Link files

[MikeJarosz]

This is an issue that never occured before (at least to me).

In the past, when I have linked a file, it was always a stand-alone file without worksharing activated. I'm setting up a new project that includes an existing building. A while back, the owner commissioned a firm to redraw the building in full 3D Revit, and the consultant did a pretty good job working from the original construction drawings including a full interior fitout with rooms, occupants and other facility info.

The project will be a new addition and a redesign of the existing facility.There are a lot of objects in this file I would like to hide. One of my team members suggested I create worksets for the existing objects I want to hide, then turn them off before linking the existing file into the new file.

Will this work? Will VG for links allow me access to the worksets in the link? I don't want to enable worksets then discover they won't work, then be stuck with restoring the stand-alone.

Any advice?

[Steve_Stafford]

Yes, VG provides control over the links and you can drill down into their worksets. You can also access it from the Manage Links dialog. Unloading worksets (globally) is a great reason to manage things by worksets, for user performance, perceived or real. Using them just to manage what you see in a given view (locally) is not a great reason or justification for worksets. View Filters are much better for managing view visibility because you can use different filters to alter the same elements in different views for different reasons but those same elements can only be assigned to one workset.

[Duncan Lithgow]

All I would add to what Steve said is that it's a good idea to structure your worksets so they always contain objects from specific categories (or starting with a specific type naming convention) . otherwise it's very hard for someone not familiar with every single family type to know definitively which object goes on which workset - especially for the guy who's cleaning up after others sloppy use of worksets.

I've started making 3d views set up so only types on the wrong workset are visible.
Bear in mind that model groups can only belong to one workset.

[dhurtubise]

Duncan i have a free tool to allow you to do like the AutoCAD "slide show" tool for layers with.. worksets if you're interested just PM me

[MikeJarosz]

Follow up: Worksets in the link were accessible using VG and I was able to selectively hide objects by moving them to worksets in the originals, then turning those worksets off in the link.

[Duncan Lithgow]

I don't want to be picky, but do you mean 'turning worksets off' or 'closing worksets'. For large models it's important to understand the difference. When you close a workset it's not in your RAM - when you 'turn off' or hide a workset it is still in RAM, just not refreshed on screen.

[MikeJarosz]

do you mean 'turning worksets off' or 'closing worksets'

I do know the difference, but thanks for the reminder anyway.

This project is a competition with a limited fee and a three week schedule, so quick and dirty solutions are needed to get the team up and running. Think about it. There was a time when no one would have even thought of using Revit for a competition entry.