Specify backup location

[erika.jonsson6UE9U]

Hi. I would like to bring up a topic that many of us most likely are frustrated about... Please let us specify a backup file location!

As it stands right now every time you open/save a family or project it creates a backup file saved in same location as the file itself, which creates a mess in my library. Could you please please let the user specify a location for backup files if we desire to do so.

I do not want my family library to have any duplicates, it gets messy and additionally my google drive get unnecessary large because of this too. Please solve this long time issue now.

Thanks,

Erika, Interior Architect

[bill_gilliss]

The reason that backup files are placed in the same folder as the current version is that the filename is guaranteed to be unique. If all my projects were backed up to the same folder, the backup files for two separate models with the same name, like Dining Room Chair.rfa or Site Model.rvt, would get mixed together. And then I would blame Revit for messing up my back up files just when I needed them. (Obviously, I should be making every effort to have clear and unique model names anyway, but... stuff happens.)

I share your concern about having a messy library, but don't have a solution to this except larger drives and occasional housekeeping.

[Anonymous]

I have not tried out this plug-in, but it claims to have a way to manage the family  back-up files. https://diroots.com/plugins/manage-revit-families-and-worksets-with-familyreviser/

[erika.jonsson6UE9U]

@bill_gilliss 

Well honestly, people just need to learn and adapt to saved their files properly with proper names. There must be a way around this. This is the only Arch software where I have this issue.

Perhaps a way to get around this would be to keep this as an option to specify the backup location if you desire to do so, keeping that option not so easy to find and accessible for only more advanced users. Or create a warning pop-up if changing backup location with a cause in the lines with "Autodesk don't take any part in the risk of lost file due to duplicates .... "

Alternatively, there could be different way handling family libraries, perhaps we could "save as library component" or something like that once the family is finished and keeping that family in same .rfa format but adding a lock on it making non-editable or something.

[dplumb_BWBR]

My wish is for a different extension for the backup files.

The fact that backups still have an .rfa or .rvt extension makes them:

a.) difficult to filter and

b.) show up in the Open and Save dialogs

If the backups simply had an extension of, say .rfb or .rvb, everything would be much simpler

[bill_gilliss]

@dplumb_BWBRExcellent suggestion!

[erika.jonsson6UE9U]

@dplumb_BWBR  I second that. Great idea 🙂

[A.Bauer2013]

At the moment we use a plugin that makes a "Backup" folder in the same location as the project. This helps keep thing organized. 

It is however a free 3rd party plugin (http://wiip.fr/node/8570) that gets periodically updated. That means it takes 6 months before the plugin is updated to the newest version. 

Is this not something that can be built into the software?

[CFNBen]

When I use Revit, I get the option in the 'Options' dialog to set how many  backups I want the program to store. They are stored in the same folder as the original file. Is the problem with this that the backup files then clutter that folder?

[A.Bauer2013]

@CFNBen Sorry for the late response. You have it right. The problem is the backup files clutter up the folder.

[GraphOnto]

Not being able to direct where these backup files are stored is causing ongoing issues with cloud-access/backup solutions like Sharepoint. Sharepoint sees many large files being deleted (one RVT or many files in a workshare project are deleted every save) and then needs attention to review and confirm that the mass deletion is ok. Currently our Sharepoint has stopped syncing files because of this issue. And this happens all day when folks are working and saving files.

This seems like a basic enablement not-yet included in Revit. If this is an issue with file naming when all backups are pointed to a single folder, why not timestamp the files? This is already being done for the other backup files in the C:/...../Journals.

[GraphOnto]

Adding to my previous comment, this system and limitation of backup files for RFA and RVT has been seemed odd and messy from day 1 of my learning Revit. As the OP noted, the family libraries and project folders become very messy and there is a non-trivial chance of accidentally opening a backup file accidentally (same name but with a few numbers), doing work in that file, and then having to reconcile that work back into the correct file when you realize the error.

I've not yet seen an argument for this system being something other than unwieldy and troublesome, and seemingly easy to fix: default to the current system and allow users to change backup file location with those files being timestamped. Add-ins have been written but since abandoned so nothing seems currently available to work-around. I have communicated with our reseller and technical support and they have confirmed this is a hard limitation.

Please let us know the crux of why this is not feasible to fix, or please fix in next update.

[Radish_G]

Hello Autodesk!
Allow to change the standalone project backup file location. Similar to central model.

[juliefL3JKF]

The main Project folder can get congested with backup files, & it is too easy for new users to accidentally open a backup file and work in it by mistake. I would like the option to choose where the backup files are created, so they could have their own folder, not be mixed in with the current files.