It can be perplexing to encounter components in your Windchill workspace that are simultaneously marked as “Locked” and “Modified,” especially when you haven’t intentionally made changes. This situation, while seemingly contradictory, usually has logical explanations rooted in Windchill’s configuration and behavior. This article explores the common reasons behind this phenomenon and provides guidance on how to address it.
One frequent cause for automatically “Locked” statuses, without direct user intervention, is a specific Windchill preference setting. If the preference Workspace > Add to Workspace and Check Out > Automatically Lock All Objects Added To Workspace is set to Yes, any object added to your workspace will be automatically locked.
Understanding the ‘Automatically Lock All Objects Added To Workspace’ preference in Windchill settings.
This setting is designed to enhance control over the checkout process. With it enabled:
- Objects are expected to be automatically locked upon entering the workspace.
- These locks are automatically removed when a manual checkout is performed, or if the object is manually unlocked within the workspace.
- The purpose is to ensure users consciously decide which objects should be checked out for modification and potential iteration.
The “Modified” status, appearing without manual edits, often stems from External References or External Dependencies. These relationships can trigger a “Modified” status due to changes in related objects. You can investigate these connections within Creo Parametric using the Reference Viewer. Access it via the Model Tree by right-clicking on the top node of the object in question and then filtering by the Dependency or Reference tabs, setting the Scope to External.
Visualizing external dependencies and references in Creo Parametric’s Reference Viewer to understand automatic “Modified” statuses.
Consider these scenarios related to external references and dependencies:
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Changes in Parent References: If an assembly containing your component is altered, and these changes affect your component, a “Modified” status can occur. Examples include:
- Layer Status changes: If the assembly’s layer status is modified and saved (with
copy_submodel_layer_statusset toyesinconfig.pro), this can propagate “Modified” status to components. - Relations driving parameters: Relations defined at the assembly level that drive parameters within your component can also trigger a “Modified” status in the component if the assembly conditions change.
- Layer Status changes: If the assembly’s layer status is modified and saved (with
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External Dependencies: Features like External Inheritances or External Merges can cause a “Modified” status. This is particularly true if:
- Their Options tab is set to Automatic Update, meaning they dynamically react to changes in their source models.
- The
retrieve_data_sharing_ref_parts yesconfiguration option is active inconfig.pro, facilitating the retrieval of referenced parts for updates.
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Unregenerated Models: Models saved in an Unregenerated state might be flagged as “Modified” after retrieval and a simple regeneration within the workspace.
When you encounter a component exhibiting both “Locked” and “Modified” statuses simultaneously under these conditions, here’s how you can proceed:
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Attempt a Manual Checkout: If your permissions allow modification of CAD Documents, try checking out the component. Afterward, immediately check it back in. This can resolve transient status issues.
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Restore to Commonspace Version: If checkout is prohibited (e.g., due to a “Released” lifecycle state), your recourse is to revert to the version in commonspace. This will discard any workspace-induced modifications, but it’s necessary when the CAD Document should not be checked out. Article 44595 details the steps for this process, which involves using “Add to Workspace” again but ensuring Reuse content in target workspace is unchecked.
Illustrating the “Add to Workspace” dialog with the “Reuse content in target workspace” option highlighted for restoring to commonspace version.
In conclusion, while the “Locked” and “Modified” status combination might initially seem like an error, it’s typically a result of Windchill’s intended behavior, often related to automatic locking preferences or external dependencies. Understanding these mechanisms is key to effectively managing your workspace.
If the explanations and solutions provided here do not resolve your specific situation, it is recommended to open a support case with PTC Technical Support. Providing a clear, reproducible scenario – starting from a clean workspace state to the point where the “Locked” and “Modified” status occurs without manual actions – will significantly aid in diagnosing the root cause.
