Sharing Custom Content Using Workgroup Folders

When Vectorworks Design Series is installed, you can create a workgroup environment to share custom content files with coworkers. These files might contain content that will be used by all users (such as templates, symbols, export settings, or workspaces). Alternatively they might contain custom content specific to different projects. Place the files in a shared location, and then each user who needs access to those files can designate that shared folder as a workgroup folder in his or her Vectorworks Preferences, so that the content will be available in the Vectorworks program.

Sharing Custom Files with a Workgroup

Create a main workgroup folder in a shared location, on either a local network or a cloud-based storage service such as Dropbox. Within the folder, create a subfolder that matches the standard Vectorworks program subfolder for that type of data (Libraries, Plug-Ins, Settings, or Workspaces).

For example, to access custom resource libraries such as symbols and hatches from the Resource Manager, add files to a Libraries folder in the workgroup folder. If necessary, create additional subfolders within those folders (for example, Libraries\Defaults\Templates or Libraries\Defaults\Space\Space - Stamp). You can also have custom resources display in dialog boxes and palettes. For details about where to put files and how to name them, see Creating Custom Resource Libraries.

Here are some examples of possible workgroup folder content:

● Master files from which design layers, classes, and resources can be referenced

● Plug-ins

● Templates

● Resource libraries (for gradients, hatches, line types, record formats, Renderworks textures, slab styles, symbols, text styles, tiles, VectorScripts, wall styles, and worksheets)

● Space object lists (space names, occupant organizations, and room finishes)

Designating Workgroup Folders

To access the shared content, each Vectorworks user simply designates the top-level folder as a workgroup folder in his or her Vectorworks Preferences.

To designate workgroup and project folders:

Select Tools > Options > Vectorworks Preferences, and then click the User Folders tab.

► Click to show/hide the parameters.

Enter the workgroup folders, and click OK to save the changes.

Parameter	Description
User Data and Preferences Folder	Specifies the folder that contains Vectorworks preferences, log files, workspaces, and any personal content you create. This might be a folder on the local computer, or on a USB drive or network drive; this allows you to run the Vectorworks program from any computer. For more information about user folders, see Vectorworks Preferences: User Folders Tab.
Choose	Click Choose to change the user data folder. The Vectorworks program must be restarted if you change the location of the user data. See User Data and Preferences Folder for details.
Explore (Windows) or Reveal in Finder (Mac)	To look at the contents of the current folder, click Explore (to open Windows Explorer) or click Reveal in Finder (to open Mac Finder)
Workgroup and Project Folders	Specifies the folders where the Vectorworks program will look for additional content, such as office standard files, shared project files, and reference files. This might be a shared folder on a network drive, a shared cloud folder, or a project-specific folder on the local computer. Folders are searched in order from the top of the list to bottom; if multiple files with the same name are found, only the first version of the file is shown in the program. To change the position of a folder, click on the # column and drag the folder up or down in the list. Set the Folder Location to the top-level workgroup folder, not the content type subfolder. For example, do not set the Folder Location to [Workgroup]\Libraries, but simply to [Workgroup].
Add	Opens a dialog box to select a folder to add to the list
Remove	Deletes the selected folder from the list
Explore (Windows) or Reveal in Finder (Mac)	Displays the contents of the selected folder in either Windows Explorer or Mac Finder