References links broken by Google Drive on Monterey,

[twaikin]

Setup:

Multiple iMacs, mostly Monterey & Big Sur, using Vectorworks 2022 (&2023) and having references files such as pdfs and images shared on Google Drive

 

Problem:

Since Monterey, Apple introduced File Transfer and Google Drive has moved the file streaming location from /Volume/Google Drive to /Users/[username]/Library/CloudStorage/Google Drive-[user email address]/. Notice the computer-specific identifiers on the file path.

 

While working by myself is fine, I just need to update the reference link once. However, when working across multiple computers, the discrepancy in the Google Drive streaming locations means that ever time I change a reference link in a VW file, it will break the link for my colleague whose Google Drive is streaming from a different location.

 

See the variations in Google Drive Streaming locations below. For most of our computers, we weren't able to change the streaming locations.

 

 

For many of our projects which we reference a lot, this has a huge impact on our workflow. The References panel is a sea of red if more than one person works on a job now, with Google Drive now introducing computer-specific identifiers in the file path. We always push back updating MacOS but Monterey is no longer the newest OS anymore.

 

What Vectorworks could do:

This is not just a Vectorworks issue obviously, but Adobe Suite has resolved this. On Adobe Indesign 2023, this discrepancy in Google Drive streaming location doesn't break the link across multiple computers. I am hoping Vectorworks could magically resolve this too. Until then, we are practically unable to have multiple computers working on the same job using Vectorworks.

 

Way to test this:

Open a VW file using a Mac with Big Sur. Reference a file on Google Drive.

Open the same VW file using a Mac with Monterey which has the Streaming Locations changed (not all of them have!).

 

Link to a Google article on this change:

https://support.google.com/drive/answer/12178485?visit_id=638036314598550785-384021587&p=file_provider&rd=1#fileprovider

 

 

[Pat Stanford]

I am not yet on Monterey so I can't try this, but you should be able to make an Alias (or if that does not work, a symbolic link) from the Cloud Files location on each computer. Put that in a location that is less user specific (maybe the root level of the HD) and then use that when you create references and you should have something that will work "similar" to what you had before.

[twaikin]

Thanks Pat for going through my post!

 

I like the the idea of this temporary work-around but the computer is not allowing me to do so.

 

Edit: I created a Google Drive Alias, tried to drag and drop it at the same level as the HD.

 

 

 

Edited November 10, 2022 by twaikin

[Pat Stanford]

I don't think it can be at the top level of the computer, but you should be able to put the alias at the top level of the hard drive.

[twaikin]

I can't put anything under Macintach HD either. So I put the Google Drive alias in the Applications folder.

 

I tested it in VW, and VW (and Finder) still see the file path as per the original under /users/, not Applications/Google Drive alias/.

 

I guess in the mean time we could still work by importing all files into the VW directly and not use referencing at all.

[Peter Vandewalle]

Would it be possible to use relative paths instead of absolute paths? As long as the referenced files are in the same project folder (including subfolders), that should work. The computer specific path parts won't matter anymore.

[twaikin]

Hi Peter,

 

Thanks, once I got around to change all the absolute paths to relative paths (took a while), they worked. Glad it does! I blame WFH of not trying this from our office sooner.

 

Absolute Path doesn't work on Google Drive anymore but at least it can be fixed.

 

 

[Peter Vandewalle]

Relative paths are always the best way to use referenced files when you're on a server.

On Windows people tent to create server drive letters. This will create the same issue. And it can only be solved by using relative paths.

This is a part of my default explanation about references during Vectorworks trainings.