ASCE California - Infrastructure Report Card
Report Card Additional Report Card Data Citizens Guides Download Files
 

Download/Upload Files (FTP)

The RBF FTP Site is for the exclusive use of RBF, its employees, clients and subconsultants. Files placed on the site should be compressed whenever possible and if the file size totals more than 5MB, please notify the RBF webmaster, ahead of time. Files left on the site will be removed every Monday following one week on the site. The site is not to be used for personal use. If you have questions or problems using the RBF FTP Site, please contact webmaster@rbf.com

Access to FTP Site*

 

* For AOL Users, please connect to Internet first then use non-AOL proprietary browser to access our website.

To upload a file, please access the RBF Private FTP Site which requires a username and password that can be obtained from your contact at RBF.

Back to the Top

Using the FTP Site with a Web Browser
  • Downloading a File

The Mozilla Firefox browser does not support drag and drop FTP access. To access the RBF FTP site in a browser, always use Internet Explorer.

  1. Click (single-click if you are using Netscape Navigator, or double-click if you are using Internet Explorer) on the file you wish to retrieve.
  2. A windows prompt will ask you what you would like to do with the file, giving you the option to 'Open It' or 'Save This File To Disk'. Choose the 'Save This File To Disk' option and then choose the desired name and location to place the file on your computer.
  3. If you don't receive the above mentioned window to prompt you to save the file, place your cursor over the file that you desire to download and right click (control click for Mac) once. A window will appear with several options. Choose 'Save Link As' (or 'Copy To Folder' in IE) and then choose the file directory where you would like the file to be saved on your computer.
  4. If your browser "hangs" when you click on a folder to go to a sub-directory, first click the Stop button and then click the Refresh/Reload button. The files within the sub-directory should then display.

  • Uploading a File (with Internet Explorer)
  1. Access the RBF's Private FTP Site. This requires a username and a password.
  2. If you cannot see any files or folders when you access the FTP site, or if you get an "HTTP 404 File Cannot Be Found" message from your browser, make sure that your browser has the FTP option enabled. To check for this, go to your 'Start' button and choose 'Settings' then 'Control Panel'. Double-click on 'Internet Options' and choose the 'Advanced' tab at the top of the window. Make sure the box labeled 'Enable folder view for FTP sites' is checked and then click 'OK'.
  3. When using Internet Explorer, you can perform a "drag-and-drop" to upload a file from your computer. To do this, locate the file which you would like to upload by using 'Windows Explorer' (or by clicking on the 'My Computer' icon on your desktop). Click and hold onto the file that you wish to upload, then drag your cursor into the window that is displaying the RBF FTP site. This will copy the file into the RBF FTP site.
  4. Another method you can use to upload is to copy and paste your file. To copy the file, right click on the file and choose 'copy' then right click in the body of the RBF FTP site and choose 'paste.' This will copy the file from your hard drive into the RBF FTP site.

If your browser "hangs" when you click on a folder to go to a sub-directory, first click the Stop button and then click the Refresh/Reload button. The files within the sub-directory should then display.

Back to the Top

Compressing Files for the FTP Site

Files placed on the FTP Site should be compressed to reduce the size of the file. This can greatly reduce the amount of transfer time. To compress a file you will need some sort of compression software such as WinZip or PKZip (from PKWare.com.) Zipped files should also be converted into self-extracting executable files (.exe's) to make it possible to expand these files without requiring any expansion software.

  • Using WinZip
  1. Click on the New button and type in the name for the output .zip file
  2. Optional: To password protect your zip file
    Go to Option and select Password    .
  3. Click on the Add button and select the files you want to compress.
    The files have now been compressed.
  4. After creating the zip file, go to Actions and select Make.Exe to create a self-extracting zipped file.
  5. Select the zip file and hit Ok.
  6. Exit out of Winzip and you are now ready to upload your .exe file.
  • Using PKZip in DOS
  1. At the DOS prompt, go to the directory where PKZip is located.
  2. From the DOS prompt, type: pkzip -s [zip file] [files you want to compress]
    The -s option allows for password protection and this is optional.
  3. To create a self extracting zipped file, from the DOS prompt,
    type: zip2exe [zipfile]
  4. Now you are ready to upload your file.

    For more instructions on PKzip, type: pkzip /h
Back to the Top
Uncompressing Files from the FTP Site

Ideally, compressed files placed on the FTP Site are self-extracting executables where by just double clicking on the file will expand it automatically. However, if the compressed files are not self extracting executables, you will need some type of expansion software such as WinZip or PKZip (from PKWare.com.)

  • Using WinZip
  1. Click on the Open button and select the compress file that you wish to extract.
  2. Click on the Extract button to extract by selecting a file or by all files. You can also choose a destination folder to extract your files to.
  3. Click on Extract.
  4. Your files have now been extracted.
  • Using PKUnzip
  1. At the DOS prompt, go to the directory where PKUnzip is located.
  2. From the DOS prompt, type: pkunzip [zip file] [destination folder]
  3. For more instructions on PKUnzip, type: pkunzip /h
Back to the Top
Home Page