I think I am getting confused. I'm not sure whether the tail is wagging the dog, or the other way around.

I have a set of SW templates for Assemblies, Parts and Drawings, which have peaceably co-existed for some time without issue. The user creates a part, for example, and types in the values of variables such as Part Number, Description, Drawn By, etc. He then creates a drawing of the part. The values of the variables he entered in the part are populated into the drawing title block, automatically. The whole thing is taken care of by the soothing influence of Workgroup PDM, so that nothing gets lost, or over-written.

I am now trying to set up a test vault in Solidworks PDM Standard, because Workgroup PDM is being taken away in a couple of years. In addition, PDM Standard appears to handle our (simple) workflow better than does Workgroup PDM.

Anyway, my confusion arises because of a lack of understanding of the relationship between object files and their data cards. I can get some of the variables to populate the relevant fields in the drawing, but not the drawing data card. I think I can sometimes get some of the variables to populate the drawing card but not the drawing. I can't seem to get some of them to populate anywhere. I can't seem to get them all to populate both.

I am not sure whether the file or the card is the leader in the hierarchy. In my mind, I would set all the variables in my part and they would be read from the part into the part data card, the drawing data card and the drawing, automatically. Is that the case? If so, where am I going wrong?

I have a drawing in front of me now, in which the variables for Status and Revision seem to be working fine, but the variable 'Drawn By' appears only on the drawing - it is listed on the drawing data card, but has no value.

I have all my variables set in the admin tool to be valid for sldasm, sldprt and slddrw files, and to be in the block 'Custom Variables', and I also have them set to be in the block 'PRPSHEET' for slddrw only.

Can someone clarify it, please?

SW2016, SP1

Thanks,

John