Multiple users opening the same NWF

[dennis]

Oddly, I have never run into this before now, so I don't know if this is something new or not.  The NWF file can be opened by multiple people at the same time?  No msg about opening read-only nor any other indication that someone else in the NWF.  Is there an OPTIONS setting that would keep this from happening?  Leaving it wide open for anyone at anytime and as many as want can only lead to messed up NWFs where the last saves wins.  Not good IMHO.

[dgorsman]

We've got users doing that.  Most users don't make any changes like manually adding/removing files, changing colors, and so on so it isn't a serious problem.  I wouldn't mind better multi-user control though, even if its just a warning dialog showing who opened the file/has "administrative" control/etc.

[alan.quinn · Accepted solution]

Other than making the file read only and assuming that user don't make whole sale changes I'm not sure you can do anything in the current application configuration. However, if you like I’d suggest leaving feedback at the below link. Information gathered is used to improve the application.

Product Contact Link: http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/index?siteID=123112&id=1109794

Thanks for posting.

[MKKL]

Why would anybody accept this as a solution? Until autodesk changes the behavior of how navisworks manage works, where multiple people can open and save the same exact nwf file with no warnings or notice, and only the last person to save the file before closing it has their changes ACTUALLY saved, in my opinion THIS IS NOT SOLVED.

[ryan.saluzzi]

100% agree, problem not solved until this is actually fixed. Why is it that all other Autodesk programs operate this way by default by only allowing one user at a time to make changes but yet in Navisworks its basically a free for all. Having multiple user access seems beneficial for many coordination type workflows but there needs to be a better way to manage the changes made by all users in the same file.

[stefansikora]

Whats even worse.

Different users can have different file reader settings.

You can pre-set some variables in the Options-Editor, but not the file reader settings (not even in administrative mode)

So if multiple users have different file reader settings, every time a user is accessing the nwf means that the nwcs of the attached models are re-created with HIS settings, resulting in long loading times and a lot of network traffic.

Users across the project have to be very disciplined to keep equal settings.    

[etienne.royer]

Does anyone put an "idea" for this on the forum ?

[a.kutalmis27]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0Ok2kbNn68

[olijbailey]

I have the same problem. My company cannot allow multiple users to access the same file at the same time without any kind of alert. This is most definitely NOT SOLVED!

[dgorsman]

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@olijbailey wrote:

I have the same problem. My company cannot allow multiple users to access the same file at the same time without any kind of alert. This is most definitely NOT SOLVED!

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"Solved" in the context of this forum is a valid answer, not indicating something in the software has been fixed or changed.  For example, someone could make a post about how a pipe from a Plant3D model should be allowed to be changed in a Navisworks model.  An answer of "Navisworks isn't designed to do that." would be marked as a solution, because it answers the question even if the program will never be modified to do that.

To the original problem, I have a few solutions.  Most of them involve training and managing users (sometimes rather ruthlessly) until they get the point.

The first is to have a set of official NWF files that are write-limited to a few senior users/BIM manager types who are responsible for keep them current.  Official reviews, data collection, and other activities are run from these.  All other users access them as read-only.  If they want their own copies for personal color schemes or other personalized use they can copy those files as a starting point, but in the case of any conflicts the official ones rule.

The other solution is to auto-publish NWDs for individual models using fixed criteria.  NWFs can be built as needed, but can only use those NWDs, with direct access to the original models not permitted to maintain consistency with the NWC cache files.  Having official NWFs as above also helps.  This also works with leaving Simulate/Manage access to a few responsible users and the rest of them using Freedom, particularly for engineers who are only reviewing rather than making changes to models.

[olijbailey]

Thanks for the explanation. I was mislead by the fact that 'Solved' implies a solution had been reached - which it clearly hasn't.

I appreciate you taking the time to spell out a possible workaround involving people management but sadly, this simply won't do for us. You are assuming we have only a couple of core designers with the rest only needing to review a document. This is incorrect. All need to make changes on a living document and we need to avoid problems caused by two or more individuals working on the same document simultaneously. This problem has been solved in the true sense of the word by pretty much every other software developer I know of, simply by alerting users on opening the document that it is already in use. I would very much welcome a similar control here, as I am sure would a large proportion of the Autodesk user community.

[ryan.saluzzi]

@olijbailey  100% agreed. Other Autodesk products have this capability built in so why can't Navisworks??

[ryan.saluzzi]

maybe set it up like a central model in Revit, and have all users create "local" .NWF's from the one "central" .NWF?? this way all changes are always captured by all users operating in the same file at the same time. It does work fairly well in Revit so maybe something similar could be adapted to Navisworks? Thoughts?