I'd really like this answer to come from from SWx / Dassault, to see if there is a valid answer, because it boggles my mind and is literally a giant do not buy or do business with this company flag that PDM Professional Viewer licenses block the PDM Addin for Solidworks so you cannot even view the data card information. If I am paying to use SWx vs eDrawings as the preferred viewer for better navigation, and in some cases for some users ability to create content OUTSIDE of PDM, why am I blocked from right clicking on an assembly to VIEW the PDM data card and file state properties other than an outright money grab forcing me to buy an Editor license and then limiting the user to "Viewer" status. I could kind of understand limiting the ability to get previous versions, or see history because these are often turned off or limited for many people assigned as "Viewers" in PDM, but blocking everything outright is just... I am not sure about companies SWx volume licensing, but I see Dassault loosing seats because we might as well force the people to use eDrawings and not pay for a SWx seat. Having to go back to the Explorer window to type in part numbers to view a data card is a stupid waste of time.
Other competing PDM style software appears to let you navigate assemblies and see the data card and other database properties through their Explorer style interface, eDrawings style viewer, or native application as someone who cannot modify drawings or have any approvals with a basic license.
The File Properties are not a real option since PDM allows the use of alias names tied to properties and more so, older and imported files often contain a lot of extra properties in random orders. The Property Tab Builder is not a good option since files need to reference the proper PTB templates which is rarely done when using PDM and imported files may reference templates not on the local system.
P.S. At the time of this writing, my understanding is the PDM Addin is not even available for Contributor license, but that would still be forcing me to pay more.
