Worksets owners

[hnakhla10584872]

Hi, How do you assign the ownership of worksets? How can the BIM administrator do this step?
I can see in the Worksets dialog box, the Owner field has the name of the user "User1" "User2" etc. but shouldn't this be set by the administrator?

Many thanks
H.

[ghale]

As each user creates their own local file, they will be able to check out or "own" worksets. These are not assigned by an administrator. A typical recommendation is for users to "borrow" elements instead of "own" worksets. This allows for a much more collaborative workflow.

[MikeJarosz]

The best approach is to do nothing. You seldom need to check out entire worksets. Let the users do their work. If they change any objects, Revit will note them as borrowed and will not let anyone work on them at the same time. When the work is done, the user saves to central and Revit releases the work. It will take a while to learn how to assign work to a team so that they are not stepping all over each other. I have eight architects working on one of our projects. They never check out worksets and never get in each other's way.

If someone has borrowed a wall to work on it and someone else needs to add a door to that same wall, they user may request permission from the borrower. It's best not to cross-assign work like that. I usually try to assign work by area. Susie does the first floor plan, Billy the second. Someone else does the stairs etc. This way they don't need to ask permission and wait for a reply.

One warning: Do NOT think of worksets as layers!

[Steve_Stafford]

A workset is like a bookshelf in a library. We don't borrow shelves, we borrow books (elements). When you add a wall it is assigned to the Active Workset. When you Synchronize with central Revit becomes the librarian and manages who can borrow the book. As users we interact with books. Editing elements in the project results in our borrowing them. Revit tells us we can't borrow something when someone else already has.

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).

[ghale]

One of the most common mistakes is creating too many worksets. Keep the number of worksets clean and minimal and only add when necessary for file management (not layer management). Things like Revit links, CAD Imports, and disciplines are good candidates for worksets. The less worksets you have, the easier the file will be to manage.

[hnakhla10584872]

Thank you all for the helpful answers...One more question, who then creats new worksets?

[Steve_Stafford]

We create and manage User Created worksets. Revit initially creates worksets Shared Levels and Grids and Workset 1, when we enable worksets. After that we manage them and make and manage any others that we need.

Revit deals with the worksets for Families, Project Standards and Views. We don't have to do anything with them other than go about our work. We can become the borrower of one them if we alter the nature of what they are related too. For example we can place dimensions all day but we won't borrow the Dimension works (Project Standards) unless we change one of the properties of the dimension style, such as making the tick larger or changing the font assigned to it.

[ghale]

If I understand your question right, you want to know who is responsible for creating and managing worksets. Large firms may likely have a BIM Manager that is responsible for these kinds of tasks. Some firms may assign a "Digital Design Manager" for the project. Many though, just have a team leader that assumes the roll. All of this is usually based upon complexity. The more complex the project, the more likely you will need a dedicated person to manage the digital design process.

[hnakhla10584872]

Thanks again, so, are worksets created in the central or local file? I'm under the impression that when they get created, they become the 'Ownership' of the creator. I'm just trying to understand the control side of it, i.e. Where are they created (Central or Local) etc.

[hnakhla10584872]

Thank you all for the kind help, I'm really keen to know if Worksets are created in the Central or Local file.

[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_main/files/Multi_User_Collaboration_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. :(