Archiving Projects in Progress

[bfarch3]

Hopefully I'm posting this in the right place. My firm has just started using Revit Building and I was wondering what people do to archive their projects. The only thing I can think of is doing a "save as" and praying that nobody opens it and saves to central, or just making a PDF of all the drawing sheets. Neither of these seem like great solutions, just wondering what everyone else does.

[jbalding48677]

We have an archive folder that is read only. We save the file there and include the date saved i.e. 20060605 in the file name. Beyond that we also save a full set of DWF's, a 3D DWF and a full set of PDF's. Saving the DWF's and PDF's allows anyone to open and plot any sheet they want without having to open the Revit file and possibly change anything...

So in summary:

Revit File - 064568 - Project X - 20060605.rvt
DWF - 064568 - Progress Set - 20060605.dwf
DWF - 064568 - Progress Model - 20060605.dwf
PDF - 064568 - Progress Set - 20060605.pdf
Some will argue that the date should go first...

HTH -

.

[greg.mcdowell]

I'm not on a PC right now but isn't there a setting in Windows Explorer to show the date the file was created as well as the last edit date? If so, and I'm pretty sure there is, we wouldn't need to include the date of creation in the file name... which would be a blessing to my eyes.

[aaronrumple]

Hopefully I'm posting this in the right place. My firm has just started using Revit Building and I was wondering what people do to archive their projects. The only thing I can think of is doing a "save as" and praying that nobody opens it and saves to central, or just making a PDF of all the drawing sheets. Neither of these seem like great solutions, just wondering what everyone else does.Open the file using the "Detach from Central" option and then do a save as. This will make a unique project so if someone opens it, the can't accidentally save to central.

We create a "stick set" of each phase in PDF.... This makes it fast to run an additional print or take a peek without opening Revit.

[Paul P.]

Aaron, can you explain to me what a "stick set" is.

Regards,

Paul.

[Justin Marchiel]

in our office a stick set is a hard copy that is attached to a hanger, or stick, that get hung up on a rack, so that all drawings are together. i think this is the traditional use of the name "stick set".

Justin

[bfarch3]

Thanks alot Jim & Aaronrumple. Those sound comprehensive enough to cover us, especially the "detach from central" option since I didn't even know that existed...still learning.

[david_spehar]

In the old days (pre "detach from central" versions) we would merely copy and past the central file to an archive directory. By doing this it would essentially break any connection between the two files, create an archive file, and maintain all users local links to the existing central file. Does anyone know if this is still a good practice (assuming that it was a good practice to begin with)? Or is "detach from central" a safer bet?

[patricks]

We have always just done Save As, selecting Make Central File if it's a workset file, and then tacking SD1, SD2, DD1, DD2, CD1, CD2, etc. onto the end of the file name, depending on what phase the project is in or is transitioning into. This is what we do while the project is in progress, whenever we make major design changes. This way the file becomes its own central file and is not attached to anything else.

Also, I've always heard it called Rack Set :)

[david_spehar]

Sounds like there are several ways to skin this cat. By the way, I re-read my post and we copy and "paste" the file not "past" it - I'm such a dope!

[Steve_Stafford]

Sounds like there are several ways to skin this cat. By the way, I re-read my post and we copy and "paste" the file not "past" it - I'm such a dope!Archiving by copying and pasting the file into a different folder technically creates a new local file when it is opened later for some reason and is still trying to find the original central file. For this reason, Detach From Central or doing a saveas is better. No unintended access to the central file.

[david_spehar]

Archiving by copying and pasting the file into a different folder technically creates a new local file when it is opened later for some reason and is still trying to find the original central file. For this reason, Detach From Central or doing a saveas is better. No unintended access to the central file.

Well there you have it. Time to start doing it the right way (I love AUGI).

-Thanks

[bfarch3]

So where is this "detach from Central" option located?

[david_spehar]

So where is this "detach from Central" option located?


When you open a file through the File pull down menu or select the File icon there is a "detach from Central" checkbox in the lower right corner of the dialog box. Select it, open the file, then "save as" a copy to archive. You don't get this option if you just open a recent file through the File pull down.

[bfarch3]

Is this for Revit 9? I'm using Revit 8 and I don't see any boxes with those options.