Exercise 10.1: Enable Worksharing

To begin, go to the book’s web page at www.sybex.com/go/revit2015essentials, download the files for Chapter 10, and open the file c10-ex-10.1start.rvt.

1. With the example file now open, navigate to the Collaborate tab and select the Worksets tool. The initial Worksharing dialog box (Figure 10.2) appears, outlining the worksets that project elements will be assigned to.

   

2. By default, datum objects are moved to a workset called Shared Levels and Grids. Project content that is not view specific (geometry and rooms) is all assigned to Workset1. Click OK to continue.
3. The Worksets dialog box (Figure 10.3) opens next. Your username appears in the Owner field. Currently, you own everything in the project since you enabled worksharing. Click OK to continue.

   

4. Next, you want to save the project as the Central Model. Navigate to Application Save As Project. Before clicking Save, click the Options button. In the File Save Options dialog you can confirm that this will be the Central Model. You will have other options, such as the maximum number of backups that Revit Architecture will maintain for the Central Model (Figure 10.4). Confirm that Make this a Central Model after save is checked, and click OK to close the File Save Options dialog.

   

5. In the Save As dialog, enter the filename c10-ex-10.2start.rvt. You will use this Central Model for the start of the next exercise. Click Save to create your Central Model (Figure 10.5).

   

6. After the save completes, from the Collaborate tab click the Relinquish All Mine tool. This will release ownership of all model elements and is an important step to allow other users to work with the model.
   
7. Close the Central Model. You should not be prompted to save or relinquish any elements since you have already done so.

In the following exercise you will create a local file using the newly saved Central Model from Exercise 10.1.

Exercise 10.2: Create the Local File and Worksets

To begin, ensure that Exercise 10.1 has been completed. You will utilize the Central Model you previously saved to create your local file. This is important because in order to create a local file, the Central Model cannot be moved around (since the initial save includes the model location).

1. Click Open in the Application menu and browse to your Central Model, c10-ex-10.2start.rvt.
2. Select it, but don’t open it just yet.
3. As shown in Figure 10.6, ensure that the Create New Local option is checked.

   

   1. Selecting this option will not open the Central Model directly but instead will create a local file (Figure 10.6).
   2. By default, your local file is saved in your Documents folder with a suffix based on your Revit username. In this author’s case, the username is duellr. So, the local file is saved in the Documents folder as c10-ex-10.2start_duellr.rvt.
4. Click Open to create a local file that communicates directly with the Central Model. This is the process you would use when working on real-world projects.
   1. Next, you’ll create several worksets that can be used to organize your model elements.
5. Open the Worksets dialog box from the Collaborate tab Worksets.
6. Click New, and then create three additional worksets called Core, Exterior, and Interior (Figure 10.7).

   

   1. Keep in mind that worksets are not layers, and little granularity is required. Basically, worksets should be used as collections of objects based on how you want them to be organized in the project.
7. Click OK to close the dialog.
8. Open the Visibility/Graphic Overrides dialog box for the view (keyboard shortcut VG).
   1. Notice that there is now an additional Worksets tab that didn’t exist before worksharing was enabled. This tab allows you to turn off the visibility of elements based on their workset assignment. When you’ve finished examining this tab, close the local file before starting the next exercise.

In the following exercise you will assign model elements to worksets and adjust the workset visibility settings of the view.

Exercise 10.3: Assign Elements to Worksets and Control Visibility

To begin, make sure that you’ve downloaded the file c10-ex-10.3start.rvt, but don’t open it just yet.

1. From the Revit Application menu click Open, browse to c10-ex-10.3start.rvt, and select the file. Check Detach From Central and click Open. This will allow you to open an existing Central Model to resave it in a new location.
   
2. When the Detach Model From Central dialog displays, choose Detach And Preserve Worksets. This will preserve all worksets in the model. After the model opens, click the Save button and save as c10-ex-10.3start.rvt. If you’re saving the file in the same location as the original model, when prompted that the workset file already exists, click Yes.
3. The model should open the Level 1 floor plan view. Open the Visibility/Graphic Overrides dialog box for the view (keyboard shortcut VG) and click the Worksets tab. Change the Visibility setting for the Core, Exterior, and Interior worksets to Hide (Figure 10.8). Click OK to close the dialog.

   

4. Window-select the elements shown in Figure 10.9. While the elements are selected, click the Filter tool from the Selection contextual panel. Uncheck Room Tags and click OK to close the Filter dialog (Figure 10.9).
   

   

5. From the Properties palette, locate the Workset parameter. This indicates the element’s workset assignment. With the multiple elements still selected, change this value from Workset1 to Core. Notice that the elements are no longer visible, since in step 3 you set this workset to be hidden.
6. Next, you will assign some interior elements to the Interior workset. Draw a selection window from the lower right to the upper left inside the exterior walls. Windowing from this direction will include every element you cross or include within the window you draw. (If you windowed from left to right, it would select only the elements fully contained within the selection box (Figure 10.10).

   

7. With the multiple elements still selected, use the Filter tool again to uncheck Room Tags and <Room Separation>. Change the Workset value from Workset1 to Interior.
8. For the final selection set, select everything remaining in the view, and use the Filter tool. Click Check None; then check only Walls and click OK. In the Properties palette change the workset from Workset1 to Exterior.
9. By this step the only items visible are two room separation lines. Select them and assign them to the Interior workset. Now no geometry should be visible in the Level 1 view. Open the Visibility/Graphic Overrides dialog for the view, and reset the visibility settings back to Use Global Setting (Visible), as shown in Figure 10.11. Click OK to return to the view, and all elements should once again be visible.

   

At this point you can close this model and save your changes when prompted. The next section elaborates on the options available when working in local files and interacting with the Central Model (such as saving your changes).

Exercise 10.4: Open and Close Worksets

To begin, make sure you’ve downloaded the file c10-ex-10.4start.rvt, but don’t open it just yet.

1. From the Revit Application menu browse to c10-ex-10.4start.rvt and select the file. Check Detach From Central and click Open. This will allow you to open an existing Central Model to resave it in a new location.
2. When the Detach Model From Central dialog displays, choose Detach And Preserve Worksets. This will preserve all worksets in the model. After the model opens, click the Save button and save as c10-ex-10.4start.rvt. If you’re saving in the same location as the original model, when prompted with The Workset File Already Exists, click Yes.
3. Open the Worksets dialog box under Collaborate Worksets (or click the Worksets button on the status bar). Notice that currently all worksets are set to Open (the Opened column will read Yes or No accordingly).
4. In this example model there are five worksets: Doors-Windows, Exterior Walls, Furniture, Interior Walls, and Rooms. Select the Furniture and Rooms worksets and click the Close button (Figure 10.15). You can select multiple worksets at the same time by holding down the Ctrl key while selecting.

   

5. Click OK to close the Worksets dialog. Notice in the Level 1 view that the rooms and furniture are no longer visible. Unlike the Visibility/Graphic Overrides Worksets Visibility setting, closing or opening a workset will affect all views.
6. Open the {3D} view to confirm this and note that the furniture is not visible. Open the Worksets dialog and additionally close the Interior Walls and Doors-Windows worksets. Click OK to return to the {3D} view (Figure 10.16).

   

7. At any point you can reopen worksets to make the elements on those worksets visible again. Open the Worksets dialog again and select the Furniture and Interior Walls worksets. Click Open, and then click OK to return to the {3D} view. Note that the furniture is visible again in this and any additional project views where it was previously. You can save and close this model when finished.