Understanding the Working Folder

The working folder is the local directory where the files on which you can work on are stored.

Autodesk Vault is a server/client data management solution which provides a centralized data storage. This centralized data storage mechanism enables you to access the same data during the whole design process. When a file is checked out or when you open a file from a vault, the file is copied from the vault to a local folder called working folder. A working folder is defined automatically when Autodesk Vault is installed, allowing you to begin working with a vault right away. The default working folder is:

My Documents\Vault

This means that each user has a unique working folder, isolated from other users. However, depending on your design requirements, you can specify a working folder that is located on a shared network drive, creating a shared working folder that all users access. In a multi-user environment, a shared working folder keeps all the working files consistently located in the same working folder. This prevents the lag between the upload to the server by one user and the subsequent download to all other users.

To use a shared working folder, the Autodesk Vault administrator sets up and enforces a working folder on a shared network location for all project members to use.

Rules for using a shared working folder

Using a shared working folder means that multiple users may be working on the same files concurrently. To protect the group's data, all users must log into the vault before performing any file operations.

Note: If a user does not log in, there is no way to verify that a file is checked out and the data is at risk of being overwritten.

The following guidelines will help prevent you from overwriting the changes made by someone else.

1. If a file is currently checked out to another user, you cannot perform the following operations:
   • Refresh from Vault
   • Check Out
   • Undo Check Out
2. You cannot check out a file that is currently opened and checked out by another user.
   Note: You can check out a file that is opened as read-only by another user.
3. You can open a file as read-only when it is currently checked out to someone else using the same working folder.
4. Do not select the Close Files and Delete Working Copies check box when checking in files if you are using a shared working folder. Deleting the working copy from a shared working folder may delete files accessed by other users.