Using the AutoCAD Vault ARX

The workflow for using AutoCAD Vault ARX with AutoCAD and AutoCAD Mechanical is straightforward. The following list is an overview of an AutoCAD Vault ARX best practice workflow using the AutoCAD ARX application. For more detailed information, refer the Managing Your Data book.

You can access the vault commands from the File menu and from the Vault toolbar. From the command line you can execute check in, check out, undo check out, log in, and log out.

1. Before installing AutoCAD Vault ARX, determine the installation setup best suited for your company. Installing on a system that is too small can limit functionality or require reconfiguration in the future.
2. Install and configure Autodesk Vault server components in the server console. The administrator must create a user account for each person who needs access to the vault. A user account consists of a login name and password. Refer to the help in the server console for more information.
3. Log into the vault.
4. In AutoCAD or AutoCAD Mechanical open a file you want to add to the vault. In AutoCAD Electrical, you can also open the project you want to add to the vault.
5. Use the Check In command within the AutoCAD Vault ARX to add files to the vault for the first time. When you add a Host file that references other files, all dependent files are added automatically to the vault. Always add DWG and image files using the AutoCAD Vault ARX to maintain parent-child relationships between the files. Use Autodesk Vault to add all other files types.

   You can alternately use Check In All in AutoCAD Electrical to check in the project file and its drawing dependencies. AutoCAD Electrical creates a list of dependencies based on the project drawing list and provides it to the vault for group check in. The drawing files, project file, and non-drawing dependencies are copied into the vault working folder.

   NoteIn AutoCAD Electrical, the non-drawing dependents (*.wdl and *.wdt) are added automatically when the project file (*.wdp) is uploaded to the vault with the correct relationship to the project file itself.
6. The vault server now contains the master files. Although the files were not removed from your local working folder, they are now in a checked-in state. This means that the files in your working folder are now read-only and must be checked out to edit them.
7. All users who have access to the vault can now access the files. Use the Open from Vault or Check Out command to check out a file to your local disk for editing.
8. When you finish working on a file, use the Check In or Check In All command to check the file back into the vault so others can see the changes and edit it.