Copy consultants' Revit files - anyone good with scripts?

[patricks]

We have started requiring our consultants to upload their Revit models to our FTP at the end of every day.

I thought about linking directly to the files on the FTP, but it's a separate machine from our server, and probably slower, plus it's on the other side of the office from where the server and network switches are located.

Instead I'd rather copy the consultants' files each morning to the project directory on our server. So I thought maybe a batch file could automate this, and possibly even set it to automatically run around 6 a.m. each morning.

Does anyone know what the syntax for such a script batch file might be? I would set it up with the names of the consultant's Revit file names early in the project and let it run throughout the duration of project design. That way every day when we open the central file to create new locals, the latest consultant's models will always be in there.

[DoTheBIM]

I'm guessing with 5K+ posts you are aware of dos batch files and the copy command (copy <locationA\file1> <locationB\file1> /y /v), and for some reason that will not work for what you want so I'm not sure what your particular scenario requires.

[patricks]

I'm guessing with 5K+ posts you are aware of dos batch files and the copy command (copy <locationA\file1> <locationB\file1> /y /v), and for some reason that will not work for what you want so I'm not sure what your particular scenario requires.

I have little experience with program languages, but I did get it to work with a dos batch file using Xcopy.

I'm also just using the /y option. Actually I'm not sure what the difference is between Copy and Xcopy. :p

[DoTheBIM]

...Actually I'm not sure what the difference is between Copy and Xcopy. :p
xcopy is copy on steroids ;)

Just use the /? switch after each command to see all the options.

[patricks]

Yeah I have a couple of other scripts using Robocopy that someone on here helped me with years ago. This runs nightly to make a backup of our project files in another location, in addition to our normal backup software that runs nightly. We actually used Robocopy before getting the backup software, but I just let it keep running since it creates more redundancy.

[dhurtubise]

Only problem with a .bat file is that you wouldnt be resaving the Central locally(on your own server). The API can do that easily.
On a side note, exchanging files every day seems a lot in my honest opinion.

[patricks]

Only problem with a .bat file is that you wouldnt be resaving the Central locally(on your own server). The API can do that easily.
On a side note, exchanging files every day seems a lot in my honest opinion.

This is for our "hot-n-heavy" projects, in which many things are changing daily. Sometimes we request an update in the middle of the day if something major is changing. This will not be done for all projects at all times. Mainly just our current "A-list" projects in heavy DD/CD's.

These are the boss's orders.

[cliff collins]

You might also take a look at Globalscape WAFS.

Set it up at each office. Mirrors the files. It's a software solution,
similar in concept to Riverbed hardware WAN accelerators.

just a thought......