Improvement for networking data

[dougmcalexander]

Some of us use our laptop both at the office and when traveling.  We have the AeData folder copied to the network and the network path is added to the top of the Support File Search Path.  But we still have to rename the local AeData folder or AutoCAD Electrical will continue to use it.  Please force the software to check the Support File Search Path first, before using to the local AeData folder.  Then we don't have to rename it. 

Another issue is that we must adjust the path statement for PLC and Libs folders in the Support File Search Path, if these are moved to the network.  But when we want to work away from the office, these paths are not available, and when we start AutoCAD Electrical, it deletes these two path statements, since it cannot find them, rather than reverting to the local path.  This started happening with release 2014.

I think that there should be a dialog that allows us to toggle between two different Support File Search Paths.  Don't force us to  change profiles.  Include a Network/Local setup dialog inside of AutoCAD Electrical.  It should have fields with a Browse button to allow us to set up two different paths (Local and Network) to the AeData folder, Libs, PLC, Template (for drawing templates) etc., along with a button that allows us to toggle between the two paths.  If a restart is required, this procedure would offer to save all open drawings and restart AutoCAD Electrical.  This should probably be located under the main pull-down menu list, by clicking on the big "A" at the top left.

[miles.nicholson]

You could use Offline Folders to overcome but this is often not allowed by the IT department.

[ccad2509]

You mean soimething like this user profiles which can be pre configured saved exported to another machine

now if all ACADE settings were in a fully configurable single location then issues like this would not exist

oops a standard feature on a windows application but not for ACADE

[KOBI1912]

This networking data reargment is very important!!

we have many problems with this, most of our designers working alot outside the office

but still sharing all database such as icon menus,catalogue,reports, etc...

even after installl evrething with Deployment tool, we still loosing connections for example:

• when the networke is not ping (need to double clike the network drive to allow it) , this couse autocad to Delete all network link from autocad profile and this cause alote problems
• When creating a new AE blocks on net ,we experiance many crashed during editing mode (i belive this cause because some shared files are used from a local drive rather then network one.
• we alwayes need to set the report setting location before creating reports 
• from some reason we need to run alot the AERBDDBASE.

etc....

[t_chaws]

Hi,

Thank you for your Idea! We have added your idea to our research bucket and will be looking into it for our subsequent releases! 

Keep posting new ideas and dont forget to support others by giving kudos to their ideas. 

Best Regards, 
AutoCAD Electrical Team

[Kelly_Shuman]

I did not do a deployment installation and have suffered dearly for it.  For remote work,  I would rather use a thumbdrive.

I see horrible lag times when creating AE blocks.  

[dougmcalexander]

Let me simplify this without even requiring toggle.  

My initial request asked for a toggle between working with support files from the originally installed locations (when traveling with a laptop) or using support files on the network, when in the office.  But sometimes even with a fixed workstation we don’t want to delete the originally installed files.  We just want to use them only if the networked data isn’t available.  Many of us use a laptop since we are sometimes in the office and sometimes on the road. We need the local path when we travel but we need to revert to the network path when in the office. So we have to constantly rename our AeData folder when working in the office over the network, to prevent ACE from finding and using the AeData folder in My Documents.  Or we have to maintain two profile and switch profiles back and forth between traveling and working in the office. Starting with release 2014, it got worse. When you start the software and it finds none of the network paths it removes them from the Support File Search Path. So when we return to the office we have to add the network paths back to the Support File Search Path.

The reasoning that the search priority should address this is intuitive, and such should be the case. The software should search in order of the Support File Search Path and use the first path that is available, leaving all path statements intact, even if they aren’t available. Then we can leave the office and work remotely without changing anything. When we return to the office, without changing anything, the software starts using the network paths again because they are listed at the top of the Support File Search Path.

[Thomasbatson]

This is still an issue and would like to express frustration with these being removed instead of simply skipping ones that aren't found because we work at multiple sites or at home and don't always log into the VPN or have access those network paths. If we spend time to manually add these paths it is for a specific reason and should be skipped instead of removed. 

[miles.nicholson]

With Vault and a product called AutoConnect, we can synchronise the shared content from Vault to the client PC local vault workspace. This works really well and provides document management on the shared content too. When Vault is started, it synschronises just the changes so a user always has the latest released shared content. This is with the exception of the catalogue and footprint database that you would ideally put into SQL as it doesn't have the same slowdowns as Access when accessing through a VPN because it needs read/write permissions. With that said, you can apply certain permissions within the SQL tables and it will still operate correctly.