Document Index
The Document Index in Tekla PowerFab allows you to organize any type of document that you send or receive for a project. In addition, heat documents are maintained by supplier, PO #, and Heat # allowing you to have instant access to the documents for your inventory as well as the material used on a job.
The best way to think about the Document Index is like the index at the back of a book. In a book index the subjects are categorized (with sub-categories for complex subjects) and references are made to the relevant pages. In a similar way, the Tekla PowerFab Document Index has user-defined categories (job-specific and global – not tied to any specific job) and references are added from those categories to the relevant documents. A category can reference any number of documents, and a document can be referenced by any number of categories.
Document Index Base Directory
The very first thing that must be done is to create a directory that can be accessed by all computers on your network then set it as your Document Index directory. We suggest that you name this directory “Documents” or "Tekla PowerFab Documents" for easy identification later. Select the menu option File > Default Directories. Click the Document Index button and select the directory.
That directory will be the base directory for the Document Index. When a file is added to the document index it is not saved into the MySQL database. It will be copied/moved into a directory under the base directory and the relative path to the file is saved in the database. For example:
Document Index Base Directory: C:\Users\Public\Documents\Tekla PowerFab\Documents
File added to the Document Index: C:\Users\Public\Documents\Tekla PowerFab\Documents\Folder1\Filename.doc
Tekla PowerFab will save the path Folder1\Filename.doc since that is how to find the file from the base directory.
The Document Index directory must be set on each computer. In a network setup the all computers will have to be set to the same base directory so that they will be accessing the same files.
Document Index – Job Specific
Click the Document Index button to open the Document Index – By Category screen for the selected job. If multiple jobs are selected the the Document Index – By Category screen will open showing all selected jobs.
Estimating and Production Control jobs can be linked to a Project Management job (Project Management Job input on the job information screens). If you have linked the job to a Project Management job you will have the option of opening the document index for those job(s) at the same time.
Document Index – By Category
The Document Index – By Category screen shows the document index for one or more jobs. This screen can also be opened for the Global document index (not job-specific) with the menu option Maintenance -> Document Index -> Global Categories. The module and jobs number(s) are shows above the category list on the left side of the screen.
Since this is the first time the Document Index has been accessed for this job, the category organization is copied from the Standard Categories – EST data. To customize the category organization for this specific job click the Edit Categories button on the bottom-left of the screen (see: Document Index – Edit Categories). If you selected multiple jobs to open this screen with you will be prompted to select the job that you will edit the categories for.
For the Global document index as well as Purchase Orders there will be a Heat Documents category in the list. Heat Documents are handled differently so that they can be linked to inventory/history by Supplier, PO #, and Heat #. See Document Index – Heat Documents.
The table will display the documents referenced from the selected category. Double-click on the document to bring up the File Details screen (see: Document Index - File Details). If the filename is highlighted in red, that means that the file could not be found. That could be caused by two things:
- Document Index Base Directory has been set to the wrong location.
- The file has been moved or deleted without going through the document index to make the change.
Include Sub-Category Files - Include documents referenced from sub-categories.
Add Document Reference - Adds a reference from the currently selected category to a document. The document can already be indexed by the document index or a new document can be added (see: Document Index – Add Document Reference). If you selected multiple jobs to open this screen with you will be prompted to select the job that you will add the reference for.
Edit Reference – View/Edit the reference details (see: Document Index – Reference Details).
Delete Reference - Delete the selected document references. This will not delete the file from the document index, it will just remove the reference to that document. If you want to remove a file from the document index you must do it from the Document Index – By Directory screen.
Open File (Ctrl+F) - Open the selected file.
Document Index – By Directory
This screen allows you to browse the files indexed by the document index by directory. This essentially gives the
“Windows Explorer” view of the files that are indexed. If a file or directory needs to be moved/renamed it should be done on this screen so that the document index will stay consistent with the actual files.
The table will display the documents referenced from the selected category. Double-click on the document to bring up the File Details screen (see: Document Index - File Details). If the filename is highlighted in red, that means that the file could not be found. That could be caused by two things:
- Document Index Base Directory has been set to the wrong location.
- The file has been moved or deleted without going through the document index to make the change.
Include Sub-Directory Files - If unchecked then the only files displayed will be the files in the currently selected directory. If checked then the files in any sub-directories will also be displayed.
Include All Archive Files - If unchecked then an archive file (ZIP, CAB, etc.) will only be displayed if it contains more than one file. If checked then all archive files will be displayed.
Add File - The currently selected directory will be the default location for files to be saved/copied in the document index directory structure (see: Document Index – Add File).
Rename Directory - If you select any directory other than the Document Index Base Directory you can use this button to rename the directory. This will rename the Windows directory in addition to updating the document index directory.
Delete File - Deletes the document index record. You will receive a prompt ask if the file should also be deleted. Move File – Moves the selected document. You will receive a prompt to select the new directory.
Rename File - Rename the selected document. This will rename the actual file in addition to updating the document index information.
Open File (Ctrl+F) - Open the currently selected file with the program that Windows has associated with the file type. Search – Search for a document (see: Document Index – Search).
Document Index – Edit Categories
This screen is very similar to the Standard Categories – EST screen with the same options to Add, Rename, and Delete categories (see: Document Index – Standard Categories). There is also an option to set the Default Directory for a category. When a file is added to the Document Index for this category this will be the default directory for it to be copied to in the Document Index directory structure. This will help keep the files organized.
Select the Base Category and click Default Dir.
In this case the ‘Documents’ directory under Public Documents\Tekla PowerFab\ (or FabSuite for legacy installs) is set as the Document Index Base Directory; we must select a subdirectory of that. In this example you could not select the Program Files directory for example. Create a new directory for the current job and click OK.
As you can see, the full path (C:\Users\Public\Documents\Tekla PowerFab\Documents\Sample1) is not shown. Only the path relative to the Document Index Base Directory will be saved.
You can set the Default Directory for as many of the categories as you want, depending on how organized you want the files to be.
Document Index – Add File
This screen allows you to add one or more files to the document index.
Add Additional File – Browse to the file(s) to add to the document index.
Add Outlook Email – If you have an email currently selected in Outlook then you will be prompted to select a directory. The email will be saved as an .MSG file in that directory and it will be added to the list of files to add to the document index. Also, the file description will be set to the body of the email and the file source will be set to the sender of the email (if their email address is in the Tekla PowerFab Address Book).
Add Outlook Attachments – If you have an email currently selected in Outlook then you will be prompted to select a directory. Any file attachments on that email will be saved in that directory and they will be added to the list of files to add to the document index. Also, the file description will be set to the body of the email and the file source will be set to the sender of the email (if their email address is in the Tekla PowerFab Address Book).
Remove File - Remove the selected files from the list of files to add to the document index. File Source - Select the company & contact that originated the file.
Compression Options:
1. Compress files into a single archive
2. Leave files uncompressed
Description - Enter a document description.
Click the Add File button to add the file(s) to the document index.
If you got to this screen from the Document Index – By Directory screen then after clicking the Add File button you will receive a prompt asking “Add document references now?” After a file is added to the document index you still need to add a reference from one or more categories to the document in order to effectively organize the document. If you click "Yes" for that prompt then the Document Index – Add Category Reference screen will open.
Document Index – File Details
The file details displayed at the top of the screen. You can change the File Source and document Description, click the Save button to commit the changes.
If the file is in an archive (zip file) then an Archive Filename button will be visible. Clicking this button will bring up the file details of the archive.
Open File (Ctrl+F) - Open the file.
Document References - All references to the document will be displayed. Double-clicking on a reference will open the Document Index – By Category screen and highlight the selected category and reference.
Add Document Reference – Opens the Document Index – Add Category Reference screen.
Edit Reference – Opens the Document Index – Reference Details screen.
Document Index – Add Document Reference
This screen allows references to be added from the category currently selected on the Document Index – By Category screen to one or more documents.
Existing Document - Find By Directory - Opens the Document Index – By Directory screen. On that screen a Select button will appear on the bottom-right of the screen.
Select the desired file(s) and click the Select button to add them to the list on the Add Document Reference screen. You can also double-click the files to add them to the list.
Existing Document - Search - Opens the Document Index – Search screen. On that screen a Select button will appear on the bottom-left of the screen.
Select the desired file(s) and click the Select button to add them to the list on the Add Document Reference screen. You can also double-click the files to add them to the list.
New Document - Add File - opens a file browser. The files selected on that screen will be added to the list.
Remove File - Removes the selected documents from the list.
Reference Description - Enter any amount of text describing the reference. Click the Add Document Reference button to save the reference.
Document Index – Add Category Reference
To add the category reference:
- Select the module (Global, CMB, EST, PDC, PRJ, REQ, PO, or ORD).
- Select the Job/Requisition/PO/Order #. The category list will be populated based on your selection. Click Document Index (F8).
- In the category tree on the left, select the category to add the document reference from and click Add Document Reference.
- If you wish you can enter a Reference Description on the input area on the right side of the screen.
- Click the Add Document Reference button.
If you select the module ‘Global’ and select the Heat Documents category you will receive additional options for setting the Supplier, PO #, and Heat # (see: Document Index – Heat Documents).
Document Index – Reference Details
This screen allows you to view and edit the reference description.
Filename - Opens the Document Index - File Details screen.
Category - Opens the Document Index – By Category screen and select that category.
Open File (Ctrl+F) - Open the file.
Enter/modify the description and click Save.
Document Index - Search
Search the document index records by file properties. All fields are optional.
Directory: Select a directory in the document index directory structure to search in. Sub-Directories: Check this box in order to search subdirectories.
File1.txt - This exact filename
File1.* - File1 with any extension
*f*.* - Any filename containing an 'f'.
*bid*.*;*proposal*.* - Any filename containing 'bid' or 'proposal'
Ext: File extension to search for, supports wildcards (*) and multiple entries separated by a semi-colon (;).
Source: File source company and contact. If the contact box is left blank than files from any contact from the selected company will be searched.
File Size: Minimum and maximum file size in bytes. File Date: Minimum and maximum file date.
Date Loaded: Minimum and maximum date loaded into the document index.
Include All Archive Files: If this is unchecked then archive files (zip files) will be excluded from the search results unless they contain more than one file.
Click the Search button at the bottom of the screen to perform the search and display a list of matching documents. Double-click the document to bring up the File Details screen (Document Index - File Details).
Document Index – History of Changes
You can view the history of changes that have been made to the document index by selecting the menu option Maintenance -> Document Index -> History of Changes.
On this screen you can filter the changes that will be displayed by the user that made the change as well as the date the change occurred. On the right side of the screen you must select to show changes to either Documents, Categories, or Document References. Click the View History of Changes button.
Document Index – Heat Documents
Select the Heat Documents category in the tree and click the Add Document Reference button to open the Document Index – Add Document Reference screen. You can find an existing document or add a new file to the document index the same as any other category. The only difference on this Add Document Reference screen is that there are inputs for the Supplier, PO #, and Heat #. The drop-down boxes are populated with the suppliers and heat numbers in your current inventory. You can select from those values or enter something different (you may be loading documents for material that hasn’t been received into inventory yet).
If you add a reference to a document and select “Tekla PowerFab – Supplier” as the supplier, “0000000001” as the PO #, and “313275” as the heat number then on the Global Categories screen the Heat Documents category will have Tekla PowerFab – Supplier as a sub-category, Tekla PowerFab – Supplier will have 0000000001 as a sub-category. And 0000000001 will have 313275 as a sub-category. Sub-categories under Heat Documents are automatically created when a reference to that supplier/po#/heat# is added.
A single document may contain the information for multiple heat numbers. The Add Document Reference screen will remain open after you click the Add Document Reference button. Change the Heat # value and click Add Document Reference again to add another heat reference to the document.
The Purchase Order Document Index also has the Heat Documents category but only the heat numbers will be under it unless multiple purchase orders are open on the same Document Index screen.
Heat references can also be added through the Document Index – Add Category Reference screen (see Document Index – Add File and Document Index – File Details).
Select the Heat Documents category (or any category under it), enter the Supplier, PO #, and Heat # in the inputs on the right and click Add Document Reference.
Using Heat Documents
Purchase Order Receiving:
On the Purchase Order Receiving screen, after you enter the Heat # the number of documents already associated with that Heat # will be shown.
The Add Doc button opens the Document Index – Add Document Reference screen allowing you to select an existing document or add a new document and associate it with that heat #.
You can also verify that you have documents loaded for the material received. In the purchase order select the menu option Purchase Order -> Check Heat Documents.
This screen shows the material received on the purchase order and lists in the far-right column the number of documents referenced by each Heat #. Any material with no documents is highlighted in red.
Open Document Index – Opens the Document Index – By Category screen for the purchase order and selects the category for the Heat # of the material that was selected.
Save Documents – Selected – Prompts you to select a directory on your computer. It must be a directory with no files in it. Tekla PowerFab will then find all documents associated with the Heat# of the selected material and save them to that directory. A text file will also be created in that directory listing the documents and heat numbers described in each one.
Save Documents – All – Same as the ‘Save Documents – Selected’ button except it will gather files for all material in the list, not just the selected material.
Inventory/ History
In Inventory or Inventory History, highlight an item and select the menu option Inventory -> Document Index (Ctrl+I). That opens the Document Index – By Category, screen (Global Categories) and select the category for the Supplier, PO #, and Heat # of the inventory item that was selected.
You can also verify that you have documents loaded for your inventory. Select the menu option Inventory > Check Heat Documents. Select any desired filters and click Check Heat Documents.
This screen shows the material in inventory (or inventory history) and lists in the far-right column the number of documents referenced by each Supplier/PO#/Heat#. Any material with no documents is highlighted in red.
Open Document Index – Opens the Document Index – By Category screen (Global Categories) and selects the category for the Supplier, PO #, and Heat # of the material that was selected.
Save Documents – Selected – Prompts you to select a directory on your computer. It must be a directory with no files in it. Tekla PowerFab will then find all documents associated with the Supplier/PO#/Heat# of the selected material and save them to that directory. A text file will also be created in that directory listing the documents and heat numbers described in each one.
Save Documents – All – Same as the ‘Save Documents – Selected’ button except it will gather files for all material in the list, not just the selected material.
The Save Documents options are very useful features. For example, if you have Inventory History open, select the Check Heat Documents menu option, and filter on a Job #, you can click the Save Documents – All button and Tekla PowerFab instantly gather the heat documents for all material used on the job.
Production Control
In a production control job there is a menu option: Production Control -> Review -> TFS Details. Select any desired filters and click the Details button.
This screen shows the material used on the job and lists in the far-right column the number of documents referenced by each Supplier/PO#/Heat#. Any material with no documents is highlighted in red.
Open Document Index – Opens the Document Index – By Category screen (Global Categories) and selects the category for the Supplier, PO #, and Heat # of the material that was selected.
Save Documents – Selected – Prompts you to select a directory on your computer. It must be a directory with no files in it. Tekla PowerFab will then find all documents associated with the Supplier/PO#/Heat# of the selected material and save them to that directory. A text file will also be created in that directory listing the documents and heat numbers described in each one.
Save Documents – All – Same as the ‘Save Documents – Selected’ button except it will gather files for all material in the list, not just the selected material.
You may have used material from many different purchase orders on the job, but as long as the heat documents have been correctly loaded into the Document Index then Tekla PowerFab will be able to retrieve every document with a single button click.