← All use cases

1. Add the Team Drive folder

   One folder on the office Edge Agent becomes the team's shared drive.

   1. No Edge Agent yet? Follow Install Portico Edge on an always-on office computer.
   2. In the Edge Agent console, under Things, tap + (Add Thing) and set Type to Folder (Portico Files).
   3. Name: Team Drive. Folder name: team. Tap Check folder.
   4. Leave Users read-only checked so you can grant write access one person at a time. Set a Quota GB if the disk is shared with other things. Tap Save.

   The Add Thing dialog for Team Drive with a quota01-add-thing.png

2. Set up folders

   A simple layout makes it easier to share just one part later.

   1. Tap the Team Drive card to open it in Portico Files.
   2. Use New folder to make Proposals, Invoices, and Jobs. Inside Jobs, make one folder per client, such as Maple St — Chen.
   3. Use Upload or drag files in. Select files to Rename, Move…, or Delete them.

   Portico Files Tree view with Proposals, Invoices, and Jobs02-tree.png

3. Invite the team

   Each person gets an invitation that includes the Team Drive.

   1. In Invitations, tap + (New invite) and choose Invitation type Things.
   2. Invite name: the person's name. Add their work email in To email (optional).
   3. Under Share things, tick Team Drive, then tap Create and text or email the link.
   4. They open it on their phone, sign in, and tap Accept in Portico Mobile.

   A partner who runs things with you? Tick Allow access to this agent and choose Agent admin as the role, so they can manage the agent the same way you do.

   The new invite dialog with Team Drive ticked under Share things03-invite.png

4. Decide who can edit

   The crews add site photos. The bookkeeper only reads.

   1. Open Team Drive and tap the Users pill.
   2. Each person shows a role (Owner, Admin, User) and a Can write / Read-only toggle.
   3. Switch the crew leads to Can write, and leave the bookkeeper on Read-only.

   The Team Drive Users panel with mixed Can write and Read-only04-users.png

5. Share one job folder with a client

   The Chens see their own drawings and photos, not your invoices.

   1. Select Maple St — Chen and tap Share as Thing in the selection bar. Name it Chen — Maple St.
   2. Create a new Things invitation for the client, with only Chen — Maple St ticked.
   3. Select the drawings and turn Watermark: On. The client sees their own email stamped on each image, and a View only badge instead of Download.

   The selection bar with Share photo as Thing on a selected photo05-share-as-thing.png

   The client's view: one folder, watermarked drawing, View only06-client-view.png

6. Mount it on the office computers

   The estimator works in desktop apps and wants a normal drive letter.

   1. In Team Drive, tap the share icon (Share this folder), then Connect as drive….
   2. The Connect as a network drive dialog shows the Server address and Username. Tap Create drive password the first time and save it right away. It's shown only once.
   3. Follow the dialog's steps for Finder (Go → Connect to Server…), Windows File Explorer (Map network drive…), or the iPhone Files app.
   4. Away from the office, keep the Portico VPN on so the drive stays connected.

   The Connect as a network drive dialog07-network-drive.png