Creating Data Shortcut Project Folder in a Network Folder?

[MatTheDrafter]

Does anyone know of a way of creating a data shortcut project folder in a network folder? At the moment all our project folders are stored locally on our own workstation while the rest of the project drawings are on the general server. All our project information are backed up daily but not our workstation and the data shortcut project folder. If our workstation ever crashes or replaced we lose that project folder. Our team wants to be able to save the data shortcut project folder with the rest of the project on the server. Is there a way of doing that?

[tcorey · Accepted solution]

If your network path is something like P:\Projects, just set that as your Working Folder. Now your new projects will be placed there. Any existing folder can be made into projects by telling Civil 3D you're creating a new data shortcut folder, but type the name of the existing project folder (exactly as it is already) and the required _Shortcuts folder will be created, making it a Project.

[MatTheDrafter]

If I understand, what your saying I just need to make sure my path is created to where I want to place my working folder? Therefore, if I create a folder in my Project folder all I need to do is copy the path. When I create my working folder for my data shortcut I just paste the link where I want the working folder to be located?

[tcorey · Accepted solution]

Let's say I have an existing project folder P:\Projects\14-001. I use it for drawings but it is not yet setup for use as a Civil 3D project folder, meaning data shortcuts are not going there.

I would set my Working Folder to P:\Projects. Then I would use New Shortcuts Folder (from the Manage tab of Ribbon) and type 14-001 as the new shortcuts folder. This will do nothing to the existing data in the folder, but will add a sub-folder called _Shortcuts, which Civil 3D uses to keep track of project objects.

Have your colleagues set P:\Projects as their working folder and Set Shortcuts Folder to point to 14-001. Now you can share shortcut-able (a new word I just made up) objects like surfaces, alignments, etc.

Tim

[MatTheDrafter]

Thank you for the tip.

[JamesCorley]

Tim,

Is there a way to set this solution up as a default setting so Autocad/C3D will always associate the working folder to a network location, say P:\AutoCAD Civil 3D Project Templates?

It seems that this is a setting that has to be done in each and every drawing.