The Project archive serves the purpose of storing projects on a central repository, by means of which it is possible to:
- Backup mode - This serves the purpose of a simplified backup operation for single user projects (default).
- Collaboration mode - This serves the purpose of providing extended functionality when working on projects with multiple users (one at a time).
The entire list of archived projects, including those from the linked folders, can be accessed by clicking the 'Archive →' button in the Dashboard, which opens the project list of the project archive, whereas clicking a project tile from the 'Archive' opens the virtual folder where all the different project versions can be found. See more in Project versions. The linked folders are indicated with a 'chain' icon on the folder entry.
Dashboard
As soon as the project is archived, it is shown on the Dashboard as a tile, with the following information:
- Project name
- Project type
- Time of last modification
- Project status
- Tags (if set)
To be able to work with a project from the project archive, you have to be transfer it to the local projects first via one of the available options that are explained below. To act upon a project in the project archive, move the mouse cursor on top of a project tile. The following information/actions are shown:
- Amount of devices in a project
- The 'Details' button that opens a restricted project details overview
- The Project Archive buttons that allow project handling
- The 'Quick actions' button that opens the quick actions menu
In order to reuse existing ETS4 & ETS5 archived projects you can simply select them from the standard project import mechanism of ETS6. See Project import or convert them and back them up to the project archive. See Convert ETS5 archived projects.
Projects in the project archive can be moved to other folders either by selecting the project tile and clicking the 'Move' button from the sidebar or by drag'n'drop.
Why one shall use it?
- The project archive directory can be located on network shares, as well as on cloud-synchronized folders.
- In the project archive, you can easily keep project backups outside your local hard disk and consequently avoid losing them because of a computer crash.
- A project archive can be shared between multiple ETS on multiple computers by multiple users.
- Projects in the project archive can be copied to the local project list (check-out), modified locally and changes saved back into the archive (check-in).
- Optionally, a user can lock an archived project to prevent it from being changed by other users on another ETS. Of course, a remote user can still make a copy of a locked project or even force a lock release (in case he has forgotten to unlock on another machine).
How to use the project archive
The project archive directory and the operating mode are defined in the Settings.
1. Backup mode
Backup a project to the archive
| For the initial use of the archive, hover a project tile from the local project list and click the 'Backup to Archive' either from the 'Quick Actions menu' or the context menu (right click on the project tile) | Choose the destination folder and click "OK". (possible to also create a folder within the project archive directory) | The local project has now a backup copy in the project archive. |
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| Action in the background |
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Once there is a backup copy in the project archive, the local project can be also deleted if it is not needed locally.
Retrieve a project to the archive
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To restore a project from the archive, hover the project tile and click the 'Restore' button or use the same button from the context menu (right click on the project tile). This always restores the latest project version that was stored in the archive. To restore a specific project version: Option 1: Select click the 'Restore version' option either from the 'Quick actions menu' or the context menu (right click on the project tile) and select the project version to restore from. Option 2: Browse to the Project versions and click the 'Restore' button from the desired version. |
The project is restored from the project archive into the local projects. |
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If the local project has changed...
| E.g. a tag has been assigned | The green checkmark  changes to blue spinner  indicating that the local project has changes that need to be synchronized with the project in the archive. |
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To update the project in the project archive:
Two options are available
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This will immediately copy the local project to the archive, creating yet another project version. |
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2. Collaboration mode
| For the initial use of the archive, hover a project tile from the local project list and click the 'Backup to Archive' either from the 'Quick Actions menu' or the context menu (right click on the project tile) | Choose the destination folder (possible to also create a folder within the project archive directory) | The local project has now a backup copy in the project archive. |
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After having selected the destination folder ETS asks you to: - optionally add a comment for this version - keep the project locally as well
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The green checkmark indicates that local and archived project have the same version, i.e. they are well in sync. |
If the local project has changed...
| E.g. a tag has been assigned | The green checkmark changes to blue spinner indicating that the local project has changes that need to be synchronized with the project in the archive. |
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To update the project in the project archive:
Option 1 - Immediate update
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Click 'Backup to the archive' from the 'Quick Actions menu' or the context menu (right click on the project tile) |
This will immediately copy the local project to the archive, creating yet another project version. |
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After having selected to backup the project, ETS asks you to:
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Option 2 - Verify what will be copied
| Click onto the blue spinner |
This will display a status dialog, comparing the dates and users of last changes. The latest version will be highlighted. Clicking the respective tiles (Local Project / Archived Project) performs the same actions as the buttons below. |
Once updated, the dialog shows that everything is up-to-date. |
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Choose
If you selected to backup the project, ETS asks you to:
If you selected to restore the project from the archive, ETS asks you if would like to lock the project in the archive and to confirm that it will overwrite the local project (any changes locally will be lost!)
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Lock & Release a project in the archive:
| Select a project from the local project list which has a counterpart in the project archive and from the context menu click the 'Lock' | The green checkmark changes to a green lock  indicating that the project in the archive is locked for editing by other users. |
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After having selected to lock the project, ETS asks you to: - optionally add a comment for this version
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To unlock a project click the option 'Release' from the respective project tile.
There are some types of device plug-ins that immediately modify the project data once the project is restored from the archive. In this case you can backup the project to archive immediately to get in sync again.
The project archive can only accept projects when all the devices contained in a project are marked as "operational", therefore if there is any device marked as "broken" (see here), ETS refuses to copy it into the archive. By this, the project archive can ensure that only valid exported projects are available.
Project versions
Every time a project is backed up to project archive, a new version is created and saved into the project archive directory. The maximum amount of automatically retained project versions can be configured via the Settings. However, you can always manually retain as many versions as you want, additionally to automatically retained.
If the maximum amount of project versions is reached when a project is backup up to the archive, then the oldest project version is deleted in order to have the newest project version available.
To retain a project version indefinitely in the project archive, you have to 'Pin' it. By doing that, ETS will never automatically delete the pinned project version unless you 'Unpin' it.
Moreover, it is also possible to manually delete a version by selecting a project tile and then clicking the 'Delete' button.
If the project version to be deleted is the only one available in the project archive, then when deleting it, it will entirely remove the project from the project archive.
Hovering a specific project version in the archive shows the date on which this project version was archived and it is also possible to sort by archived date within the project versions folder.
Pin/Unpin a project via the project tile
Pin/Unpin a project via the quick actions menu (or the context menu)
