Using Dropbox for Sharing Files within Firm

[Bluneinc]

I just hired our first employee this week and I wasn't working on Dropbox prior to this. I've just been using a portable hard drive. Now I'm slowly moving our files over to dropbox so the employee can access it however, I feel like I'm missing something because I'm having trouble with using cloud storage and plan files.

 

How should I be using dropbox to share plan and layout files?

Do I need to backup the file every single time and then place it in the dropbox folder? Seems like a lot of work, and a TON of copies... I fear it will confuse everyone.

Can the plan file be backed up ONCE (for the initial transfer) and placed in dropbox, and then once unzipped, use that plan file to work in? Will this cause autosave issues?

Do I need to relocate my autosave folder?

 

Any other tips would be extremely helpful. I'm getting very stressed about this whole cloud migration process. I appreciate it! 

[Jonathan3891]

I use a google drive through my google workspace and I couldn't be happier.

 

I installed the google drive for desktop which creates a mapped network drive, and I do all my work on there with zero issues.

Google drive keeps a backup of the file for 30 days or 100 versions which is accessible right from your right click menu. 

 

There is only one flaw. It doesn't alert you that a file is read only if someone else has it open. I usually give my partner a call to see if he's in a model before I start working on it.

[DeLayDesign]

I also use Google Drive.  I have a suite account which gives me 2TB of storage with my monthly plan.

I will warn you.  Google Drive won't work with the safety options available with Chief Architect stopping you from opening a plan while someone else is in it.  So you'll want to communicate thoroughly with your new employee on who's in what plan and when. 

[SusanC]

I also use Google Drive (which works similarly to DropBox) and here is how our office works:

• In my X14 templates folder I have a template New Client Folder set up as well.
• Duplicate this folder each time you gain a new client and label it with Client name and the year 2022.
• Within this client folder is a folder named Client name_Layouts and Plans_Copy to Desktop.
• Download only this specific folder each time you need to work on the job as this folder houses only the plans and layout for that client. 
• When done working, save the layout you were working on with a new date (do not save the plans with a new date or they will no longer be linked to the layout) and then upload the Client Name_Layouts and Plans_Copy to Desktop folder again to Google Drive.  
• You can and should manually do a little housekeeping each time this folder is back up on Google Drive.  Drag out the old layout and save it in the Supercede Layouts folder and drag out any old plans into the Supercede Plans folder (just don't drag out the plans that you have linked to the layout). Doing this housekeeping keeps the folder up to date with the last copy of layout worked on and no one has to look at all of the previous copies because they are now in the Supercede Layouts folder.
• Best to communicate often with your new employee until you get the hang of this.  In our office each designer has ownership of their client files.  We try not to have 2 designers working on the same client folder in Chief, but sometimes we do have to open each other's files so we contact the other one if we are going to be working on their file.

Hope this helps.

 

Susan

 

[DesignGallery]

@SusanC What do you do to ensure material files/images are visible for anyone accessing the plan files? If you usually share backup plan files, how do you organize the folder so it's not overcrowded with so many versions of the same plan file? We're desperately trying to figure out how to organize our iCloud folder so material files/images appear for everyone accessing the plan file without create too many duplicate files.

[SusanC]

On 12/15/2023 at 11:24 AM, DesignGallery said:

@SusanC What do you do to ensure material files/images are visible for anyone accessing the plan files? If you usually share backup plan files, how do you organize the folder so it's not overcrowded with so many versions of the same plan file? We're desperately trying to figure out how to organize our iCloud folder so material files/images appear for everyone accessing the plan file without create too many duplicate files.

 

@DesignGallery

There are dozens of ways to manage your files and save files, but this is the system we use.  It requires some "housekeeping" but it works well for us and we're able to find things easily.  

 

Regarding Material files / images:  There are 2 of us on our team who open and work on plan / layout files on a regular basis and this is what we do:

1.  If we import a jpg or a pdf onto a layout or plan, we double click on it to open up the dialog box and select "Save to plan".  

2.  We each have a file in our User Library of custom made materials that we share with each other if we've made additions.  Right mouse click on the folder in your User Library and select "export library" to create a download to share. 

3.  We make sure that each of us has the same Chief library catalogs downloaded.

4.  Yes, sometimes things slip through the cracks and we have to recreate a material, but not often.  

 

Regarding file management:  

Please see my previous post.  This was written when we were using X14 but we have kept the same method in practice because it works well for us.  The key is to the "housekeeping" of moving old layout files and plan files out of the folder that is downloaded to the desktop.  This makes things easy to find and keeps old files hidden, but easily accessible.

 

I hope this helps and please don't hesitate to ask if you have more questions.

 

Susan

 

 

 

[DesignGallery]

@SusanC Thank you so much for these tips!