I'm considering managing out Toolbox generated parts and Design Library parts with workgroup PDM.

Setup does not seem to be straight forward because I'm having some difficulty.

The toolbox and design library parts are getting checked into the vault and read only is being controlled by the PDM ownership.

But when I check out an assembly with these parts they are copied to my working folder.  The assembly finds and uses the parts in the toolbox copied parts folder and in the original design library folder.  If we need to edit a description or add a configuration to a design library can can easily take ownership and edit the part.

But which part?  If you open or edit the part from the assembly you're editing the original in the toolbox copied parts folder or design library folders.  Upon checkin SW says the part matches the vault and does not need to check it in.  (PDM is looking at the working folder.)  If you delete the files from the working folder PDM finds the correct ones and checks them in as I would expect.

If you open and edit the parts PDM checked out into the working folder they get checked in but the design library and the toolbox are never updated.

If there a way to get PDM to checkout toolbox and design library files to the original folder where they came from.

Does anyone do this?  Is it just a bad idea?

We have issues with reorganizing our design library, user making design library parts that should not be, other users users the parts they should not be using.  Before you know it there are more bad design library parts then good ones.  Design library parts are changing and failing with no one knowing what happened.

Similar issues with toolbax parts, but primarally fastener descriptions are comming up wrong.  (1/4-20x1" long bolt being called out as 1/2-13x4"...HOW?)

I'm tempted to not even use Design Library for parts.  Every part file or assembly goes into the vault.  Supply part or not.