Problem With Importing Multiple Sheets Into Sheet Set Manager via ProjectWise Connect Integration

Question

Hi everyone! 
 
 I'm running into an issue with importing multiple layouts into sheet sets that are located on ProjectWise. I'm not sure what changed, but in the past, I was able import several layouts at a time into a sheet set that was saved onto ProjectWise. I've plotted multiple drawing sets from there as well, so I didn't have much of an issue with them in the past - other than they were a tad bit slow if there were numerous drawings in the set. 
 
 However, for some reason - in the past month or so, I haven't been able to do that anymore. Each time I load up any sheet set (be it a newly created one or an older one that was previously edited) on ProjectWise, and try to import more than one drawing - it buffers depending on many drawings were selected from the ProjectWise explorer, and then it re-opens the explorer with no drawings appearing in the Import Layout window prompt. And selecting the drawings once more from the explorer just yields the same result over and over again. 
 
 If I try it with one drawing, it drops it in almost instantaneously. But there's several hundreds of drawings across multiple sets, and going with this approach would be tedious and waste a good chunk of time. 
 
 I don't know if it's an issue with ProjectWise, AutoCAD, or a combination of everything, but I can open drawings and check them back in to ProjectWise without issues, but when it comes to using sheet sets - I haven't been able to import multiple layouts at a time. But if I pull the sheet sets from ProjectWise and moved it to my local desktop or anywhere on my local machine, I can import 20+ drawings without hassle. 
 
 I've tried re-installing AutoCAD 2018 and 2020, and ProjectWise Connect (Version 10.0.3.434) and re-doing the integration a couple of times already, but I've kept running into the same issues. I reached out to my fellow colleagues and several of them were also running into the same issues I was with the sheet sets. 
 
 Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to address my concerns, and I hope you all have a great day!

Dave Cumming · Answer

Hi Joyce (and Community) 
 Thank you for this post. I've replicated the issue and spoken with a couple of other users about it, too. A defect has been filed to have this resolved in a future product release. I would expect that to be included in an upcoming (10.4.xx) release of ProjectWise, rather than with the next ACAD/Civil 3D integration module. 
 There are some workaround options that you might consider in the meanwhile. And I expect that several users have already gone this route. 
 Essentially, a sheet set (.dst file) can be built outside of ProjectWise. After the .dst file is imported into ProjectWise, you can run the ScanRef tool on just that .dst file to build all of the ProjectWise document dependencies (its Logical Set). FWIW, it seems like not a lot of users know that... 
 IMPORTANT: Just run the ScanRef tool on the .dst file. Don't scan the rest of your project documents. Running the ScanRef tool should always be carefully considered and the consequences can be more severe with Civil 3D files. 
 Working with the document set outside of ProjectWise : 
 A) If all of the .dwg files that your .dst file is targeting are in one ProjectWise folder , this is a pretty simple task since copying them out to your local working directory will put them all in a single location on your C: Drive. 
 B) If all of the files that your .dst file is targeting are scattered across multiple different ProjectWise folder locations , then a Flat Set can (optionally) be used to gather them all in your datasource so that you can perform an UNMANAGED Export (the "Send To" option) on them to send to one location on your PC so you can quickly build the .dst file. 
 After the .dst file has been saved, drag it into ProjectWise, and then run the ScanRef tool on it. The files that you exported can be deleted on your PC after the .dst file has been integrated with ProjectWise and is targeting its references within the ProjectWise environment.