Enabling Worksets

The worksets function in Revit influences your model and the way you go about working more than anything you can do. Using worksets is a mode you literally have to enter into.

Essentially, worksets are a way to divide your model. After you activate worksharing, every element in your model has a workset associated with it. Levels and grids are on their own workset, and everything else in the model is automatically assigned Workset 1. This assignment is in the form of a parameter that you can see in the Properties dialog; you can change that parameter if necessary.

Why would you want to change it? Good question. Here’s an example: say you’re modifying an interior partition, and your coworker (who is working on a local model) tries to edit that same wall. Your coworker will be denied access to the wall. But nothing is stopping them from working on another wall in the same area, one that you intended to make the same modifications to. This could get messy fast. To avoid this situation, you can add all your interior partitions to a workset called Interior Partitions and lock everybody else out of any item you’ve placed on this workset.

Now that’s the way to work!

Obviously, this process isn’t without its rules, quirks, and parts that need further explanation. To get started, go to the book’s web page at www.sybex.com/go/revit2012ner. From there, you can browse to Chapter 22 and find the file called NER-33.rvt.

To enable worksets and start the worksharing process, follow these steps:

1. 1. Open the NER-33.rvt file.
   
2. 2. On the Collaborate tab, click the Worksets button on the Worksets panel, as shown in Figure 22.2. Note that the Worksharing button is also on the status bar at the bottom of the Revit window.
   
3. 3. You get a Worksharing dialog that welcomes you to the point of no return. Accept the defaults values Shared Levels And Grids and Workset 1, as shown in Figure 22.3, and click OK.

   

   

   
   
4. 4. The next dialog you arrive at is named Worksets, as shown in Figure 22.4. As you can see, your two worksets are present in a spreadsheet format. It says they’re both editable and that you own them. Congratulations. There is plenty to explain here:
   
   
   
   • Active Workset indicates the workset where any new item will be either drawn or inserted (sort of like the current layer in AutoCAD). There is also a Gray Inactive Workset Graphics check box. When selected, it shades items that aren’t on the current workset.
     
   • The Show area at the bottom of the Worksets dialog lets you add specific families, project standards, and views to the workset list (see Figure 22.4).

   

   
   
5. 5. Click OK to get back to the model.

Now that you’ve activated the worksets and saved the model, it’s time to create the central model. This will always be the next step in the process.

Creating a Central Model

Creating the central model is generally a one-time deal. You create it immediately after you enable your worksets. The individual who creates the central model needs to be your best Revit user. If not, and this procedure is done incorrectly, you will have struggles for the entire life of the project.

Okay, best Revit user, follow this procedure to learn how to create the central model:

1. 1. Click the Application button, and choose Save As Project, as shown in Figure 22.5.

   

   
   
2. 2. In the Save As dialog, click the Options button in the lower-right corner.
   
3. 3. In the File Save Options dialog, change Maximum Backups to 1 (see Figure 22.6).
   
4. 4. Click OK.
   
5. 5. Call the file NER-CENTRAL.rvt.
   
6. 6. Click Save.

   

   
   
7. 7. On the Collaborate tab, click Synchronize With Central Synchronize Now, as shown in Figure 22.7. Doing so saves any changes made.

   

   
   
8. 8. On the Worksets panel in the Collaborate tab, click the Worksets button.
   
9. 9. Change both worksets by choosing No in the Editable column (see Figure 22.8).

   

   
   
10. 10. Click OK. (Don’t worry—I’ll explain what all this means in a moment.)
    
11. 11. Click the Synchronize Now button.

You made these worksets not editable because when you’re working in the central file, you always want to leave it with no editable worksets. That way, users don’t have access to these worksets in their local models.

The next task you need to tackle in the creation of a central model is how to make a new workset and move some components onto it.

The objective of the following procedure is to create a Site workset and to move the topography and the site components to this workset. Follow these steps:

1. 1. Click the Worksets button on the Collaborate tab.
   
2. 2. In the Worksets dialog, click the New button, as shown in Figure 22.9.
   
3. 3. In the New Workset dialog, call this workset Site, and then click OK.
   
4. 4. Make sure Site has Yes in the Editable row.
   
5. 5. Click OK.
   
6. 6. Go to the default 3D view.
   
7. 7. Select the toposurface.
   
8. 8. In the Properties dialog, find the Identity Data category, find the Workset row, and change the workset to Site.
   
9. 9. Select the rest of the site components, including the split surfaces, the tree, and the shrubs.

   

   
   
10. 10. Put these items on the Site workset.
    
11. 11. On the Collaborate tab, click the Synchronize Now button.
    
12. 12. On the Collaborate tab, click the Worksets button.
    
13. 13. Make all worksets not editable, as shown in Figure 22.10, and then click OK.
    
14. 14. Click the Synchronize Now button.

    

Next, you’ll create your local model. Luckily, you’ve done all the difficult work. Setting up the central file is the hardest part of the worksharing process and is usually done by the BIM manager or at least the BIM lead person on the project. The act of creating a local file is as simple as issuing a Save As.

Creating a Local File

With the central model in place, you’re ready for the rest of your team to have at it. Although I keep mentioning how easy most of this stuff is, there are some dangers to look out for. First, never open the central model and stay in it. When you’re in the process of creating a local model, you select the central model and select the Create New Local option. If you don’t make sure this check box is selected, guess what? You’re sitting in the central model. If this occurs, nobody has access to synchronize with the central model. Shame on you.

This section of the chapter will guide you through the process of creating a local model. Follow along:

1. 1. Close out of the central model. You’ll never go back into it again.
   
2. 2. In the Recent Files screen, click the Open button under the Files heading.
   
3. 3. Browse to your NER_CENTRAL file.
   
4. 4. Select it, but don’t open it yet.
   
5. 5. At the bottom of the dialog is a Create New Local check box. Make sure it’s selected. (See Figure 22.11.)
   
6. 6. Click Open.

Congratulations! You’re the proud owner of a new Revit file that knows your name and everything!

Yes, it knows your name. You see, when you create the local model, it’s yours to keep. This file resides in your personal documents folder on your C: drive, with your username. Not only does your local model keep a live link back to the central model, but it also knows who it belongs to. Revit does this for a good reason: this file represents you within the team.

Loading or Not Loading a Workset

I’m making a big deal out of a simple task only because it can speed up your performance—and nothing can bog down a Revit model more than a huge site complete with landscaping and maybe an image.

Switching the Opened status to No in a workset forces Revit to not load the workset into your model. If you make an edit that has an influence on the site, don’t worry: Revit will take care of that in the central model.

To turn off the site, follow this procedure:

1. 1. Click the Worksets button on the Collaborate tab.
   
2. 2. In the Site workset, change the Opened status to No, as shown in Figure 22.17.
   
3. 3. Click OK. Notice something missing?

Having the ability to turn off large portions of a model can be a tremendous advantage as you move forward in Revit. You need to exercise caution, however. You could easily deceive yourself into thinking that some portions of the model hadn’t been created yet.

Detaching from Central

You can also detach a model from central. This is sometimes useful when things run amok—and they will, from time to time. Detaching from central allows you to strip a model of all its owners and borrowers. You can then save back over the top of the existing central model so everyone can get back to enjoying their Revit experience.

Let’s look at some maintenance procedures:

1. 1. Close out of any model you may be in.
   
2. 2. In Revit, click the Open button.
   
3. 3. Browse to the central model.
   
4. 4. Instead of selecting Create New Local, click Detach From Central as shown in Figure 22.18.
   
5. 5. Click Open.
   
6. 6. New to Revit 2012, you can turn off all file sharing and put the model back into a single-user state. In this instance, however, click Detach And Preserve Worksets, as shown in Figure 22.19.

   

   

   
   
7. 7. On the Quick Access toolbar, click the Save button.
   
8. 8. Revit doesn’t know what to save the file as, so it gives you the choice. Click the Options button in the lower-right corner.
   
9. 9. Make This A Central File After Save is selected and grayed out. This is what you want to see.
   
10. 10. Click OK.
    
11. 11. Save right over the top of NER_CENTRAL.rvt.
    
12. 12. You’ve just safely saved the day.
    
13. 13. Tell all users that they need to make new local models.

Here we are at the end of the book! As I mentioned at the beginning, this book is meant to serve as a step-by-step tutorial as well as a desk reference. There are also classroom-style datasets and training material on the book’s web page. As always, please feel free to contact me directly at ewing@csos.com.