OneDrive shortcut folder structure of multiple sharepoint sites as mapped drive for CAD

Question

BACKGROUND

Our corporation uses SharePoint for Engineering design systems design file storage.

Many of the CAD design systems still need static network drive map paths to access common configuration data structures for CAD applications and other discipline's 3D reference files. I have this working, but there are substantial setup costs.

Our standard project in SharePoint deploys a single SharePoint project base site with multiple sub-sites - one for each engineering discipline (structural steel, mechanical, piping, electrical, etc). Each SharePoint sub-site has restricted access for an engineering discipline - just like an AD network file server folder structure.

TECHNOLOGY

SharePoint OneDrive shortcuts can now be renamed and moved within the OneDrive folder structure and I can then map the root of OneDrive as a network drive. Viola it works!!!

SOLUTION

To accommodate the above requirements for CAD systems, I came up with the following solution:

On my OneDrive using the edge browser I create a folder to contain shortcuts to required project sub-site folders,

Then I create shortcuts to each project sub-site CAD folder (and the CAD configuration root)

Then using Edge, I rename the shortcuts (because some names change for uniqueness) which are created in the root of OneDrive, to a standard shortcut name convention

Then using Edge, I move the renamed shortcuts to the project folder I created

All above steps MUST use Edge!

Next I use Windows File manager to map the root of my OneDrive folder in as S:

see structure image at https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/msoffice/forum/all/onedrive-shortcut-folder-structure-of-multiple/1c56d487-2658-4d5a-a1e5-f2e915555ff3

Everything works!

CHALLENGE

Now I need to make it work for every project user on the project CAD team, and the team may be large ...

I can share my OneDrive root project folder to all users on the project team, but they cannot use the share links or map the draive because they do not have the correct shortcuts locally (on their PCs) to allow the share to work or map the drive.

So, the only solution I see now is to go to each project CAD user's PC and setup a dozen shortcuts and rename them and map the drive for them. This is prone to error (typos) and debugging when the CAD application fails to launch due to a typo is very difficult.

I need a batch file or VBS to automate OneDrive shortcut creation for each user (or perhaps a completely different approach).

Thanks in advance for your help

Answer 1

Hi @Gracie, Scott ，
Have you mapped the OneDrive folders to your personal PC? From the screenshot you provided, I see that the FilePath is s://......, then you share this path to your teammates, as their PC do not have this map, they could not access it. Right?
In fact, SharePoint itself is a platform for sharing files with security, allowing members to directly enter the site to view the files.
The reason why you do not use this method is that Team members don't have M365 accounts or something else?
Or you can sync the files to OneDrive first, then download them to the local machine and store them in the local network, which should also meet your needs.
Regards,
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Answer 2

Hi @Gracie, Scott ，
It is recommended that you follow these steps:
1, Create a new group and give Edit permission.

2, Add your members to the group.

3, Users can use OneDrive as a medium to sync files from SharePoint to your local computer. For specific steps, please refer to:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/sync-sharepoint-and-teams-files-with-your-computer-6de9ede8-5b6e-4503-80b2-6190f3354a88?ui=en-us&rs=en-us&ad=us

Regards,
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Answer 3

Hi @Gracie, Scott ，
I think I understand your question. You have files in some subsites of SharePoint, you create shortcuts to the folders you need in OneDrive and rename them. Then map them to your local computer. You want your team members to achieve the same result as you, but having a lot of people do this has uncontrollable factors (renaming errors). So, you're looking for a way to do it in batches, right?
As far as I know, there is currently no way to create shortcuts to OneDrive in batches. I have 2 workarounds here for your reference:
The first:
Share your local OneDrive folder to your Team members.
Right-click the folder to be shared-->Shared with-->Specific people, enter the account of the person being shared.

And then map your OneDrive folder directly when those people's computers map network drive.
The second:
If all your subsites are in a site collection, then you can create a list in the root site, write the renamed file name in the title column, and then use the hyperlink column to fill in the path of the corresponding file. In this way, as long as the team members have permissions to the root site, and the permissions of the subsites are inherited by default, centralized access can also be achieved through the list.

Regards,
*
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Answer 4

@Gracie, Scott , Were you able to solve this problem? I am currently in a similar situation and currently struggling with windows creating copy directories or mapping differently if a user has another SharePoint directory synced. So I would love to know where you left off on this issue.

Answer 5

@Josh Cedeno

My issue was that "I need a batch file or VBS to automate OneDrive shortcut creation for each user". This was to allow each user to locally have a shortcut automatically created to each project/discipline 3D model folder. In this thread or another I was told there is no way to automate creation of SharePoint shortcuts for each user PC, so I abandoned that goal.

My work-around was to reduce the user PC setup to one mandatory shortcut creation per project. That shortcut contains a read-only folder with scheduled-xcopy of all discipline 3D content and the project configuration. This generates a substantial amount of duplicate data, but it works.