How to handle Worksets,Design Options and Phases of a linked Revit Model

[parveensharma2130]

These are three separate question :

1. When I link A revit model (having different worksets) into B revit model, We can control the worksets visibility at the time of linking. We can select any workset to be switched off and it will not be visibility in any view. Can we controll it after linking and on the basis of views, i.e. Can we switch off any single worksets of a link file in a particular view. My understanding is that We can't control worksets of a link file in our main revit model.

2. If A.rvt contains deisgn options. can we link those design options to design options in B.rvt, Can we set the visibility of a view in B.rvt to see desired design option from A.rvt. My understanding is that revit link does not contains design options information. Please correct if I am wrong.

3. Similar rules applies with Phases. We can't link phases from A.rvt with phases in B.rvt, Also can not controll the visibility of phases of a linked revit model.

Seeks experts comments to confirm my belief. What are the nearest possible work around for these issues.

Parveen Sharma

[Jazzster11]

1. I think in Revit 2011 you can control the visibility of linked worksets, but not per view, only project wide. In Revit 2010 I haven't found a way to do it (including using filters.) If anyone knows of a way in 2010, then please correct me.

2. You cannot LINK design options from a linked project with those in your host project, but you can use VG Overrides to control the visibility of the design options in the linked project per view. Or you can set up views in the linked project that already have been set up the way you want and use a Linked View under VG Overrides in your host project views.

3. You CAN link phases between project files. Select the linked file, go to properties, then element properties, select phase mapping, and then associate host phases with linked phases. We couldn't get anything done on our project without this because we have 7 phases at the moment and will probably need sub-phases later. Note that it helps to have the same phases in all project files but it's not necessary.

Good luck.

- Alex

[parveensharma2130]

Thanks Alex, for your time.

I am still waiting for comments for other experts regarding these issues.

[Jazzster11]

Maybe they're not responding because I answered your question already.

Did it work? If you could explain why it didn't, then maybe others will chime in to help out.

- Alex

[midsisknmg]

Hi Alex,

I currently have an issue with one of my mechanical models that has 3 different phases - Existing, Demo, and New.

I set up one of my 'new plot views' with:

Phase Filter - "Show Previous + New"

Phase - "New Construction"

Existing and new ductwork shows up correctly - existing is light, new is dark.

However, the new walls in the architectural model is also showing up dark.

Is there a way to make this light or halftone to match the existing walls?

I'd like to follow the industry standard and only highlight new work in my model.

Any comments would be helpful.  Thanks!

[CoreyDaun]

Hello, and welcome to the Discussion Groups!

I suspect that the Architectural Link may not possess a "Demo" Phase, and thus Phase Mapping may be required to synchronize the Phasing between the current Project and the Linked Model.

On a side note, typically, one should not create a specific, separate Phase for Demolition. The "New Construction" Phase is Revit is named in a somewhat misleading way - it does not represent only the new work of the project, but rather all of the work that is to be done within the scope of the project. Revit handles both Demolition and New Work through the use of Phase Filters. Here is a basic example, if you wish to follow along...

The example will consist of an existing room with a north/south dividing wall. The scope will be to demolish the bisecting wall and to build a new wall bisecting the room east/west.

Start a new Project. First, draw a few Walls in a rectangle and the bisecting wall north/south, and set their 'Phase Created' to "Existing". Select the north/south Wall and set its 'Phase Demolished' to "New Construction". Now, draw a new Wall bisecting the Room east/west and leave the 'Phase Created' as "New Construction".

Now that the model data has been created, Revit will handle the display and visibility of these elements with the View's Phase Filters. Under the View's Properties, change the View Filter to "Show Previous + New", and notice how the demolished Wall is hidden and the new Wall is bold. Now change the View Filter to "Show Previous + Demo", and notice how the new Wall is hidden and the demolished Wall is now shown as bold and dashed.

[jkarben]

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@midsisknmg wrote:

However, the new walls in the architectural model is also showing up dark.

Is there a way to make this light or halftone to match the existing walls?

I'd like to follow the industry standard and only highlight new work in my model.

---

There are a couple was to get the arch model's new work to show light/halftoned.

Option 1

- To get a thin line weight add a filter to your views that changes the walls, doors, windows, etc. Filter's trump phase graphic overrides.

- Halftoning is applied when the view's discipline is set to one of the M/E disciplines. It can also be set with the view's model categories, the linked setting or with the same filter above.

Option 2

- Go into your copy of the architect's model and change object styles and phase graphic overrides to your desired lineweight. (Check their line weight assignments. You'll probably want theirs to match yours. You can transfer your line weights into the arch model's to get them to match.)

- Now back in the visiblity for the view in the host model. Go to Revit Links > Display Settings > Basics Tab and set the Object style to <By linked file>. (Will need to have the view set to "By linked view" or "Custom")

- This assigns the visiblity of the linked model to those changes in the Arch model and separates it from your host model.

[MKFreiert]

I've got to disagree with Corey.

While for many projects, new construction is the phase for the entirety of a project, depending on CA requirements of long term phasing multiple phases are used. New construction as a default IS for new construction. On more complex work, you may have many more phases, particularly where a project has deferred work that's been master planned.

Using a demo phase used to be recommended practice, however that workflow is less common now, but still entirely appropriate depending on your firms documentation style.

It's very useful where you may need to demonstrate temporary partitions to a landlord or for a demolition permit where construction documents are not yet finalized. In the CDs you'd then see the temporary screen/construction screen wall removed.  Demo is long done, and would not be a part of the CD set proper per se.

That said, phase mapping may resolve your issue.  In the project browser, right click on your arch linked model (all the way at the bottom) choose "Type properties", then "Phase Mapping's" "Edit" button and match the arch phases to the phases you want them to land in your project as.  

[CoreyDaun]

I know that method is used and acceptable, and I should have probably stressed "typically" a bit. As you stated, it depends on the nature of the Project and a firm's standard practices. Ultimately, a project could be handled using either method.

For instance, in showing demo plans with temporary partitions in the same View, one could create the temporary walls (created and demo'ed in New Construction phase) and then either alter or create a new Phase Filter to show Previous + Demo + Temp. If the temporary partitions are shown on their own plan, a Phase Filter "Show Previous + Temp" can easily be created. I suppose it's all about managing the data in a way that makes sense for the project, and there are pro's and con's to both methods.

[SteveKStafford]

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@MKFreiert wrote:

Using a demo phase used to be recommended practice, however that workflow is less common now, but still entirely appropriate depending on your firms documentation style.

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Just want to clarify something. It has never been recommended by Revit's developers and it is not how the Phase features are intended to work. A Demo phase is not required for phase features to work. In Revit's mindset Demo is not a separate phase, it is something that occurs during new construction. Creating a Demo phase actually makes it harder to get graphical changes to occur properly in views assigned to different phases and different phase filters.

[rburchettKMB2U]

Hey Parveen,

There is one work around I use for design options from a linked model. Say A.rvt has 2 design options. As an Engineering firm we need to layout each option until they choose one. So what I do is use a View Template to control the view. First make the same design options as A.rvt in your model. Then make a view template with the same names, Electrical power plan Option 1, Electrical power plan Option 2. Then in your View templates you can set your models design option and the A.rvt design options. So in one view by changing view templates you can set your design option and change the view to show the linked models design option. Hope this helps.

[atul.saraff]

Hi,

Im new to design options on revit. I wanted to know in the above example if the Revit model A has 2 design options. and i want to bind the elements into the model B, will the 2 design options also come into the model as seperate design options?