ACC - Desktop Connector (DC) - Show Project Numbers

[vaughan.giles7AGEV]

Problem Statement

Currently, when selecting a project (Whether by the DC Select Project menu, via Civil 3D - Autodesk Projects, or the Autodesk Docs File Explorer) you are unable to see a Project Number.

This is a problem, because we need to more easily see and access project numbers, as numbers are often more easily and readily referred to in a work environment.

A multi pronged approach is required to resolve this issue across each platform / software.

Problem - Autodesk Docs via File Explorer

In this example, you can see that only the Project Name is visible - Project numbers are unavailable.

Solution - Autodesk Docs via File Explorer

Provide a way to view the project number without having to increase the folder name length - e.g. via the r-click Desktop Connector menu (as shown above), or via a mouse-over effect / additional column for project number.

Problem - Civil 3D - Autodesk Projects

Solution - Civil 3D - Autodesk Projects

Simple, make it visible either along-side the project name, or as a separate column. By the way, descriptions are still not available and this is a feature we've been asking for for years now.

Problem & Solution - Desktop Connector (DC) - Select Projects

As you can see, project numbers are simply not available - they need to be made available, either by column or alongside the project name; perhaps in front of the project names.

Thank you.

[vaughan.giles7AGEV]

Let's get some momentum going!

[simone.roux]

To avoid adding to file path length, would be beneficial to have the field show as a separate column on file explorer and also show the field in Autodesk applications.

[swotton8FJDD]

@simone.roux agreed, we already really struggle with long file paths so adding the functionality that @vaughan.giles7AGEV suggested should ideally be done without making that situation worse..

[abeserv_cme]

During the rollout of ACC, we deliberately chose to swap the project number and the project description.

This provides a significant advantage for the Autodesk Desktop Connector, specifically with regard to path length limitations in Windows Explorer. These limitations can be worked around using robocopy and, more recently, the Bulk Upload Tool—while empty folders are not guaranteed to be uploaded, the tool otherwise performs very well.

In the ADC interface, it would therefore be desirable to:

• provide the ability to define which columns are visible and in what order,
• add a search function in the “All Projects” tab.

We would not recommend keeping the limitation of selecting up to 80 projects.

As ADC can be compared to WIP (i.e. temporary working data), it is—at least from our side—a best practice to deselect all projects in the evening and reselect them in the morning.

By doing so, we avoid more than 90% of ADC-related issues.

This approach is comparable to the workflow used by Revit modelers: creating a new local file in the morning, followed by periodic “Synchronize with Central” actions, and always at the end of the working day.

If this Revit workflow is applied to the use of ADC, it would make sense to favor manual control of ADC synchronization, or at least provide users with a clear choice between manual and automatic synchronization.

This approach is also better suited for large files, mass uploads, and calculations performed by software packages. Some users also save every change, which can result in hundreds of updates and versions per day.

In practice, automatic synchronization in combination with “Work Offline” is experienced as less user-friendly and sometimes overly complex. These side effects (such as hundreds of versions per day) should not be underestimated.

[swotton8FJDD]

@abeserv_cme I agree with some of what you said, though most of this is straying pretty far from the idea @vaughan.giles7AGEV was suggesting for Autodesk's consideration..

1. Swapping project name & number fields. This is a workaround we've turned to as well, though it's not without its drawbacks (ie not everyone keeps project numbers top of mind). It seems to work well enough to meet our immediate needs. Many projects have used 'ProjectNumber_ProjectName' but also struggled with long paths, so that's a pretty flawed approach. Hoping Autodesk will consider the idea we're commenting on to find an elegant solution.

2. Bulk upload tool. I'll second this, it's a well-designed tool and works great. Note that I've only tested for non-linked files.

3. User-selectable columns within ADC. I assume you mean within the "Select Projects" dialog? That isn't a bad idea and would certainly help UX for people with long project lists. That said, anyone who either works at a large firm or has been using ACC for a while will accumulate a large project list.

4. Manual de-link and re-link daily. This is nightmarish. If we had to manually de-sync and re-sync each project at the end of each day I can't imagine a situation where we'd not shelve this product entirely. We have not run into any issues that would require us to look at implementing a workflow like that, thankfully.

5. ADC Sync Pausing Options (or manual mode). Partial agree, though no harm in giving people the option as long as administrators have the ability to disable that functionality for their teams. I would settle for functionality similar to OneDrive where sync can be paused for a set amount of time (2, 8, or 24 hours). In my view that would be a bit more suitable for GA to all team members, as you don't have to rely on people to remember to start syncing again (inevitably people will forget).

[abeserv_cme]

@swotton8FJDD 

3) User-selectable columns within ADC
Yes, this indeed refers to the “Select Projects” dialog.

4) 5) We also agree that options such as points 4 and 5 are highly organization-dependent. The intent of our feedback is therefore not to impose a single fixed workflow, but rather to outline the broader picture. Implementing such functionality—preferably not via a silent release—can have far-reaching implications for different organizations. What works well for one may prove problematic for another.

For that reason, flexibility is key. If the solution is sufficiently configurable, each organization can tailor it to its own way of working, which we believe is ultimately the most important aspect.

In our specific case, a daily select/deselect approach resolves more than 90% of ADC-related issues. The trade-off is fairly straightforward:
either you invest a small amount of time in selecting and deselecting projects,
or you lose significantly more time getting ADC back into a stable working state.

A critical aspect of this approach is that end users actively monitor the ADC status window and properly address any warnings or messages. In practice, this often leaves something to be desired—“it should just work.”
The select/deselect action helps bring that attention back, as not synchronized effectively means files are not available.

In our environment, a single project can easily consist of thousands of folders and tens of thousands of files, amounting to several tens of gigabytes of data. All things considered, the waiting time involved in selecting a project in ADC remains acceptable.

Finally, it is also crucial to assess whether a given task truly needs to be performed via ADC at all. In some cases, the same task can be handled perfectly well directly through the web interface. This may be highly organization-specific, but it is nonetheless an important practical observation.