Network materials library 2011?

[wmullett]

Does anyone know how to install the materials library in a network location?

I would think that is where it should be now that all the Autodesk products share the same library.

[wmullett]

Has anybody done this?

[jeffh]

The materials library for Revit is intended to be installed to the local drive. There can be performance related issues if you install Revit materials to a network drive.

[twiceroadsfool]

There havent been any performance issues with the MR libraries in 2009 and 2010 installed on Network drives, that ive ever been able to discern, and ive tested the heck out of it.

That said, 2011 doesnt appear to have a way to point the FIRST library of materials to the network, the way 2010 could.

[jeffh]

There havent been any performance issues with the MR libraries in 2009 and 2010 installed on Network drives, that ive ever been able to discern, and ive tested the heck out of it.

This is what I was told by our QA department when the Accurender rendering engine was dropped. I personally never tested it.

[twiceroadsfool]

Understood, Jeff. I was told the same thing by them. :) I have heard that some people HAVE experienced performance degradation over the network, but ive never been able to ascertain what the differences were.

Things ive tested with 2009/2010 MR rendering in Revit:

1. PC rendering with heavy traffic going on directly to network.
2. Other computers bombarding the network with heavy traffic
3. Multiple computers rendering with the same networked material library at the same time given both conditions 1 & 2.

Then all of the exact same tests were performed with the exact same scenes and the exact same materials.... Stored locally.

Worth mentioning this wasnt a "very high end" network set up, either. They were VERY elementary tests, but the data and times collected showed very consistant times and very little variation, and when there WAS variation, it WASNT always in favor of the local rendering library. It seemed to have much more to do with what other load the PC itself was under.

But it really does suck that we cant network the default material library. Ive heard all the reasons why, and i understand. But it doesnt matter. IMVHO they shouldnt have released it this way.

[wmullett]

I find it very strange that Revit asks for the "network address" for the RPC content library yet it defaults to the 127.0.0.1 address ( user's machine) or allows you to enter a "local" address.