Detaching a Central Model (3:44 min)

00:08

This method of activating a Revit Model, allowing multiple users access to it is awesome, but it's actually kind of sloppy too.

00:17

It's sloppy when you try to send Revit Models to others who don't know much about Revit.

00:23

Revit tries very hard to resist opening a Workshared model that has been copied somewhere.

00:29

Also, you might want to simply create a backup or a mobile version of the model for whatever reason.

00:37

The objective of this video is to explore a couple ways to detach a Revit Model and safely save it.

00:44

I'm going to jump into Revit.

00:46

Let's pretend we're going to send an Architectural Model off to a client.

00:51

Their Revit skills are questionable.

00:53

So, we're going to basically put our kid gloves on for them.

00:57

Under Models, let's go "Open".

00:59

We're going to find our Architectural Model.

01:03

This time I would like to detach from Central.

01:07

By the way, if I'm trying to repair Central Model or fix something broken, I'll detach it from Central and I'll audit it.

01:16

But that being said, let's just click "Detach from Central".

01:20

I'm going to click my "Open" and my open drop-down.

01:23

Just go to "Specify" because I'm not sure what I have turned on or off.

01:28

So, I'm going to click "Open" with Specify checked on.

01:32

So, click "Open".

01:34

Okay, everything's open.

01:36

That's what I want.

01:38

Click "OK".

01:43

Detach and Preserve Worksets or Detach and Discard Worksets.

01:48

What's going to happen here is this.

01:50

If we Detach and Preserve Worksets, the next time someone saves this model, it's going to turn into a Central Model.

01:58

They might know that's happening, they might not know that's happening.

02:02

Also, Worksets just can't be copied over, and you can't have them in a template.

02:08

So, what happens is if I make 50 Worksets, those Worksets will be deleted if I discard them.

02:15

We might want them to see our Worksets.

02:18

But again, I'm turning this model off from Worksharing.

02:22

So, if we click Detach and Discard Worksets, that's going to strip it of any Worksharing that we've had turned on at all.

02:30

So, click "Detach and Discard Worksets".

02:34

Now let's look at the name of our file, its ARCHITECTURAL_DETACHED.

02:41

Notice that we're back to the old-fashioned method of saving.

02:46

Let's do that. Let's click the "Save" button.

02:50

It's as if it's a brand-new file. Revit doesn't know what to do with it.

02:54

We can do whatever we want with it. We can make a new folder here, so I'll make a New Folder.

03:01

I'll call it Submittals.

03:05

Go into there, I'll get rid of the underscore detached.

03:13

Go to my Options, if we turn on File Sharing, it's going to give us a maximum backups of 20.

03:20

Be nice to that architect and just type in 1.

03:25

Click "OK", click "Save".

03:29

So, that's how you do it. So, that's pretty simple, right.

03:33

Now that you know how to do that, think about how you want to distribute your models to others.

03:38

Trust me, this will save you a lot of questions.

Video transcript

00:08

This method of activating a Revit Model, allowing multiple users access to it is awesome, but it's actually kind of sloppy too.

00:17

It's sloppy when you try to send Revit Models to others who don't know much about Revit.

00:23

Revit tries very hard to resist opening a Workshared model that has been copied somewhere.

00:29

Also, you might want to simply create a backup or a mobile version of the model for whatever reason.

00:37

The objective of this video is to explore a couple ways to detach a Revit Model and safely save it.

00:44

I'm going to jump into Revit.

00:46

Let's pretend we're going to send an Architectural Model off to a client.

00:51

Their Revit skills are questionable.

00:53

So, we're going to basically put our kid gloves on for them.

00:57

Under Models, let's go "Open".

00:59

We're going to find our Architectural Model.

01:03

This time I would like to detach from Central.

01:07

By the way, if I'm trying to repair Central Model or fix something broken, I'll detach it from Central and I'll audit it.

01:16

But that being said, let's just click "Detach from Central".

01:20

I'm going to click my "Open" and my open drop-down.

01:23

Just go to "Specify" because I'm not sure what I have turned on or off.

01:28

So, I'm going to click "Open" with Specify checked on.

01:32

So, click "Open".

01:34

Okay, everything's open.

01:36

That's what I want.

01:38

Click "OK".

01:43

Detach and Preserve Worksets or Detach and Discard Worksets.

01:48

What's going to happen here is this.

01:50

If we Detach and Preserve Worksets, the next time someone saves this model, it's going to turn into a Central Model.

01:58

They might know that's happening, they might not know that's happening.

02:02

Also, Worksets just can't be copied over, and you can't have them in a template.

02:08

So, what happens is if I make 50 Worksets, those Worksets will be deleted if I discard them.

02:15

We might want them to see our Worksets.

02:18

But again, I'm turning this model off from Worksharing.

02:22

So, if we click Detach and Discard Worksets, that's going to strip it of any Worksharing that we've had turned on at all.

02:30

So, click "Detach and Discard Worksets".

02:34

Now let's look at the name of our file, its ARCHITECTURAL_DETACHED.

02:41

Notice that we're back to the old-fashioned method of saving.

02:46

Let's do that. Let's click the "Save" button.

02:50

It's as if it's a brand-new file. Revit doesn't know what to do with it.

02:54

We can do whatever we want with it. We can make a new folder here, so I'll make a New Folder.

03:01

I'll call it Submittals.

03:05

Go into there, I'll get rid of the underscore detached.

03:13

Go to my Options, if we turn on File Sharing, it's going to give us a maximum backups of 20.

03:20

Be nice to that architect and just type in 1.

03:25

Click "OK", click "Save".

03:29

So, that's how you do it. So, that's pretty simple, right.

03:33

Now that you know how to do that, think about how you want to distribute your models to others.

03:38

Trust me, this will save you a lot of questions.

How much of a hurry are you in? I ask that because, when a client or contractor (that you know doesn’t know Revit well) asks for the model, do you just grab the central model and post it for them? You know what’s going to happen right? They are going to say Revit has errors when they open it. You get annoyed because they aren’t errors are they? That dummy doesn’t know anything. You just wasted three times the amount of “labor” to just detach the model and send it.

To detach a model from central follow these steps:

  1. Open Revit.
  2. Click Open and find the model you want to detach.
  3. Click detach from Central as shown below:
  4. Click Open. The next dialog is tricky. Unless compelled to do so I do not have my firm use worksets for placing items other than links unless there is an overwhelmingly compelling reason to do so, so I can detach and discard worksets. If you do use worksets for modeled elements, you have to click detach and preserve worksets. In this case, when the person opens the model it makes that the central model. If the person has no clue what that is, it becomes problematic.

  5. In my case, I am going to click Detach and Discard Worksets:

  6. Once the model is open, click Save.

  7. Find a directory where you want to save it, and name it what you wish. There! that’s how you can detach a model for distribution to a client or sub.

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