The project folder functionality in BIMcollab Zoom, makes it possible to link a shared folder to a BIMcollab project. When this functionality is set up for a project, the IFC- and/or Point cloud files in the shared folder will be automatically opened in BIMcollab Zoom when you connect to the project. This way it is ensured that all team members of the BIMcollab project always have access to the most recent files in the desktop app.
⚠️ Attention: The sharing of the project folder can only be done by a Project Leader or an Editor with BIMcollab Zoom editing rights and a BIMcollab Zoom license.
📝 Note: To know how to access the shared folder as a team member, consult the article Load the files from a shared project folder in BIMcollab Zoom by connecting to a BIMcollab project.
To only view the shared folder, a BIMcollab Zoom license is not needed
Create a shared folder
To keep your project files up to date and available for everyone, setup a project folder on a shared location like a server or a file sharing application (like Dropbox, OneDrive etc.). This folder should be accessible to all team members of the project, and contains the most recent IFC and Point cloud files for the project.
If you make use of a Cloud storage platform to host the shared project folder, consult the article The Project folder in combination with a Cloud storage platform for some recommendations.
Link the shared project folder to your BIMcollab project
To be able to connect a shared folder to a project on BIMcollab, you first need to connect to the correct project from BIMcollab Zoom.
Open BIMcollab Zoom
Go to File > Project folder...
Click the [...] button, navigate to the correct folder 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.
Click on 'Share'
Click on the 'Synchronize Project' button to synchronize the changes with BIMcollab, and share the settings with the rest of the team.
The other team members will see the models in the 'Navigation' tab when they connect to the project in BIMcollab Zoom.
The first time you connect to the folder, the name of the models will be displayed in grey in the 'Navigation' tab, and the models will not be loaded in the 3D view.
Right-click on the models you want to show and choose 'Load model'. The models will be loaded and the cloud symbol will turn yellow. The model tree will be visible.
📝 Note: If you are not connected to a project, the option 'Project folder...' will be greyed out.
⚠️ Attention: If '(Read only)' is displayed behind 'Shared project folders', please check if you have editing rights for BIMcollab Zoom.
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.
💡 Tip: To change the shared project folder go to File > Project folder..., navigate to and select the new folder. The models which 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.
Open a shared project folder in BIMcollab Zoom as a team member
Once the Project folder has been set up by the Project leader, all team members will be able to access the models automatically when they connect to the project from BIMcollab Zoom. If you are a team member and you want to use the models from the Project folder, consult the article Load the files from a shared project folder in BIMcollab Zoom.
Keep the project up to date
Because this setup is folder based, all changes in the connected folder are recognized automatically when a user connects to the project for the first time after the change. Replace updated models, add new models and delete outdated models from the shared folder.
⚠️ Attention: An updated version of a model can only be detected when the new file has the same name as the previous version. If the updated version has a different name, it will be added to the project as a new model and the previous version will be shown as missing (if it was deleted from the folder).
💡 Tip: Since BIMcollab Zoom version 8, users can download and review BIM WebViewer models directly within BIMcollab Zoom by connecting to their project. For detailed instructions on using this feature, please consult the article Loading WebViewer models in BIMcollab Zoom.