The Project Folder functionality in BIMcollab Zoom allows users to load models into a shared folder, making them accessible to other project participants. This shared folder can be hosted locally on a company server or on a cloud storage platform. Many users prefer working from a cloud-based folder, such as OneDrive, Google Drive, or Autodesk Docs, ensuring seamless access to the latest files from any location.
This article explains how to work with files hosted on SharePoint.
💡 Tip: The project folder can only be created by a Project Leader or an Editor with BIMcollab Zoom editing rights and a BIMcollab Zoom license.
Setting Up Your Project Folder from Microsoft SharePoint or Teams:
Synchronise the SharePoint or Teams Folder to Your Computer
Synchronise the relevant folder(s) containing the IFC models from your SharePoint environment. This can also be done directly from the relevant Teams group in Microsoft Teams.
If the sync button isn't visible, click on the "..." to open a dropdown menu where the button can then be found.
Open your file explorer to access the OneDrive folder synced with your SharePoint. A cloud icon with an arrow next to your OneDrive files or folders indicates that the file is not available locally on your machine. Click the icon to download and make the file available on your device. For more details about the icons in your file explorer, refer to this Microsoft article.
Open shared folder files in BIMcollab Zoom
Open BIMcollab Zoom
Go to File > Project folder...
💡 Tip: If you are not connected to a project, the option 'Project folder...' will be greyed out.
Click the [...] button, navigate to the synchronized OneDrive folder on your system, and click 'Select'.
Under 'Shared project folders', the directory structure of the selected shared folder will be displayed. Select the preferred subfolders, and all files located in the selected folders will be linked to the project.
⚠️ Attention: If '(Read only)' is displayed behind 'Shared project folders', please check if you have editing rights for BIMcollab Zoom.
Click on 'Share'
Click the 'Synchronize Project' button to update BIMcollab with the latest changes and share the settings with your team. Once synchronized, other team members will see the models in the 'Navigation' tab when they connect to the project in BIMcollab Zoom.
When you first connect to the folder, the model names will appear in grey under the 'Navigation' tab, indicating that they are not yet loaded in the 3D view. To load a model, right-click on it and select 'Load model'. The model will then be displayed, the cloud icon will turn yellow, and the model tree will become visible.
Prefixes and move/rotate settings are shared with the team. Whether a model is loaded or not is a personal choice for a user, and does not affect the load status for other users in the project.
To change the shared project folder, go to File > Project folder..., navigate to and select the new folder. The models that were linked to the project before will turn red. Right-click on them and choose 'Remove from project'. Consult the article Change the location of the Project Folder for specific recommendations about this topic.