ProjectWise - Users Cannot Modify/Delete Subfolders They Create

RE: ProjectWise - Users Cannot Modify/Delete Subfolders They Create

Kevin van Haaren — Wed, 27 Aug 2014 21:31:24 GMT

we try to restrict who can create & delete folders on a project to a small number of people (the project picks who they are). We've found letting everyone on a project to create files at will leads to a mess. Folders that no one knows what they're for. Tons of duplicate files as people create folders and dump files into them then reference in their own working files. We really wouldn't want to everyone create folders at the end of a file structure as the deeper in the tree something is the easier it is to hide duplicates and clean up.

By restricting who can create/delete folders the project itself has control of folder structure and forces people to contact the appropriate people to have their folders created. Some projects do want certain groups of people to be able to create folders just in certain parts (e.g. CADD folder or Project Management folder). We do this too, but it's always towards the top of the folder structure so we don't have to change permissions on a ton of sub-folders.

RE: ProjectWise - Users Cannot Modify/Delete Subfolders They Create

jcallicott — Wed, 27 Aug 2014 17:03:38 GMT

Dale,

I sounds like we think similarly. We tried to make the folder structure as simple as we could, yet keep a series of folders the same from project t project for consistency's sake. But one difference is that we are allowing users the ability to create folders if they need them. it's just strange how this is working out in regard to users being able to delete files, but not folders.

RE: ProjectWise - Users Cannot Modify/Delete Subfolders They Create

Dale Carlin — Wed, 27 Aug 2014 16:25:06 GMT

This leads to an interesting topic, I don't have an answer to your issue but I'm also looking at creating a standard folder structure and feel I have to re-think what users want (carry existing windows folder structure into PW) with how PW works in handling documents and folders.

Today's windows world project after project we find empty folders. Our company windows folder template is broken into 9 disciplines and each discipline breaks subfolders and can go as deep as 5 levels, the entire template consists of 141 folders ..... just crazy to me and more than 75% of those folders are empty!!! No I had nothing to do with creating that structure.

With utilizing metadata I'm planning 9 discipline folders and no more than 5 subfolders for each discipline allowing no users the ability to create or add folders in PW that's two levels, in fact you can actually use just ONE folder in PW but the reality is that new users to an EDMS system like PW can relate to a one folder system.

I'm always curious how companies structure their project data especially in EDMS like ProjectWise.

RE: ProjectWise - Users Cannot Modify/Delete Subfolders They Create

jcallicott — Wed, 27 Aug 2014 04:07:31 GMT

Kevin,

I thought of doing the same thing - a state change command that would in effect delete the folder. I even went to that session at Bentley together this year and got a lot of insight out of it, even though we opted not to go that route. We figured it was more administrative load to hunt down and deal with the soft-deleted files/folders rather than get requests to delete folders one in a while.

I appreciate all the replies!

I'm surprised this topic hasn't come up more on these boards in the past...

RE: ProjectWise - Users Cannot Modify/Delete Subfolders They Create

Kevin van Haaren — Tue, 26 Aug 2014 22:47:25 GMT

I think there was a presentation at Bentley ProjectWise conference that talked about using the Rules engine for a fake delete command (or a recoverable delete command). Basically the user would set a state that made it disappear (user/group no access). An Admin could then have a saved search that searched for that state and did the final clean up.

Not sure about the rename issue, that needs folder write privs so i'm not sure on it.

RE: ProjectWise - Users Cannot Modify/Delete Subfolders They Create

Jeff Burrill — Mon, 25 Aug 2014 19:31:40 GMT

Because ProjectWise lacks a "Creator/Owner" object for rights assignment like in Windows, what you are asking is really not possible in ProjectWise out-of-the-box. I know I've asked for this very thing, but to date, the CR hasn't been addressed.

To accomplish what you are specifically asking, to my knowledge, could only be accomplished via custom module developed with the SDK.

RE: ProjectWise - Users Cannot Modify/Delete Subfolders They Create

Molly Watts — Mon, 25 Aug 2014 19:13:19 GMT

How are your users creating the folders? By default, the creator of the folder will be set as the owner, unless its changed in the new folder dialog.

From the help file (To Create a Folder Using Folder > New Folder)

8.(Optional) When the Create Folder dialog first opens, by default, you are assigned as the owner of the folder that you are creating. If you want to assign someone else as owner of the folder, click Change in the Owner section. When the Select Owner dialog opens, select the user to whom to grant ownership of the folder, and click OK.

RE: ProjectWise - Users Cannot Modify/Delete Subfolders They Create

jcallicott — Mon, 25 Aug 2014 18:00:34 GMT

Molly, thanks for your suggestion! That setting is already turned on.

The problem is the new folders users create inherit the ownership as well as security. Thus, the user is not the owner of the new folder, even though they created it - thus, they are still locked out. I can change the ownership of the folders in the project to get around this, but that means users would then be able to change the permissions on the other folders in the standard FDS also.

RE: ProjectWise - Users Cannot Modify/Delete Subfolders They Create

Molly Watts — Mon, 25 Aug 2014 13:48:03 GMT

Have you looked into the datasource setting "Miscellaneous > Grant implicit 'Change Permissions' rights to owners of projects, folders, and documents"