In the first level of the project structure, set up the source drawings that contain basic design objects, such as existing ground surfaces, alignments, and parcel networks. You can either store each object in a separate drawing or include several related objects in a single drawing.
Keeping each object in a separate drawing is recommended for large projects. This structure ensures that users can edit objects while not preventing access to other objects by other users. This isolation of objects also minimizes the possibility of a user editing an object and accidentally affecting other objects in the same drawing.
Group multiple objects in a single drawing for small projects, or whenever one user is solely responsible for the entire design. For example, you could manage all of the related alignments in a subdivision design in a single drawing, and manage the parcel network in another drawing. This project structure reduces the number of drawings to manage. However, there is a risk of accidental changes to objects.
Use data references between your Level 1 drawings to share read-only copies of objects, such as the existing ground surface. These references can be either Vault references or data shortcuts, depending on your structure.
For each drawing, create a unique file name and save it to the designated project working folder. It is recommended that you name each drawing with a clear reference to the object it contains (for example, Maple_Street_Centerline.dwg). As the number of project drawings increases, the wisdom of using explicit references in the file names becomes more apparent.