Hello Andy,
"Do you get what I'm saying?...."
Yes , totally. I've been working with Windchill and PTC since 1999 ... for different company/industry ... and this topic is recurent ... Notably from PTC which is now a major actor of the dynamic publishing since Arbortext buying ...
hard to explain to customers because of cultural change ... from CAD centric to part centric point of view. And not easy to illustrate cause not implemented OOTB...
" If so I can't see anyone going for that... would need to be attached somehow."
my example is extrem ... as you say it need to be attached ... 3 peace of paper with a paper clip ....
but basically.. it's what we do with a customization. to get a single PDF file of 3 pages ... that we can give to a subcontractor , linked to the Purchase order sent by the ERP ....
regarding your particular questions:
1. Should I create and designate parameters for all things related to the release procedure like REV, REV_DESCRIPTION, APPROVED_BY, APPROVED_DATE, DRAWN_BY,.... etc.?
No, cause most of these informations are automatically updated in proE file as "System parameters". Even if you migrate your proE files without these parameter inside. A download in the workspace will update the proE file. And normallly, a Creo View conversion by a worker will also publish with these parameters updated.
But if your drawing table use today your own parameter (for exemple use PTC_WM_REVISION instead of REV) ... you will have to update them to use Windchill system parameter , instead your historic parameter ...(carrefull ! by default only contains system parameter of the CAD Document. not WTpart or ECN. cf your question 2)
system parameter automatically updated :
2. Similar to question 1… what about ECN stuff…
Nothing Out of the box by default. But you can activate the specific class (and customise it depending your need). Describe in the PTC Document "using Creo with Windchill" in the chapter "Customizing the parameters in the Donload Service"
These class can may be customised to workaround your case 1. And download the Windchill version in a parameter named like your old one , used in your old drawings. So don't need to retrofit all your old drawings ... . Just change your drawing templates to use new Windchill system parameters ....
This class permit to add in proE file any "custom system parameter" . no need to desigante or create it. Windchill manage them as OOTB system parameter.
But this solution persist some som infos in the proe file. It is not the same strategy as a real dynamic publishing with superimposing attributes
regards
Gregory