Attachments

The Attachments tab for an object lists attached objects, and lets you add more objects, such as documents and images, relating to or supporting the context object. You can attach objects from the3DEXPERIENCE platform or uploaded from a computer. Attachments can be used for regulatory or internal business requirements. The attached object does not contribute to the definition of the object it is attached to; it is a reference only.

For dashboard apps, use the Attachments tab in the information pane.

For native apps, use the Attachments command in the Tools menu.

If the object does not have any attachments, you see Upload Documents and Add Existing in the content area.

This page discusses:

Lifecycle Rules

For engineering objects in the Definition content category (such as a Physical Product or Document), you can attach another object to it regardless of the current maturity state of that object. For example, the context object can be in the Frozen, Released, or another maturity state when you attach another object. For objects in the Evaluation content category, such as routes and issues, you cannot attach objects after they are completed.

When evaluating the change maturity rules for an object, any attachments are not taken into consideration. For example, some objects require that child objects be in specific maturity states before the parent object can be promoted. Attachments are not included in any change maturity rule evaluation

Tile View

If the grid view displays, click View > Tile View . Each tile shows these details about the attachment:

  • Document icon, or a thumbnail of the attachment (if available)
  • File name
  • Document revision and most recently modified date
  • Owner name, or picture if 3DSwym is used and the person's picture is available
  • Maturity state
  • Actions menu

Grid View

If the tile view displays, click View > Grid View . Each row in the grid lists the attachment icon, title, revision, type, and the actions menu.

Actions

The toolbar lets you perform the actions listed in the following table:

Action Description
Upload Documents Uploads a file from your computer to attach to the context object. New files are saved using the active collaborative space and organization from your credentials.

You can also drag a file from 3DSearch results or your computer to the content area to upload the file. When dragging a file, a blue line displays around the content area to indicate you can drop the file there.
Add Existing Uses 3DSearch to find and select an existing document to attach to the context object. "Documents" can also include image files.
Remove Removes the selected attachment from the list.
Paste Pastes the document in the widget clipboard as an attachment to this document.
Actions Choose an action to apply to the selected attachments.

For native apps, only the Download action is available.
Tile View / Grid View Switches between the tile view and the grid view.
Sort Chooses the column used to sort the view. You can choose one of these columns:
  • Title
  • Created date
  • Modified date

Actions Menu

To access the actions menu, use one of these methods:

  • Click in the row or tile of an attachment.
  • Right-click an attachment.
  • Select one or more attachments and click Actions .

For native apps, only the Download action is available.

Action Description
Open with Lets you open the attachment in the selected app. Only lists the apps that support the file type of the attachment.

Not available in Document Management.
Preview Previews the attachment using 3DPlay. For more information, see 3D Modeling: 3DPlay. If 3DPlay does not support the file type of the attachment, "Preview not available" displays.

Click X to close the preview window.

Not available for attachments in native apps.

Not available for drawings.
Edit Locks the document and downloads the file to your computer. Not available if you or someone else has locked the document.
Update

Only shows if you previously selected Edit for the document. Lets you upload the edited file. The app creates a new version of the file and removes the lock from the document:

  1. Click Select File.
  2. Use the browser search dialog box to select the required file. If you select a file with a different name than the one you downloaded, the app prompts you to confirm your choice.
  3. Enter comments about the edits made.
  4. Click OK.
Undo Edit Only shows if you previously selected Edit for the document. Removes the lock for editing without uploading a file.
Replace by > Replace by Revision Opens Revisions where you can select which revision you want to replace the current attachment with. For more information, see Revision Explorer.

Not available for drawings.
Replace by > > Replace by Latest Revision Replaces the current revision with the latest revision of that document.

Not available for drawings.
Maturity Modifies the maturity state of the selected objects.

Not available for attachments in native apps.
Copy Link Copies the URL as text that you can paste somewhere. For example, you can paste the URL in an email message. The receiver of the message can click the link to open the attachment, as long as they have the proper access.

Not available for attachments in native apps.

Not available for drawings.
Copy Copies the document to the widget clipboard. You can then paste the document to the Attachments or Specifications tab for a different document in the same widget. You cannot paste the document in another widget.
Relations Displays the ecosystem of related objects by navigating on relationships and paths.

Not available for attachments in native apps.
Download Downloads the attachment to your local computer or device.

If an attached document contains multiple files, the files are downloaded in a ZIP file.

Not available for drawings.
Information Displays detailed information of the previewed document.