Configure a profile in AutoCAD

Before exporting a profile, set it up the way you want.

Among other things, AutoCAD profiles control the default location where AutoCAD will search for certain resources, such as the drawing template files that are used to create new drawings. While a profile cannot currently be configured to make AutoCAD search directly in ProjectWise for these resources, as a workaround, the profile can be configured to make AutoCAD search in the ProjectWise working directory for these resources.

Follow these steps if you need to change any file location paths in your profile to point to a ProjectWise working directory folder:

1. Recommended:

   These first two items are not required, but are recommended to improve performance:

   • Make sure that all of your AutoCAD users who will be using this profile are using the same, fixed path for their working directory. You can set the path to something simple and short such as C:\pwworkdir in ProjectWise Administrator.
   • Make sure that the datasource setting, Allow several users to fetch documents to the same location, is turned on in ProjectWise Administrator.
2. You will need to know which dmsXXXXX folder in the working directory that the associated resources stored in ProjectWise will be copied out to. Once you know the dmsXXXXX folder, you can specify the path to that working directory folder on the Files tab of the Options dialog. For example, if you want to configure the drawing template files location of the profile to point to the working directory folder that those templates stored in ProjectWise will be copied out to:
   1. Import your drawing template files into some folder in ProjectWise.
   2. Copy out one of the drawing template files, then open Local Document Organizer and select Copies and look at the File Name column to see the full working directory folder path that the document was copied out to.
   3. Now open the Options dialog in AutoCAD and select the Files tab and expand the Template Settings > Drawing Template File Location, and enter the full path to the folder in the working directory. For example:

      C:\pwworkdir\dms000409

3. Have all of your AutoCAD users who will be using this profile set the DMSSET variable PROFILEPWPATHS to 1. This allows the associated resource documents to be automatically copied out of ProjectWise (and therefore available in the location specified in the AutoCAD profile) whenever the user opens a DWG that is associated to a workspace profile that is linked to this AutoCAD profile.

   If PROFILEPWPATHS is set to 0 (the default), then the associated resource documents will not be copied out.

Export the profile from AutoCAD and import it into ProjectWise

1. On the Profiles tab of the Options dialog, export your profile.
2. Import the exported profile (.ARG file) into some folder in ProjectWise (you can just drag the file from the desktop onto any folder in ProjectWise Explorer).

Create the workspace profile in ProjectWise Administrator

1. ProjectWise Administrator, expand the WorkSpaces node.
2. Right-click WorkSpace Profiles and select New > WorkSpace Profile.
   
3. In the New WorkSpace Profile Properties dialog, do the following:
   1. On the General tab, enter a unique name and optional description for the workspace profile.
      
      
      
   2. On the AutoCAD Settings tab, click the Browse (...) button to the right of the AutoCAD Profile Name or Path field to select your AutoCAD profile (.ARG) in ProjectWise.
      
      
      
   3. Click OK.

Assign the workspace profile to a folder in ProjectWise Explorer

1. Open the folder where you imported your drawing template files and select Folder > Properties.
2. On the WorkSpace tab of the Folder Properties dialog:
   1. Set WorkSpace type to WorkSpace Profile.
   2. From the WorkSpace Profile list, select the AutoCAD workspace profile you created in the previous section.
3. Click OK.