Worksets owners

[damon.sidel]

Once you have Worksets enabled, nobody has to open the Central file, everybody creates their own local file and works in that. Therefore, when somebody on the team wants to create a new Workset, they create it in their local file. Then they synchronize and the Central file is updated with that new Workset. When others synchronize, they will see the new Workset, too.

PS - Not to dissuade you from asking questions--you are asking good questions--but you might find it helpful to read something more comprehensive about Worksets. Here's Autodesk's: http://images.autodesk.com/latin_am_...Revit_8-10.pdf

[MikeJarosz]

Once you have Worksets enabled, nobody has to open the Central file....

I'm repeating this, not for Damon, I know he knows, but for everyone who even THINKS about opening the central file after enabling work sharing. DON"T DO IT!!!!!!!!

Every local user currently connected to the central file will be cut off and unable to save their work. EVER!!!! Only the model manager should open the central file on those rare occasions it is necessary. Before doing that, all locals must save to central and get out. That means down time for the team. Getting back in means everyone has to make new locals.

I like to tell my team to envision how many paychecks are in that central file. Would you want to be responsible for screwing it up?

[Steve_Stafford]

...Every local user currently connected to the central file will be cut off and unable to save their work. EVER!!!!...

I'm all for encouraging people to stay out of a Central File but this claim is not true, at least assuming Revit Server is not involved where additional conditions affect the relationship between local files, accelerators and the central file.

Technically, when a user opens the central file (deliberately disabling the Create New Local option) while others are actively working in local files that user (in the central file) won't be able to save their work without first using Save As to create a new local file. Once they've saved the file with a new name they'll be able to use Synchronize with Central successfully.

If users have Worksharing Monitor installed and running they'll see when another user happens to be in the Central File, that user will be displayed in Red.

[Limbatus]

Revit will allow us to borrow a bookshelf (workset) too, but it isn't normal or recommended to do so unless you want to interfere with routine editing of elements assigned to that workset (bookshelf).

This is exactly what I'd like to do. Interfere. My office has a wide range of Revit users, and most of the senior staff, although seasoned architects, are hopelessly incompetent when it comes to 3D modeling / BIM. I can't tell you how many times I've opened up a project and beams areflying diagonally across a building, columns are moved off of their analytical geometry etc. Sometimes I hover over their shoulder to offer assistance, I commonly see people close warnings without reading, or completely disregard error messages. I know it should boil down to drafting procedures / office standards, but our firm isn't really large enough to develop these. I would like to lock access to crucial grids / beams / columns. What if I want to set this once, and then prevent future modification by the general project staff? we have 20 people in our office and typically 80-100 active revit models. Staff is constantly pushed around to different projects to accommodate deadlines and workloads. Not every staff member will have a comprehensive understanding of the building's underlying framework. I would really appreciate some advice establishing worksets to limit potential errors. Thanks

[Steve_Stafford]

...This is exactly what I'd like to do. Interfere...

You can accomplish this to some degree by creating a local file using an alternate identity like "Super Admin". While working in a local file as Super Admin you can check out worksets and then Synchronize with Central (SwC) but not relinquish the worksets. When Revit complains, when you close the local file, you don't relinquish elements either. You now are "in the way" of anyone who wants to do something to elements assigned to those worksets and/or the Project Standards, Views, and Families worksets. I advocate using an alternate identity because you can inadvertently relinquish elements when you apply the technique as yourself. You have to be disciplined to use SwC and then carefully reclaim ownership of specific items.

Some examples:

• Prevent users from altering levels and grids > Maintain ownership of their workset.
• Prevent users altering family types > take ownership of family worksets
• Prevent changes to Dimension Styles > take ownership of Project Standard > Dimension Styles

Keep in mind that other users can pretend to be this user too so it really is only a speed bump, slows people down.

Training and Education is a MUCH better long term solution. Especially if you are trying to use this technique on many projects and many people. You'll get overwhelmed with Editing Requests and conflict. You could end up becoming the pinch point on projects and end up getting complaints from everyone, above and below you.

[david_peterson]

Steve,
Anyway that you know of to lock down views in a similar fashion? I have an engineer that is using revit and "forgets" that he's working in a sheet view. So he goes along and adds all kinds of dimensions and things. Then he asks why all these dimensions are on the prints.
The other one he loves doing is hiding objects he doesn't want to see at the moment, then later on asks where they went.
Personally I love to take away his current version and set him up with a demo copy so he can't save.

Also to your point about Worksharing monitor. You need to be careful and limit the number of people using it on a project. We've had that thing crash entire network and cause a re-boot on our server when it got stuck in a loop.

[Steve_Stafford]

...Anyway that you know of to lock down views in a similar fashion?...

You can take ownership of a view workset but that doesn't prevent another user from adding new elements to that workset, like dimensions or tags. If those things are already in the view then your ownership would make it harder to alter them but since you mention adding things like dimensions you won't be able to stop it. It will prevent someone from hiding existing elements though. Anything that alters the view itself based on its state when you assume ownership will get trapped. Revit just doesn't consider a new element an alteration to the view.

The API might be able to offer a solution by "watching" for certain transactions in specified views. The LONG game is still training/education. That will yield better results eventually because somebody will always come up with a new way to make you wish you could trap that condition too.