In this chapter we will look how your changes are imported by another user instead of yourself.

As in the description above, your PDMDataCache file is in your local project.

We now need to check this file in so other users can import the changes with the PlantDataManager Plugin. Follow these steps:

1.Start Plant 3D

2.Click Ignore in dialog box #1054 when the project gets opened

3.Expand Project Manager tree to see the file under Related FilesàACPlantToolsàPlantDataManager
 

4.Check in your PDMDataCache*.dcf file
 

 
The file gets checked in.
 

Now the other user follows these steps:

1.Start Plant 3D

2.Open the Vault Project

3.Check Out PDMDataCache files
 
The use can see the PDMDataCache, but currently PlantDataManager Plugin will not download these files when using Vault Projects. Therefore, the user has to Check Out the files. Downloading the files is not enough. They must be checked out. If there are multiple PDMDataCache files, then all Data Cache files should be checked out.
 

 

4.Open PlantDataManager Plugin
 
Click on Import Data to open the PlantDataManager Plugin.
 

5.Check Out all Drawings which are listed under Drawing ins PlantDataManager Plugin.
 

6.Accept all Changes
 

7.Close PlantDataManager Plugin

8.Close and Check in drawings

Remark: The imported changes will not trigger AutoCAD to recognize these changes. You need to actively save the drawings before checking them in.
 

Unfortunately, if someone else is importing your changes, the PDMDataCache is not correctly removed from the Vault Project. To clean up after the import has been done and PlantDataManager Plugin has been closed and the PDMDataCache file is gone and also not appears in Project Manager anymore. However, the file still is registered in Vault. Therefore, follow these steps:

1.Close Plant 3D

2.Delete the local Vault Project on your Work Folder

3.Start Plant 3D

4.Open the Vault Project again

5.Undo Check Out of the PDMDataCache file
 
Use Undo Check Out on the PDMDataCache file or files.
 

6.Select Undo Check Out
 

7.Remove PDMDataCache file or files