Summary: Revit's Project Files need refinements to make them more user-friendly and more robust, with better file management for open/audit/save/sync/etc.

Description: Revit's Workshared Project Files are challenging for users who are not experienced with worksharing, and even under the careful guidance of a BIM leader, many mistakes are regularly made, (for example: with overwriting the wrong central file, accidentally working in the central file and locking other users out of worksets, Revit synchronising failures, opening/upgrading the wrong version of a project, or needlessly losing work after a save issue).

A few small changes would go a long way to solving these issues:
* Filename extensions for Revit files could be split into RVT for LT/nonworkshared projects / RVC for central files / RVL for local files;
* Opening files from Windows File Manager (the more natural way of working instead of opening via the Revit file]open dialog), should default to open+create new local, rather than editing the central file;
* Revit should check the file version _prior_ to opening an old version project file, and give an upgrade option at that point, rather than waiting some time for Revit to part open the file before alerting the user;
* There should be an option to recreate a central file using just a local file, that can then be synced to from all other local files sharing the same central path/filename; in the event a central file is irreparably corrupted/deleted/etc, (You can currently only create a completely new Central file from the remaining local files, but these cannot be synced from other local files anymore, this is problematic if there is any issue with the network/server/central file, and multiple users working on it, as only one of the users can then save their changes as a central file, all other users' work will be lost);
* Audit should be able to delete detected elements from a damaged file (like AutoCAD);
* Save should have an Automatic background save option (like AutoCAD) and Sync should have an option to Auto-Update (when another user syncs), which would minimise downtime and interruptions from syncing.

Product and Feature: Revit Architecture - Other

Submitted By: kristo on 11/02/2017