This article is for: all SideDrawer users
Once you have your Tiles, Records, and Folders set up, most of your activity in SideDrawer will involve Files - uploading files, viewing files, editing files, and sharing files.
Uploading Files to SideDrawer
Uploading Files to SideDrawer
There are several different ways to get files into your SideDrawer
Uploading files is covered in more detail here:
Drop Files/Click to Upload on the Records screen
Use this option to select one or more files from your folders and upload them to a Tile and Record in your SideDrawer
Drop Files/Click to Upload within an existing Record
Use this option to add files directly to a Record
Upload files to an Info Request or Simple File Request
Use to upload specific files requested by your professional through an Info Request or Simple File Request
Upload files from a mobile device using the Photos menu or camera
If you are signed into SideDrawer on your phone or tablet (through our Mobile App or in your device's web browser), clicking on the Drag & Drop files button will also give you the option to choose files from your photo library, or take a photo or video with your device's camera, and upload it - this is useful for taking pictures of ID or documents to upload them
Viewing Files
Viewing Files
When you click into a Record, you will see a list of all the files that Record contains, as well as a counter showing the total number of files for that Record
Opening Files
Opening Files
Select a file to open it directly in SideDrawer.
SideDrawer can open most file types - you can read text documents and PDFs, look at images and photos, or play videos in the secure SideDrawer environment.
If a file type is not supported - a web file or an executable program file, for example - then clicking on it will download it to your drive, rather than opening in SideDrawer.
You can read or view supported files in SideDrawer, and can add comments, labels, and e-signatures as well, as described below in Working with Files in SideDrawer
Note that you can open Excel spreadsheets in SideDrawer, to read the data entered in the fields, but SideDrawer can't apply the formulas in the spreadsheet.
If you need to work with formulas, the best option is to download the spreadsheet, and then open it in Excel.
Sorting Files
Sorting Files
Files will automatically be displayed in order of Last modified first, showing the files that were most recently uploaded or edited.
To change the sort order, click on the middle icon on the right to bring up the Sort Menu
Files can be sorted by:
Most recently modified (this is the default setting)
Who uploaded the file (alphabetically, A-Z or Z-A)
Name of the file (alphabetically A-Z or Z-A)
Managing and Editing Files
Managing and Editing Files
From the Record page, where the Files are displayed, you can use different controls to manipulate one or more files
Click on the Download icon to the right of the file name to quickly download the file
This will open your file manager (Windows Explorer, Finder, etc.) so you can choose where to save the downloaded file
Click on the File icon to the left of the file name to select the file - any files you've selected will show a checkmark icon at the left, replacing the file icon
The actions bar above the files will show the number of files you've currently selected
Click Select all on the left to select all files in the Record
From the actions bar, you can quickly Download, Copy, Move, or Delete all your selected files
Downloading files will bring up your file manager(Windows Explorer, Finder, etc.) so you can select where to save the files
Copying files keeps a version of the files in this Record, while letting you save a copy of the files to another Record, Tile, or SideDrawer
Moving files removes them from this Record, saving them to another Record, Tile, or SideDrawer that you have access to
Deleting files removes them from the Record entirely.
You'll be asked to confirm - if you want to go ahead and delete, click Delete, or click Cancel to go back to the Record.
Edit File Name
To change the name of a file, click on the 3 dots at the right, then select Change File Name from the menu
Working with Files in SideDrawer
Working with Files in SideDrawer
When you open a file in SideDrawer, you can make some changes directly in the document, then save these as a new version in SideDrawer.
Remember: in order to preserve the integrity and security of your data, you can't change the original version of the document.
Making changes will always create a new version of the file, separate from the original.
Fillable PDFs
Fillable PDFs
If the file in SideDrawer is a fillable PDF, you can fill it out right in SideDrawer - no need to download or save it separately!
Click on the file name to open the PDF
Click on the fillable fields and type or select your responses.
If the form has a Clear Data option, you can click that to clear the whole form and start over.
Select Save a new version to save the filled-in version as its own file.
You can do this for the completed version, or if you want to save the in-progress file to complete later.Optional: Click Download File to save a copy of the file to your device.
Adding E-Signatures
Adding E-Signatures
When you open a text file in SideDrawer (PDF, Word, Excel), you can add labels or signatures, or comments.
This is separate from the DocuSign integration - signatures applied to a file are more basic, and don't have have the advanced certification that DocuSign offers, but can still serve as an attestation.
Click on the file to open it in SideDrawer
In the file screen, click on Add Labels or Signatures
Select Signatures in the second row, then New Signature at the left
Create your signature
To Draw a signature using your mouse or finger (on a touchscreen), select Draw
Draw your signature, then click Create
To Type a signature, select Type
Your login name will autofill, or you can type a different name
Click Create to save your signature
If you have a signature image file that you want to use, select Upload
Drag & drop your image file in the centre square, or click to open your files and choose the image
When you've selected the file, click Create to complete
Once you create your signature, it will appear in the left-hand menu of the file.
Drag the signature onto the file, and place it where you want it to go.
You can click on the signature and use the dots at the corners to adjust the size
Once your signature is placed, click Save new version to save the signed document - you may also want to change the name of the file to indicate that it's signed
Adding Labels
Adding Labels
You can also add pre-made stamps to a document, including labels that indicate where a signature is needed
Click on the file to open it in SideDrawer
In the file screen, click on Add Labels or Signatures
Select the stamp icon in the lower bar, and scroll through the left-hand menu to select your stamp, or choose Create New Stamp to create a custom stamp
Select the labels you want to apply, then drag them over to the document, and place them as needed.
Click Save new version to save the labeled document
Adding Comments
Adding Comments
You can add, edit, and reply to comments on a document - this can be useful for complicated forms, since you can ask your advisor questions, and they can provide clarifications right in the document.
Click on the file to open it in SideDrawer
In the file screen, click on the comments icon at the top right
This will also show you any existing comments on the file
To add a comment, select some text, and highlight it, then type your comment in the box, and Save
Click Save new Version to save the document with the comment(s)
Remember that SideDrawer saves each version of the file, to maintain a complete version history.
You can delete versions that you don't need, but it's best to use comments selectively, to avoid creating a confusing amount of versions.
Downloading Files
Downloading Files
Downloading Single Files
To download a file, click on the download icon to the right of the file name, or click on the 3 dots at the far right, and select Download file from the menu
Downloading Multiple Files
To download multiple files from the same Record, click on the file icon at the right to select the files you want to download, or click on Select all in the top bar, then select Download
A pop-up will open, and you can select where to save the files
Downloading all files in the SideDrawer
To download all files in the entire SideDrawer, click on the 3 dots to the right of the SideDrawer name, and select Download from the drop-down menu
You will be asked to confirm - click Download to proceed
Note that there is no option to print files directly from SideDrawer.
You'll need to download the file first, then open it and print it from your device.