How to Use the Media Layer and Filesystem in WindSketch

WindSketch includes a built-in Filesystem and Media Layer designed to keep project documentation connected to the exact place where it matters.

Instead of storing photos, videos, documents, audio files, and other project information in separate folders or applications, WindSketch allows you to attach media directly to different parts of the project. A file can be associated with the entire project, a specific area, an individual opening, a discussion, or even a precise point on the project sketch.

This makes it easier for estimators, project managers, installers, and other team members to understand not only what a file contains, but what part of the project it belongs to.

Step 1: Open the Project Filesystem

Inside each project, select Filesystem from the project menu.

The Filesystem provides a central location where you can review the files associated with the project, including images, videos, documents, audio files, and other supported media.

Files uploaded from different parts of WindSketch are automatically organized according to their context. This allows you to locate project documentation without having to remember where each file was originally uploaded.

Step 2: Understand How Files Are Organized

The Filesystem groups files based on the location or project element where they were added.

For example, if your project contains an area called Area #1 and several files were uploaded specifically to that area, the Filesystem will display an Area #1 label followed by the files associated with it.

The same principle applies to files attached at other levels, such as:

Project-level files
Area-level files
Opening-level files
Files associated with discussions
Media added directly to the sketch

This organization helps preserve the relationship between the documentation and the work it describes.

Step 3: Upload Files Directly to the Project

The Filesystem also includes a drag-and-drop upload area.

You can drag files into this area or click it to browse files from your device. Files uploaded here are associated directly with the project.

This is useful for documents or media that belong to the project as a whole rather than to a particular area or opening.

For example, you might use project-level files for contracts, manufacturer documents, general property photos, permits, or other information that should remain available to everyone working on the project.

Step 4: Add Media Directly to the Sketch

WindSketch also allows you to place media directly onto the project sketch.

From the sketch editor, select Add Media from the toolbar on the left side of the screen.

The Add Media menu allows you to choose the type of file you want to add:

Image
Video
Document
Audio
Other

After selecting the media type, click the point on the sketch where you want the file to be located. WindSketch will open the upload window so you can select and attach the file.

The media then remains visually connected to that location on the sketch.

This can be especially useful when documenting field conditions. For example, a photo showing rotten wood can be placed next to the affected opening, or a video can be positioned beside the area it documents.

Step 5: Create a Media Folder on the Sketch

The Add Media tool also includes a Folder option.

A folder can be placed at a specific point on the sketch and used to contain multiple files related to that location.

After creating the folder, you can drag multiple media files into it instead of placing every file individually on the drawing.

This is useful when one location requires several pieces of documentation. For example, an opening could have multiple installation photos, a short inspection video, and a supporting document grouped together at the same point.

Step 6: Attach Files to a Specific Opening

Files can also be associated directly with an individual window, door, or other opening.

Right-click the opening in the sketch to display its contextual menu, then select Files.

WindSketch will open the files window for that specific opening. From there, you can upload media that should remain associated with that opening.

This is particularly useful for information such as field photos, installation conditions, measurement references, product documentation, or other details that someone may need when reviewing that specific opening later in the project.

Step 7: Add Files from the Estimate Builder

The same media workflow is also available from the Estimate Builder.

While preparing an estimate, you can attach files at the area level or directly to an individual opening.

This means documentation collected during estimating does not need to be moved manually into another system later. The file remains associated with the same project context and can be accessed through the project's Filesystem.

Step 8: Use Media Inside Discussions

Media can also be included as part of project discussions.

This allows a photo, document, video, or other file to remain connected to the conversation where a question, decision, or update is being discussed.

Instead of sending the file separately and losing the context around it, the documentation and the conversation can remain together inside the project.

Keeping Project Information Connected

The purpose of WindSketch's Media Layer is not simply to provide another place to store files.

Its main advantage is that documentation can remain connected to the part of the project it describes.

A property photo may belong to the project. A group of installation photos may belong to an area. A measurement reference may belong to a specific opening. A video may need to appear directly on the sketch where the condition was observed.

WindSketch allows each of these files to keep that context while still making them accessible from the project's central Filesystem.

By using the Media Layer consistently, your team can build a more complete visual record of the project and make important photos, videos, documents, audio, and field information easier to find when they are needed.