Set Working Folder

[Baker_ADG]

Ready for the newbiest question of them all? I did search and i have tried, but i need help... 

I need to nest my "_shortcuts" folder. 

we are working on revamping our servers and project folders. We are proposing the following folder structure (i'll just list the path for the DWGs & Data Shortcuts)

X:\
-> 01_projects\
--> Client Name\
---> Project Name\

----> 01_Site Name\
-----> 04_Engineering\
------> 00_CAD\
-------> 00_Model\
--------> DATA

----> 02_Site Name\
-----> 04_Engineering\
------> 00_CAD\
-------> 00_Model\
--------> DATA

----> 03_Site Name\
-----> 04_Engineering\
------> 00_CAD\
-------> 00_Model\
--------> DATA

....etc.... 

1:
I want the "WORKING FOLDER" to be "Project Name"
and i want the shortcuts to be in the "DATA" folder...

2:
so yeah... I have a template of folders ready to go... 
a follow up.. is how do i set the default template location to our server location? 

I know.. You'd think i have not been using Civil 3D since 2008... lol. lets just say, i have never worked at this level or scope. 

Thank you.

yes i searched...

http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/forums/searchpage/tab/message?filter=labels%2Clocation&location=forum-...

and read them.. i didn't find the answer i was looking for. thanks. 

[tcorey]

Hi Jon,

To get the _Shortcuts folder into that DATA folder, you would have to set working folder to x:\01_Projects\clientName\ProjectName\01SiteName\04Engineering\00CAD\00Model and set the Data Shortcuts Project Folder to DATA.

And you would have to do this separately for every single project.

Yikes.

BTW, I support six hundred or so users and that is not the newbiest question I've heard. By far.

Tim

[Baker_ADG]

That part yeah.. i get.. I was hoping that my Data Shortcut "Working Folder" was the "---> Project Name\" folder. Then have each Civil 3D generated "_shortcuts" folder nested down 2 levels to the "model" folder.

does that make sense? lol.

[jmayo-EE]

If I can expand on Tim's post.

When you open or start a new file in the project. Save it and Right-click on the Data Shortcuts tree in the Toolspace. Select 'Associate Project to Current Drawing...'

This will prevent you from having to change the working folder every time you open a file in a different project. When you open a file with the project associated the working folder is automatically set.

If you create a specific template for each project save the project path o the template as I described above and everyone who start a new dwg in the project won't have to deal with the working folder.

[Baker_ADG]

Civil 3D creates it =

.\Project\Folder1\_shortcuts\..

How I want it =

.\Project\Folder1\Folder2\Folder3\_shortcuts\..

How I'd LOVE it =

.\Project\Folder1\Folder2\Folder3\99_shortcuts\..

[doni49]

What part of that path is the Project name? 

Here's what our structure looks like:

n:\projects\

                  84-15-00\

                                 Drawings\

                                                 _shortcuts\

                                                 civil\

                                                 arch\

                                 Design\

                84-15-07\

                                 Drawings\

                                                _shortcuts\

                                               civil\

                                               arch\

                                 Design\

I might set my working folder to n:\projects\84-15-07 and C3D will find the shortcuts.

[Baker_ADG]

The folder named "Project" is the root folder, then we have segments or sections that are broken out (I.E. Folder1) and then the more nested folders. 

Z:\\

---->Projects

---->---->Client Name

---->---->---->Project#1

---->---->---->---->Section#1

---->---->---->---->---->04_Engineering

---->---->---->---->---->---->00_CAD

---->---->---->---->---->---->---->00_Model

---->---->---->---->Section#2

---->---->---->---->---->04_Engineering

---->---->---->---->---->---->00_CAD

---->---->---->---->---->---->---->00_Model

---->---->---->---->Section#3

---->---->---->---->---->04_Engineering

---->---->---->---->---->---->00_CAD

---->---->---->---->---->---->---->00_Model

---->---->---->Project#2

---->---->---->---->Section#1

---->---->---->---->---->04_Engineering

---->---->---->---->---->---->00_CAD

---->---->---->---->---->---->---->00_Model

---->---->---->---->Section#2

---->---->---->---->---->04_Engineering

---->---->---->---->---->---->00_CAD

---->---->---->---->---->---->---->00_Model

---->---->---->---->Section#3

---->---->---->---->---->04_Engineering

---->---->---->---->---->---->00_CAD

---->---->---->---->---->---->---->00_Model

I want to set my working folder to "Project#x" This will show the "Section#X" folders in the "data shortcuts folder" However, I want to have the "_shortcuts" folder nested in the "00_Model" folder. 

Currently with in Civil 3D, I set the working folder to "Project#x", i create a Data Shortcut Project Folder as "Section#x" and Civil 3D creates the "_shortcuts" folder under the Section#X folder. 

I just want it nested 2 more folder deeper. 

[doni49]

Give the following a read....

http://www.civil4d.com/2008/12/working-folder-data-shortcuts-folder-best-practice/

[jmayo-EE]

That's a very good short read but we should note that the commands for associating the project to files was not available in C3D 2009.

[AllenJessup]

As you can see from the link Don posted. The Working folder has to be 2 levels above the _Shortcuts folder and the shortcuts folder has to be named _Shortcuts. I don't know of any way of having 3 or more folders apart.

Our Working folder is the main projects folder by software year i.e. Civil 3D 2014 Projects and the Shortcut folder is the Job name or number just below that. The _Shortcuts folder is create directly below Job Name.

In your original example you would have to set the Working folder to ##_Site Name and have the _Shortcuts folder under DATA or set the Working folder to Project Name and rename the DATA folder to _Shortcuts.

Allen

[Baker_ADG]

Yeah, even my post went through some revisions from start to today. haha! 

i guess as a neat freak... i was hoping to not have multiple folders named with the same names.. and in two different location, and not following company folder naming conventions. 

oh well.. wish list submittal on its way.. 

[AllenJessup]

Well.... If you consider the full path as the name you don't have ones with the same name. But I know what you mean. We still have duplicate names. Under every job I have an align folder, a Survey folder and a cogo folder created by the software. I also have a DWG, a Documents and other folders from our template.

Lately I've been using the Data Shortcuts Editor to replace the shortcuts source path with the UNC path rather than the mapped network drive. I find it's more stable but that may just be our network.

Allen

[doni49]

You could do it with your desired folder structure.  Since you have to browse to the working folder everytime anyway (as opposed to just a list of project numbers) browse to the 00_CAD folder.  If _shortcuts in 00_Model, you're done.