Managing User and Shared Folders in a Project
- Mojib Javadi
- Jonathan Gane
When users are added to a Project, a system-level User Folder is created for each member. Additionally, Project Administrators can create another type of folder called a Shared Folder. Within a Project, User Folders and Shared Folders co-exist at the top level of the folder structure of the Green Room and Core. Access to all Shared Folders and User Folders is automatically granted to all Project Administrators, whereas access by other Project members is granted by one of the default or custom Roles (see Managing Project Members).
In this article:
Comparing User Folders and Shared Folders
Table 1 describes at a glance the main differences between User Folders and Shared Folders. Additional details are found in the sections below.
Table 1: Comparing User Folders and Shared Folders
Feature | User Folder | Shared Folder |
|---|---|---|
Exists at the top level of the Project Green Room or Core file structure | yes | yes |
Can be created by a Project Administrator | no | yes |
Can be renamed by a Project Administrator | no | yes |
Can be sent to trash by a Project Administrator | no | yes |
Can be recovered from trash by a Project Administrator | no | yes |
Can be deleted by a Project Administrator | no | yes |
Supports operations on folder contents (upload files & folders, create sub-folders, send items to trash, recover, permanently delete items) | yes | yes |
Accessible to default role of Project Contributor in Green Room zone | yes | no |
Accessible to default role of Project Collaborator in Green Room zone | yes | no |
Accessible to default role of Project Contributor in Core zone | no | no |
Accessible to default role of Project Collaborator in Core zone | yes | yes |
Access can be configured for custom roles in Green Room and Core | yes | yes |
Instructions
User Folders
Create a User Folder
When a member is added to a Project in any role, a User Folder (identified by user name) is automatically created for that user in the Green Room. If the member holds the default Project Collaborator or Project Administrator role, a User Folder is also created for them in the Core Zone.
Manage Access to a User Folder
Users who hold one of the non-administrative default roles - Project Contributor or Project Collaborator - are automatically granted full-control access to their own User Folder(s) in Green Room. Additionally, Project Collaborators have access to all User Folders in the Core but the available operations differ between the user’s own User Folder and other members' User Folders. Project Administrators have full control of all User Folders within their Project in both the Green Room and Core.
Project Administrators can fine-tune access to their Project’s User Folders by creating custom roles in which access to a user’s own User Folder, or all User Folders, can be granted or revoked. For example, a custom role can be created with an “Uploader” function that only has the ability to upload files into a specific Shared folder while removing access to the user’s own User Folder. For more information, see Creating Custom Project Roles.
User Folder Operations
Within a User Folder, users can upload files or folders, create sub-folders, send items to trash, recover, or delete items, depending on the user’s role and permission levels.
User Folders are top-level folders created by the Pilot platform system and cannot themselves be renamed, sent to trash, recovered, or permanently deleted.
User Folders cannot be moved to another location within a Zone or copied from Green Room to the Core.
Shared Folders
Create a Shared Folder
Only users with the Project Administrator role can create Shared Folders within their Project.
Navigate to the Project File Explorer and locate Green Room or Core in the Left navigation menu.
Under Shared, click + Shared Folder.
Enter a name for the Shared Folder, then click + Create. The Shared folder is saved.
Manage Access to a Shared Folder
All Project Administrators can access every Shared Folder in their Project. Users with the default role of Project Contributor have no access to Shared Folders. Users with the default role of Project Collaborator have access to Shared Folders in the Core zone only. Other Project Members can access a Shared Folder only if they have been be granted permission to it in a custom role. For more information, see Understanding Project Roles.
Navigate to the Project Members page and open the Roles & Permissions tab.
Click + New Role.
Provide a name and optional description for the role, and use the check boxes to select the custom permission level(s) that correspond with the desired Shared Folder(s).
Click Save.
Go to the Members tab and assign new role to the appropriate Project members.
More details are found in Creating Custom Project Roles.
Shared Folder Operations
Within a top-level Shared Folder, like a User Folder, users have the ability to upload files or folders, create sub-folders, send items to trash, recover, or delete items, depending on the user’s role and permission levels.
Additionally, unlike User Folders which are created by the Pilot platform system, a Project Administrator can rename, send to trash, recover, or permanently delete an entire Shared Folder along with all its sub-contents.
Like User Folders, top-level Shared Folders cannot be moved to another location within a Zone or copied from Green Room to the Core.
Rename a Shared Folder
Navigate to the Project File Explorer Green Room or Core.
Select the Shared Folder from the Left navigation menu.
Click Rename Shared Folder in the File Explorer menu.
Tip: if Rename Shared Folder is not visible in the menu, click the show more icon (three dots “. . .”) to reveal it.
An entry window opens in the Left navigation menu Shared Folder list. Enter a new name, then click Save.
Send a Shared Folder to Trash, Recover, Delete
Shared Folders are sent to Trash, Deleted, and Recovered in the same way as regular files and folders.
Navigate to the Project File Explorer Green Room or Core.
Select the Shared Folder from the Left navigation menu.
Click Send to Trash in the File Explorer menu.
Confirm by clicking Delete.
The Shared folder an all its contents are sent to the Trash Bin. For detailed instructions on viewing in the Trash Bin, recovering, or permanently deleting, see Trashing, Deleting and Recovering Items.