What's Good About ADW Part Lifecycle? Numerous Improvements in the SPB16.3 Release!

The SPB16.3 release of Allegro Design Workbench (ADW) now adds several new key features to the part and model status capabilities.

As a part moves through its part lifecycle, ADW provides the ability to control how that part behaves.

• A “Development” status for library development operations
• Part lifecycle for business operations
• Ability to define behavior based on part’s lifecycle
• Early release of a part without full validation (Part Pre-release)
• Easy change from pre-release to release without check-out

The number of Development status values has been reduced to:

1. Preliminary
2. Checked-In & Verified
3. Prereleased
4. Released
5. Deleted

There are new Distribution status values added as an attribute with these values:

• Pending Distribution (for a new or checked out model)
• Pending Delete (for models and parts that have been marked for delete and pending distribution)
• Distributed (after library distribution for the latest version)

 To summarize, you now have:

• An attribute for parts that controls the placement of parts in the Component Browser.
• The attribute is independent of the library flow and can be customized.
• A lifecycle status can be associated to one of the 3 actions:
  • Add with Warning
  • Do not add
  • Do not show
• The lifecycle status of a part can be changed even if it is in released state (there is no need to checkout a part).
• A tool tip exists for part rows in the Component Browser showing the associated Lifecycle along with Action.
• A highlight color can be assigned for each Lifecycle status. Part rows in Component Browser are shown with that color.

As always, I welcome your feedback on how you're using ADW.

Jerry "GenPart" Grzenia