Project wide visibilty controls for linked Revit models?

[adamKID]

Is there a way to control the visibility of objects (model or annotative) in a linked revit model that will cause any changes made to be seen throughout the entire project?

In my current situation I have been using the Visibility/Graphics menu to hide specific annotative objects on a linked structural model. Unfortunately I have to repeat this process for every floor plan, elevation, section etc. Is there are function where I can make these changes and it will effect then entire project at once?

FYI the objects I'm hiding are the grid lines and levels from the structural model.

Another question I have is whether it's better to be linking Revit models into the central file or each individual linking into their local file? Up to the point I have been linking Revit models into my local file because I've been the only one working on the project. Now I'm having someone join me on this project and we have just received and updated structural model. I'm curious if it's now better linking into the central file from the point onwards?

Thanks for any help.

[Devin_82]

As to the first question, If the linked file is has worksharing enabled, you can open up the manage links dialogue and there will be an option for "Manage Worksets". If the elements that you are trying to hide are on a specific workset and are the only things on that workset, you can close the workset and it will be done project wide. This makes a couple of assumptions and might require some consultant coordination and cooperation, but it really shouldn't be a hardship on anyone. Hope this helps.

For the second point, it is all in the central, your local is just a "working copy" of the central that facilitates multi user workflows. Whether you have your local open or your central, once you sync, its all in the central.

[Steve_Stafford]

You should learn more about View Templates, these can control views more effectively. Change a template and all the related views can be updated (in 2013,2014 they'll update automatically).

Autodesk recommends linking central files because linking to local files still causes Revit to attempt to reconcile the path to the central file location the local file is looking for, while Revit loads the link. At least that's been true prior to 2014. They haven't documented any change regarding this for 2014 though.

When you get a file from a consultant it may have been a central file but as soon as you try to open it on your network Revit realizes that it is no longer where it used to be and considers it a local file. This means in order for you to link to a central file you must first open their file using Detach from Central and then save the file to create a new central file on your own network. Then you link to this new central file. If the project is not very large you can try linking to the local file and try it again using a central...see if there is a noticeable difference. That said, so called "best practice" is to link to central files, not local files.