Using Project Sharing across mixed PC and Mac user environment and server

[anton5]

We are a Mac based office using vectorworks woth project sharing across the majority of our architectural projects as we have multiple users on each, and it’s been working fine.

 

we are now looking at setting up some teams with pc’s instead (so they can also run revit), and we were wondering how the project sharing works across pc and Mac, and if anyone have had any problems with this?

 

in effect some teams might have to do crossover work between Mac saved and pc saved vectorworks files via project sharing.

 

any thoughts and suggestions would be helpful.

 

many thanks 

kind regards anton 

Edited October 14, 2019 by anton5

[Nicolas Goutte]

If you want mixed environment, you have to use SMB as network protocol, as you should only use only one protocol (and Windows cannot do AFP).

 

See what I had written and referenced in a previous thread. (Probably you can read that entire thread too)

 

[anton5]

Many thanks @Nicolas Goutte for your answer, and the link is very useful indeed. 

 

I guess the issue than with changing the network protocol from AFP to SMB is that it changes the way other 'non-project' Vectorworks files integrate across the server network and it's users also, such as that an open file on a pc (using SMB) might not seem open from within a Mac (using AFP), which could lead to overplayed work / corrupted files I understand.

 

 

 

kind regards anton

 

 

[Nicolas Goutte]

13 minutes ago, anton5 said:

Many thanks @Nicolas Goutte for your answer, and the link is very useful indeed. 

 

I guess the issue than with changing the network protocol from AFP to SMB is that it changes the way other 'non-project' Vectorworks files integrate across the server network and it's users also, such as that an open file on a pc (using SMB) might not seem open from within a Mac (using AFP), which could lead to overplayed work / corrupted files I understand.

 

It has little to do with project or non-project VW files. The root problem is the different lock types between SMB and AFP. Of course, as you are supposed to share project-type VW files, the risk to have a real damage is higher.

 

That is why the "one protocol only" way is recommended, for all VW files.

[anton5]

@Nicolas Goutte I see, this is a tricky one, as we are a relatively large office with 100 people the majority on Mac's (which benefits from AFP, like colour coding folders etc), and moving all users over to SMB might cause issues. 

Thank you so much for the feedback, we will have a think of how best to proceed.

 

kind regards a

[Nicolas Goutte]

Yes, it is surely tricky.

 

May-be users having migrated from AFP to SMB can give you tipps. (I can only re-iterate the theory... like a parrot. 😉)