Using worksets without creating a central model

[Seychellian]

Forgive me in advance if this is a stupid question but I have never used Revit in a work sharing scenario as I work on my own.

I have recently received an IPC model from an MEP consultant which I inserted into my revit file and I only need it to be visible in 1 or 2 views. So i was encouraged by the consultant who sent it to me to setup worksets on the file which could control which views I wanted the IFC visible in. 

Having done this now i seem to have opened up a can of worms by creating a central file which frankly i have no need for as I am the only person who works on this file. 

The worksets thing is really handy as I have set it up so that all my cad links are on one worksets, all my structure on one, entourage on another and i have a lot of control of when to display them however I have no need to create a central model.

Is it possible for me to get the benefits of worksets without having to have a central model?

[ryley.g.h]

You can try design options. Insert the file as a link and place it on the non-primary option, and on the 2 views that you want to see the link, use the VV settings to show the attachment.

[martijn_pater]

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@ryley.g.h wrote:

You can try design options. Insert the file as a link and place it on the non-primary option, and on the 2 views that you want to see the link, use the VV settings to show the attachment.

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...wouldn't you then 'just' uncheck the link under links tab in VG for the view or in the view template...? Or am I not getting the intention of this method?

[ryley.g.h]

The problem with a link is that it is by default set to show in all views. If you have 100 views, you would have to edit 100 views, or edit the 10-15 view templates. If you set the link in with the design options and place it on the non-primary option, the link will be set by default to not show in any view. This way you have to edit less view templates/views.

[martijn_pater]

Using worksets?

Set workset to hidden in view/view template.

[Seychellian]

exactly.... it makes visibilty management so much easier. Templates are really tricky to manage because its never one size fits all. Almost every ctaegory of the project requires its own template in order for things to display they way you want them to. Taht can mean 20+ templates in you project that you need to sift through and change. I am endlessly getting into managment issues with things not displaying because of a quirk of the temaplate. These can be big errors also with drawings going to site with elements missing from them. Drawing checking because really exhaustive. Just my experience. 

[martijn_pater]

Did you mean the other way around, like show nowhere except in some views? Using Design Options is a nice workaround if you are not using worksets I suppose...

Not visible in all views...

view(template)-specific control...

[eric_bernier]

For my practice using Revit since 2002, I'd go with what Mauricio wrote as an answer.  It is really easier to work without  workset if you don't need them.  But workset are good as a general practice to manage the weight of the file and what is actualy in the model when you choose to close them.  I usualy create a Workset for each linked file for better control.  When you get used to it, it is not that much of a burden, it really depends how you want to work

[ryley.g.h]

Yes, the author dosen't want to use workshets because of the headache that is a central model. 

[ryley.g.h]

Try the design option method I wrote about above and see if that works for what you need?

[martijn_pater]

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@ryley.g.h wrote:

Yes, the author dosen't want to use workshets because of the headache that is a central model. 

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OP's question was if he could have the benefits of worksets (already set up) without using a central file. The answer to that was you can't create worksets without making it a central file, however why not work in a standalone central file. Never had any issues doing this, so I'm not sure what headaches you've experienced with working in such a 'central' file.

As a workaround then, without worksets/cf, the functionality that might get you closest could be design options indeed. In terms of manageability, if you're going to use design options throughout the project you will have to manage that there aswell. I'd prefer to use it what's it meant for I suppose, but I guess I'm on @constantin.stroescu 's team on that one. I would encourage anyone to find their own workflow though.