SI Explorer Setup Menu - Working Directories

Illustration SI Explorer's Toolbar Working Directories Button

This command can be executed from the SI Explorer's Setup Menu.

Opens the Working Directories dialog box in order to setup and manage your Working Directories by adding, removing and selecting the default. Working Directories are one of the essential components of SpecsIntact since this is where the Jobs and MastersA group of standard Agency (Master) Guide Specifications used in the preparation of a Job. are stored. You can choose to setup either a single Working Directory or multiple Working Directories. Each Working Directory has it's own structure to include folders for Jobs, Masters, TemplatesA Template is an outline that provides examples of how text should be entered in SpecsIntact format when creating a new Section. and Exports. If you have never installed SpecsIntact before, it will provide a default Working Directory path of C:\ Users\YourUserID\Documents\SpecsIntactWD that can be changed to another location when required.

Illustration Icon Indicating Stop For new installations or to learn more about setting up one or more Working Directories, refer to the Installation Guide located on the SpecsIntact website's Help Center page.

Any Working Directory listed in the text box that are checked are connected and will have their Jobs and Masters displayed in the SI Explorer. Removing a check will prevent the contents of the Working Directory from being displayed in the SI Explorer, but will still be available for future use.

Illustration Icon Indicating Helpful Hint When setting up multiple Working Directories, you should create a separate Working Directory specifically for your Masters.

Add

Allows you to browse your system to select existing folders to use as additional Working Directories. You can also create a new folder by adding it to the end of the path in the Working Directory text box, preceded by the backslash (\).

For example, in the Working Directory text box you may have S:\SpecsIntact WD and type after it \Project Files to create a new Working Directory folder called Project Files.

Remove

This function allows you to remove a selected Working Directory from the list. This does not remove the folder from your system, and you can add it to the list again by using the Add button to browse and select the folder.

Set As Default

Allows you to select which Working Directory you want to use as you default for any new Jobs or Local Master you create. a default folder must be selected, but you can specify a different Working Directory when creating a new Job or Local Master. Any Working Directories that have a check beside them in this dialog box are connected and will be available on the General tab of a New Job or New Master dialog boxes.

Rules

Avoid creating Working Directories in the same location in which SpecsIntact is installed or directly on the Root Drive, for instance C:\ or S:\. This will not only cause problems with your Working Directories, but the Masters as well.
Avoid using special characters, other than a hyphen or underscore in the path name, as this will cause unexpected results.
Keep the Working Directories simple. Avoid making the path too long. We're only using a path of four levels and no more than 200 characters.
Do not use Jobs or Masters in the path name, since these are folder names that are already in use by the software.

Using this Feature

How to Setup a Working Directory:

From the SpecsIntact Explorer, select the Setup Menu and choose Working Directories
From the Working Directories dialog box, select the Add button
From the Select Folder window, browse to the destination folder
With the folder highlighted, select the Select Folder button
If you have multiple Working Directories setup, make sure to select Set as default
Select OK

Additional Learning Tools

Watch the Connect Working Directory and UFGS Master eLearning Module within Chapter 1 - Getting Started.