About Autodesk Desktop Connector and InfraWorks

Manage data sources for an InfraWorks model with Autodesk Desktop Connector. You can use Desktop Connector to add data sources to your model from Autodesk Docs or Autodesk Drive.

Autodesk Desktop Connector and Autodesk Docs

To support workflows that use Autodesk Docs for sharing project data, you need to install and set up Autodesk Desktop Connector.

Desktop Connector is a desktop service that integrates an Autodesk data management source (or data source) with your desktop folder and file structure for easy file management. The files in the data source are replicated in a connected drive. You can manage files in the data source through the connected drive, just as would any other folder on your machine. Changes made in the connected drive are automatically uploaded to the data source.

In addition, your Autodesk Docs account administrator needs to add you as a member of a Autodesk Docs project.

Prepare Autodesk Desktop Connector

To support workflows that use Autodesk Docs for sharing project data, install and set up Autodesk Desktop Connector.

Before you can share project data using Autodesk Docs, do the following:

Install Desktop Connector.
Set up connected drives for Desktop Connector.
Restart your computer (if not already prompted to do so).
If you are not a member of an Autodesk Docs project, ask your Autodesk Docs account administrator to add you to a project. See About Autodesk Docs and Autodesk InfraWorks.

Use the Desktop Connector

Use the Desktop Connector to add data sources to your InfraWorks model from a Autodesk Docs or Autodesk Drive location.

Open the Data Sources panel.
Click Add File Data Source.
Navigate to a local hub in Desktop Connector. See What Are Connected Drives? for more information.
Select the desired data source. For example, select a .SHP file that represents building footprints.
Click Open.
Configure the data for use in your model.

Reconfigure and Refresh Data Sources

After opening an InfraWorks cloud model that is synced on Autodesk Docs, you can reconfigure Autodesk Docs data sources that were added to the model with Desktop Connector. You can also refresh and load updated versions of Autodesk Docs data sources in the model.

To reconfigure a data source, open the Data Sources panel, select the data source, and click (Configure Data Source).
To load updates for a data source from Autodesk Docs, open the Data Sources panel, select the data source, and click (Refresh Data Source).
To load updates for data sources that are cloud models saved to Autodesk Docs such as Revit or SketchUp (SKP), you must re-import the data source instead of using Refresh.

Note: Desktop Connector has a minimum 8-minute time span between sync requests. So, if you import a data source with Desktop Connector and want to re-import a new version shortly afterwards, you may have to wait a maximum of 8 minutes before you can import the new version.