Question
I've uploaded plans and files to Dropbox / Box / OneDrive, but none of them have synced to my Fieldwire account (or vice versa). Why aren't they syncing?
Answer
We have gathered some recommendations and troubleshooting steps to remedy the issue; however, if none of the solutions below have worked for you, please contact us at support@fieldwire.com so that we can investigate further.
A few things to be aware of:
- Your sync token in Fieldwire is tied to your email address, not to a specific project. If you're viewing the push/pull dates in the Sync Status window (Project > Settings > View Sync Status), they indicate that of all of the projects connected to your Box/Dropbox/OneDrive account, one of them was updated at that time (there is not a way to determine exactly which project was affected).
- The 2-way sync functionality is not instantaneous; it can facilitate a few dozen modifications per minute. This means that if you were to update 10,000 plans in a project, it could take 1 hour or longer for those plan updates to sync to Box/Dropbox/OneDrive or vice versa. In short, the more content is being synced, the longer the wait.
- Although disconnecting and reconnecting your Box/Dropbox/OneDrive account can be the appropriate troubleshooting step, you should only do this if the token shows as "invalid" or if you are comfortable with losing any changes made in Box/Dropbox/OneDrive. Please see this section for more context!
Potential Reasons
| Issue | Context | Resolution |
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The 'Dropbox/Box/OneDrive' Account is not correct |
If you've previously connected to Dropbox / Box / OneDrive account, and another user connects a different account, it can potentially disrupt syncing. You can check the current Dropbox, Box, or OneDrive Account under the 'Settings' gear, or from the 'Plans' tab. |
Reconnect to the original Dropbox, Box, or OneDrive account: |
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| Viewing the incorrect Dropbox/Box/OneDrive account. | You can double-check the account you are logged in to by heading to your profile or settings page. This is different depending on your 2-way sync source. | |
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The 'Fieldwire account' is not correct |
If you've previously connected to Dropbox / Box / OneDrive account, and another user connects a different account, it can potentially disrupt syncing. You can check the current Fieldwire Account under the 'Settings' gear, or from the 'Plans' tab. |
Ensure that the Projects you connect to Dropbox / Box / OneDrive have the same 'Fieldwire Account'. |
| The connected account needs to be reauthenticated |
If you are prompted to re-authenticate your Dropbox / Box / OneDrive account, be sure to do so, otherwise syncing between Dropbox / Box / OneDrive and Fieldwire may cease. |
You can re-authenticate your account by doing one of the following three actions: 1. Click the link the email you receive about re-authenticating. 2. Go to the Project Settings page and click 'Connect' in the integrations section. 3. Click '+ New plan' and select Dropbox / Box / OneDrive.
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| Does the Dropbox / Box / OneDrive Account have sufficient Storage Space? |
If your Dropbox / Box / OneDrive account does not have sufficient storage space, then this can cause syncing between your projects and the cloud storage solution to cease. |
Take a look at these articles to check to see how much storage space you are currently using and if you need to delete content, or purchase additional storage: |
| If this is a new version of a Plan or File, does it have the same file name as the existing version? |
Plan and File names for each version must remain identical in order for Fieldwire to recognize that the latest plan is, in fact, a new version of the existing plan. If you upload a new version of a plan or file, and the file name does not match, it will not overlap with the existing version in Fieldwire. |
In Fieldwire, you can rescan the drawings to bulk edit the names of the newly uploaded plans to match the preexisting plans in Fieldwire. You can also batch edit plan names. In the cloud storage platform, you can upload the new version and choose to 'replace' the plan or file. |
| Was the folder structure within the 'Fieldwire' folder altered? |
If the Project Folder structure within the core Fieldwire folder was altered, or if the Project Folder structure itself was altered, then syncing between Fieldwire and Dropbox / Box / OneDrive will cease. Altering the folder structure can include, but is not limited to:
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Ensure that the Folder structure is left unaltered (See below).
If this is altered, remove, or rename the offending content and choose to re-connect to Dropbox / Box / OneDrive |
| Does the name of the folder or folder contain any special characters? |
Certain characters have special meanings when used in file names in OneDrive. If a file or folder you're trying to sync from Fieldwire to OneDrive contains any of the characters listed below, it may prevent files and folders from syncing: " * : < > ? / \ | # % |
Rename the file or folder to remove these characters. |
How to Disconnect and Reconnect Fieldwire to Dropbox / Box / OneDrive
It can be helpful to attempt to re-establish the connection between Dropbox / Box / OneDrive and Fieldwire. Project Admins can do this from the 'Plans' tab on the web version of Fieldwire.
However, please be advised that this can delete project changes you've made. We strongly recommend reviewing this info beforehand to understand the ramifications of disconnecting and reconnecting:
If this is acceptable and you wish to proceed, you will need to disconnect your Fieldwire account from Dropbox / Box / OneDrive from the 'Plans' tab:
Alternatively, you can disconnect from the 'Settings' tab:
Note: Once you select 'Disconnect', the sync will stop. You may need to refresh your webpage to see that the sync has been disconnected.
Next, head to your Dropbox/Box/OneDrive and remove Fieldwire authorization to your account. For Dropbox, you will head to the Settings tab, then Connected Apps, and select Disconnect. Each 2-way sync is different.
Note: To learn how to do this with OneDrive or Box, please click here.
Note: Fieldwire connects to your Dropbox/Box/OneDrive via a token that is tied to your email address. By removing authorization, you cancel out this token allowing for a new connection.
3. To re-establish the Dropbox / Box / OneDrive connection, select '+New Plan' and choose the Dropbox / Box / OneDrive icon. Select "Connect" and you will be prompted to sign in to your Dropbox / Box / OneDrive account once more:
2-way Sync and the Trash tab
When deleting plans and files in Fieldwire, it is always a good idea to double-check that you want to delete that information. That said, if you accidentally delete plans or files, they will be temporarily restorable from the Trash tab in Fieldwire. This is true whether you delete the plans/files in Fieldwire, or delete them in your cloud storage platform. However, in terms of restoring this information to your project, you should only restore plans/files from the Fieldwire trash tab as issues can occur when trying to restore plans from the Box, Dropbox, or OneDrive side. In addition, after deleting the plans/files, you have 30 days to restore that information to your Fieldwire project. Thus, even if this information still resides in the trash of your cloud storage platform, it can only be recovered in Fieldwire within those 30 days. After the 30 days have passed, you'll need to re-upload the plan/file as if it were new.
More Information
- How does Dropbox / Box / OneDrive 2-way synchronization work?
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How do I upload Plans and Files from a different Dropbox, Box, or OneDrive account?