Sharepoint and Project Sharing

[lisagravy]

@shorter The 'whole point', or benefit really to us was less about file locations and more being able to have multiple users working on the same master file at one time.

 

To avoid people saving on local (desktop) storage, we'd initially set up a location next to the master file for individual user files, as @Paul Snell seems to have done - but this doesn't work. So our individual user files now live on individual (but still cloud!!) storage, as part of personal OneDrive storage linked to individual MS365 accounts. It works much better this way, provided enough time is allowed for syncing / downloading, and the connection is reasonable. 

[shorter]

@lisagravy you are doing what is recommended, i.e. a local folder not in the same location as the central model.  that's how cloud storage works.  if you all share the same folder for local working files AND the central, as @Paul Snell has done, then file conflict goes into overdrive.

 

'usually' the central model is on a network server, and 'usually' working files are local.

 

WIthout any way to back up these local files this is extremely bad practice from an office protocol point of view and having managed many offices IT and CAD systems, this would cause huge headaches.

 

At least with cloud storage your local folder is being backed up, sort of.

 

The only issue is the propensity of One Drive to 'forget' to sync, as it so often does, because it's consumer-grade software aimed at sharing Word and Excel files, not complex CAD and BIM models.

[lisagravy]

@shorter Yep, I know what we're doing is what's recommended - however we weren't doing that initially (when I first started this thread to troubleshoot the problem in 2020). Back then, we had the central model and user files in the same location, as per @Paul Snell's setup, which is why I was explaining how we'd fixed it. We changed this on Vectorworks advice and things now run far smoother.

 

Completely agree that a lack of back up is an issue for local files, which is why we didn't want to set up desktop locations for user files in the first place - but we solved it with local cloud drives which are backed up. 

 

I think you and I are giving the same advice here. 

 

The only point I was making was that the 'whole point' to us originally was more about enabling a number of users sharing a master project file at once, rather than re-organising file structure / storage - hence why we hadn't really considered saving the files in the same location to be a huge issue in the first instance. It seems that's how Paul has approached it too, hence my post. 

[Paul Snell]

Thanks for your tips guys I will try to run a test tomorrow - I have been on tasks the whole day

[Paul Snell]

Sadly our test was not successful. I created a new shared model in the project folder and me and Jana opened and saved user files into our personal Documents folder but after about ten minutes the system created a duplicate model and locked me out of sending my changes. Such a shame I drew a really good cowboy. I have contacted our IT service to see what they can offer.

[shorter]

19 hours ago, lisagravy said:

@shorter Yep, I know what we're doing is what's recommended - however we weren't doing that initially (when I first started this thread to troubleshoot the problem in 2020). Back then, we had the central model and user files in the same location, as per @Paul Snell's setup, which is why I was explaining how we'd fixed it. We changed this on Vectorworks advice and things now run far smoother.

 

Completely agree that a lack of back up is an issue for local files, which is why we didn't want to set up desktop locations for user files in the first place - but we solved it with local cloud drives which are backed up. 

 

I think you and I are giving the same advice here. 

 

The only point I was making was that the 'whole point' to us originally was more about enabling a number of users sharing a master project file at once, rather than re-organising file structure / storage - hence why we hadn't really considered saving the files in the same location to be a huge issue in the first instance. It seems that's how Paul has approached it too, hence my post. 

 

oh apologies.  my comments were not aimed at you but simply clarifying things for the benefit of anyone bothering to read my drivel.

[JW_OO]

Hi all,

 

Sorry if I have missed anything but we are in the midst of setting up a design studio and with that comes the choice of software and server/cloud etc. The choice has been Vectorworks and Sharepoint (before I began). I am now looking at efficient ways for us to utilise the Project Sharing option within Vectorworks.

 

Am I right in saying that as we have Sharepoint and Vectorworks, that is not possible? It just seems a huge pain to download the file every-time and risky to say the least given we will shortly grow to around 15 people and need to have the ability to share/work/sync...

 

Any advise would be great!!

 

Thanks

 

O

[shorter]

On 2/16/2024 at 5:28 PM, JW_OO said:

Hi all,

 

Sorry if I have missed anything but we are in the midst of setting up a design studio and with that comes the choice of software and server/cloud etc. The choice has been Vectorworks and Sharepoint (before I began). I am now looking at efficient ways for us to utilise the Project Sharing option within Vectorworks.

 

Am I right in saying that as we have Sharepoint and Vectorworks, that is not possible? It just seems a huge pain to download the file every-time and risky to say the least given we will shortly grow to around 15 people and need to have the ability to share/work/sync...

 

Any advise would be great!!

 

Thanks

 

O

 

Two things we have successfully avoided in large teams: Sharepoint and Project Sharing.