Jason KunkelFebruary 21st, 2018
Our blog series continues with 100 Things Every Revit User Should Know – Part 8. Let's spend some time in Part 8 talking about Syncing with Central. These are just some general basic guidelines that we like to start with, but you should definitely make sure you don't have any firm requirements that overrule these.
When to get a new local file
Might as well get one every day. Revit makes it so easy to get a new local file, and you can avoid a lot of issues by starting with a fresh one.How often to Save Local
Whenever you do a big change, or every 30 minutes or so, Save Local. Kind of like any other file you are working on.Syncing an older model
Don't do it. Just don't bother. If you didn't sync with central before you left on that week-long vacation, just expect all that work to be gone.Wait, is my work really gone?
Well, depends on what kind of work it is. You can open up your local file and save it as a new detached central model so it's not trying to talk to the real central model. Then you can copy/paste elements or copy detail views from your out of date formerly-local model to a new local model.How often to Sync With Central
I actually have seen some good conversations online around this recently. I am still sticking with my recommendation of syncing just a couple times a day; definitely, before you leave at the end of the day. I am intrigued by some new arguments I have seen recommending to sync very frequently to keep the sizes of your syncs down, but that still concerns me as it locks part of the model as you sync, and limits the practicality of your Revit central model backups.Any local model can be a central model
Central model got corrupt? Find the most recent local file and save as to make that a new central model. We recommend giving it a new name to force everyone to get new local files.What else can I do when my PC is syncing?
Nothing. Don't do anything else while your PC is syncing with central.How to tell if a model is a central model or a local file
Check out our fun little app that can help you determine this hard to find Revit file info with a single right-click. FilePROPS for Revit is easy to use, and it's free!Don't sync over each other
Communicate with your team to know when they are syncing and use the Worksharing Monitor to keep an eye on it too.Make a new central model every once in a while
An odd maintenance tip is to just do a simple Save As and make a new central model from your old one periodically. It shrinks the file size and can help things run a touch smoother.That’s all for this week. Check back next week for 100 Things Every Revit User Should Know – Part 9! Click here to see the other parts in this series for additional Revit knowledge.