Local Files are not in Recent Files

[Anonymous]

I just updated to the latest version of Revit 2019 last week and the new home page is way worse than the old one. I have to go into my windows file explorer to find my local copy of the central model for every project, which takes way more time than if it was on the recent files list. I know that it's intentional that the local files don't show up in the recent files list but it was way better when they did.

[loboarch]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

I just updated to the latest version of Revit 2019 last week and the new home page is way worse than the old one. I have to go into my windows file explorer to find my local copy of the central model for every project, which takes way more time than if it was on the recent files list. I know that it's intentional that the local files don't show up in the recent files list but it was way better when they did.

---

There should be no reason to open the local copy. Just click the link for the central file on the Revit Home screen. This will automatically create a new local from the central file.

Is there a reason you are opening older local files rather than just making a new one?

[Anonymous]

You should always start with a fresh local file...depending on how long it has been since you created yours and others have saved can cause issues with the model or hold up everyone else while your local is updating to the latest version.

[Anonymous]

I disagree. Sometimes you do not synchronise changes to central file when you finish work, only save locally. Then, when you open the project the next day, you should open local file and reload latest. 

[RobDraw]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

I disagree. Sometimes you do not synchronise changes to central file when you finish work, only save locally. Then, when you open the project the next day, you should open local file and reload latest. 

---

That's bad Reviting. You should always synch with central. As already stated, problems can happen if you don't.

[ac_bryant]

Similarly, I have non-workshared files for small projects that do not appear in the recents list.

[RobDraw]

No local files is a good thing.

[jlucero]

So you are ok with all of our backups for our local files to be deleted? I'm not.

[RobDraw]

Huh? I said no such thing. Do not make assumptions.

If you're that obsessive about losing back-ups of local files, try appending the timestamp instead of overwriting. I personally think it's overkill to keep those back-ups.

[Viveka_CD]

Hi @Anonymous

I just wanted to follow up here, did the recommendations help?
Please mark any posts that help with "Accept as Solution" and thanks! This will help others seeking similar solutions.

Regards,

[Anonymous]

---

@jlucero wrote:

So you are ok with all of our backups for our local files to be deleted? I'm not.

---

Your Central file should already have enough backups to fall back on....and IT should have their nightly backups as well.

Local files just take up hard drive space, there and the journal folders...  Once cleaned off 200gb of journal files off a workstation.  

[jlucero]

Let's agree to disagree.

Having the backup local files has saved us. Things sometimes happen and it's insurance.

I don't know about backups taking up as much as 200gb. The most I've seen is 25gb. 25gb is minuscule compared to our 2tb drives.

The bottom line for us is this, we're going to not use the new recent screen if it means overwriting our locals everytime we open our projects. To me, it just doesn't make sense.

[Anonymous]

It's your models....but when someone opens their local and it hasn't sync'd to the central for a few weeks don't be complaining on here that Revit stops working for the entire team for a while....which is the time that person's local is trying to sync all the changes....and if they had changes to the model....that is when people start getting errors or stuff starts to disappear.

Starting with a fresh local each time you open you are getting the latest and greatest.

As a BIM Manager though....if I took the time to clean up a model of all the warnings I'd want everyone starting with fresh clean locals.  If they pollute it again with their unclean locals....they can fix the model themselves.

[jlucero]

We don't have that problem. Sorry.

[RobDraw]

---

@jlucero wrote:

if it means overwriting our locals everytime we open our projects. To me, it just doesn't make sense.

---

You still haven't looked at the other option that is available when you open from the central model, even after I pointed it out earlier? I believe that does not delete your back-ups.

Your logic is so very flawed about local files. They should not be used as back-ups for the central model. They can be used for getting bits and pieces from in case someone hasn't been playing well in the model but back-ups for the project, not, no, never. There are much better ways to do that. Now, if the central model gets corrupted, a local file could get you out of a difficult situation but I haven't seen that in many years. The last time that was necessary was when an inexperienced user opened the central without creating a new local while there were a number of users actively working in locals.

Shoot, just yesterday, I found myself in a situation that required me to roll back the central model. The first time in a long time. It was a project that I wasn't familiar with and I was deleting some, what appeared to be, unnecessary views that contained callouts. The views were not categorized and were under the "?" category. Luckily, I hadn't done much between deleting and discovering the issues that it caused and no one else was working on the project, otherwise I would have had to recreate work that I didn't do in the first place.

Again, saving back-ups of local files is unnecessary and redundant. Nothing wrong with CYA and, when working with inexperienced/not properly trained users, you can't have too much CYA. Elsewise, it's overkill and possibly erroneous thinking.

[ToanDN]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

It's your models....but when someone opens their local and it hasn't sync'd to the central for a few weeks don't be complaining on here that Revit stops working for the entire team for a while....which is the time that person's local is trying to sync all the changes....and if they had changes to the model....that is when people start getting errors or stuff starts to disappear.

Starting with a fresh local each time you open you are getting the latest and greatest.

As a BIM Manager though....if I took the time to clean up a model of all the warnings I'd want everyone starting with fresh clean locals.  If they pollute it again with their unclean locals....they can fix the model themselves.

---

Same here.

I think the start-up page revamp is heading the right direction.  One good thing is when you click on a central file you actually open a local copy.  Before this, if you do that it opens the central file directly.  That had gotten some folks in my office in the past.

They could have included the Template shortcuts and options to view the files as thumbnails or list and it would be a solid 5/7.

[jlucero]

Not every office runs the same so one size does not fit all. The way our studios work is that we don't have a bunch of people jumping on different jobs so everybody syncs their locals before they leave; that's our company policy. I do believe in what you are saying that definitely if somebody hasn't worked on a project in a while they start off with a central and that is the case with us. I haven't tried the time stamping option. I will and see if it does not overwrite the backups; I don't think it will. Rarely if ever do we have to recreate a central file from a local although it has happened. For the most part when we have to go for a local for something it's because of erasing or deleting something by accident and we need to copy / paste it back in. Personally the reason why I like the local backups more than the central backups is the locals go back further. The central backups are constantly being overwritten by the members of the team working on the project. Call it overkill, unnecessary, flawed thinking, etc. but at the end of the day, it's what we prefer and it works for us at the present. Change doesn't come easy. We're not ones who dig in our heels and feel that we're the only ones who have it right.

[RobDraw]

Yeah, sorry about that. Having been through the growing pains in a multi user environment with storage capacity concerns, local files were actually a part of regular file purging, re don't rely on them to be there. I'm a bit old school.

[PLColombo]

I read through ALL the posts.  I think it is a ROYAL pain in the backside to make a new local file every time.  I saved at the end of the day and when I start back up the next day I don't want to go rooting around for the file I was JUST WORKING ON. Of course you save locally and sinc with the central model when you are done - duh. I do on occasion open a file just to look at something or steal a detail, but then I don't save or sinc at all. Those are the ones maybe not looked at for a month. 

Please put it back the way  it was . 

and for the love of God and all humanity fix the fascia board problem on plumb cut overhangs. 

[RobDraw]

---

@PLColombo wrote:

I don't want to go rooting around for the file I was JUST WORKING ON.

---

Not many people do. Most create shortcuts or favorites for active projects.

What do you do when you have to open a project when you already have one open?