Workspace Sync

Challenge

While the command for workspace sync has been around a while, I still get asked the question often “What is the best way to synchronize your working folder.”.  Use the workspace sync option.

 
Solution

Using your workspace overtime you can build unnecessary files or stray file.  This can result from functions in the Vault such as moving, deleting, renaming and updating of files.  The Workspace Sync command will clean out these unnecessary files from the workspace and keeping it up to date.

Workspace Sync will compare the contents of the workspace with the contents of your Vault and verify which files need to be updated either in the workspace or in the vault and which files need to be removed from the workspace.  

What do all the options mean?  From the Autodesk  Vault help, below is a list of the remove and download options and the meaning.

• Download - New: if the parent of a file is updated and the new version or revision uses a file that is not in the local workspace, the file not in the local workspace is retrieved from the vault.
• Download - Overwrite: the files currently in the local workspace that will be updated with new versions or revisions from the vault, depending on your settings. If the local file is currently locked because it is open for editing, it is not overwritten.
• Expired - Unmanaged: files in the local workspace that are not managed by the vault and have not been modified within the expiration time frame specified in Workspace Sync Settings.
• Expired - Managed: files in the local workspace that are managed by the vault but which have not been modified within the expiration time frame specified in Workspace Sync Settings.
• Expired - Hidden: hidden visualization files in the local workspace that are managed by the vault but which have not been modified within the expiration time frame specified in the Workspace Sync Settings dialog.

How the files are scanned and identified are controlled through the configuration settings.  The configurations settings use the last modified date, the current revision, or the current revision among other things.  The configuration can be set in the lower right corner of the workspace sync window.  Note: the settings identified here are what get applied to the quick sync option.  Quick sync bypasses the identification dialog box.

Results are summarized in a report that can be printed, saved or sent to Vault.