A360 collaborative files not working for users with no seat.

[Anonymous]

While using A360 to make a collaborative model in one of my office's projects, we've experienced tremendous difficulties allowing users that do not hold seats on the account to download the file from the server and work locally and then to be able to syncronize back to the central file on the server. (1) When initially downloading the file to begin working, an error message will either appear stating the file is incompatible with the central file or will not be linked correctly back to the central file and (2) not we are then not able to manually change the path back to the central file on the server. This problem seems to only occur with users who do not hold seats and thus have to work off of a downloaded local file, but there doesn't appear to be a simple solution to this because the way we fixed the issue on one user's file would then not work on another users file. Has anyone Experienced similar issues or have any clues as to what might be causing this problem?   

[Anonymous]

A360 is not like Revit server where any users can just work on the file.

With A360, you cannot download and work on the file locally and then sync back to A360.

You have to have a seat for A360 for any of that to work.

Plus, downloading a file and then trying to save back to A360 will not let you if the file name is the same.

You most delete the file on A360 in order to save it back.

[scott_d_davis]

In order for C4R to work effectively, without the work arounds and issues you are having, its in your best interests to get the entire team to buy seats. The cost is so negligible...if you buy C4R for a year, the cost works out to less than 40 Cents (US $) per person per hour. (38.5 cents to be exact, assuming 40 hour work weeks over a 52 week year)

Do you think what you are currently doing is wasting more than $.40 an hour per person?

[Anonymous]

Hi Scott,

I would say yes it is an unecissary waste because we will only be using A360 on one project of our 20+ projects that we are doing in the firm, but with that being said it would not be my call to invest in purchasing additional seats for everyone working in the project. I'm simply confused because when purchasing our seats we were under the impression that project contributers could also contribute to the project, but were limited to their accessibility within A360.

These links below from autodesk reaffirm these understandings and we're simply trying to use the service as it is adversised without purchasing unnecissary seats. 

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/a360/learn-explore/caas/CloudHelp/cloudhelp/ENU/123112/files/...

http://help.autodesk.com/view/ADSK360/ENU/?guid=GUID-0801F75A-AD4A-429A-8976-671097B3FAC3

[scott_d_davis · Accepted solution]

I think there is a bit of misunderstanding from the links provided, and maybe its the way that they are written. So let me try and clarify.  Please let me know if this helps:

If a user needs to be a "Collaborator" on a Revit model (that is, making changes to a Revit model with the need to sync the changes back with a Central file) then that user needs a subscription to Collaboration for Revit, whether its monthly, quarterly, or yearly. The most cost effective is a yearly subscription, because its $400 per person cheaper per year than the monthly/quarterly options.

If a user is a "Contributor" to a project, and do NOT need to sync changes back to a Revit Central file, then they can simply be an A360 Team Member.  An A360 team member could be a non-Revit user, but could still contribute to the project by viewing the model in the A360 Project Hub.  That person could also mark-up, comment, see properties, etc of the model and any/all of the published 2D sheet information, plus any other project documentation that has been posted to the Project Hub, such as Word files, XLS, PDF's, photos, specs, sketchup models....nearly anything can be viewed in the A360 Project without the need for plug-ins. A contributor could also download a Revit file, and open it locally in Revit, with the understanding that its a downloaded "copy" and changes cannot be sync'd back into the Central file. They could, in turn, upload that copy of the model back to A360 Team, but it is still a detached copy, and will simply be an uploaded RVT file that others on the team could view. I could see this example being true:  A PM downloads a copy of the RVT file, makes some changes as a "what if" scenario, and then uploads that back to A360, where the rest of the team can review the proposed changes, and then make those changes as necessary to the C4R workshared model. 

So a "contributor" has access to the project and all that is going into the project, but cannot actively work in a Revit Worksharing session with local files/central files.  

Only a Collaboration for Revit user can workshare with local and central files.

The entire team that are either C4R licensed, or just A360 licensed, can view, search, and socially interact, on the A360 Project site.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for clearing that up Scott. Yes I believe we were just misunderstanding what the project contributors were allowed to do in the scope of working on the project, but that clears it up and we're purchasing additional seats now. 

Thanks alot,

Kalob Morris

[Anonymous]

Scott, 

Can a collaborator initial upload and sharing of a Revit model to link and synchronize by the team or can only an administrator do this? I assume an administrator can only be assigned to members of the company/holder of the C4R seat. 

[Anonymous]

Correction to questions: Can a collaborator initiate upload and sharing of a Revit model to link and synchronize by the team or can only an administrator do this? I assume an administrator can only be assigned to members of the company/holder of the C4R seat.