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Sort Engineering Project Files by Drawing Type and Revision

Architecture, engineering, and construction projects produce drawing sets that follow strict naming conventions: AR for architectural, ST for structural, PW for plumbing and wet utilities, TR for transportation or trade-specific drawings, plus revision numbers that tick up as the design evolves. A working project folder accumulates dozens or hundreds of drawing files, each named like AR-101-R03.pdf or ST-204-R01.dwg. Without a routing system, finding the latest structural revision means scrolling and squinting. This prompt routes each drawing into a per-discipline folder and then into a per-revision subfolder, while quarantining change request forms (CRFs) in their own subfolder so design changes are tracked without polluting the main drawing set.

Last updated: 5/12/2026
3 prompts included

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Prompts

Per-Discipline and Per-Revision Routing

Sort architectural and engineering drawings by type (AR/ST/PW/TR), then by revision number. Keep change requests in a CRF subfolder.
Expected result: Each drawing is placed under its discipline folder, then into a revision subfolder. Change request forms are isolated in a CRF subfolder under each discipline so the active drawing set stays clean.
Folder structure after:
Project Drawings/
  AR (Architectural)/
    R01/
      AR-101-R01.pdf
      AR-102-R01.pdf
      AR-201-R01.pdf
    R02/
      AR-101-R02.pdf
      AR-102-R02.pdf
    R03/
      AR-101-R03.pdf
    CRF/
      AR-CRF-001.pdf
      AR-CRF-002.pdf
  ST (Structural)/
    R01/
      ST-201-R01.pdf
      ST-202-R01.pdf
    R02/
      ST-201-R02.pdf
    CRF/
      ST-CRF-001.pdf
  PW (Plumbing/Wet)/
    R01/
      PW-301-R01.pdf
      PW-302-R01.pdf
    R02/
      PW-301-R02.pdf
    CRF/
  TR (Trade)/
    R01/
      TR-401-R01.pdf
    R02/
      TR-401-R02.pdf
    CRF/
      TR-CRF-001.pdf

Latest Revision Only at the Top

Use the same AR/ST/PW/TR discipline split, but in addition to the per-revision archive folders, place a copy of the latest revision of each drawing at the top of its discipline folder. Older revisions go into an Archive subfolder grouped by revision number. Keep CRFs separate.
Expected result: The latest version of each drawing is immediately visible at the top of its discipline folder, so the working set is one click away. Older revisions are preserved in Archive for traceability without cluttering the active view.
Folder structure after:
Project Drawings/
  AR (Architectural)/
    AR-101-R03.pdf
    AR-102-R02.pdf
    AR-201-R01.pdf
    Archive/
      R01/
        AR-101-R01.pdf
        AR-102-R01.pdf
      R02/
        AR-101-R02.pdf
    CRF/
      AR-CRF-001.pdf
      AR-CRF-002.pdf
  ST (Structural)/
    ST-201-R02.pdf
    ST-202-R01.pdf
    Archive/
      R01/
        ST-201-R01.pdf
    CRF/
      ST-CRF-001.pdf
  PW (Plumbing/Wet)/
    PW-301-R02.pdf
    PW-302-R01.pdf
    Archive/
      R01/
        PW-301-R01.pdf
    CRF/
  TR (Trade)/
    TR-401-R02.pdf
    Archive/
      R01/
        TR-401-R01.pdf
    CRF/
      TR-CRF-001.pdf

Issued for Construction Tagging

In addition to the AR/ST/PW/TR discipline structure and per-revision subfolders, create an IFC (Issued for Construction) folder under each discipline. Move any drawing whose filename or stamp indicates "Issued for Construction" into the IFC folder for that discipline.
Expected result: The IFC set is plainly separated from working revisions, which prevents accidental construction off a stale revision and keeps the as-built record traceable.
Folder structure after:
Project Drawings/
  AR (Architectural)/
    R01/
      AR-101-R01.pdf
    R02/
      AR-102-R02.pdf
    R03/
      AR-101-R03.pdf
    IFC/
      AR-101-IFC.pdf
      AR-102-IFC.pdf
    CRF/
      AR-CRF-001.pdf
  ST (Structural)/
    R01/
      ST-201-R01.pdf
    R02/
      ST-201-R02.pdf
    IFC/
      ST-201-IFC.pdf
    CRF/
  PW (Plumbing/Wet)/
    R01/
      PW-301-R01.pdf
    R02/
      PW-301-R02.pdf
    IFC/
      PW-301-IFC.pdf
    CRF/
  TR (Trade)/
    R01/
      TR-401-R01.pdf
    R02/
      TR-401-R02.pdf
    IFC/
    CRF/
      TR-CRF-001.pdf

Customization Tips

  • Replace the discipline codes with whatever your firm uses (ME for mechanical, EL for electrical, CV for civil, LS for landscape) and Sortio will follow the same per-discipline pattern.
  • If your revisions use letters instead of numbers (Rev A, Rev B), state that in the prompt so the revision subfolders are named correctly.
  • For BIM-heavy projects, add a sibling Models folder for .rvt, .ifc, and .nwd files and keep the PDF drawings separate.
  • Add an As-Built folder once construction is complete to receive redlined drawings and preserve the design intent revisions separately.
  • For multi-package projects, layer a Package or Phase folder above the disciplines (Package 01 - Site / Package 02 - Shell) so disciplines are grouped by scope.

Troubleshooting

Problem:

Drawings without a clear discipline prefix in the filename are not being routed.

Solution:

Rename or instruct Sortio to read the title block.

Steps:

  1. 1Add to the prompt: "If the discipline is not in the filename, read the title block on the first page to determine AR, ST, PW, or TR."
  2. 2For files that still cannot be classified, move them to a Needs Review folder.
  3. 3Re-run the sort.

Problem:

CRFs are being placed in revision folders instead of the CRF subfolder.

Solution:

Tell Sortio to prioritize the CRF rule.

Steps:

  1. 1Reorder the prompt so the CRF rule precedes the revision-based routing.
  2. 2Add: "Any file with CRF in its name goes to CRF before any other rule applies."
  3. 3Re-run the sort.

Problem:

Revision numbers are inconsistent (R01 vs Rev 1 vs Revision 1).

Solution:

Normalize the revision format in the prompt.

Steps:

  1. 1Add: "Treat R01, Rev 1, Rev-1, and Revision 1 as the same revision and place them all under R01."
  2. 2Re-run the sort.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this work with native CAD files like DWG or RVT, not just PDFs?

Yes. The routing is based on filename and (optionally) content. DWG, RVT, IFC, and other AEC formats are handled the same way as PDFs. Content reading is most useful for PDFs with title blocks.

Can Sortio enforce that nothing is ever deleted, only moved?

Yes. Sortio only moves files. Originals are tracked so any sort run can be reverted from inside the app, which matters for regulated AEC work.

How do I keep this in sync with shared drives like SharePoint or Egnyte?

Point Sortio at the local mount or sync folder of your shared drive. The organization runs locally on the synced copy, and changes propagate back through the normal sync mechanism. Confirm the sync client supports moves before running on a large drawing set.

Related Glossary Terms

aec document managementdrawing revision controlarchitectural file organizationengineering cad filesconstruction document controlchange request form

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