Dick and Jane Workset Problem

[phyllisr]

Actually, it is not really Dick and Jane, but never mind.

Is there a network/password/protection trick that will allow me as CAD Manager or our IT director to control worksets and borrowed elements that Jane has not relinquished? When Dick needs the workset right now? Because Jane is at a meeting and will not be back until the morning. Is there something I can control in the Central file that I can use to clear all worksets and borrowed elements once I am certain no one is using the file?

If this is something that requires a secret handshake, wearing a denim jacket with the right insignia, wearing a hat backwards or getting a tattoo I would consider it. You could always send a private message. :grin: Please include a clip of the required tattoo so I can evaluate my decision.

Thanks,
PBR

[Steve_Stafford]

...When Dick needs the workset right now? Because Jane is at a meeting and will not be back until the morning.Log onto Jane's PC and open her local copy of the project, STC and relinquish worksets. This will ensure any work that she has done will be reconciled with the project. If she hasn't done any work but borrowed worksets without returning them, you can make a new local copy after changing your workset username to Jane, STC and relinquish.

[sbrown]

This is the one case where I actually do open the central file. I'm not saying there isn't a potential issue with this. But all I do is open the central, change my username to the one that needs stuff checked in, then in the worksets dialog, browse until you see the stuff with that name, highlight and make non editable. In 8.1 you can just click relinquish mine under the file menu. Note doing this will make that persons local file unable to save to the central when they return and any changes they made that you want to keep will have to be copy/pasted back in the project. But it should be a rule that when you leave your desk, you STC and relinquish all your worksets or you can expect to lose your work. Sounds harsh, but it really affects workflow if people don't return their worksets.

[phyllisr]

Thanks to you both. Good tips.

Our user copies reside in the network. I would have to log on as Jane if I did not open the central file. Our IT Director or his assistant could log on as administrator without getting Jane's password but then they cannot relinquish as Jane. Even if we did not mandate that the user files reside in our S Drive (all project files) and allow them to reside in the U Drive (mirror of My Documents) where Jane has her own stuff, it still requires logging on as Jane. Nothing actually lives in the local drive for oh, so many reasons. Well, except my MP3 files. But I digress.

Besides, when Daisy Mae does the same thing to L'il Abner, it's really nice to have a better way.

Perhaps I am missing the obvious and made an incorrect assumption. After all, that our team got this all to function correctly on our first pilot with few oopses does not mean I understand it as well as I would like. Because our user file resides in the network, can I open Jane's file and it will "think" I am Jane? (Clip attached.) Or does it remember that it was actually Jane who created it? Because we require individual copies to be named exactly by network user name, maybe I am assuming there is a log on connection that does not exist. Before I try it and make a bigger mess, did I blithely proceed on an incorrect assumption?

Thanks.
PBR

[Steve_Stafford]

By username I meant changing the username in the current Revit session (see image) menu: Settings > Options.

If you create a local file with your user name set to Phyllis you won't be able to work on that file as Jane, Revit won't let you. This is why I said to open Jane's local file but change your user name to Jane first.

Fwiw, it has been general practice to place local copies on the local PC for performance reasons, less network traffic required. Sounds good in theory anyway. The local file has been regarded as a throw away, working copy so data recovery really isn't the same issue that might make you worry about this.

Scott's advice to just open the central file will work but I hesitate to recommend that you punish staff by throwing away their work if they forget to relinquish worksets. It doesn't serve the project to lose their work when a way exists to return their work with nearly as little effort?

If you must put local files on the server, then just change your Revit user name to Jane before opening her local copy there.

[phyllisr]

Thanks again for all the help. The rest of this post is digressing. Skip if you are busy - just about the location of the user copies and my thought process.

Actually, if it were only Revit, your local file location suggestion would be fine, even a preference. I do not disagree. Our infrastructure seems to support network locations, though, so the performance is not an issue.

My problem is global file management in general. It is easier to demand that everything reside in the network that trying to figure out who has what hidden on their local drives. If we allow the user RVT file to reside in the local drive knowing it's a non-issue (more or less), I am afraid it will open a floodgate of other things that I cannot control. Have been really, really tough about network files like JUNK.dwg and OLD STUFF.dwg and BOB'S SCHEME.dwg and TEMP1, TEMP2, FIRST TEMP and more. But if this stuff starts migrating back to local drives (because by inference, it is OK for Revit), it never makes the daily tape backup and if we need it, it could be gone. Also trying very hard to send the message that we are a team first and drawings, transmittals, notes, communication, concepts, ideas and more belong to the firm and the project, not the individual. Too many times I have had an xref to something that does not exist or exists on a local drive, and image somebody moved that meant the client logo disappeared from the titleblock, or worse, lost work. So the network it is.

PBR

[Steve_Stafford]

...The rest of this post is digressing...The methodology you choose has to work for your firm...no worries. Fwiw, I usually recommend that a firm sets a standard location for these local files like C:\Revit or C:\Revit Projects. This way any user can log into another's PC and find the file and have access (permissions) to see the contents of the folder. My Documents is a "bad" place anyway because network/domain permissions may limit who can actually see the contents of this folder.

Let us know how large projects fair with the local files residing on a server. It would be interesting to see a comparison based on a real project.

[Tom Dorner]

Phyllis,

I subscribe to the theory that the "local copy" actually reside on the local clients hard drive. I know this is a direct contradiction to every CAD managers belief for the past 20 years, but there are good reasons. The "local copy" should really be thought of in database terms and should really be considered a "replicated copy". In the database world replicated copies are kept in various locations including servers and clients. Having replicated copies actually helps ensure that should the server crash the "central file (i.e. master database)" actually might be able to be reconstructed from the replicated copies of the database residing around your system.

The "save to central" should also really be thought of a "sync with master database" as save implies a one-way trip when in reality the STC is really synching the local copy with the master database ensuring they are both in the same state after the STC.

Just my 2 cents........it's a brave new world with Revit.

Tom

[phyllisr]

Thank you all very much. This has been quite helpful and gives me much to consider over the next months. For Steve, here is what I know so far about performance. For the others, just as eye candy, you might be interested in the link after the next paragraph and the clip.

Internal pilot recreating a project. Central file about 38 MB. Link to the GAS Structural RVT file slowed things a bit if I really wanted to use it and not unload but it did not make a difference whether using a local or network copy. Usually only 2-3 users active, no issues. This was our project about 2 years ago that GAS used as a test so we did also. We are both looking for a real project so we can try consultant linking. This is why I whine about the Revit ellipse and walls.

http://images.autodesk.com/adsk/files/Gasai_Final2.pdf

First actual project, smaller 45,000 SF office building, about 22 MB file through State Submittal (still have to add the interior package). Usually 3-4 users active, no issues.

Working remote in Madison was impossible until we deployed 8.1. With 8.1, using the WAN to the Milwaukee network made local copies the only option. Saving to central a little slower through the WAN but not a huge issue. STC discipline will help - doing it every hour or so in Madison means there are not piles of things at the end of the day when everyone is trying to do the same thing.

So much to do, so much to learn, so little time.

PBR

[Steve_Stafford]

Working remote in Madison was impossible until we deployed 8.1. With 8.1, using the WAN to the Milwaukee network made local copies the only option. Saving to central a little slower through the WAN but not a huge issue.Interesting info on STC over a WAN. Like you it was too painful in the past and haven't had an opportunity to test with 8.1, good news!