Sharing a project file
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Command |
Path |
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Project Sharing |
File |
Any user can convert an existing Vectorworks file into a shared project file. When you set up a shared project, you're automatically added as a user with the Administrative permission level.
There are four sequential pages in the sharing setup; click the Finish button at any time to accept the default settings and finish the setup.
To share a project file:
Save a copy of the Vectorworks file to be shared in one of the following locations. This .vwx file will be deleted and replaced by a .vwxp file. You must have full permissions (read, write, delete, rename) to the project folder, subfolders, and project file.
Network share: Save to your local network.
Cloud service: Save to a shared folder in your local file sharing service folder (share the folder that contains the project file, not the project file itself). For both the shared folder and project file, set the provider-specific option to store them on each user's machine, as opposed to having them available online only. To prevent configuration errors, it's recommended that all cloud folders be listed on the Project Sharing Cloud Folders pane of the Vectorworks Preferences; see Vectorworks preferences: Project Sharing Cloud Folders pane.
Project Sharing Server: Save to any desired location; the project file will be added to the proper server location automatically. Subfolders are allowed. See Project Sharing Server for details about how to set up a server.
Open the file, and select the command.
The Project Sharing Setup dialog box opens.
On the Share Document pane, select whether to automatically open a working file after the setup is complete. Also select the desired sharing method.
Network share: Users will access the project file from the local network. This option is not available if the project file is in a cloud folder.
Cloud service: Users will access the project file from a shared folder on a cloud-based file storage service.
Project Sharing Server: The Create Server-Based Project File dialog box opens. Click the URL list and select the Project Sharing Server for this project, or click Custom and enter the URL of a server that isn't on the list. The subfolders in the server's projects folder display in the left pane. Select an existing folder to add the project to, or click New Folder and enter a name. Enter a Project File Name and click OK.
Click Next to continue.
On the Administer Users pane, your user name (the name you use to log into your computer) automatically displays as the file administrator. Click Add or Import to add users to the project, as described in Users tab. See Permission level descriptions for details about permissions. Click Next to continue.
Alternatively, simply set the Default permission for new users and don't enter any users at this time. Any user who creates a working file from the project file is automatically added to the user list with the default permission.
On the Classify Layers pane, click the Master Layer (
) column for layers that should only be modified by users with the Administrative or Project permission level. Click Next to continue.
On the Set Backup Policy pane, specify how to back up the project file, as described in Backup tab. Click Finish to convert the .vwx file into a .vwxp, or project file.
If you selected the option to open a working file, the New Working Document dialog box opens. Click OK. From the working file, select the layers or objects to check out for editing, as described in Creating and editing a working file. Save the working file to your local hard drive.
The Vectorworks file is converted into a project file with the same name, but with the .vwxp extension. Once created, the project file cannot be edited directly. Anyone who opens the .vwxp file is automatically prompted to create a working file. From a working file, any user with Administrative permission can edit the project settings; see The Project Sharing dialog box.
Once users have created working files from the project file, don't rename the project file, move it to a different folder, or rename the folder. Never make copies of a project file.
Cloud integration
To use project sharing with a cloud service, create the project file in a folder in your local file sharing service folder, and then share the folder with the appropriate users, as described above. Alternatively, if you have an existing project file, ensure that the sharing method is set to cloud service, and then move (do not copy) the project file to a shared cloud folder.
Once the project file is in the cloud folder, leave it there, and never make any copies. If the Vectorworks program detects multiple copies of a project file, an alert displays. See below for recovery instructions.
When a user opens a working file connected to a project file with the cloud service sharing method, the user must have an active internet connection, and the user's desktop client for the file sharing service must be running. Otherwise, the user is automatically prompted to work in offline mode. See Working in offline mode.
Resetting the project file
Once the project file is stored on the cloud, do not manually duplicate or replace it. The following actions will cause an error condition, and you (or another user with Administrative permission) will have to reset the project file to continue using it:
Placing a copy of the project file in another shared cloud folder
Changing a copy of the project file and then copying it back to the original shared location
Restoring an earlier version of the project file from the cloud provider's version history
If you replace a project file with a project backup file created by the Vectorworks application, no error condition will occur. However, all working files will have to be recreated.
To reset the project file, do one of the following:
Open the project file. From the alert dialog box, click Reset.
Open a working file connected to the problem project file. From the alert dialog box, select Reset the Project File cloud version, and click OK.
Notify all users to recreate their working files after a reset.
Copying a project file
If you want to experiment with a different variation of a project file, save a copy of it with a different name. This creates a project with all of the same settings, but the history database is cleared.
To create a copy of a shared project, open a working file. Select File > Save A Copy As, and then select the Vectorworks Project Files (.vwxp) file type. Do not copy project files using the Windows file explorer or Mac Finder.
Backing up a project file
If you want to save an archive version of a project before the project is completed, save a copy of it as a regular Vectorworks file. This creates a non-shared Vectorworks (.vwx) file, and allows users to keep sharing the project (.vwxp) file.
To create a regular (non-shared) Vectorworks file from a shared project, open a working file. Select File > Save A Copy As, and then select the Vectorworks Drawings (.vwx) file type.
Locking the project file
When work on a shared project file is complete, the project manager can prevent further changes by changing the permission level of all users to Read Only, and also setting the default permission for new users to Read Only.
