Lesson 9. Sharing Files

In this lesson, you learn how to collaborate with Basecamp’s file sharing functionality.

Uploading Files

The ability to share and collaborate on files is critical to managing many types of projects. With the exception of the free account plan, all Basecamp plans offer hosted file storage.

To upload your first file for a project, follow these steps:

1. On the Basecamp Dashboard, select the project you want to open from the Your Projects list on the right side of the screen.
2. Click the Files tab to open the Files page, shown in Figure 9.1.

   Figure 9.1. The Files page helps you get started on uploading your first project file.

   

3. Optionally, view the video demo to take a visual tour of Basecamp’s file sharing feature.
4. Click the Upload the First File to This Project link. The Upload a File page opens, shown in Figure 9.2.

   Figure 9.2. Upload files of up to 100MB in size.

   

   Note

   Where’s the Upload the First File to This Project Link?

   The Upload the First File to This Project link appears on the Files page only until you upload your first file. After that, the initial content that appears on the page is replaced with details about actual files. Alternatively, you can also upload a file by clicking the New File link on the Overview page or the Upload a File button on the Files page.

5. Click the Browse button to select one or more files from your computer. Depending on your browser and operating system, this button could be named Choose File instead. Each file must be no larger than 100MB and counts toward the file storage limit of your Basecamp account plan. A box appears on the page for each file you selected to upload, shown in Figure 9.3.

   Figure 9.3. Enter details about each file you upload.

   

   Tip

   Try the Basic Uploader if You Have Trouble Uploading Files

   Basecamp uses the Advanced Uploader by default, which enables you to upload multiple files. The Advanced Uploader requires that you have Flash 9 or greater installed on your computer and that you haven’t installed an ad-blocking plug-in on your browser. If you’re having trouble uploading, click the Basic Uploader link, which enables you to upload files one at a time.

6. Select an optional file Category from the drop-down list for each file you uploaded.
7. If the category you want doesn’t appear in the list, select Add a New Category and enter the category name in the dialog box that opens. Click OK to add this new category to the drop-down list.

   Note

   Understanding Default File Categories

   The categories in this list come from the default file categories you set up on the Settings page. You can add another category specific to this project, but any default file categories you add or delete will only apply to future projects, not existing projects. See Lesson 2, “Customizing Your Basecamp Workspace,” for more information about setting up default file categories.

8. Enter an Optional Description for each file.
9. For each file that you want to share only with users in your own company, click the Make This File Private checkbox. Users at external companies such as clients or vendors won’t be able to view your file. If you haven’t given any external company permission to access your project, this checkbox isn’t available.
10. If you decide to upload additional files, click the Browse button, which appears at the end of the list of files to upload. Again, this is the Choose File button when using certain browsers.
11. Select the team members you want to notify of this file upload in the Notify People via Email section. You can notify individuals assigned to this project, both at your company as well as any external company. To save time, you can also choose to notify all people at a company.
12. When you’re finished uploading files, click the Upload the File button to post to Basecamp and send any email notifications.

Your file appears on the Files and Overview pages, as well as the Basecamp Dashboard. See “Viewing Project Files” later in this lesson.

Viewing Project Files

To view a list of all files related to your project, click the Files tab. Figure 9.4 shows the Files page.

Figure 9.4. Get a quick overview of all your Basecamp project files.

On the Files page, you can do the following:

• View the amount of file storage you’ve used and the file storage limit for your account plan.

• Sort files by date and time, in alphabetical order, or by file size.

• View files by category. To do so, click the category you want to view in the Categories list on the right side of the screen. The account owner and administrator can also rename, delete, or add another category by clicking the Edit link. See Lesson 2, “Customizing Your Basecamp Workspace,” for more information about setting up file categories.

• Edit, delete, and upload new versions of files. The rest of this lesson covers how to handle these tasks.

Using List View

List View (refer to Figure 9.4) is the default view on the Files page, which lists all your files in chronological order with a link to access each file.

With List View, you can see the following:

• Thumbnail previews of image files

• For all files other than image files, an icon depicting the type of file (DOC, PDF, and so forth) so that you immediately know what kind of file it is

• Who uploaded the file and when

• Previous versions of the file

• Which files are private, marked by the red Private icon

• Links to any related messages

When you click a file link, one of the following actions occurs depending on your operating system, your browser, and the applications installed on your computer:

• The file opens automatically in another window. This is most common with images or PDFs, if you have Adobe Reader or another PDF-viewing application installed.

• The file downloads automatically to your computer.

• A dialog box asks you whether you want to open the file or save it (see Figure 9.5). If you choose to open the file, the dialog box offers a suggestion for the appropriate application to use. You can also click the drop-down arrow and choose another application if the suggestion isn’t what you want.

Figure 9.5. You can view or download Basecamp project files.

If you make any changes to an open or downloaded file, you must upload the new version again to share your changes with other project team members. See “Uploading New File Versions” later in this lesson for more information.

Using Image-Grid View

If you upload many images in GIF, JPG, or PNG format, you can view them on one page by clicking the Image-Grid View link. Figure 9.6 shows an example of this view.

Figure 9.6. Preview your images all in one place.

With Image-Grid View, you can view thumbnail images in a visual grid, sized at 200×200. Mouse over a file to view the Edit link and Trash icon.

Editing File Details

To edit information about a file you’ve uploaded, click the Edit link below the file name on the Files page. The page expands (see Figure 9.7), enabling you to do the following:

• Change the file name.

• Enter a new description.

• Select a new category.

• Select the Private checkbox to make the file visible only to project team members in your company. If this checkbox is already selected, removing the checkmark makes the file public.

Figure 9.7. Change the name or category of your existing file.

Click the Save Changes button to save your edits.

If you uploaded the file as part of a message or comment, the Description and Private fields aren’t available.

Uploading New File Versions

Keeping your Basecamp system updated with the latest project information is critical. Fortunately, you can easily update Basecamp with the latest version when you make changes to project files. You can’t edit a file online, however. You must download the file to your computer, update it, and upload a new version to Basecamp.

To upload a new version of a file already posted to Basecamp, click the Upload a New Version link below the file name on the Files page. The Upload a New Version page opens, which is nearly identical to the Upload a File page described in the “Uploading Files” section earlier in this lesson.

After you upload a new version, the Files page opens again, shown in Figure 9.8.

Figure 9.8. View previous versions of your files on the Files page.

The new file becomes the active file, replacing the old file that now appears in a list below the file name. You can retain previous files for your reference, or delete them if you need additional file storage space.

Deleting Files

If you no longer need a file that you uploaded to Basecamp, you can delete it. This also helps free up more file storage space. On the Files page (see Figure 9.4), click the Trash icon next to the file you want to delete. Basecamp displays a warning message, asking you to confirm that you want to delete the file. Click OK to permanently delete the file.

Summary

In this lesson, you learned how to upload, share, and manage files on Basecamp. Next, learn more about tracking time.