What’s new in Autodesk Vault 2018

Posted on August 1, 2017 by Synergis Vault Application Specialist, Joe Corson
The Autodesk release of the new Vault 2018 software is astounding! The new Vault features inside the client and inside your CAD software are the best new features I have seen in many years. Automating PDF creation on release of files, batch plotting improvements, multiple CAD software upgrades for Vault, new administrative roles, and copy design upgrades.
 
New Administrative Roles
We now have the new roles:
Project Administrator which gives access to unconditional delete and removing file reservations.
Configuration Administrator which would be responsible for setting and adjusting Vault settings.
Security Administrator which would be responsible for all security settings.

Copy Design
There are some new mapping options that will allow more customization for Administrators to create more intelligent copy design functionality. The ‘Remove iLogic’ setting has also been removed from the Default rule set.
 
Custom Job Types inside Lifecycle Transitions
Creating custom jobs to use inside lifecycle state changes are still done the same way as in previous versions of Vault but adding the custom job to the transition is much easier for administrators. The administrators can do this right inside the Transition dialogue box with the new ‘Custom Job Types’ tab.

New File Property – Application Version
This property is a read-only property that will show you the Release and Build of the CAD application the file was last checked in with.

 
PDF Upgrades
Vault 2018 will now allow for PDF creation of 2D CAD files during state changes. These PDF’s have a few settings that will need to be setup for Vault to automatically create and manage.
Settings
For 2D AutoCAD and Inventor files there are now PDF options that can be configured. By default the PDF will be created as an attachment of the original file. This will allow for the user to see the PDF inside the Vaults Uses tab.

PDF Category
Out of the box, all PDF’s created will be placed inside the new ‘Design Representation’ category. Inside this new Category you will notice there is also a new Lifecycle definition, Design Representation Process. The lifecycle will need to be modified to your company needs to allow for a smooth PDF creation. By default the PDF’s will only be able to be modified while inside of the ‘Work in Progress’ state. The user who runs the Job Processor needs to have full access at the ‘Released’ state for PDF management to work successfully. The PDF’s will be modified with the files that have one of the Update PDF options selected within state transitions.
With a setup to have PDF’s created upon release, the PDF will stay 1 Revision behind while the file is being updated. Once the file has been released the PDF will be created of the released 2D file.


Plot Manager
Unlike previous releases of Vault you are now able to adjust the Page Setup of PDF files.

 
Vault\Inventor upgrades
Go to Vault Folder
Inside of Inventor you now have the capability to go right to the file inside of Vault. In the Vault browser inside of Inventor right click on the file and select ‘Go To Vault Folder’. This will open Vault and go directly to the folder where the file resides.

Insert into CAD
You can now easily insert an Inventor part or assembly into the active Inventor file you have open. This means you will no longer have to Place from Vault and find the file. If you have the Vault application open you can now just right click and select Insert into CAD and the file will download all the needed sources files and place it for you.

Numbering Scheme Change
In the past while saving a file inside of Inventor or AutoCAD while using a numbering scheme with a dropdown list you only saw the value of the dropdown with no way of seeing a description. New to 2018 you will see the value with the description entered right next to it, so there is no more guessing on which value you are looking for.

Open Inventor files in Express mode
For your Inventor files you now have the capability to easily open files in Express Mode. You will lose access to some commands but the files will open significantly faster. While performing an Open select the option button. In here you can change from Full to Defer. This will assist in opening very large files that take a long time to open or modify.

Detachable Vault Browser
Inventor now lets you detach and move the Vault browser to your desired location. The browser is able to be docked on and side of your Inventor window. This will allow you to compare the Model and Vault browser at the same time, any time.

Searching
Inside the Vault browser you now can search for files. You can add properties to the files and search for property information also.