linked files V worksets

[Martin P]

Having never used worksets before as a single user I might be incorrect here... but I am working on a project at the moment that has an area with a conservatory and lots of steel. I wanted to isolate this from the rest of the model to let me work on it more easily, and to be sure wall joins etc werent messing about with where I put things. So being an long term user of autocad and XREFS!! I decided to do the area as a separate model then link it. Would I be better/easier/quicker using worksets, as this seems to me esentially what they do, but I imagine they would still let revit move the location of things when they are sent back to the source file? ie If a wall was 5mm off from another, revit would magnetically move it, yes? where as the linking method wouldnt... - as a side issue I am doing the columns as an in place family (with loaded componets) and the beams too, this stops the being magnetically moved by Revit.

[JamesVan]

Martin,

I recently tried the same thing with a prototype office tower. You are right about the 'non-magnetic' nature of the linked objects, however, weird things happen when you try to display these linked steel objects in section and elevation. This is possibly a bug that needs to be resolved.

See attached.

[sbrown]

you also can't explode the linked file so you are stuck with it outside your project.

i would use worksets for this app.

[Martin P]

you also can't explode the linked file so you are stuck with it outside your project.

i would use worksets for this app.

In this case it shouldnt (fingers crossed) cause me a problem, but I see your point. The real worry I have with worksets is Revit moving stuff once I send back to the main file - in this project (as many) I have walls in very specific locations, because of the way revit handles wall joins it will alter the relationships I need the walls to have. If the lock object command in revit actually worked it would be ok - all it does is stop ME altering objects, but revit can still alter them - and as there is no other way to completely isolate objects( particularly walls) and stop them reacting with each other, linked files seems the only answer at the moment - I have added Explode a linked file to the wishlist though!! :D I think May also ask for a pick button to keep walls disjoined, it is very annoying when an internal partition alters an external wall :x