Autodesk Connected Support Files

You’ve likely seen in the past couple of AutoCAD product releases something called Connected Support Files. It is a feature that relies on using Forma Data Management (FDM) (formerly Autodesk Docs or ACC). If you’d like to know more about what they do and how they work, read on.

What are Support Files?

Typical AutoCAD support files are fonts, tool palettes, drawing template folders, and more. These are often shared amongst a team of users. If a support file is edited, it must be usable by all users. These are two very common methods that many companies do this:

1. Store them in a shared network drive or a cloud folder and each user’s AutoCAD settings point to that folder.
2. Deploy them to each user’s computer and have a replication system to update the users’ computers when files are edited.

What about Outliers?

What to do when a project requires a unique set of support files?

1. When the project folder structure is created, support files can be manually copied to them.
2. All users working on that project must configure any required support paths within AutoCAD’s Options dialog.
1. Manually or,
2. By using automation software.

What’s the Problem?

• Manually copying support files takes time and there is always the potential for error.
• It may not be possible to rely on users to configure their own support paths properly.

What are the Solutions?

If your team’s projects live in Forma Data Management, Connected Support Files is an option. There are 2 potential options:

• Support files can be stored within each project’s folder hierarchy and when a drawing is opened, AutoCAD automatically senses the support files, and it is configured automatically.
• Support files can be stored in any Forma project and the new Connected Support Templates feature can be defined and then used to assign standards to any Forma project.

As always, some configuration is required. And this configuration is usually done by the FDM administrator who is responsible for setting up projects. Here is how it’s usually done.

1. Open a random drawing file, not saved in Forma. In the AutoCAD Options dialog, Files tab, this is what is seen.

2. This is what is seen in Options when the current drawing is saved in Forma. 

3. Clicking Setup creates this folder in the Forma project. 

4. It’s now the FDM admin’s job to do two things:

1. 1. Create sub-folders as required and place the support files within them.
   2. Configure AutoCAD accordingly.

5. Here is what AutoCAD’s Options looks like now. Learn more is a link with some useful information. There are now 3 places to configure settings.

1. Project Settings
2. My Settings
3. Classic AutoCAD Settings

1. Only Forma project administrators can make changes in the Project Settings.
2. Once the Project Settings have been updated, a JSON file is automatically created in the autodesk.support folder. It is recommended not to edit this file manually in a text editor.

1. Once all that is done, any user who opens a drawing in this project will see the connected paths when they open the Options dialog.
2. What if we want to automate this so the FDM need not do much when new projects are created? This is where the new Forma Connected Support Templates feature comes in. The FDM admin can simply create a Connected Support Template (CST) in Forma to skip all this manual configuration.
1. The CST defines several paths typically defined in AutoCAD options. Paths only. They point to folders stored in other Forma project where the files live.
2. Best practice could be to create a support project in Forma specifically for support templates, one sub-folder for each unique standard, and to create CSTs for each of them.

This is the fastest workflow:

1. FDM admin spends time to configure these folders, files, and settings for CST standards.
2. Creates CSTs for each unique standard.
3. Assign those CSTs to required projects.

Anomalies

Plot Style Tables

AutoCAD’s usual support paths have an item for plot styles.

When using Connected Support Files, there is no such option.

In the Classic Settings, there is none either.

So where should they be placed?

• Within out of the box plot style folders
• In the CST, place CTB or STB files in any of the defined support paths.

Tool Palettes

If tool palette content is present in the CST, there will be a Project Aware palette group where the Connected palettes can be found.

Removing the CST from a Project

Once a Connected Template has been applied to a Forma project, do not delete the autodesk.support folder manually. It should be removed from assigned projects using the Connected Template tool. If the folder is removed manually, Forma is not informed and project associativity is still present even though the folder has been deleted.