We are setup with multi-company and have one company as the “source of the truth” for parts so all creations and changes are done there. These replicate to our other “child” company. All this works well except the part images themselves. The reference in the part master is there but the image is not created into the child company.
I thought of using DMT but there is no option there to create an image.
My next option was SQL but images are blobs in the ice tables so I need to create a SysID and also doing SQL updates are generally something frowned on. Would a BPM be a better approach when someone updates the part image?
You are better of storing the images on disk and reading them into your SSRS.
or Even better add a UD Column to Part or PartAttr and default it to \YouServer\blabla\PartImages\PartNum.jpg – with the option for someone to change it and then that value if on Part would trickle down via MC if configured in Global Table…
Then you just read that on your Reports and show image.
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I find managing Images in MC within Epicor is bullshit. Same with Logo (only those who manage a single company love it). Same with MICR Signatures. But some are easy to do, since you just set them up once and change rarely.
Lastly you can also create a API Call, maybe Epicor Function and it can return an image… you can add that URL into SSRS it will request it and return the image. That’s what @jgiese.wci does with barcodes, since has no cool way to handle barcodes.
Generate them on the fly returning the image data as a url to SSRS easy peasy and free 
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Thanks Guys. I am more wanting the default linkage of the part image to the part to remain intact. This allows more interactive display of the images while in dashboards or trackers, etc.
We actually don’t print any part images in SSRS at the present time.
I am surprised on this missing in DMT as the functionality in image maintenance works but it is something I have re-learn each time I use it.
Maybe a BPM fired from the image BO for the part-specific images would be the way to go. I just need to create a second image (in the other company) when the primary is saved. I think you are right on the need for a function.
Does a method BPM run in the security context of the current user? If so then maybe a data directive would be better so it uses the server security context?
Thanks for both your input.
You could create an Epicor Function in 10.2.600+ and Schedule it to run nightly to “Sync” and then have the BO’s or LINQ code to sync from GLB down the images.
That would probably be my approach, keeping it simple and decoupled.
Or if you want real-time then leverage Service Connect.
OK, makes sense. I will work on that. That would avoid any security restrictions in the execution context. I am just upgrading my instance from 10.2.300 to 10.2.700 so this will happen after that then. (love the idea of scheduling functions!)
Right now I have a nag report that runs each weekend to remind the people maintaining the part master to do this one last step. Much rather have this automatic!
The two people that create these parts have security access to both companies to complete all the steps but we rolled out another location over the summer and I want to avoid giving them security access to this other company just because of the images.
Out of curiosity what benefit does having images provide?
At a Corporate level where engineers created parts (centralized engineering) and managed the parts within Solidworks, ARAS etc… They just spoke part-numbers, the image was never needed, only for e-commerce.
We manufacture and service tanker trailers. One of the companies is the manufacturer and the other does service. We do not have a standard trailer we build so even the ones we think are the same could have different parts depending on sourcing issues. (Brakes, valves, etc.)
We want the pictures so that when fixing a unit it helps to know the exact part you are dealing with. We also sell direct to customers and we use those parts when the customer shows up at the branch or most likely (now) via email.
This also helps for inventory control so that people know they are counting the right part.
We went for a long time when we had SAP without the pictures so when we saw the demos of Epicor most people went “oh…ah…fabulous”! This part of the appeal I am sure.
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