Autodesk Vault

"Autodesk Vault" is a data management tool integrated with Autodesk Inventor Series, Autodesk Inventor Professional, AutoCAD Mechanical, AutoCAD Electrical, and Civil 3D products. It helps design teams track work in progress and maintain version control in multi-user environments. It allows them to organize and reuse designs by consolidating product information and reducing the need to re-create designs from scratch. Users can store and search both CAD data (such as Autodesk Inventor, DWG, and DWF files) and non-CAD documents (such as Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel files).

The Vault environment functions as a client server application with the central SQL database and Autodesk Data Management Server (ADMS) applications installed on a Windows based server with client access granted via the Vault Explorer application. ADMS acts as the middleware that handles client transactions with the SQL database. Vault Explorer functions as the client application and is intended to run alongside the companion CAD software. The Vault Explorer UI (User Interface) is intended to have an appearance similar to Microsoft Outlook and can display the Vault folder structure, file metadata in the form of a grid and a preview pane for more detailed information. The essential nature of Vault is as file versioning system that "records" the progression of all edits a file has undergone. All files and their associated metadata are indexed in the SQL base data management system and are searchable from the Vault client interface. File information categories available include version history, uses - a list of children, where used - a list of all parents and a viewable images. When users intend to edit a file the file is checked-out and edits are made. When the user is satisfied with the changes the file checked-in and new file version - containing the new changes - is then available to other users in the workgroup. In-process file changes are hidden from other users until the changes are checked-in. As files are edited, renamed and moved in the folder structure the Vault database automatically appends the link information in the related files. Vault is intended to be the core data management strategy for Autodesk's mechanical design products and therfore has add-ins to all Autodesk mechanical software. In addition Vault is available to Autocad users with subscription accounts. Vault is also accessible from the client CAD program via a hook. Because CAD programs are design centric Vault information displayed to the user is culled to show only the essential file information i.e. file status and check-out/in state.

The Vault database has a dual role in that it also hosts the Content Center for use by Inventor. Vault is a version control tool, whereas Autodesk Productstream is a revision control tool built upon the Vault foundation.

History

Autodesk Vault was initially known as truEVault; part of an acquisition from a company called truEInnovations, Inc. based in Eagan, Minnesota. truEInnovations was started by two entrepreneurs, Brian Roepke and Dean Brisson in 1999. The company was founded on the basis of bringing a more affordable tool for managing engineering data to the market.

After the asset acquisition of truEInnovations by Autodesk in 2003, Autodesk began to further the integration of the product into the manufacturing product line, starting with Autodesk Inventor.

Software Timeline

* Autodesk Vault 1.0 ships with Autodesk Inventor 7 (as a subscription only download) on 7/24/2003
* Autodesk Vault 1.3 ships with Autodesk Inventor 8 on 9/19/2003
* Autodesk Vault 2.0 ships (Available as a subscription only download) on 1/28/2004
* Autodesk Vault 3.0 ships with Autodesk Inventor 9 on 6/14/2004
* Autodesk Vault 4.0 ships with Autodesk Inventor 10 on 3/15/2005
* Autodesk Vault 5.0 ships with Autodesk Inventor 11, Autodesk Civil 3D 2007, AutoCAD Electrical 2007, AutoCAD Mechanical 2007 on 3/15/2006
* Autodesk Vault 2008 ships with Autodesk Inventor 2008, Autodesk Civil 3D 2008, AutoCAD Electrical 2008, AutoCAD Mechanical 2008, Autodesk 3ds Max 2008 on 3/23/2007
* Autodesk Vault 2009 ships with Autodesk Inventor 2009, Autodesk Civil 3D 2009, AutoCAD Electrical 2009, AutoCAD Mechanical 2009, Autodesk 3ds Max 2009 on 3/25/2008

"Note: all release dates are "Release to Manufacturing" and not "First Customer Ship"

External links

* [http://www.autodesk.com/vault Autodesk Vault Official Web Site]
* [http://discussion.autodesk.com Autodesk Discussion Groups]