Model Linking Strategy

[dfi]

We are working on a large Revit project where we have several models linked together and several members of the team working on each model. The one irritating thing about using linked models is that if you open a model that contains a link that another member of the team is working on than that link is automatically unloaded and cannot be reloaded until the linked model is closed.

What is the best way to link models together and at the same time be able to open linked models while others are working on them, so you don't need to kick people out of models just to open a complete project model?

I am also intersted to hear what model linking strategies are in use and what has been successful.

[sbrown]

You can open a second session of revit to have the other model open on. Also make sure you have each model on a sep. workset so you can close the workset without unloading the model.

[dhurtubise]

You can also consider copy of the link and not the live file.

[dfi]

I have concidered both options. When controling worksets I still can't view the complete project and if the workset is activated then the link is unloaded. Creating extra copies of models was a step that I was hopeing to avoid.

[sbrown]

With 2 sessions of revit open you CAN view the whole project. If your computer can handle it. I do it everyday. Note its good to use a diff. user name for each so its just like 2 diff. people working on the job.

[sifuentes]

If you have several people working on the same model simultaneously, then you have worksets enabled, then you will have central files and local files of each project. The project where you are making the links should be linking to other central files. Team members should be working on their own local copies, so there should be no conflict. Central files will be opened directly rarely, so conflicts on that side will be minimal.