WEBcnx makes use of many features to display things like Designs, Customers and Documents. To control in more details what users in WEBcnx can and can't see, we need to configure options to control when a user can view a design in the Status Filter Definitions and whether there are any layer Types that WEBcnx users should never see, in Layer Type Exclusions.
Status Filter Definitions
The status of a design, either the whole project or one or more layers, can help the viewer understand whether this design is still being developed, is completed and waiting for an approval, has already been approved or with a suitable integration with a business system, whether the design has been ordered and tooling created for it. In WEBcnx, we refer to this as the Project & Layer Status.
- Status Table - The Database Table in the Impact Database containing the various Project and Layer status options; Development, Proposal, Approved, etc.
- Display Column - From the Status Table, the column in that table that includes the status names you would want users to see.
- Project Column - The column in the Impact project table (DRAWINGS) that will store the status of each project.
- Layer Column - The column in the Impact layers table (LAYERS) that will store the status of each drawing layer.
- Treat NULL Values As - If the Project Column or Layer Column have no data stored (NULL) then treat them as if they have the status selected here.
Managing Viewable Designs Based on Their Project & Layer Status
The Status Filter Definitions in the Impact Configuration simply configures which table contains the status data. The designs the user can then view are controlled by the User Group Privilege "Design Library > Display Projects and Layers of Any Status". This Privilege will give the user the ability to view all designs, not excluded by the Layer Type Exclusions, no matter what their Status. Without this Privilege, users will only be able to view designs with a status defined in their User Group Searches configuration.
Layer Type Exclusions
Impact has three core Layer Types, One-Up layers containing the geometry for each individual part to be manufactured, Multi-Up layers containing the layouts of One-Ups used for manufacturing, and 3D layers showing the 3D construction of the design. A typical packaging installation could contain other Custom Layer Types such as Construction or Tear-Tape. A typical die-shop installation could include tooling specific layers for the Flatbed Dieboard, Counter Plate, Upper Blanker, etc. If you don't want these layers to be viewable anywhere in WEBcnx, by any user, you can exclude them here.
Managing Viewable Layer Types
The Layer Type Exclusions block all access to viewing Layer Types for all users in WEBcnx. Of those left as viewable, you can further control who is able to view each type of layer through a combination of User Group Privileges and the User Group Configuration.
Viewable Layer Types are further controlled by the User Group Privileges "Design Library > Display Layers of Any Permitted Type". This privilege will give the user the ability to view every layer type that has not been excluded with the Layer Type Exclusions. Without this privilege, users will only be able to view Layer Types configured in their User Group Searches. Here, you can further refine the specific Layer Types members of the User Group are able to view. As this is configured at the User Group level, it means standard users can view all Layer Types, Toll Suppliers could only view Multi-Up layers and Customers could only view One-Up layers, if that's what is required.
Suggested Configuration
The default configuration provided by Arden is:
Status Filter Definitions
- Status Table - W_STATUS
- Display Column - PL_STATUS
- Project Column - D_PROJSTAT
- Layer Column - L_LAYRSTAT
- Treat NULL Values As - Development
Layer Type Exclusions
For packaging installations, most users would typically only need to see Layer Types containing design data. Exclude any Layer Type other than 3D, Multi-Up and One-Up. This is the system Layer Types in Impact plus any custom Layer Types desired.