Day 8

In today’s lesson, Chris Sharkey and Elizabeth Veatch taught us about worksets and worksharing capabilities.  They also were able to incorporate phasing, design options, and color schemes as part of the lesson. 

Worksharing

Worksharing is the method of setting up a file so that multiple people can work on it at the same time, which can speed up the time it takes to produce a BIM model if executed correctly.  The main file which everyone is to work off of is called a central file, usually found in a network server.  Having a central files enables multiple people to work off of one file while keeping it organized, while also preventing any confusion in transition of work.  Basically, having a central file will keep one person from changing something in the file they are not supposed to, as those changes need to be authorized by the person in charge of the certain workset.

A workset is an organizational model which allows for division of work within a project.  Worksets are organized graphic overrides much like layers in autoCAD which works with the visibility of elements in a given view.  For example, you could put exterior elements and interior elements of different worksets so that one person can work one one and another on the other.  Worksets are the engine that makes worksharing possible.  Under worksets they have indications of who is working on the file and who has permission to do the work. In the options bar, there are owners, who are the people who checked out the workset by changing the no on editable to yes.  There are also borrowers, who can open the workset which is being checked out, but cannot edit it.  This restricts people from changing things around without relaying it to the other people working on the project.

steps for working with a central file Copy the central file onto a location on your computer A message will pop up acknowledging your presence  in the central file, click ok and then save the file so that you acknowledge you want to work in the file Right click on any of the design bars at the top of the page and turn on worksets Click on the button to manage worksets and there you will be able to turn on any of the worksets you need to work with. Under  the editable tab you want to switch to yes to any files you plan on working with.  Once you do this, you have “checked out” that workset and thus cannot be edited by anyone else.  This provides a safety device to stop other people from changing the same things around. When you check a workset out, you become an owner and have gained access to the file.  After you are done using the file, you need to go to file and press save to central file to update the file.  You will then be given an option to relinquish your authority over the workset, which now enables it to be edited  by another user. In order to see any updates to the file, go to file and press reload latest in order to sync back up with the central file.  If you are not an owner and use the workset you are a using the workset, you are a borrower.  If you make any changes to the file, you have to request to make these changes and have the owner of the workset authorize it. It is a system of collaboration, so while working in the program, you also need to confer with the other users in order to be successfully integrates into the system.

Workset toolbar

steps for creating a local file from a central file Copy the central file onto another location on your computer and rename the file Go to file ---> open and select the file which you have saved onto your computer, and uncheck the detach from central box located at the bottom of the open screen Save the file onto the specified location on your computer Save as the file and under options button located on the right side of the save as box, select the make this a central file after save box and change number of backups to 2-6 depending on need (more backups take more space of the hardrive/server) Once you have done this, you have acknowledged it is its own file and you will be able to work on the file without messing up the central file

Phasing

Phasing is an organizational method which allows you to categorize building elements by which phase of construction the belong to.  Some examples of phases that can categorize these elements are: demolition, new construction, existing conditions, etc.  In CAD, you would have to have all of these of different files and use different layers to communicate the phasing, but in Revit, you are able to utilize phasing in one file, making it much easier to organize and understand.

Under the settings tab, you can define different phases that you want to use.  The phasing filters tab defines what you see in each view.  For example if you choose demo + new, you will see what elements are being demolished and which ones are new.  In the graphic overrides tab you can delineate how the different phases are to be shown, for example, demolished elements are red dotted lines.  In order to select which elements are in which phase, go to the element properties under phasing and choose which one you want.  In order to establish which view is in which phase, right click in the view and go to view properties.  When you pick a phase and a phase filter, you decide what you want to see in that view.  For example if you want to show the demolition phase you would choose the phase that correlates with that and then under filter choose an option with demo in it to see what elements are being demolished.

Design Options

Design options allow for you to show a couple different options in your design without having to open a new file.  For example, if you have two designs for an entrance and want to show both to a customer, you create two different design options and let them choose which one works best.  Again right click on the top design bars to activate the design options bars.

To create design options, you go to option set and define what design option you are doing.  In this example the design option is the entryway.  Then you define the option to which you can choose.  In this example, the two options are with an atrium and without one.  When in the view, go to the design option bar shown below to select which design option you want to show.  You do this by going into the design options button and selecting the option you want.