Provides for setup and maintenance of proposals. Allows folders and files to be added, removed, or copied from other proposals and other locations. All file formats and types, including URLs and symbolic links, are supported. The left tree view displays source documents. The default source location is the Server view which is the VPC server’s repository. It is zone-specific. Admins will only see proposals to which they have been granted access and for which their admin status has not been blocked. The Zone Super Admin will see all proposals in their zone. The System Admin will see all zones and proposals. Select the Local radio button for local drives or a network drive attached to the user’s system. Select Other Zone, and the zones to which the admin had access will show. The right tree view displays the contents of the specified proposal.

Key tree view navigational features are as follows:

• Roll over a file and see the date the file was last modified, the size, the date it was last checked in, last user to check in the file, the current version and the document status.
• Select folder and click on Expand Folder icon, or select Expand All from context menu to expand it and all subfolders except for version and review folders.
• Right-click and select Sort Alpha/Date to toggle tree sorting method. Alpha is the default. Sorting by date will show files sorted by modification date with most recent at top of folder. Folders are always shown in alpha order.
• Right-click and select Sort by Type to switch to sort tree by file type. When sorting by type, secondary sort will be alpha. Folders are always shown in alpha order.
• Files in local tree view (left tree view with Local selected) are displayed with Windows file type icons.
• Select folder and click on Collapse Folder icon or select Collapse All from context menu to collapse it.
• Double-click on any document or symbolic link name or icon to download and launch the file in its native application.
• Double-click on a URL link to open a browser window to the linked web page
• Right-click on a file and select Check-out or Check-in to go directly to the appropriate panel on the VPC side with the file selected. Permissions will be checked to enable the menu items.
• Right-click on a file already checked out and select Undo Checked-out Document. Only enabled for System Admin or user who has the file checked out.
• Right-click on a folder and select Subscribe/Unsubscribe to subscribe to receive a broadcast message and an email any time a document is added to, moved into, or replaced in that folder. Subfolders are not automatically subscribed to so documents added or replaced in them do not cause an email and broadcast to be sent. It is possible to subscribe to version and review folders so a user can effectively see if any document has been checked into a particular folder. If user's access to a proposal is removed, or permissions to the subscribed to folder are set to No Access all related subscriptions will no longer be effective. User can also unsubscribe to a folder subscribed to by right-clicking on it and selecting Subscribe/Unsubscribe again.
• Right-click on a document that is checked out for edit and select Subscribe/Unsubscribe to subscribe to receive a broadcast message and an email when the document is updated or checked in. If the document is updated, then notification will be sent but the subscription will remain in effect. When the document is checked in, notification will be sent and the subscription will be removed. If further notification is desired for subsequent check-ins, user will have to subscribe again once the document is checked out again. If user's access to a proposal is removed, or permissions to the subscribed to document are set to No Access all related subscriptions will no longer be effective. User can also unsubscribe to a document with a current subscription by right-clicking on it and selecting Subscribe/Unsubscribe again.
• Right-click on a folder/file and select Graphics Thumbnails from context menu to open a panel that displays thumbnails of all selected files with standard graphics extensions. Roll mouse over thumbnail to see file information including file name, path, file size and date last modified. The default view is the "Gallery" view. Select the "Details" view to see thumbnails displayed in table format with columns for file name, path, file size and date last modified. In either view double-click on a selection in the panel to open the file. From either view you can print selected image files, one image per page. Images will print real-size, or scaled-to-fit if larger than a page. When printing from the details view, user has the additional option of printing the table of thumbnails including the file metadata that is shown. In either view you can also select regular or large size (defined by the System Admin in the Maintenance Tool) for the thumbnails. You can choose your desired default size in your User Profile. You can also choose to generate thumbnails for graphics files located in subfolders. The default is determined by your preference in your User Profile. If you want to change it for the current viewing check or uncheck the box and click on the Regenerate button.
• If site is configured for dashboards, right-click on a file or folder and select Add to Favorites to add to the Favorites in the dashboard view.
• Right-click on folder and select Folder Properties to open a panel with number of sub folders, files and total size of files.
• Click on a folder link to be brought to the folder to which it is linked. If folder to which it is linked is in the same proposal, will be brought to that folder in the same tree view. If the folder to which it is linked is in another proposal in the same zone, will be brought to applicable Admin Setup tree view location as long as have admin status for that proposal. If not, and have access to the proposal, then will be brought to the folder location in the Welcome panel on the user side as long as you have at least read permission. If folder to which it is linked is in another zone, then VPC will check admin status, zone access and proposal access before bringing you to the linked folder in the setup tree view. Again if you don't have admin status in the proposal, but have access, will be brought to the folder location in the Welcome panel on the user side as long as you have at least read permission.
• Archived proposals are not shown in left tree view or pull down menus unless the Show Archived box is checked. If this box is checked, archived proposals show in red in tree view and proposal selection menu.
• Proposal templates are not shown in left tree view or pull down menus unless the Show Templates box is checked. If this box is checked, proposal templates show in blue in tree view and selection menu. Proposal templates can be edited after they have been converted to a template. (Only available to System Admin and Zone Super Admins)
• The right tree view shows file check-out status as on user interface. Right-click on file and select show owner from menu to see who has the file checked out. It will show all users who have checked out the file, and whether it was for edit or review.
• Use Ctrl–C convention after selecting any folder/file in right tree view to copy folder/file path to clipboard starting with zone name
• Click on print icon to print right tree view. Have option to print selected folder as if fully expanded, all visible nodes in tree view, or entire tree fully expanded. Version and Review folders do not print
• Use the Shift key for continuous selection of folders/files. Use the Ctrl key for multiple individual selections of folders/files.

Any admin can create a proposal. Click on Create and the Proposal Creation Assistant panel opens. (See Proposal Creation Assistant) Once created, only admins who have been granted access to a proposal can modify a proposal. To modify a proposal, select a proposal from the pull down menu and it will appear in the right hand tree view. Only those proposals, to which you have been granted proposal access, will appear in the pull down menu. PROPOSALS CANNOT BE MODIFIED IN THE LEFT TREE VIEW!

To delete a proposal, select proposal and Click Remove. You will be warned and then have to enter your password to continue. When a proposal is deleted, all related database entries are deleted as well including access and permission settings, document history, Workplan, attributes. Only admins who have been granted permission can delete proposals. Deleted files along with all proposal metadata will be moved to a special recycle bin on the server and may be recovered by the system admin through the Maintenance Tool.

VPC checks for duplicate folder/file/link names before allowing creation/copying of folders/files/links. Proposals can be renamed, but VPC will first give a warning. Proposal and folder/file names can't contain any of the following characters: \ /: *? < > " | or end with a "." They also can't contain more than one consecutive apostrophe or single quote (')

To copy folders, files, or links from another location to the proposal, first select the source from the available radio buttons. Then select the folder(s), file(s) or links from the tree on the left and drag to the desired destination folder on the right. This can also be accomplished using Ctrl–C and Ctrl–V combination, or by right-clicking on folder/file/link in left tree view and selecting Copy from and then selecting folder in right tree view, right-clicking and selecting Copy actions/Paste to. Links can only be copied from Server source. Selected folders/files/links must have the same parent node. Files and links can’t be copied to version or review folders. Also version and review folders are not copied when copying a folder. Individual version and review documents, however, may be copied with no problem. After dragging and dropping, a window will open giving you the option to enter any comments that will show in document history view. If multiple files/links are selected at same time, only one comment can be entered for all.

If document notifications are enabled for the proposal, when adding files the user will be prompted to send a document notification. This allows one to send a document notification broadcast message to desired recipients. An email can be sent as well. A panel will open giving capability to:

• select the recipient
• select a classification if one or more has been defined. This is optional unless configured for mandatory selection.
• enter a message
• select the hours till expiration
• additionally send an email (default)
• CC sender (default)

Can copy email attachment(s) directly from any email program that supports drag and drop, such as Outlook, by dragging to target folder in right tree view. Will be prompted to add comment if desired. Can do the same from any program such as windows Explorer that supports drag and drop.

To create a new folder, first click on the parent folder to which it is to be added (in right tree), click on Create Folder icon, or right-click and select Add Folder, type in name and hit Return. To add a URL link, first click on the parent folder to which it is to be added (on right tree), click on Add URL link icon, or right-click and select Add URL link. In the panel that opens, type in name as you wish it to appear in tree view, and URL, and then Save to finish.

To add a symbolic link, select the Server radio button, select the desired file from left tree view, and while depressing the Ctrl and Shift keys, drag and drop to desired location in right tree view. Can also create a symbolic link by right-clicking on the desired file and selecting Copy from. In the right tree view, right-click on the destination folder and select Copy Actions/Paste as link.

To create a link to a folder, select the Server or Other Zone radio button, select the desired folder from left tree view, and while depressing the Ctrl and Shift keys, drag and drop to desired location in right tree view. Can also create a link to a folder by right-clicking on the desired folder and selecting Copy from. In the right tree view, right-click on the destination folder and select Copy Actions/Paste as link. Files cannot be copied to folder links. Multiple folders can be selected at same time to create multiple folder links at one time. Folder links can be renamed or moved. Selecting folder link and clicking Show Symbolic Link Source (or Show Source entry in context menu) will show the location of the source folder.

To change a folder/file/link name, click on its name in the right hand tree view, wait a second, then click again to open edit mode, or right-click and select edit, enter new name and hit Return. If changing a file name that has previous versions or review files, those files will be renamed as well. Version and review files cannot be manually renamed. To edit a URL link, click on its name in the right tree view, and select Edit URL link from the context menu.

To remove folder, file or link, click on it (in right tree only) and click on Remove icon, or right-click and select Remove Folder or Remove File. You will get a warning. Click OK to proceed. Deleted files are initially removed to a special recycle bin on the server and may be recovered by the system admin, but all history will be lost. Top-level proposal folders can't be removed this way. You will get an error message.

Folders, files and or links can be moved in the right hand tree view from one location in proposal to another by selecting and dragging and dropping to desired folder. Move can also be accomplished by using Ctrl–X and Ctrl–V combination, or by right-clicking on desired folder/file/link and selecting Copy actions/Move from and then right-clicking on destination folder and selecting Copy actions/Paste to. Related version and review folders/files will be moved automatically, and history and existing check-out state will be kept intact. Permissions set at the folder/file/link level that is moved will move along with it. Otherwise permissions will be inherited from the new location. After moving, you will be prompted to send document notification, the same as described above with adding files.

If file transfer compression is not turned off by the system admin, non-graphics files larger than 1 MB will be compressed and then decompressed automatically as they transfer to and from the server. You can turn compression off and on for the current session, from the main menu by selecting VPC/Advanced Options. You can cancel the file transfer and copy process by clicking on cancel button in progress icon.

If a file is deleted and replaced with a file with the same name, you can restore lost version history by selecting the file and clicking on the restore history button.

On the admin side only a document can be replaced without having to go through the check-out/check-in process. When dragging and dropping a file onto the right tree view, if a file with the same name already exists the admin will be prompted to replace the file or cancel. If replacement is selected, a copy of the original will be placed in the version folder and the new file will be given the next version number. The document history will be updated to reflect this. If the original document is currently checked out by the same user, they will be asked if they wish to check in the document instead of replace it. If not, the replace operation will be canceled. If the document is checked out by another user, the replace operation will not be permitted until the document is checked back in or the check-out is undone.

Select a folder and click on Folder Activity Report icon to see the latest check-out, undo check-out and check-in dates along with the user who completed the latest action for all files in the folder. The document status and the user who last changed it is also shown.

Access to specific folders can be denied to Third Party users. Regardless of permission settings, third party users will not be able to access any documents in the folder. Select a folder and click on No Access to TP icon. Can also be accomplished through context menu (right-click). Confirm to deny access. Repeat action on a restricted folder to now allow access to Third Party users.

Ordinarily when a file that has embedded links to other files is downloaded or checked out from VPC, those links are broken because the linked files are not also downloaded. When a master-subsidiary relationship is established, and a master document is downloaded or copied to local, the subsidiary or linked files are also downloaded. If a master file is checked out, the user has the option to have linked files downloaded along with it. If the user has no access to the subsidiary documents they will not be downloaded. Select a file from tree view and click on Manage Subsidiary Documents for Selected Master. A panel opens that allows you to specify subsidiary documents that will be linked to the selected master document. Select file from panel in tree view and click on Add to add subsidiary and Remove to remove.

Click on Properties button to view the Proposal properties. Many of the properties are editable.