Forums >> Revit Building >> Technical Support >> How can more than one person work on the same Revit File?

graeme84

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Joined: Mon, Jan 11, 2010
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How can more than one person work on the same Revit File?

Can anyone assist???

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echo1

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Joined: Thu, Jun 26, 2008
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Search setting up worksets in your help file.

 Basically you make a central file on the server.  Each user will have a local copy on their hard drive but they will check out worksets from the central  then save the work back to the central file when done.  Remember to separate your worksets wisely since your staff will not be able to work on parts of the model if they are in a workset someone else has checked out.

Good luck. 

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TomDorner

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Joined: Sun, Apr 25, 2004
1207 Posts

The answer is more complicated.

First, Revit resides on a Windows operating system which does not allow for multiple users in the same file Revit or not.  Revit's answer much like the database world is to have a replicated file system.  Basically you will create a central file which resides on the server and will act as the data collection point for the project.  Multiple people can work on the same project at the same time by creating what Revit calls 'local' files which are copies of the project.  Your work in the local file will be synchronized with the central data file on a regular basis.  You can never work in the same file at the same time though.

To help manage the process, Revit requires the creation of worksets.  Worksets are containers almost like AutoCAD layers that will hold certain pieces of the project.  The biggest mis-conception though is that you need to 'check-out' a workset to work on it.  Most large well informed firms do not follow this procedure.  Instead they simply employ what is known as ad-hoc borrowing where basically first to work on an object is the owner.  The purpose of 'owning' an element is so that no two people can work on or change an existing object at the same time.  The information you add or delete in the local file is not automatically shown in the central file or other team members local files.  Behind the scenes though Revit does transmit the ownership of an element by its ID number in real time.  In the database world this would be known as a record lock.  

Revit can only manage the ownership of objects that exist in the central file.  Anyone can add new objects anywhere any time to any workset.  Again though the information added by any one person will not show up to the other team members until they all synch to central.

If you are going to employ using Revit in the multi-user mode, it is wise to have a complete understanding of the process.  When I was teaching Revit, it would take 4-8 hours to work with the students to explain as this is a database concept no different than MS Access.  Taking a class in this concept would be a wise investment of your time and money since this is the number one spot that brings people using Revit to a halt.

-----------------------------------

Tom

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