How to find your way around the file archive
The file archive holds building documents, FDV documentation, leases, manuals, service reports, energy analysis reports and other files. Three tools make it findable: search, filtering by label and TFM classification, and the document chatbot.
How to search for a file
- Open the building you want to work on. See How to switch building and search for a building.
- Go to FDV > Files in the sidebar.
- Type into Search by file name.
If the search matches inside the content, the table shows {n} more hits on the file.
How to filter
Limit the search by selecting a Label or a TFM classification. The labels are the document types: FDV, Manual, Operation and maintenance manual, Datasheet, Function description, Floor plan, Energy analysis report, Energy assessment, Energy certificate, Action list, Offer and Other.
If you're after documentation for a particular installation, filter by System instead — or go straight to the system in the FDV building overview, where the files sit on the installation.
The columns in the table
Column | Contents |
|---|---|
Thumbnail | a preview |
File name | the name |
Labels | the document type |
System | the installation the file belongs to |
Size | file size |
Changed | last modified |
How to open and download a file
Select the file to open it. Use Download to download it. If it says Preparing file…, the file is being fetched.
How to ask the chatbot about the content
If you need to find something inside a document — a value in a service report, a requirement in a manual — you can ask the document chatbot rather than reading through it yourself.
- Select the file or files.
- Click Ask chatbot.
- Ask your question under Ask about this file: or Ask about these files:
Note: The chatbot only works on PDFs, and you can use up to 100 PDF files in one query. If it isn't enabled for your user, the message says The document chatbot is not enabled for your user. Use the feedback button to request access.
Frequently asked questions
The search can't find a file I know exists?
Check whether it's been deleted — use Show removed files. See How to restore a deleted file.
Can I search inside the files?
The search matches content too, and the extra-hits column shows when it does. If you want an answer rather than a hit, use the chatbot.
Why do so many files have empty Labels and System?
They were uploaded without being labelled. That's the most common reason an archive becomes unmanageable — see How to upload files to a building.
Can I download several files at once?
Select the files in the table and use the actions that apply to the selection.
Tip!
Label files as you come across them, rather than as a separate tidy-up project. When you need a file and notice it has no label and no system, spend the twenty seconds there and then — it's the only way an archive actually stays tidy.