data storage

> Does anyone put all the files for each project into a sort of master folder? Maybe make a few folders within the Autocad directory for the project and migrate all the data there?

Yes.

But what I do is change all the software defaults so they point to the directory I want them to.

At least one company I worked for had master folders named with the job name with sub folders named appropriately (eg permits, locations, etc)

That's what I do. If you looked in one of my project folders you'd see sub-folders for:

Drawings
Point Files
Raw Files
Deed Scans
Correspondence
Pictures
Etc.

My software is set up so that if I start a new drawing titled "12-025 Base" it looks for the "Point File" folder in the project folder titled "12-025" to create the point database

I store job files on an external hard drive that is easily carried around and backed up at various places.

An example of the job directory tree for a current job would be:

F:/ (The External Hard Drive)
/Jobs/ (Sub-directory I use for all projects)
/2012/ (Current Project Year)
/12045/ (Job Designator - 2 digit year and sequential job numbering)
/Scan/ (Scan of all paperwork associated with the job)
/Pics/ (Any pictures associated with the job)
Cadd Files/data files/point files/etc are directly in the job number directory
/FEMA/ (If the job is anything FEMA related I scan those documents here)

/Maps/(In the 'Jobs' subdirectory, I have the folder maps to store aerial images, quad sheets, etc...

Items used in a variety of jobs are stored in appropriate directories within the "Jobs" subdirectory.

Items pertaining to a particular job are stored in the "yearjobnumber" subdirectories.

file naming and storing is an important part of not wasting time.
we have a standard folder set up for each new project number, and it gets copied into the new project folder once the project is set up. Admin, cadd, survey, correspondence, etc - add or delete folders for each project as needed.

I put all the data in the project folder. Each time the crew(s) has to return to site I create a new data file (Acer_1, Acer_2, etc). This way I can keep track of the progress as well as comparing the data from one day to the next. Each day the crew returns I extract the raw file and then compress the entire job file(ACER_1.Job; Acer 1.cr5;Acer_1.Raw; and Acer_1.crd become Acer_1.zip). I try to keep things somewhat logical.
At the beginning of the next year the closed files are transferred to a different Hardrive and set to "read only".
I keep it all backed up on a local HD and off-site (Carbonite).

The first 8 digits, letters, etc is dedicated to a project name followed by an underscore and the job and underscore and then the name of the document, etc

I print all documents to an adobe file so these are usually pdf files that have the same name of the actual wperfect file or acad drawing that is in its proper directory.

proj0023_t5uas4_topo
proj0023_t5uas4_google
proj0023_t5uas4_boundary
proj0023_t5uas4_plat
proj0023_t5uas4_fns
proj0023_t5uas4_surveyorder
proj0023_t5uas4_emailin20120512

One main folder per job - folder name is job number / name - subfolders allowed

Folders are grouped by location

eg:

New Zealand / North Island / Auckland / 4042 Forbes Rigby
New Zealand / North Island / Auckland / 4048 Concord

New Zealand / South Island / Nelson / 1024 Stoke

etc etc

Works for us...

I do as others do, project directory with a standard folder setup. I also have an upload and download folder, I always download the data collector to 2 places, the download folder and the project download folder. I then manipulate only the downloaded file in the project directory. this way I always have an original download for my records..I also have online backup that happens daily at noon...

> That's what I do. If you looked in one of my project folders you'd see sub-folders for:
>
> Drawings
> Point Files
> Raw Files
> Deed Scans
> Correspondence
> Pictures
> Etc.
>
> My software is set up so that if I start a new drawing titled "12-025 Base" it looks for the "Point File" folder in the project folder titled "12-025" to create the point database

My project folders are similar to these; however, the project folders have one folder called DATA and in this folder are the sub folders. My DWG AND CRD remain in main project folder.

Like this project folder 12-1234
-data > sub folders with project data: pics, points, research, etc.
DWG
CRD

I use a layout along these lines. Each new project gets a new set...

Project Name/

Correspondence/
/Incoming
/Outgoing

Drawings/
/Project databases

Research & Records/
/Survey Records
/Deeds
/Control Data Sheets
/Utility Maps
/Construction Plans

Field Data/
/Raw Data
/Field Notes
/Photos
/StarNet Projects

Reports/
/Control Report
/Legal Descriptions

I work as follows

12001 :year 2012 project 1

subfolders

raw data
drawings(concept)
drawings(final)
letters
invoices
photos
scanned plans

I'm similar to most here.
One thing I like are hyperlinks or just plain Windows shortcuts that allows me to easily cross reference jobs that share data or just to easily find something for egs previous years jobs.

I also use PDF files with hyperlinks and notes that are relevant to that job.

We have a survey projects folder on the hard drive. Inside the projects folder there are year folders i.e. 2012. Each project that year gets a folder named after it, typically with the Project number/ Last Name/ Address i.e. 2012001 Dunford - 2858 Fulmer Dr.. Inside the individual project folder you can get as fancy as you want. For us small jobs don't get many sub-folder, but some larger projects get a lot to separate the large amounts of data.

Kelly

My projects are separated into folders by year, i.e. C:CarlsonData12 for this year. Same for descriptions. So, if all I can get is the year and not some other thing, I've narrowed the field quite a bit and can generally find the file at my desk, then go get the paper file with all the info.

In fact, I separate raw data like this as well. I have a folder named "Raw Data" with Data folders in it. Inside each is an unmolested copy of the raw data, and then I copy that file into the appropriate AutoCad data folder and molest/manipulate it there, always giving me an original should something come up.

My hard drive is copied, as it sits, nightly onto a 2TB external hard drive (so are every other machine). Once a week, I delete some of the old ones so I don't fill it up.

It works for me.

Since I work for the property owner we have facilities.

We have a Survey Data folder which contains a folder for each facility. In the facility folder is several sub folders such as AutoCAD, Microsurvey, field data, photos and others as needed. Then the Engineers and Architects had all of their files in a different location.

A new system is being put in place to put everything in one place with subfolders.

In the main folder for the Division is a folder called "facilities" then in that is a folder for each facility. Then the facility folder has a folder for the Engineers/Architects, Lands people and one for the Survey data which has the usual subfolders in it.

You hire a technician or a secretary who knows how to run Excel.
How many here could ask them to

a) Print a copy of the Autocad drawing of Sec 23, T8S, R4W?
b) Print a scanned plat of John Jones, retired surveyor, from the James Smith file?

All my scans, cad drawings, FEMA, etc. are only two clicks away in my Excel file.

Some of those file names I see posted are really nasty.

Pretty much the same as the rest...

We have a 2 terabyte Network Attached Storage (NAS) drive which is divided into several logical drives:

Jobs (active jobs);
Docs (non job related);
Tools (cad fav's, downloads, municipal files...);
TLS (archived jobs by year or number)

Within the Jobs drive each new job is assigned a number with year, month, job follwed by the client name and sec, twp, rng, qtr info (this last is a recent addition).

So the 10 job in February of 2012 is: 120210-Name 0623011. The strq info facilitates searches for jobs in the same area.

Within a particular Job folder we have several common subfolders:

Docs;
Dwg - subfolder Ref (reference/previous jobs dwgs);
Pnts - point files numbered job#c (for control-outgoing), job#f (for field-incoming) so for above job, 120210c1.asc or 120201f1.crd;
GPS;
Sent - with subfolders for date and to whom;
Recieved (similar to sent)

I use a great program called Advanced File Organizer http://www.softprime.com/ to find stuff.