DesignCalcs Enterprise Features

Owned by Mike Clark
Last updated: Apr 30, 2019

First Release: 2019.1

Last Updated: 2019.4

DesignCalcs 2019.1 introduces the concept of DesignCalcs Enterprise.  Now a licensed user may connect their vessels to a sql database to back them up and keep track of revisions.  This connection is controlled by a udl file and can be edited to the users own setup.  Users are able to assign a local folder under the tools menu when pulling vessels from the cloud and name collisions on the local machine are handled by Windows.  Pushing the same vessel to the sql database will cause a revision to be created.  When pulling a vessel, a user friendly dialog helps the user to find the vessel they wish to copy from the sql database to the local folder.


How Does DesignCalcs know what server and Database to connect to?

DesignCalcs uses a basic connection file stored in the user AppData/Roaming folder to know what server and database to connect to:



How Does DesignCalcs get design files into and out of the SQL database?

DesignCalcs uses two basic commands to get design files in and out of the SQL database.  These are the push and pull commands that are listed in the button bar.  These are paired with a vessel list to show the vessel GUID, Revision, Job Number, Vessel Number, State (Production State), Modified On and Modified By.



When I pull a vessel from the SQL database to my local machine, where will it go and how do I change that location?

The pull will bring a vessel down to the local pull target.  This can be changed under the tools menu.



There are Two Tiers of User Privileges:

  • The team at CEI will need to help set up your users.
  • Lower Tier can Push vessels and they will rev
  • Lower Tier is NOT given option to put the vessel in Production (shown as a State of True in the Vessel List)
  • Lower Tier can pull vessel; but the vessels are in a 'sand box' state.  They are stored temporarily and will be deleted on close.  If any work performed on these vessels wants to be retained, it should be pushed before closing.  The purpose of this state is to allow a lower privelaged user to print reports, answer questions, etc.
  • Higher Tier can Push vessels and they will rev
  • Higher Tier is given option to put the vessel in production (happens only during a push)
  • Higher Tier can pull and the vessel will not be in the 'sand box' state like listed above.

The lower tier temp vessel state will not have a file path associated with the vessel and looks like below:



Creating a new Revision:

Every push will either create a new revision.  There are two cases where a new GUID needs to be created and in this case this case the Revision will start back at zero.  The first case is the first time the vessel is pushed to the SQL data base at all.  The second case is when an older revision was pulled (example, 17 revisions are in the database for a design and revision 15 is pulled) and then is pushed.  In this case the below popup will appear, selecting Yes will set the pushed vessel to revision 18.  Selecting No will create a new GUID entry with a revision of 0.


Setting Production State:

This is only an option for a Push performed by a higher tier user.


How and when does a user input credentials?

A user will need to input credentials once for every launch of DesignCalcs.  This will be requested when the first push/pull is attempted since launch.


What happens if there is a problem trying to log in?

The below messages can occur if your instance of DesignCalcs is not properly licensed or the connection file is not in place.


What happens if you try to push when you don't have a vessel open?


What happens when you try to pull and there is a vessel open?


What happens if you try to pull a vessel file into the local folder and there is a name conflict?