To many files.....Naming conventions anyone??

[banderson]

Still new at this....but between my son and I, we are starting to accumulate a bunch of files and we can't remember what they are without opening each one up.

Does anybody care to share how they name and store files??

Ex. (OA1224.75woodsign) O=oak, dimensions, description,etc

[tomwillis]

Bret - I've often wondered this myself - what others are doing. I typically save with CustName first and then some info about the job and file under Cust Fold or Personal folder etc. ie - OldAdirCribBrdENG75754 [75 indicates Power level setting on my laser and 754 is the run speed] Other times - I'll add a dimension in there if I'm cutting the same thing but diff sizes.
Tom

[Brady Watson]

I do a folder with the customer's name, then under that folder, create a folder for each project, separated by a TP folder for toolpaths and put the date in the name of the artwork file (EG PartWorks - SBParts\RoscoMcGillicutty\3DFish12212012) so I can get where I need at a glance.

Same idea for artwork files on the design computer: Customers\RoscoMcGillicutty\3DFish12212012 etc.

-B

[curtiss]

You might first log your projects by the month they were created.

Many times you will carry forward a project with the toolpaths which will then simply cut different linework.

typicallly I use a toolpath title something like

Final profile 250 EM sp cl 750 .......which means it is the "Final cut" with a 1/4 endmill spiral climb 3/4 inch deep

[chiloquinruss]

I do almost the same kinds of stuff but early on I bought a bunch of big manila folders and took my number stamp and prenumbered them. I have an Excel spreadsheet log book that I log in new jobs and record the number off of the folder. The folders get filed Alphabetically by customer name but the NUMBER is my JOB NUMBER reference. ALL file names contain that JOB NUMBER reference. It is amazing how quickly these files add up though isn't it! :D I also copy the files off of the machine after about a year and file the backup cd in the cabinet with the JOB orders. Anyhow that's da' way I dood it! :D Have a great weekend all! Russ

[Bob Eustace]

Bret a huge help was the last update from Vectric whereby you got a thumbnail view of whats in each folder. Brilliant! A very important house keeping task though is to back up all those files at least once a month. Imagine starting over if you lost the lot!

[hespj]

I have a folder for the drawing files and a sub-folder for the toolpaths. Toolpath names start with a number depending on where they are in the cutting sequence - 01,02,03 etc, possibly followed by brief drawing name, followed by brief toolpath description - horz_rough, parallel_finish, followed by cutter description - 12mmballnose.

John

[BTP]

create an archive folder to move the old ones into.

[davidp]

Hi Bret

In our case we assign each project a number and a brief descriptor. So files are stored in the customers folder with each project having a subfolder, ie in the format ....\customers\1405BAStands\1405BALegs.sbp. Each month older project folders are archived off to the cloud and also to two other storage locations, one online and the other as DVD’s. The other online storage is also offsite.

Every filename, folder name begins with this project number. The cutting files are transferred to the SBot computer again using this folder name\project number convention.

I developed a custom program that keeps all of the information about each project in a database. All the information about each project, ie drawings, sketches, emails, notes from client meetings, etc are kept in the database. From this database we then are able to directly issue estimates, invoices, emails etc. It is a complete accounting, contact, project management package.

At the end of each day, the SBot data log is automatically exported from the SBot computer to our file server when the SBot is shut down, where my program parses the data from the log into the relevant jobs so we are then able to either invoice for the actual cutting time each job has taken or used to compare our estimate to the actual time taken to cut the project. This is all possible because we have standardised the file naming.

I have been developing this since 2008 and I can go back on our server and pull up all of the cut files, emails, drawings; both those provided by the client and those we have produced; on every job we have done in the past 4 years. It is all very simple and quick to find previous files or information about previous projects. It is also simple to compare the actual time taken to perform a project against the estimate we originally gave the client to make sure that our estimating is accurate and that we remain profitable. We receive in excess of 500 enquires each year, and we do around 200 to 250 projects each year, so it is vital that we are able to keep track of all of our project and where they are up to in the production chain.

It works for me.

David.

[rb99]

Pretty slick system.

When you get re-orders is when it must really pay off. Clickity cut.

[bleeth]

All estimating is done in Estimating folder with client folders and job name sub folders also by name. As in: Estimating/M Construction/Kimmel Medical. This will have our estimating worksheet, client supplied drawings or info, supplier quotes for special materials, etc. Then when the job is contracted it gets a number and a job folder is set up in our main Jobs folder by sequential number and job name as Jobs/7142-Kimmel Medical. Within that folder are all job specific sub-folders such as Drawings with separate folders within for Architectural and Shops, Materials with purchase lists, cut sheets, supplier quotes, etc., RFI's, , Contract folder, Change Orders, etc. I keep the cnc work in a separate folder also by job number and name so at the mill the operator only has to slightly navigate within one folder and also doesn't need to go into the whole job folder.
With estimating by name and jobs by number we get a cross reference that helps find older info quickly. Invoicing is in another main folder by customer name and then job number/name which is shared only by myself and bookkeeping.
Progress job photos are kept in a folder in the Jobs file and copied to a dropbox job folder if I need to share them with the client, but completed project photos are in a Photos folder by job name.
Of course, everything is backed up.

[ssflyer]

Another option I've been meaning to implement :cool:
Microsoft OneNote makes it pretty easy to organize your files in pretty much any way you see fit.

[banderson]

Good information guys. I have worked in a manufacturing environment for years but only with my Bot for about 1. So starting out I want to make sure I am prepared for the future. Thanks again.