The Options page of the Vault Setup dialog allows you to specify various settings that are used to control how your interaction with the Vault works.
Database Settings
Referenced Items - Library
Some library items are self-contained, as they do not reference or point to other items. This includes Footprints, Schematic Symbols, and in fact all types except Parts.
For Parts, they can contain references to Footprints, Schematic Symbols, and/or other Parts (as Associated Parts). In native libraries, these references work purely by name, so a Footprint in a Part is just a name, and that name is used to scan the available Footprint libraries to locate an item with that name. In order to get the most benefit from using the Vault for your library data, the references need to do more than that.
Must be from the Vault
This is the strongest rule. Choosing this option means that in order to check in a Part to the Vault, all items referenced by that Part must be from the Vault. That is, your Part must have been created or updated to point directly to Vault based items for all its Footprints, Symbols and Associated Parts.
Use this option if you want to impose the strongest possible control on integrity of library data. Doing this will ensure that you know beforehand precisely which item and version is being used for everything that each Part needs.
Referenced Items Linked using Name
This is the middle ground, allowing you a little more flexibility in how your Part data is configured before it can be successfully checked in.
With this option selected, any item referenced by a Part still needs to be in the Vault, but you do not have to pre-load those items into the Part yourself using the Part Editor. Instead, as the Part is validated during the check in process, any referenced item that does not have complete Vault information is looked up by name in the Vault.
As the items are matched up in this way, the relevant item and version identifiers are added to the references in the Part, so that once the check in process is complete the Part is fully wired up with proper references to explicit Vault based items.
This allows you to take an existing native library Part and check it into the Vault without having to go through any editing process beforehand, as long as the items named do actually exist in the Vault. This of course means that you do need to check in your Footprints and Schematic Symbols before checking in any Parts that use them, something that the Library To Vault dialog will help you with.
Referenced Items Need not be from Vault
This is the most relaxed setting, allowing you to check in Parts without ensuring that referenced items exist in the Vault already. No checking or cross-referencing is done, the Parts are simply saved to the Vault as they are.
Selecting this option means you are using the Vault simply as a kind of file store, without the added benefits that the other options give you. You get no Where Used or Refers To capability, and no ability to check whether an item is used before allowing you to delete it from the Vault.
Referenced Items - Designs
Design items includes actual PCB and Schematic design files, as well as file based items such as PCB and Schematic Technology Files and Profiles, and PCB Panels.
As with library data, there are choices available for how rigorous the references between items are enforced when checking them in.
Referenced Items Must be from the Vault
This is the strongest rule. Choosing this option means that in order to check in a file to the Vault, all items referenced by that file must be from the Vault. This means all referenced items, including Technology file, Profile, Parts, Footprints, etc.
Use this option if you want to impose the strongest possible control on integrity of design data. Doing this will ensure that you know beforehand precisely which item and version is being used for everything that each file needs.
Referenced Items Linked using Name
This is the middle ground, allowing you a little more flexibility in how your design data is configured before it can be successfully checked in.
With this option selected, any item referenced by a file still needs to be in the Vault, but you do not have to pre-load those items into the file yourself using the Part Editor. Instead, as the design file is validated during the check in process, any referenced item that does not have complete Vault information is looked up by name in the Vault.
To avoid accidental link up to the wrong item simply because the names match, the application does insist that library item versions match as well. Each library item (Footprint, Symbol, etc.) in a design has a timestamp inside it, the timestamp that is updated as a library item is saved to the library file. When the design is checked into the Vault, it compares both name and library version to ensure that the right library item has been found.
As the items are matched up in this way, the relevant item and version identifiers are added to the references in the design, so that once the check in process for the design is complete it is fully wired up with proper references to explicit Vault based items.
This allows you to take an existing design and check it into the Vault without having to go through any editing process beforehand, as long as the items named do actually exist in the Vault, and they are the correct version.
Referenced Items Need not be from Vault
This is the most relaxed setting, allowing you to check in design files without ensuring that referenced items exist in the Vault already. No checking or cross-referencing is done, the files are simply saved to the Vault as they are.
Selecting this option means you are using the Vault simply as a kind of file store, without the added benefits that the other options give you. You get no Where Used or Refers To capability, and no ability to check whether an item is used before allowing you to delete it from the Vault.
Date Format
The Vault Date Format is also a database setting, because this setting is used inside the database itself to carry out sorting and conversion of time and date related values.
Enable Status
Enables the ‘Status’ feature that allows you to define statuses that can be assigned to Vault items. This option is only available for Vault databases using format 1007 or higher.
Vault item statuses can be defined in the Vault Setup - Status dialog and viewed in the Vault Browser dialog
Personal Settings
These settings only affect your own application.
Folders
Transferred Libraries Backup
When migrating library data into the Vault, on completing each library, it is moved to a different folder so that it is no longer ‘in the way’ in the normal library search order and is not accidentally posted to the Vault a second time.
Transferred STEP Model
When migrating STEP models into the Vault, on completing each model, it is moved to a different folder so that it is no longer ‘in the way’ in the normal STEP model search order and is not accidentally posted to the Vault a second time.
Mirror Vault Folder
To assist in managing the locations of designs when checking them out of the Vault, this option and path allows you to mirror the folder structure of the Vault in your own file system. When checking or copying an item out of the Vault, the corresponding folder will be created below the location specified here, and the item will be placed there.
Checked Out Library Item Folder
Library items checked out from Vault need to be placed into a normal Library file so that they are accessible to other commands in the application. To avoid distributing checked out items around your file system, and to ensure that they are ‘seen’ by the application in preference to the item still residing in the Vault.
Copied Out Library Item Folder
In the same way as for checked out items, library items copied out from Vault need to be placed into a normal Library file so that they are accessible to other commands in the application. To avoid distributing checked out items around your file system, and to ensure that they are ‘seen’ by the application in preference to the item still residing in the Vault. A separate folder setting is provided for copied out and checked out libraries to allow you to easily turn each of those folders off in the Folders search order.
Show Vault sign-in details on Status Bar
With this checkbox ticked, your Vault sign-in user name and group name are displayed on the Status Bar.
Treat items from another Vault as ‘new’ items
This setting is used when checking in (or preparing to check in) any item, and is used to control how items are treated if they already have a Vault ID which is not the ID of your own Vault. This situation may happen for example if you are given some footprint libraries from another Pulsonix user who is running your own Vault.
With this check box ticked (the default setting), any item that has a Vault ID that is different to your current one will be treated in the same way as an item with no Vault ID, and can thus be added to your own Vault as a new item.
If you uncheck this box, the presence of a different Vault ID in an item will mean that the item cannot be added to your Vault. This offers an additional level of protection in that it makes sure you cannot accidentally put something into your own Vault that belongs in another one. You can decide which way you want this to be set based on your preferred way of working.
Transfer To Vault - Show full file path
With this box unchecked, when you transfer items into the Vault Browser using the Designs To Vault page, hovering over the item in the Transfer To Vault list will show the full path as a tooltip.
Pre-check status for Vault options
When this checkbox is ticked (the default setting), for any Vault option that is only applicable to a Vault item that has a certain status, for example Uncheck From Vault is only available for items that are checked out, a check will be made with the Vault to see if the option should be available and if not it will be disabled.
If you uncheck this box, the Vault check will not be made and the fact that the option is not available will be instead reported only when the option is selected. This can be useful when you are accessing the Vault over a relatively slow connection such as a VPN to help avoid any unnecessary delay when accessing menus or toolbars.
Related Topics
Vault Overview | Hiding Vault Functionality | Sign In | Users | Groups | Revision Naming | Attributes | Options | Colours | Status | Version