VU.CITY uses folder and file permissions to control access to individual content within the Hub.

Folder and file permissions are separate from seat types and organisation roles. Seat types determine access to the VU.CITY 3D platform, while organisation roles determine access to Organisation management. See Seats and permissions for an overview of how these access settings work together.

Permissions follow a cascading model and are inherited from parent folders, meaning access automatically applies to all files and subfolders they contain. This is known as inherited permissions and ensures consistent access across related content. Where additional access is required, permissions can also be applied directly to a folder or file.

How permissions are applied

Permissions are assigned in two ways:

• Inherited permissions are passed down automatically from a parent folder to every folder and file beneath it.
• Explicit permissions are assigned directly to a specific folder or file.

For example, if Viewer permission is assigned to a folder, all folders and files within it inherit Viewer access.

Permission levels

Access permissions determine what actions members can perform within an organisation. Permissions can be assigned to the organisation’s top-level folder, individual folders or files.

Owner

Owner permission provides full control over a specific folder or file.

Owners can:

• Edit content
• Upload and delete files
• Manage permissions
• Assign additional Owners

Multiple Owners can be assigned to the same folder or file.

Editor

Editor permission allows content to be modified while maintaining the existing ownership structure.

Editors can:

• Edit shared content
• Upload and manage files within folders they can edit
• Grant or change Viewer and Editor permissions

Editors cannot:

• Assign or remove Owners

Viewer

Viewer permission provides read-only access to shared content.

Viewers can:

• View folders and files they have access to
• Open supported files

Viewers cannot:

• Edit content
• Upload files
• Manage permissions
• Export protected content from the 3D platform

Organisation roles are separate from folder and file permissions. Organisation Admins have access to all folders and files. See Seats and permissions for information about seat types and admin rights.

Inherited and explicit permissions

Permissions are assigned using either inherited or explicit permissions. Understanding the difference between these permission types helps explain why members may have different access levels within the same folder structure.

Inherited permissions

Inherited permissions flow down the folder structure and apply to all subfolders and files within a folder. They continue all the way down and cannot be stopped partway through the folder structure.

Explicit permissions

Explicit permissions are used to give a member a higher level of access to a specific subfolder or file than they inherit from above. For example, a member with Viewer access to a project folder can be given Editor access to one subfolder within it. An explicit permission applied to a folder is then inherited by everything inside that folder.

When an explicit permission is granted further down the folder structure, the folders leading to that content are shown as Limited. This allows the member to navigate to the shared content without gaining access to anything that has not been shared with them.

Shared folders from another organisation behave slightly differently. Only the organisation’s top-level folder and the shared folder are displayed. Intermediate folders remain hidden to protect the other organisation’s folder structure.

Highest permission applies

Where a member has both an inherited and an explicit permission on the same content, the higher of the two takes effect. The lower permission remains in place but does not apply. This means an explicit permission can increase access but cannot reduce it. To reduce access, change or remove the permission higher up the folder structure.

Moving files and folders

When a file or folder is moved, its inherited permissions update to match its new location. Any explicit permission stays with the item. If that explicit permission is higher than the inherited permission in the new location, the higher permission continues to apply.

For information about Maker and Contributor seats and Organisation admin roles, see Seats and permissions.

For instructions on changing a member’s seat type or admin access, see Managing seats and access.

For instructions on inviting a new member, see Inviting new members.