Monday, May 14, 2012

A Work at Home on 'Some' Work-Sharing Files Posting


In a reply to a RFO question I added the following that I think can be helpful to many folks...Until Revit Server & other remote solutions are "Lights-On" bullet-proof at least :-) (Yes the image above IS a link as always ;-)

(Paraphrased) Q: I want to work at home with a Work-sharing file.

The first reply was by Aaron Maller

Not practically.

You can each check out work-sets "at risk," and then edit them as local files while separated, but it has a high volatility and a low success rate amongst anything but the best users: And even then, it fails often.

Then came my reply...

What you may be able to try is this, if the office model is set enough and the work needed is more internal or completely new portions of the model are needed, or for interior component work, etc.

This doesn't work for all situations but it will for some...consider your options carefully :-)


TO WORK AT HOME ON 'SOME' WORKSHARING FILES IN REVIT


1) Detach the Central Model

1a) Save to media or location such as Drop-Box, etc.
1b) Purge Unused (keeps the file as small as possible) *Unless you will need objects from this model that are yet unused*

2) Save that copy AS A NEW CENTRAL Model on the remote (home, etc.) computer

2a) Be sure to Synchronize To Central after Save
2b) Relinquish everything
2c) Compact the file
2d) Close it

3) Start a New Project

3a) Save this as a Central Model
3b) Create a Workset using your name (for example)
2b) Do all of your work in that Workset *Annotations and some objects won't respect that Workset, so be sure to catalog all of the work you do that falls outside of pure modeling, so those things can be copied in when this goes back to the office*

4) Link (Origin to Origin) the Central Model from steps 1 & 2


5) Recreate any Levels in this new project in the same places as the "office" model

5a) Change the Level Names in the new project (perhaps adding your initials as a prefix) *this will keep issues away later*

6) Work in the new model, placing objects as needed

6a) Synchronize To Central
6b) Relinquish everything
6c) Compact the file
6d) Close it
6e) Get this file back to the 'office'

BACK AT THE OFFICE


7) Link (Origin to Origin) the Remote Model from steps 3 to 6


8) Bind the link (Bringing in Levels 'should' not be necessary, unless you made new ones, in that case let them come in and delete the unused ones) *This is why using different Level Names was important in the Remote file*


9) Ungroup the bound file *Binding creates a group
FYI*

Every model object should be in the proper spot, a little clean up may be in order and any anno, sheets, etc. may need to be copy/pasted in too... I think that covers the process enough to get going, if this seems a valid workflow for your specific needs.

1 comment:

  1. Don't hassle with all that, just have a good internet connection at home and use the free version of logmein.com to edit the workshared models through your work computer.

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