Revit Worksets

[jszymborska]

Hi there, I'm trying to figure out how to move dimensions to a separate workset. Is it possible?

[RSomppi]

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@jszymborska wrote:

Hi there, I'm trying to figure out how to move dimensions to a separate workset.

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Why?

[jszymborska]

Because I was asked to do so.. Just wonder if it's possible?

[Alfredo_Medina · Accepted solution]

Dimensions are not model elements. Therefore they pertain to the view where they are created. They have a workset property that is grayed out, which is the name of the view. If you don´t want to see them, just hide the category.

[RSomppi · Accepted solution]

There has to be a reason for it. 

The simple answer is no. They cannot be assigned to a workset. If you tell us why you need it, there may be another solution.

[constantin.stroescu · Accepted solution]

I think it will be better if you'll create a View Template without dimensions....and then apply it to desired Views

[jszymborska]

I was just looking for a straight answer (yes or no), couldn't see one anywhere. So thank you for this.
I have another solution, just made new vie template and turned their visibility off. I had to hide them for a submission and my manager asked if I can put them on new workset.

[dan.luxford]

@jszymborska I'm with you here. Here is my scenario, I have single service drawings with reference dimensions back to structure, grids and levels, once approved I also will need manufacture dimensions, say flange offset to a shoe. I would like to be able to get all my dimensioning done at Approval stage, with the Manufacture dimensions on a "Manufacture Detail" workset (turned off), and when approved and we go to Construction issue, we can just turn the workset on and still retain the reference dimensions. The only way I have found to get the manufacture details turning off and on is to add them to a selection set, and create a filter in the view template, but this is a far mor erroneous task.

[arq_42]

Worksets should not be used to control visibility; it's bad practice.

What you want to achieve is easier if you create a new dimension type (i.e., "Manufacture dimensions") and then add a filter, filtering by type name.
You can later turn the filter off and on if you wish.

[dan.luxford]

Then why do worksets have a visibility setting? Please don't think I am being argumentative, as I am genuinely not, more would like to know the reason that using a workset in this way would be considered "bad practice".

[arq_42]

Obviously, this possibility exists and is used.
But what's considered bad practice is using them by default for that purpose.

I mean, there's also the possibility of modifying graphics in a view by element, but it would be crazy to work that way.

For example, I worked on a large project where the BIM manager worked this way, requiring us to create worksets for walls, doors, windows, etc., just to be able to filter. That's what categories are for!

In my opinion, worksets should be used to encompass parts of the project that form a whole (for example, in a shopping center project, I would create one for the restrooms, another for the parking area, another for furniture and interior design plants, etc.).

Obviously, I'll also use them later to turn them on/off in views, but not as a final purpose.

Additionally, a very useful part of using worksets this way is that you can close them, which means that Revit will not only stop displaying them, but will also act as if they didn't exist, and won't even perform calculations with them.

On the other hand, using view filters has greater potential for controlling graphics.
You could create a shared parameter for many categories and control all of them with a filter that searches for that parameter, for example.
And of course, create view templates with these filters.

[RSomppi]

I used to say that using worksets for visibility is a bad practice. It is not. It’s a function that should not be discouraged. Some people use worksets like AutoCAD layers so that they can control visibility because they don’t know that there are smarter ways to control visibility. Worksets are designed for splitting up the model for division of duties, areas of a project, etc. They are also used to check out parts of a model. One could actually take ownership of a worker to prevent others from editing objects so that they could work on them without being connected to the central model. This use is not as important with the connectors we have these days. Sometimes we add something to a project that only needs to seen in select views like a .dwg link. Putting that link on a workset that is off in all views and turning it on where needed is much better than having to turn it off in all the other views.

Using worksets for visibility is a valid and valuable workflow. Using worksets like AutoCAD layers is not so good.

[arq_42]

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@RSomppi:

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Sometimes we add something to a project that only needs to seen in select views like a .dwg link. Putting that link on a workset that is off in all views and turning it on where needed is much better than having to turn it off in all the other views.

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Totally agree, it is essential (for me) to have at least an Aux workset in the model for this uses.

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@RSomppi :

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Using worksets for visibility is a valid and valuable workflow. Using worksets like AutoCAD layers is not so good.

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this.

[TripleM-Dev.net]

Hi @jszymborska ,

Depending on the needs you can use:

For all dimensions, turn dimension category off in the view (or viewtemplate)

For specific dimension (types) create a Saved Selection set which can be used as a viewfilter.

(as far as I know dimensions can't be used in Rule filters)

Note that the saved selection need to be manually updated if new dimensions are added that need filtering out.

[SteveKStafford]

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@dan.luxford wrote:

Then why do worksets have a visibility setting? Please don't think I am being argumentative, as I am genuinely not, more would like to know the reason that using a workset in this way would be considered "bad practice".

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It's not unlike relying on other people to assign elements to the correct layer in AutoCAD. If we rely on Worksets to manage visibility it is unreliable and everyone on the team needs to manage it, fix elements assigned to the wrong workset. It is effective when everyone pays attention. Every project I've ever worked on has elements assigned to the wrong workset...every.single.one. The less we rely on that method the less impact it has when it is not adhered to.

The purpose of Worksets is to permit multiple users to work on the same model concurrently. It's not unlike a public library, Revit is the librarian, our local file is our library "card" (how Revit knows who we are), book shelves are worksets and everything in the model is a book. We can define shelves to assign books to. Revit manages the family, view and standards shelves itself. Books can only be assigned to one shelf and only one person can borrow a book at a time. Visibility of worksets was envisioned to help us deal with PC performance but it was natural for people to make the leap to them being "like" layers.

Dimensions are annotation which belong to the view they are placed in and its workset, which is not managed by "us". Revit assigns them to the views without input from us other than placing the dimension. Occasionally there is some corruption and we might find a dimension associated with a User Created Workset. That's not supposed to happen.

Ultimately we all have to agree to do things in an organized way and if your team uses worksets to control visibility then you all have to agree to take care of it so it works, like any other office standard practice. So while many of us resist doing so it can and does work.

For example, I use filters to control grid and level visibility of linked models instead of relying on workset assignment because that is far more predictable. I can control my filter and my grid/level names so they are always unique without ever having to ask the consultants to fix their workset assignments.