This Central File has been copied

[DaveP]

There used to be an annoying message that popped up when you opened a Local Copy
"This Central File has been copied or moved..." (I don't even remember the rest of it!)

I wrote an AutoHotKey routine years ago that answered "Yes" to that prompt, so I haven't seen it in a long, long time. I'm thinking it's gone away and I don't need my AHK anymore. I know it doesn't show up if you use the built-in Make Local, but can anyone confirm that it's gone when you open a Local file directly? Just one less step for my deployment to do.

[patricks]

Yes it still happens. Just saw it this morning. Not sure why because after the local file is opened after clicking "Close" for that warning, it still points back to the Central file just as it should.

Of course it's best to make a new local file, but when I'm in and out of various linked files during the day, I'm not going to create a new local file each and every time.

[DaveP]

Nuts, I was hoping it went away.
Thanks, though.
If you want to use myAHK, here's the thread
http://forums.augi.com/showpost.php?...31&postcount=9
and here's an updated version. The verbage changed a bit in 2010, and I also added a check for that other annoying "This file has changes in more than Shared Coordinates and may invalidate..."

#Persistent
SetTimer, MsgBoxCheck, 1000
MsgBoxCheck:
If WinExist("Revit", "This Central File has been copied or moved from", "ahk_class #32770")
{
WinClose
}
If WinExist("Copied Central File", "", "ahk_class #32770")
{
WinClose
}
If WinExist("Revit", "can invalidate Local Files owned by you", "ahk_class #32770")
{
WinClose
}

[Elmo]

Question: Is the central file located on Nas device or a server that has been mapped?

[DaveP]

It is (actually, they are) on a mapped network drive, but I was just wondering generically if Revit was still prompting that message regardless of which file or where it came from.

[Steve_Stafford]

The message occurs when the central file has been moved/copied/renamed and this "new altered" file is opened. This is warning you that this copy/moved/renamed version of the central file is no longer regarded as a valid central file, instead it is now a local file that will be "looking" for the original central file. The message will still occur. I doesn't need to occur if using the newer strategy for making a local file that came with the release of 2010.

[nancy.mcclure]

Steve, it does still occur, though. Is there a written INI fix to eliminate it?

I'm working in an enviro that wrote the 2009 macro to create a new local from the desktop shortcut. I'm just now talking them out of it, as they lose the audit/selective open /options in doing so. The team that has tried to open auto-locals in 2011 gets the bejesus scared out of 'em from the "Warning! Central file has XXXX" (hey, they're intelligent cautious folk!) and they freak out.

just wondering....

[twiceroadsfool]

Steve, it does still occur, though. Is there a written INI fix to eliminate it?

I'm working in an enviro that wrote the 2009 macro to create a new local from the desktop shortcut. I'm just now talking them out of it, as they lose the audit/selective open /options in doing so. The team that has tried to open auto-locals in 2011 gets the bejesus scared out of 'em from the "Warning! Central file has XXXX" (hey, they're intelligent cautious folk!) and they freak out.

just wondering....

If they do Make-New Local everytime they open the file, they wont get it. If they only do it once a day, theyll get it every other time.

[patricks]

The message occurs when the central file has been moved/copied/renamed and this "new altered" file is opened. This is warning you that this copy/moved/renamed version of the central file is no longer regarded as a valid central file, instead it is now a local file that will be "looking" for the original central file. The message will still occur. I doesn't need to occur if using the newer strategy for making a local file that came with the release of 2010.

This happens SOMETIMES (not every time, oddly enough) for me when opening a local file that was previously auto-created, and as I said above, it still references, finds, and syncs with the Central file just as it should. Therefore the message means nothing, and in fact could be de-sensitizing people to seeing the message such that they may not take it seriously in a situation where it really could be a problem. It's like the boy crying Wolf or something.

[DaveP]

I'm with you Patrick.
It's kind of like the
(Not editable) Workset1
text in the Worksets dialog box. It meant something years ago, but it's pretty much meaningless now. Thankfully, (Not editable) is gone now. Maybe "Make Local" will be someday, too.
The new (2010) option to Make Local is a huge step in the right direction, but, frankly, I'd just like to see the whole Local Copy concept go away.
Yes, it still needs to happen - for performance reasons you still need a Local copy and local temporary files - but why the whole mystery about how often to make a Local and when to open Local, and when to open Central?

Just make it so I ALWAYS open the Central file and it ALWAYS makes a Local copy. I don't care what the name of my Local Copy is if I never have to open it. There may need to be some accommodation for saving without Syncing, but that could all be handled behind the scenes, too. The current option to check the Make Local button is getting there, but there are too many ways around it - most with the "Recent Files" choices. If I always open the Central File, and it always makes a local, I don't have to worry about the name of the local or what the Recent files is pointing too.

Yes, it might add 5 or 10 seconds to the Open time, but that's insignificant compared to the overall Open time. And that's probably outweighed by not having to Reload Latest after opening a local. The time wastd getting wrong files, Reloading, deciding which you need, and wrtting workarounds would all be gone.

This would also make it MUCH easier to explain to a new user. Think of the convoluted process you have to explain now. Then think of how much quicker a newbie would understand if the conversation went like this:
Q: "How do I open a Revit file?"
A: "Browse to the network file and click "Open"