Forma Data Management and Collaboration Platform Setup

Source section: 6. Forma Data Management and Collaboration Platform Setup

6.1 Forma Data Management Permission Rules

Permissions are assigned by company, role, or approved project group to a folder. Permissions must not be treated as informal individual exceptions unless the exception is documented.

Default S3 staff permission:

• Unless otherwise stated, all S3 Design, Inc. employees receive View + Download + Upload + Edit access to Project Files.

Default consultant permission:

• Consultants receive View + Download + Upload + Edit access to Partners > [Consultant Company Folder].

• Consultants receive View + Download access to Design Team folders and other Partners folders unless a stronger permission is specifically approved.

Permission rules:

• Apply permissions at the highest appropriate folder level.

• Use company-based permissions wherever possible.

• Do not grant administrator access as a convenience.

• Do not grant broad access to external users unless the project manager and BIM manager approve it.

• Confirm permissions before issuing a transmittal or inviting a consultant to production workflows.

• Record exceptions in the Exception Log.

6.2 Desktop Connector Standard

Desktop Connector allows users to manage remote Forma Data Management files from the desktop through a connected drive. It must be treated as a synchronized access tool, not as an uncontrolled local storage location.

Install or update:

• Use the Autodesk Desktop Connector download and update path from Autodesk Account or Autodesk Help.

• Keep Desktop Connector current unless a project-specific compatibility hold is approved.

Select projects:

1. Open Desktop Connector.

2. Click the Help & Settings gear icon or right-click the Desktop Connector tray icon.

3. Click Select Projects.

4. Select only the active projects required for current work.

5. Click Save.

6. Wait for the selected projects to appear in File Explorer.

Current Autodesk guidance allows up to 80 selected projects across supported connected drives. Older S3 guidance that referenced 40 selected projects should be treated as superseded unless DT Cadre / Design Technology intentionally sets a lower internal limit for performance or storage control.

Desktop Connector rules:

• Do not rename Forma Data Management accounts or projects in File Explorer.

• Do not use Desktop Connector as a bulk archive tool.

• Before removing a selected project, confirm all local files are synced or separately backed up.

• If sync errors appear, stop work on affected files and escalate before copying or renaming files manually.

• Use Forma Data Management in the browser for permission, transmittal, review, and official document-control actions.

6.3 Revit Local and Journal File Locations

Revit cloud models create local cache and journal data on the user's computer. These locations are for Revit operation, troubleshooting, and recovery only.

Revit local cloud model cache:

Path: %LOCALAPPDATA%\Autodesk\Revit\Autodesk Revit 20xx\CollaborationCache

Typical expanded path:

Path: C:\Users\YOURNAME\AppData\Local\Autodesk\Revit\Autodesk Revit 20xx\CollaborationCache

Revit 2025 and later may expose the Collaboration Cache location through Revit Options under the Cloud Model settings. Use that Revit setting when the cache path has been customized.

Revit journal files:

Path: %LOCALAPPDATA%\Autodesk\Revit\Autodesk Revit 20xx\Journals

Example for Revit 2024:

Path: %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Autodesk\Revit\Autodesk Revit 2024\Journals

Rules:

• Do not open, edit, rename, move, or delete active files directly from CollaborationCache.

• Do not use the cache as a project file storage location.

• Do not copy cached files into production without BIM manager review.

• Journal files may be requested for troubleshooting, crash review, or Autodesk support.

• Old journals may be cleaned up only when they are no longer needed for support or active troubleshooting.

6.4 Publishing Standard

Publishing makes the latest approved model views and sheets available in Forma Data Management for review, coordination, and milestone communication. Publishing also provides a useful project record, but it must not be treated as the only backup strategy.

General publishing rules:

• Publish before large changes.

• Publish after large changes.

• Publish at each formal milestone.

• Additional publishing is allowed when it improves coordination or provides a useful recovery point.

• Each project file must have a publish setting set named All.

• Each formal milestone must have a dedicated publish set.

Default daily / backup publish set:

• Publish setting set name: All

• Use for routine publishing and daily backup-style visibility.

• Include the sheets and model views required by the project BIM manager.

Milestone publish set:

• Create one set for every milestone.

• Name the set clearly using the milestone date and milestone name.

• Publish only the required milestone sheets plus one all-inclusive 3D view.

• Publish to the properly dated Plans folder or other approved milestone folder as directed by the project BIM manager.

• Verify the published set before sharing it with the project team.

Revit click path for publish settings:

1. Open the cloud workshared model in Revit.

2. Click the Collaborate tab.

3. In Manage Models, click Publish Settings.

4. Create or select the required publish set.

5. Select the required sheets and views.

6. Save the publish settings.

7. Publish the model using the approved Forma Data Management / Revit cloud model publishing workflow.

8. Confirm the publish date, published user, and published content.

6.5 Transmittals Standard

Forma Data Management transmittals must be used to notify team members of updated files when a formal record of distribution is required.

Use transmittals for:

• Milestone issue packages

• Updated model or drawing packages

• Consultant coordination packages

• Owner review packages

• Contractor issue packages

• Any file update that requires a distribution record

Transmittal access:

• Project administrators can view all transmittals.

• Project members can view transmittals they sent or received.

• Recipients can access only the transmittals they are copied on or otherwise permitted to see.

Click path:

1. Open the project in Forma Data Management.

2. Click Transmittals.

3. Click Create transmittal.

4. Select the files or folders to include.

5. Confirm that the correct files are listed.

6. Add project members, roles, companies, or approved external recipients.

7. Add a clear title.

8. Add a message that explains the package, milestone, required action, and response date.

9. Confirm recipient visibility settings.

10. Click Create.

11. Confirm that the transmittal was sent and recorded.

6.6 Forma Data Management Outage Procedure

If Forma Data Management is unavailable, do not create uncontrolled parallel workflows without project leadership approval.

General behavior:

• Revit and Personal Accelerator may continue trying to sync in the background.

• Users may be able to continue working with elements already in their ownership.

• Actions requiring a permission-state change may fail, pause, or be delayed until service is restored.

• Local save may still be possible, but warnings may appear.

If the local Revit file was open before the outage and remains open:

1. Notify the project team.

2. Coordinate who is working in which areas of the model.

3. Do not edit the same elements from different computers.

4. Save locally as Revit permits.

5. When service is restored, sync and verify model health.

If one user is the only person working on a Forma Data Management cloud model:

1. Continue only if the work is necessary.

2. Avoid unnecessary ownership changes.

3. Save locally as Revit permits.

4. Sync immediately when service is restored.

5. Notify the BIM manager if warnings or sync conflicts occur.

If the file was not open before the outage:

1. Wait for Forma Data Management service to return whenever possible.

2. If work must continue, contact the project manager and BIM manager first.

3. Coordinate a clear work area before opening or editing.

4. Avoid any work that another user may also perform offline.

5. Sync and verify as soon as service is restored.

Risk note:

Working offline carries risk. The highest-risk condition is multiple users editing the same elements or related model areas while disconnected and then attempting to sync after service is restored.

Service status:

• Subscribe to Autodesk Health Dashboard updates at https://health.autodesk.com/.

• Check Forma Data Management, Forma Design Collaboration, Desktop Connector, and Revit-related service status during an outage.

Extended outage response:

• If an outage is extended, DT Cadre / Design Technology, the project manager, and Cinch IT may decide to re-establish local worksharing on the internal server.

• No individual user may create an unofficial local central model without approval.

• When the cloud service is restored, the approved updated files must be reviewed before being moved back into Forma Data Management.

6.7 Backup and Archive Milestones

Publishing should be used as a routine milestone record and recovery aid. See Section 6.4 for publishing requirements.

DT Cadre will provide a backup application for S3 Design, Inc. to use so required Forma Data Management project content and milestone items can be backed up locally in a controlled manner.

Backup / archive rules:

• Publish before and after large model changes.

• Publish every formal milestone.

• Create a milestone publish set for each milestone.

• Confirm the milestone publish before issuing a transmittal.

• Use the DT Cadre backup application when it is available and required for the project.

• For important milestone packages, manually download the issued package from Forma Data Management to the approved internal project folder when directed by the project manager or BIM manager.

• Store manual milestone downloads in the proper project folder, dated milestone folder, or archive location.

• Do not treat a user's local Revit cache as a backup.

• Do not treat Desktop Connector unsynced local files as an archive.

• Record milestone archive actions in the deliverable register or project closeout record.