topic Re: Working with client who does not have ACC, best practices for linking their model. in Forma for Construction Forum

Working with client who does not have ACC, best practices for linking their model.

JAHarnly — Tue, 21 Jan 2025 19:14:21 GMT

We recently started using Autodesk Construction Cloud. Some of the firms we work with do not have it. What are the best practices for linking their revit model? Additionally, we just started using a cloud based server which does not support workshared projects.

Re: Working with client who does not have ACC, best practices for linking their model.

RSomppi — Tue, 21 Jan 2025 19:39:08 GMT

@JAHarnly wrote:
We recently started using Autodesk Construction Cloud. Some of the firms we work with do not have it. What are the best practices for linking their revit model?

I would have the client send updated models on a regular basis or at key points in the project as required. On your end, you will need to link the model into your project from your preferred location. When updates happen, saving over or replacing the file will not work. You will need to use "Reload From" and choose the newly updated model. That's the only way to maintain the link settings. If not done this way you will lose all of them because Revit will think it's a new link.

@JAHarnly wrote:
Additionally, we just started using a cloud based server which does not support workshared projects.

That might turn out to not work out so well for your Revit environment. It's going to be extremely limiting at best and may be problematic. ACC requires workshared models if they are to be cloud models.

Re: Working with client who does not have ACC, best practices for linking their model.

JAHarnly — Tue, 21 Jan 2025 19:56:50 GMT

Thanks for the tips @RSomppi

If we still had a physical server in the office this would be a non issue 😞

Re: Working with client who does not have ACC, best practices for linking their model.

RSomppi — Tue, 21 Jan 2025 20:20:03 GMT

That's correct. I haven't worked in an office without a server and am unsure how big of a problem it can actually be.

Re: Working with client who does not have ACC, best practices for linking their model.

andy_hudson — Wed, 22 Jan 2025 11:12:15 GMT

We had that exact issue.

The workflow we created was to make a Dummy team on ACC for the specific model, we then download the model locally, then publish it as a cloud model to the folder on ACC, then using design collab, we publish that model as our dummy team, we then switch to our team and consume the model.

We then reload from, and choose them model in our consumed folder.

When we receive a new version of the model, we delete the model from our dummy team folder on ACC, and publish the new copy, (with the same file name), back to the dummy folder on ACC, and again publish and consume via design collab.

That way we keep the model versions via our consumed folder, but can work with revised models from outside ACC.

Re: Working with client who does not have ACC, best practices for linking their model.

RSomppi — Wed, 22 Jan 2025 11:40:11 GMT

@andy_hudson wrote:
When we receive a new version of the model, we delete the model from our dummy team folder on ACC, and publish the new copy

I've done this and it causes the host model to lose the link settings. You're not updating the link. Revit thinks it's a different model. Right?

Does the "Dummy" team thing change this behavior?

Re: Working with client who does not have ACC, best practices for linking their model.

andy_hudson — Wed, 22 Jan 2025 11:48:50 GMT

It'll always lose the link settings, the files while it looks like they have the same filename, are not the same, server side they have a unique filename, so will never relink, the only benefit to doing this is the project remains cloud hosted, but still allows you to keep version history, and therefore model comparison, in your consumed folder

Re: Working with client who does not have ACC, best practices for linking their model.

RSomppi — Wed, 22 Jan 2025 12:02:35 GMT

@andy_hudson wrote:
It'll always lose the link settings, the files while it looks like they have the same filename, are not the same, server side they have a unique filename, so will never relink,

You've got this wrong. The method that I suggested preserves linked files settings. (I've even got a project template that has placeholder links in it just for this purpose.) Try it out. If you have any trouble be sure to come back to ask questions but it's pretty simple.

Re: Working with client who does not have ACC, best practices for linking their model.

TomHEV9PF — Sat, 25 Jan 2025 04:26:22 GMT

We were in a similar situation with an engineering firm that we work with on almost every project. They finally saw the error of their ways (with a bit of proding from us) and bought docs.

Prior to that, we would send them a link to our file every week and they would email their model back every Thursday. I would then delete their model from the project folder and upload the new file to the same location every week. As long as I kept the name the same we never had any issues. In our model, I’ve set up filters based on worksets. If the linked models has components on worksets that don’t match ours (structural walls for example), the filter turns them off. This way revit doesn’t care if it’s a new model.

As far as the server, I don’t see why this should be a problem. ACC creates a local copy on your hard drive and never touches the server. Our server is nothing more than a virtual copy of the server in our main office. Unless your talking about virtual computers, in which case I have no idea.

Re: Working with client who does not have ACC, best practices for linking their model.

JAHarnly — Mon, 27 Jan 2025 13:14:50 GMT

After some experimenting we came to the same solution.

Thanks for all the advice everyone.