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Using vwx lock (lck) files when sharing files with Dropbox


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We use dropbox to share files between our team, from time to time i see .lck files being made a deleted, i guess these are files that are used when in a shared environment to stop some one else opening and working on the same file, but even though these files are being made it seems someone else can still open the files, is there any reason behind this ?

Also due to the way dropbox works ie. syncing over the internet rather than a local on site file server setup there can often be a lag between the file being closed (when i guess the lck file is deleted) and the new .vwx file being synced to some one elses machine, is there a way to set the lck files not to deleted for a period of time after closing say 90 seconds ?

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  • Vectorworks, Inc Employee

There is no way to manipulate those files or when they are generated/removed directly, however they normally only appear if you have changed your Os settings to show hidden files by default.

I have had many issues with users working on files within a DropBox or Google Drive folder if they have it sync automatically, it can often cause problems with multiple user environments. Syncing manually after work on the file is completed is much safer, or uploading the file after changes are made.

One of the main projects here currently is file sharing and network/workgroup functionality, its high time it got a revamp.

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  • Vectorworks, Inc Employee

There is no way to manipulate those files or when they are generated/removed directly, however they normally only appear if you have changed your Os settings to show hidden files by default.

I have had many issues with users working on files within a DropBox or Google Drive folder if they have it sync automatically, it can often cause problems with multiple user environments. Syncing manually after work on the file is completed is much safer, or uploading the file after changes are made.

One of the main projects here currently is file sharing and network/workgroup functionality, its high time it got a revamp.

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  • Vectorworks, Inc Employee

The .lck file isn't there to prevent other users from opening the file. Its main purpose is to provide the file lock information (user, computer and time of lock). This enables VW to tell you who currently has the file open, where and since when.

It is never used to determine whether another user can open the file. This determination is made by the File System based on the permissions set when the file is opened. The first user to open the file gets READ and WRITE access with READ-ONLY access for other subsequent opens. This is all handled by the File System.

As for DropBox, it uses a push mechanism to keep your local file in synch with the file in the dropbox server.

This means that everyone works on local files in their own local dropbox folders independently from each other.

You are opening your own local file with full permission.

Also note that this issue with dropbox and multiple user environments is common to other applications. This is the nature of the system.

DropBox actually has a a mechanism in place that detects and handles potential conflicts during file synchronization when multiple users had the file opened at the same time.

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  • 5 years later...

Does anyone know if there any update to this

On 9/22/2014 at 10:08 AM, PVA - Jim said:

One of the main projects here currently is file sharing and network/workgroup functionality, its high time it got a revamp.

since 2014 in the way that VW and dropbox interact in Multi-user environments? I am interested, because we are beginning to move into a more advanced multi-user modelling phase at my company, and I am interested in learning some best practices for avoiding frustrations. Of course, we are looking into Project Sharing as a main method, but this is problematic for certain projects that use incompatible plugins (interiorCAD, I'm told, is one of them?). Moreover, there are circumstances that we have have legacy projects that have not been setup for PS, yet, and we want to be able to toss them back and forth.

 

Where I'm at now is simply confused about when exactly a .lck file is generated over Dropbox, and how I can avoid problems when sharing files with other users in the cloud?

 

 

  • Confused 1
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