Consultants Not Seeing Links In Shared Model

[ChrisGamble]

We have a model that has links in it. We published, packaged, and shared our model. The consultants are saying they can link in the main model, but they are not seeing the nested links. We cant see their screen, but I wanted to see if anyone here has ran into this issue and knows of some things to look for that might be causing this problem.

[múinteoir]

Where are the linked models stored? are they also on 360? If so have the consultants got view access to these links?

[cgambleTFFSQ]

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[ChrisGamble]

The linked models are on 360, but we didn't package and publish them as well, we only package the main model. I was taught that you didn't need to include the links in the package because they would come in with the main model that they are linked into once its shared. But that doesn't make sense now that I think about it because if they are pulling the model from the shared folder but don't have access to our project files folder, where the links live, they cant find a path to the links. But I am seeing now that the consultants are members on the project but not on a team. So I'm not sure how to check their permissions. But they are able to access the shared folder for some reason. (I didn't set up this project, I'm new on it)

[AdamPeter · Accepted solution]

Hi @ChrisGamble and thanks for posting!  I'm going to guess that the links are in your team folder as source files.  If you also shared the links in the package than the source model and the links would be available in the shared folder (which everyone has read-only access to).  What I would recommend is for the consultants to re-link the models in from the shared folder.  That way, their links only update when a new package is shared.  

[ChrisGamble]

Okay, I believe that will be the solution. I'm going to test that with them to see if that works, I'm sure it will.

[ErikFrandsen]

Can try setting the revit links  "reference type" to "attachment" under manage links.  This will pull the links you have in your model to someone else's model once they link your main model.  Just need to make sure everything is setup in right spot first on BIM360.

[ChrisGamble]

The issue was that when we shared a new package, the models were being copied to the shared folder with all their current paths. So the link paths were not updated. We should have opened the models in the shared folder and updated the paths and saved the models for the client. 

[ChrisGamble]

@AdamPeter I am curious though as to the purpose of the consuming method, because it seems like it has the same purpose as the shared folder. Is it just review the package and the changes that were made since the previous package? Then you can consume it and that copies it into the consumed folder, so the team knows to link from the consumed folder because the models in that folder have been reviewed?

[AdamPeter]

yes, that is exactly right.  There are scenarios where you don't want your links to "automatically" update just because the originating team created a new package.  We wanted to accommodate for fact that a consuming team should have some control on whether or not they wanted to "receive" the update until it had been vetted by someone on their team.

[ChrisGamble]

Okay awesome, now I understand. Thank you!

[ChrisGamble]

But I do have a similar question for you as for the consume folder.

We have created and shared a package and our consultant has consumed that package. In that package is a building file that has bim 360 models that are linked into said building model, and we have also included the actual link files in the package as well.

To my understanding, when you create and share a package, and consume the package, those links re-path themselves into the consumed team folder. Is that correct?

If so, then my consultants should be able to see my links in my building model when they link in the building model from the consumed folder, because its child links paths have updated. But my consultants still cannot see the links

[Anonymous]

Did you ever get a response to this? I am having this same issue im trying to resolve.

[ChrisGamble]

which specific issue are you having? This post contains several practice issues.