The Vault Connector lets you synchronize Vault files and folders, along with their properties and attachments, directly to Forma Data Management. You can sync on demand from the Vault client or automatically as part of a lifecycle state change. After a file syncs, you can open it directly in Forma.

Prerequisites for syncing

Before you can use the Sync to Forma or Go to Forma commands, the following conditions must be met:

• The Vault Connector is enabled in the ADMS Console.
• Folder mappings are configured between Vault folders and the target Forma Data Management folders.
• Property mappings are configured for the metadata you want in Forma.

For setup performed by an administrator, see Vault Connector to Forma Data Management.

Sync to Forma on demand

Sync selected files and folders to Forma at any time from the Vault client:

1. In the Vault data grid, select one or more files or folders.
2. Right-click the selection and choose Sync to Forma, or select Actions > Sync to Forma from the menu bar.
3. Monitor progress in the background. Forma Link State on each file shows sync progress, and the task queue reflects success or failure.

If Sync to Forma is not configured, an error message displays. If some selected objects are not mapped to Forma, a toast notification indicates the sync failed. Click the notification to open the Vault Connector sync task, which shows sync errors. Only users with the JobQueueAdd permission can run Sync to Forma, and objects must fall within a mapped Vault folder.

Sync on lifecycle state change

Files can also sync automatically when they reach a configured lifecycle state, such as Released. An administrator adds a Sync to Forma action to a lifecycle state transition. State-change sync runs in the background without a toast notification. For details, see Configure sync on state change for Forma.

The synchronization process

When a file or folder syncs from Vault to Forma, the connector performs the following actions:

1. Validates that Sync to Forma is configured for the selected Vault folder.
2. Creates or updates the corresponding file or folder in the mapped Forma Data Management location.
3. Applies configured property mappings.
4. Uploads attachments based on your attachment settings.
5. Updates Vault sync status properties and the task queue.

On the first sync, the connector creates the file or folder in Forma and syncs sub-folders when Map to sub-folders is enabled on the folder mapping. On later syncs, only files with a newer Vault version sync, property values update to match Vault, and new attachments are added. By default, we sync all files referenced by the current file, including all levels of the reference hierarchy. Files removed from Vault are not removed from Forma automatically. Vault is the source of truth; changes made manually in Forma are overwritten on the next sync.

Synced attachments

The synchronization process includes the attachment types you select in the folder mapping:

• Design representation attachments: derived design file representations (such as PDF or STEP files).
• Design visualization attachments: visualization files.
• Custom: files that match selected file extensions.

By default, we sync all files referenced by the current file, including all levels of the reference hierarchy.

Sync rules also apply to attachments. If a file doesn't meet the configured sync rules, its attachments do not sync either.

Go to Forma

After an object syncs at least once, open it directly in Forma to verify results or continue work:

1. Select a synced file or folder in the Vault client.
2. Confirm that Forma Link State shows an icon (up to date or out of date). If it is blank, the object has never synced; run Sync to Forma first.
3. Right-click the object and choose Go to Forma, or select Actions > Go to Forma from the menu bar. Your default web browser opens the object in Forma.
4. If the object synced to multiple Forma destinations, select the Hub, Project, and Folder destination to open, then click Go to Forma....

Go to Forma is disabled when multiple objects are selected, and requires network access to Forma with an active Forma sign-in in your browser.

Synchronization status

The Vault Connector tracks Forma sync status using dedicated Vault file properties:

• Forma Link State: Whether the current tip version is up to date with Forma. Blank means never synced; Up to date means the latest version synced; Out of date means a newer version has not synced or the last sync failed.
• Forma Sync Status: The result of the most recent sync attempt (Successful, Partially Successful, Error, or Skipped).
• Forma Synced Date: The date and time of the last sync attempt.

The task queue and ADMS Console logs record success or failure for each synced object, including error details.

Important considerations

• Syncing an object that already exists in Forma updates the existing file or folder rather than creating a duplicate.
• State-change sync applies only to files that fall within a mapped Vault folder and meet the configured sync rules.
• The connector always uses the folder mapping for the folder where a file is located, even if a linked attachment resides in a different folder than its primary file.
• For Inventor assemblies, sync the project file (.ipj) and preserve the full folder structure. This lets Forma resolve child file references without manual relinking after download.
• Go to Forma is available only for objects that have synced at least once.