Week #2 – Get Organized
2-1. Set Up A Standard Project Folder

ArchiCAD Training (Best Practices Lesson 2-1)

This 16 minute segment is the first part of week #2: Get Organized.

After a brief introduction to the week’s materials, the video focuses on how to set up a standard Project Folder that you will duplicate every time you start a project. The structure you set up (with subfolders for different categories of information) will make it easier to know where to store files that are created during the life-cycle of the project. It will also make it faster to find information, since there will be a system for where things are filed.

You may download and adapt the standard project folder demonstrated in the presentation (see below). Another approach, very suitable if your office is already fairly well organized, is to take one of your existing projects and duplicate the job folder, then remove all the actual files while leaving the folder structure intact.

In either case, feel free to rework the folder structure to suit your needs. The main idea is to get organized, and start each project with a good system.

BONUS: Download the Project Folder shown in the video.

Thank you for visiting the Best Practices Course website. The video lessons are available for members only. If you are an active member and would like to watch the ArchiCAD training video on this page, please login to the website. If you are not currently a member, please visit the following pages for more information and to sign up for the Best Practices Course, the QuickStart Course or for the Best Practices ArchiCAD Coaching Program. Eric Bobrow, Creator of the Best Practices Course
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ArchiCAD Training: Set Up A Standard Project Folder

Let us know how you feel... (13 comments so far)

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  1. ThitipatPratharnsap
    11 years ago

    Hi
    I follow your quick start video and now trying to download the best practice lesson. I found that I can only download from download page at half resolution you mentioned, I got only 710×400 pixels. Any suggestion, please.
    thanks

    PS. I’m new for ArchiCAD. My based experience is AutoCAD and Revit. But your lesson make my understand in ArchiCAD quicker than I was thought. thanks again.


    • ThitipatPratharnsap
      11 years ago

      for deeper inspect.
      I found that the week1 – week4 has half resolution. Form week 5, i got full resolution.


      • Eric Bobrow
        11 years ago

        Thitipat –
        You are correct. The early course lessons were saved in the lower resolution format that fit on the web page layout. I changed that starting with Week 5 to a version that was resized on the page to fit the layout, but available at higher resolution for viewing full-screen and download.
        Eric


        • ThitipatPratharnsap
          11 years ago

          I got it
          Thanks

  2. Avatar photo
    KENNETH ANDREWS
    13 years ago

    Eric:
    I really like your teaching style, clear and very concise and to the point. Excellent course so far, I’ve been using Archicad for about a year and a half and have been waiting for information like this since the beginning. I’m really looking forward to the rest of the course.

    Thanks,
    Kenneth R. Andrews AIA


    • Eric
      13 years ago

      Kenneth –
      Welcome to the Best Practices Course!
      Thanks for your kind comments!
      Eric


  3. Marek Stoklosa
    13 years ago

    Eric,
    The Project folder will better organize my work. It makes total sense. Keeps the Artiste straight and narrow 🙂


  4. Andrew Passacantando
    13 years ago

    Well organized folder. I would suggest a separate folder for billing (proposals, invoices, expenses etc.) Question: Do you keep all the 2010 projects in a 2010 file and start a new file for 2011 with the new folders or is there a naming structure that would suggest a year the project was started?


    • Eric
      13 years ago

      Andrew –
      I don’t have a strong opinion here. I imagine that many firms that do a lot of projects already have them organized by year, and the project folder would go inside the year folder. Takis (below) prefers to put different project files for the same client into the same folder.
      Any organizational concept that works for you is great – the main thing is – get organized! And try to be consistent and save time by setting up a system (in this case, structured as a folder and sub-folders) that you can duplicate easily.
      Eric


      • Michael Grant
        13 years ago

        I’ve had a similar dilemma, and have decided to bundle all projects into an annual folder, like 2010 Projects. However some projects spill into the next year. So I now follow the convention of moving those projects into the new year’s folder.


  5. Takis Apostolides
    13 years ago

    For me this arrangement is not so comfortable because when I search for a file I prefer to have one separate folder independent for every client where I have pln files, pla files a folder for artlantis, folder for export drawings etc.
    So I do not have to change folders every time to search specific files for the client.


    • Eric
      13 years ago

      Takis –
      It sounds like you prefer to put all the files for a particular client into a single folder for that client, rather than creating a separate containing folder for each project. Perhaps you might adapt this idea, and set up a standard Client Folder that you duplicate every time you start working with a new client.
      The main idea in this lesson is to think through your organizational structure, and set up a prototype folder that embeds this into the subfolders, then duplicate it whenever you start something new. Feel free to adapt the idea as it might suit you best.
      Eric


      • Takis Apostolides
        13 years ago

        yes Eric I think you are right, I will follow your suggestions to organize my prototype folder for every particular client.
        I find it easiest to manage the whole work by looking for client.
        thanks
        Takis