Recreating Local File from Central - requires new file name?

[Haden]

I know there were problems as of 7.0 or 7.1 with saving over an existing file causing a corrupt file, with respect at least to the central file.

My question is: When creating a new local file to replace an old one with the same name, is it necessary in Revit 8.1 to delete the existing local copy and its backup folder first, or is it safe now to simply save over the top of the existing one?

[janunson]

I've done that a few times and not had any troubles yet......

[Wes Macaulay]

I've wondered that myself, but never bothered to rename the new local. What would happen is that the backup folders would contain old data, so rolling back the local file might not work.

[sbrown]

I always just right click the central and drag it to my documents, then say copy here. Open that file and you have a local. No worries and quick.

[Steve_Stafford]

...drag it to my documents, then say copy here...fwiw, I recommend that local copy files don't get put in "My Documents". The only users who can log into a PC and open another users "My Documents" folder are those who have sufficient network permissions. That means Network Admin permissions typically or at least special permissions that most domain users don't have. If they are placed in a common folder (C:\Revit Projects for example) that any user can see when logged in, they can open the local copy (changing the workset username to match the missing person's) and STC/relinquish stuff that needs to be. Like when someone gets dragged into a long meeting, leaves for lunch and his wife has the baby... you get the idea.

[irwin]

I always just right click the central and drag it to my documents, then say copy here. Open that file and you have a local. No worries and quick.
I think it is also a good idea to name the local file something different from the central file. I like centralfile_USERNAME.rvt.

[Haden]

If they are placed in a common folder (C:\Revit Projects for example) that any user can see when logged in, they can open the local copy (changing the workset username to match the missing person's) and STC/relinquish stuff that needs to be. Like when someone gets dragged into a long meeting, leaves for lunch and his wife has the baby... you get the idea.
When this happens, I just use the Central File to open as another user, then relinquish. As rarely as this occurs, it makes more sense to use the Central File, so the local user files can reside in a folder that I create UNDER My Documents that I call "My Revit" (similar to the "My Pictures" subfolder, etc.). This also makes it easy to browse for in the Revit File Open dialogue, since you always have a shortcut to the "My Documents" folder on the left.

[Steve_Stafford]

...When this happens, I just use the Central File...You run the risk of losing any work that hasn't been saved to central yet. Maybe not a big risk but if someone did a lot of work and only saved locally for half a day, left at lunch and didn't return for some reason. Just making a new local would lose their work. The larger the team the greater the chances are. Something to consider...


I think it is also a good idea to name the local file something different from the central file. I like centralfile_USERNAME.rvt. Sure is...I use my "initials" + "mm/yy".

Regarding overwriting an existing local file, I did a little testing and Revit did not delete the folder and replace it with a new folder. The contents of the folder updated but the previous .bak file stayed there or at least Revit kept the same name. I'm still more comfortable with creating a new local with a different name to force the creation of a new local file folder structure.