Can I access data on Windows outside VMWare from within the OS X VM?
Sure you can. You don't have to use the shared folders set by VMWare. You can create new ones on you host in the Options > Shared Folders tab in you VM's settings. And they can be located everywhere. I don't know if there are any restrictions from xCode where you project files have be be saved but the new shared folder should be accessible from your OSX VM without any problems.