resullins Posted November 10, 2011 Share Posted November 10, 2011 Ok... let me try to explain this as succinctly as possible. We have one main, shared server for our company. In the Phoenix office. The three engineers work in: San Diego (he's networked into the server office) Las Vegas (so is he) and me... in Tennessee. I have to use a NetExtender program to get onto the network. We are exploring Tool Palettes to ease use of our drawing library. I have a LOT in my head that need to be made. However, if I create the Tool Palettes from the block library on the server, it's SO SO SO SO slow when we try to actually use it. It is my understanding that all blocks placed in a tool palette have a full path ONLY. Unlike an X-ref that you can put in a relative path. What I would like, ideally, is to be able to create 4 different yet identical folder structures. One on the server, and one on each desktop. So then I could create a tool palette with a relative path instead of making it go to the server. We've also been looking into using the windows Briefcase function for this... but I'm not sure how it would work. Does anyone have any ideas on this? I would seriously appreciate this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grant Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 I'm pretty sure it doesn't have to use UNC code like \\server\directory - you should be able to use say F:\directory\ . You just need to make a mapped network drive and do your setup through that. Then with the mapped network drive, it could be anywhere and it also could be different drives in different locations. All you would need to do then is to have some software that will keep the Mapped network drives in these different locations up to date with the same info on them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
resullins Posted November 14, 2011 Author Share Posted November 14, 2011 I don't understand what you're saying. That a mapped drive can be in more than one place. What it sounds like you're describing is exactly what we're doing. We have mapped drives to the server, but that's what's slow, because the information in physically ON the server, and it still has to go all the way out there to get it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
resullins Posted November 14, 2011 Author Share Posted November 14, 2011 Sorry guys, don't hate me, just trying to keep this on top of the New Posts list... REALLY hoping someone can help me. Tool Palettes seem to be REALLY helpful, but sitting on a server 2000 miles away from any of the engineers is making them too slow to work with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tzframpton Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 Look below under "Similar Threads". I've covered this topic in detail numerous times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
resullins Posted November 14, 2011 Author Share Posted November 14, 2011 Doh! I'll be dying my hair red or brown tonight... blond isn't working for me apparently! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grant Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 I was thinking you would have a separate drive with you and you map this drive instead of going to the server. Then you are only pulling all your information from your own drive. The trick will be in making sure your drive stays up to date. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
resullins Posted November 14, 2011 Author Share Posted November 14, 2011 Hmmm... your many answers have not yet answered my question. But... I shall keep looking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
resullins Posted November 14, 2011 Author Share Posted November 14, 2011 I was thinking you would have a separate drive with you and you map this drive instead of going to the server. Then you are only pulling all your information from your own drive. The trick will be in making sure your drive stays up to date. Right, but it's my understanding that when you create the tool palette, it gives a full path name. So even if I kept my drive mapped, it could not physically have the same name and path as the server drive that everyone else is using. And since the other two people using the tool palettes wouldn't have access to my mapped drive, they wouldn't be able to use that path. I'm sure you know what you're taking about... I think I'm just not picking it up correctly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grant Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 Yes you can - Map the server twice - say you have an F - drive as your server - get your guys 'where the server is' to map the server again as 'G' - so they will have an F and a G drive that are exactly the same. Then you map your new drive (not the server) to 'G' then you will be pulling your stuff off your drive and they will be pulling there stuff off the server but both have 'G' as the drive. So when you make your tool pallete you go through 'G - drive' instead of 'F-Drive'. Only problem is - is you will have to effectively keep two of everything. All this does is makes you not have to go through the internet to get your files as they are already on your 'NEW' drive. Hope this helps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
resullins Posted November 14, 2011 Author Share Posted November 14, 2011 Ok, that sort of makes sense. It sucks that we're going to have to re-update our folders all the time... but hey, that's better than trying to work on the server. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grant Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 I'm sure there will be some imaging software or update software you could run overnight to keep the files up to date - you could get it to only update files with the latest date between each folder! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DNK Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 Personally, experience has taught me trying to work with libraries across remote servers is a nightmare. I would create folder on the server that I would then sync to a local path. The local path is what I would point the pallette to. I've used a program called Vice-Versa to sync server and local folders. Windows 7 has a utiltity called SyncToy that I'm experimenting with now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
resullins Posted November 14, 2011 Author Share Posted November 14, 2011 Apparently SyncToy is also available on XP... so I think I may try that! I can set up folders to sync to one master on the server, and then map them on the desktop so that my palette paths all have Z:\block libraries That makes sense. I'll have to give it a try! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackBox Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 Perhaps Offline Files would be useful? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
resullins Posted November 15, 2011 Author Share Posted November 15, 2011 I think I've figured it out. I'm going to leave the folder on the server, and make identical folders on the desktops. Then if I make all three of us map that folder on our desktop to the Z: drive. This way, I can make everything on my desktop and have the path com from the Z: drive, use SyncToy to send it all to the server, and then tell the boys to do the same thing down to their computers. It seems to work... I just tried it one my laptop, and I think it'll be good! The first SyncToy run is going to take FOREVER, but that's ok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackBox Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 IMO - That's a lot of extra, unnecessary work, when Offline Files will retain the same file path & drive mapping for you (while actually working locally from the C:). It's as simple as pushing the "Work Offline" button in Windows Explorer (once the first "Always available offline" sync)... Sync Center takes care of the synchronization automagically in the background. Each time the network is connected, only the files that have changed will be updated. When done, or when you need something else from the server, simply push the "Work Online" button... 'Lemon Squeezy... Just saying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
resullins Posted November 15, 2011 Author Share Posted November 15, 2011 Is there a way to make it so that only I can change the folder contents? That's the only problem I see with that option. Forgive me... permissions and crap like that are not my strong suit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
resullins Posted November 15, 2011 Author Share Posted November 15, 2011 And it seems like when I am connected to the network, that method defaults to actually going through the network. It takes forever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackBox Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 Is there a way to make it so that only I can change the folder contents? That's the only problem I see with that option. Forgive me... permissions and crap like that are not my strong suit. And it seems like when I am connected to the network, that method defaults to actually going through the network. It takes forever. No worries... in short, if you (or the others) have write access to the contents of the mapped drives, then you retain write access to the contents when made available offline. Hypothetical - You have a server mapped (Arizona?), and the available folders are set "Always available offline" (meaning there's a local copy on your C:). Were you hit the "Work Offline" button, you'd be working with the Offline (read local) version of the available files, and no longer have access to files or folders that were NOT set to be available offline. Were you to change an offline file, the next time you "Work Online" the changed file will be updated (meaning pushed to the network location from your C:). ** Edit - That newly updated network file, will also be pulled by the other users when they are next working Online. The only area to be mindful of is when multiple users have write-access, as if you and another coworker were to both revise a file, then the automagic attempt to sync would display that there is a conflict. Working with Offline Files is great for AutoCAD support files (like your tool palette), etc. IMO, as this enables the corporate office (or you?) to set up the applicable network path, yet work locally at the same time. Caution - only for production work when the appropriate Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are in place. Hope this helps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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