View Document

Explanation

Use this activity to view a document file. You can view:

The original document in its original application.
A view copy of the original document.
The original document in an external viewer.

If the document is part of a structure, you can select one or more of that document's subdocuments for viewing. Depending on how the document class process actions are set up for the selected document class, a document macro can be run when viewing the document.

Prerequisites

You must have view access to the document
If you want to open the view copy, a read-only copy of the document must be checked in together with the original document. You also need a viewer that supports your view copy file format (e.g., Adobe Acrobat Reader™).
To view the document using an external viewer, that viewer must be defined in the User Settings window and it must support the selected file's format.
To view multiple files attached to the master original file (e.g., the *.cal and *.cg4 files attached to a master *.dwg file), the process view must be set up for the selected document class in the Document Class Process Action window.

System Effects

After selecting a document for viewing, the system searches for the file and determines if you have view access to the document. Then, the application (e.g., the original edit application or an external viewer) is opened and the file is displayed.
Document files that are checked in to the document revision (other than original file and view copy) are copied to a separate folder named Temp in your local check-out path.
If you select a structure document for viewing, that document and its subdocuments will appear in the View Document Structure dialog box. Document file of the parent document will be opened for viewing. The subdocuments will be copied to the Temp folder of your checkout path.
A view document can be printed from Acrobat Reader.

Window

Document Revision
Document Revisions
Approvals
Document Object Connections
Project Navigator

Related Window Descriptions

Document Revision
View Document Structure
Document Revision/General
Document Revisions
Approvals
Document Object Connections
Project Navigator
Project Navigator/Project Documents

Procedure

Use one of the following procedures to view your document.

Viewing a document:

Open the Document Revision window and query (F3) for the document revision you wish to view.
Click View to open the Select Document Type to View dialog box.
Select either Original Document or View Copy.
Select either Document Title and Name or Original File Name. (Original File Name can be selected only if an existing file was checked into the document revision the first time).
Optionally, select External Viewer to view the original document or view copy in an external viewer.
Click OK. If your current file type or document class does not have defined macros, the document file will open for viewing.
If you have defined macros, the Choose Macro dialog box opens. Select a macro or accept the default macro. If you click Run Macro, the selected macro will run before the document opens for viewing. If you click Skip Macro, no macro is run before the document opens for viewing.

Viewing a structure document:

Open the Document Revision window and query (F3) for the (structure) document you wish to view.
Click View to open the View Document Structure dialog box. The structure document and its subdocument(s) are selected for viewing by default.
Select either Document Title and Name or Original File Name. (Original File Name can be selected only if an existing file was checked into the document revision the first time).
Optionally, select Use Original Folder Structure.
Optionally, select View with External Viewer.
Select either Open Document/Run Macro, Open Folder or Nothing.
If needed, use the Browse button to select another folder for the Check Out Folder field.
If you do not want to view a specific document, clear the check box for the document's Select Document field.
Click View to view your document(s). If macros are not defined for the current file type and document class, the document file of the parent document will be opened for viewing. The subdocuments will be copied to the Temp folder of your checkout path.
If there are macros available for the current file type and document class, the Choose Macro dialog box opens. Here you can select from the available macros. If you click Run Macro, the selected macro will run. If you click Skip Macro, no macro is run.

Note: You can also view the original files by selecting them in the Document Revisions and Approvals windows and using the relevant right mouse button options. Multiple documents can be viewed by selecting multiple rows in the Document Revisions window. Viewing the view copy or using the external viewer is not possible when viewing multiple documents and macro settings, Name files using settings will not be considered. The file will be named using the standard document title and name.