Author Topic: file catagory naming help!  (Read 17106 times)

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Bethrine

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file catagory naming help!
« on: May 02, 2014, 07:28:39 PM »
Would you use the words "Schematic", "Diagram" or "Electrical" as categories in a file system?

Why or why not?

danallen

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Re: file catagory naming help!
« Reply #1 on: May 02, 2014, 07:37:12 PM »
I think you need to provide more context for the question. For example here is a list of folders for how we organize a single architectural project. Drawings (DWG) are saved in top level.

_Project Folder Template
          3d
                    Archive
                    Export - CAD
                    Export - Views
                    Import - CAD backgrounds
                    Library
          _Images
          _Project Documents
                    Budget
                    City Approvals
                    Client
                    Code
                    Construction Admin
                              _Client Communication
                              _Contractor Communication
                              _Contractor daily reports
                              _Lab Test Reports
                              Agendas
                              ASI
                              Change Orders
                              Field Observations
                              Meeting minutes
                              Payment Applications
                              RFIs
                                        Complete
                              Submittals
                                        _Complete
                    Consultant Contracts
                    Meetings
                    Memo
                    Program
                    Schedule
                    Specs
                              01 - General Requirements
                              02 - Existing Conditions
                              03 - Concrete
                              04 - Masonry
                              05 - Metals
                              06 - Wood Plastics and Composites
                              07 - Thermal and Moisture Protection
                              08 - Openings
                              09 - Finishes
                              10 - Specialties
                              11 - Equipment
                              12 - Furnishings
                              13 - Special Construction
                              14 - Conveying Equipment
                              21 - Fire Suppression
                              22 - Plumbing
                              23 - Heating Ventilating and Air Conditioning
                              25 - Integrated Automation
                              26 - Electrical
                              28 - Electronic Safety and Security
                              31 - Earthwork
                              32 - Exterior Improvements
                              33 - Utilities
                    Transmittals
          Archive
          ASK
          Blocks
          Design Presentation
          Incoming
                    _Acoustics - XXX
                    _Civil - XXX
                    _Client - XXX
                    _Landscape - XXX
                    _MEP - XXX
                    _Soils - XXX
                    _Structural - XXX
          Outgoing
                    _Acoustics - XXX
                    _Civil - XXX
                    _Client - XXX
                    _Landscape - XXX
                    _MEP - XXX
                    _Soils - XXX
                    _Structural - XXX
          Plot
                    !_Current
                              _old
          Sketches
          zBackup

mjfarrell

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Re: file catagory naming help!
« Reply #2 on: May 02, 2014, 09:13:14 PM »
Would you use the words "Schematic", "Diagram" or "Electrical" as categories in a file system?

Why or why not?

I might use Electrical

However Schematic and or Diagram to me are the same thing.


However the other system posted while it might be very discipline specific; I wager it leads to a lot of lost time searching through that directory structure, unless only certain person ALWAYS or ONLY work and or save within specific folders.
However when anyone else needs to pitch in or is asked to help, I'm sure there is lost time searching and or saving to wrong folders.
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snownut2

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Re: file catagory naming help!
« Reply #3 on: May 03, 2014, 07:26:36 AM »
Schematic & Diagram are to vague, there could be Electrical or Plumbing Schematics.  I would think the file system would be broken down into possibly by Trade or Construction sequence.

mjfarrell

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Re: file catagory naming help!
« Reply #4 on: May 03, 2014, 12:56:20 PM »
And a side note on this; the file name is almost more important than the folder it is placed in.


As an example here is the name of a file I made Thursday afternoon:

USGS_DEM_Wharton Ranch_TX83-NF


Those in the Civil or GIS field can tell you exactly what is in that file without ever opening it.

The directory stucture will tell you even more

j:\\arcinfo\TX\Dallhan County\USGS\


« Last Edit: May 03, 2014, 01:01:12 PM by mjfarrell »
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Bethrine

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Re: file catagory naming help!
« Reply #5 on: May 05, 2014, 10:18:19 AM »
Thank you for all the replies.  :lol: We have electrical and hydraulic systems (among other things) and I need to find a way to file. They both involve using the words "diagram" and "schematic". The current system files by piece of equipment, which are numbered, and ends up as hunt and peck to find which piece of equipment has the most updated version, unless you are the person who filed it in the first place. So, we have several copies of say "electrical schematic" under different pieces of equipment and all are relatively the same. Then there are equipment files that don't have it at all and you have to go through every file looking for one.  :ugly:

My solution was to file by equipment system and thier sub-catagories. Then at the end you can pull the specific file by equipment number or at least find the one closest to what you are looking for. At least they are all in one spot.  :|  I could use ideas.  :ugly:

mjfarrell

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Re: file catagory naming help!
« Reply #6 on: May 05, 2014, 10:25:15 AM »
Suggest you also employ from the File Menu>>>Drawing Properties

and start logging information there.

The CUSTOM stuff can be quite useful

And this information is visible from Explorer so you do not even need to open the file to read it
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Matt__W

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Re: file catagory naming help!
« Reply #7 on: May 05, 2014, 11:41:23 AM »
"Schematic Electrical Diagrams"   :lol:
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Bethrine

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Re: file catagory naming help!
« Reply #8 on: May 05, 2014, 01:16:24 PM »
Quote
File Menu>>>Drawing Properties

Looking into it!

"Schematic Electrical Diagrams"   :lol:

 :lol: LOL!  :-) :-( :cry: That's where we are now.

cadtag

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Re: file catagory naming help!
« Reply #9 on: May 05, 2014, 02:15:45 PM »
It would be a good idea (TM) to verify the nesting levels, path length, and file name length limitations of the backup software being used to backup the servers.  It's bad enough to have to recover from a server meltdown, without discovering after-the-fact that your path and file naming schemes have exceeded what the backup software can handle, and it either assigned arbitrary short names to everything or simply skipped over the files during backup.
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Bethrine

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Re: file catagory naming help!
« Reply #10 on: May 05, 2014, 02:36:22 PM »
Suggest you also employ from the File Menu>>>Drawing Properties

and start logging information there.

The CUSTOM stuff can be quite useful

And this information is visible from Explorer so you do not even need to open the file to read it

Does the "Key Words" section under summary allow you to search by key words?

It would be a good idea (TM) to verify the nesting levels, path length, and file name length limitations of the backup software being used to backup the servers.  It's bad enough to have to recover from a server meltdown, without discovering after-the-fact that your path and file naming schemes have exceeded what the backup software can handle, and it either assigned arbitrary short names to everything or simply skipped over the files during backup.


Thanks! I will check with IT!

mjfarrell

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Re: file catagory naming help!
« Reply #11 on: May 05, 2014, 02:43:37 PM »
not really any longer - it was usable years back with Land Desktop
yet another good idea left to wither by the good folks at autodesk
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Michael Farrell
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Bethrine

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Re: file catagory naming help!
« Reply #12 on: May 05, 2014, 02:44:45 PM »
Actually, I was looking in Windows Explorer.

cadtag

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Re: file catagory naming help!
« Reply #13 on: May 05, 2014, 05:06:15 PM »
not really any longer - it was usable years back with Land Desktop
yet another good idea left to wither by the good folks at autodesk

While it was broken for a while, it's working again.  Adding custom properties, or keywords, in DWGProps shows them in Win 7 Explorer by right-clicking and showing properties.  I can't, however add them to the details column view in Explorer and sort by them.

pity...
The only thing more dangerous to the liberty of a free people than big government is big business

mjfarrell

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Re: file catagory naming help!
« Reply #14 on: May 05, 2014, 07:01:45 PM »
yes, however NOT searchable, by keyword(s) as it was with Land Desktop
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Michael Farrell
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