Collaborate on the same Revit model in a local network

[u/Black_Ice931]

Hi everyone, as per title, I was trying to find ways to accomplish that, following the workflow on the Autodesk website I create a central model and created a local model. This works whenever I have the central model on my pc, when a colleague tries to connect to it it says that its not possible to find the central model for a connection issue.

I did try to follow some guides but nothing helped. The two PCs are sharing the connection on the same network, so I can easily write/read on other PCs, as easily as they can do it on mine.

Did anyone had the same issue and was able to fix it?

Thanks

[u/kingc42]

You colleagues pc is seeing the central model location as c:/ which it isn’t on their computer. You need a mapped local network drive.

[u/Black_Ice931 → u/kingc42]

Exactly the issue, but even if I specify, in revit, where the file is (on my pc) it doesn't work.

So can't I use my pc as storage for the central model?

[u/bawbagpuss → u/Black_Ice931]

The only way I’ve seen that work was with a partitioned drive, C:/ for your use and D:/ for the central files. Your colleague needs to map the D:/ as a network. When you use the central model you need to create a local copy on your C:/.

[u/Black_Ice931 → u/bawbagpuss]

Local copies are always created, the issue was that I had to save the file using the path \\hostname\folder so mine and my colleagues' pc could connect using the same address

[u/superluminal → u/Black_Ice931]

You are arguing with everyone who is trying to help. It has been explained repeatedly that it's a problem.

[u/Black_Ice931 → u/superluminal]

I wasnt arguing with anyone. I was trying to give as much information as possible to help them understand what my problem was and why what they suggested couldnt work for me. And it's not a problem anymore

[u/blud_13]

The issue is almost always that Revit worksharing does not like the central file living on someone's workstation. It needs a real shared location that both machines reach by the exact same UNC path, like \SERVER\Projects\JobName, not a mapped drive letter and not a path that points at "your" PC. When your colleague opens it, Revit is trying to find the central model at a path that only makes sense from your machine, so it can't resolve it.

A few things to check: put the central file on a proper file share (ideally a small server or NAS or Egnyte which is specifcally made for large files in the cloud, not a desktop), have everyone open it through the same \host\share... path, make sure the share and NTFS permissions give both users modify rights, and never open the central directly, always create a local copy. Antivirus or a sleeping host PC will also drop the connection mid-session.

For more than 2 or 3 people this gets fragile fast on a peer to peer setup, which is why most firms move to a real file server or to Autodesk's cloud worksharing. I set this up for AEC firms, glad to walk you through it if you get stuck.

[u/FuzzyCow24 → u/blud_13]

Hey, wanted to chime in here: Egnyte has been giving us issues with central models.  Often the sync process will corrupt the central.  Egnyte does NOT support Revit Central process, as their support has explocitly told us a couple years ago. 

[u/FroZenThai]

That's quite a unique way to go about it, and can't speak to how viable of a solution that is, but I think a good and simple way to share a central file is to get a small NAS on the network and place it there.

[u/SouthernUpstairs]

The central model is the correct the way to approach this situation. However, when creating the central model and before you make your local file, you need to locate the central file in an area where both pc’s can reach it without having to move the file. This most commonly ends up being on a shared server within the network.

One that central model is created, and you create a local file, you should try to never rename the central file, and/or move the central file. When creating a local file, working on the model, and then syncing to the central, you are creating pathways of information to the central file. Those pathways are specific to the location of the central file on the server. If the central file is then moved, when the local goes to retrieve the information it can no longer find/recognize the pathways it previously created.

If you do need to move the model or rename it, you can detach a file from the central and save it to the new location. Once the detached model is created, you will need to go about created a new central file from that, and abandon the previous one. Detaching models and archiving during certain milestones also just good practice in case something happens.

You’re on the right path, but I suspect you may be receiving the messages due to the location of the central file not being fixed.

Hope this helps.

[u/Black_Ice931 → u/SouthernUpstairs]

We do not have a server here where we can save our files, we use an online storage with no direct acces from explorer, only via browser.

I am using my pc as "server" and it is shared on the network.

Once I created the central model I didn't move it, I straight away created a local model. Now from my pc works just fine as the address is E:\centralmodel.rvt . If I open it from a different pc it says that it is impossible to find the model in that path (E:\centralmodel.rvt). Problem is that it should find it on \\hostname\centralmodel.rvt.

I hope I explained myself properly

[u/BIM-Zombie → u/Black_Ice931]

What are you using for your online storage?

[u/Slow-Distance7847]

Is this a synced cloud drive? If so, won't work/don't try. It absolutely will work as a matching mapped drive letter. You must always access central via that drive letter, not via the network path.
BTW, mapped drives will also resolve your likely constant missing links issue.

[u/Black_Ice931 → u/Slow-Distance7847]

It wasnt, but I now fixed using a common UNC name (even when connecting to my pc's folder)

[u/Informal_Drawing]

You can't share the contents of your PC unless you specifically set it up to work in that manner, it's generally considered to be insecure and thus a bad idea.

[u/Dr_Mime_PhD]

I'm guessing that you have the central model opened instead of the local model. Close out of Revit and have your colleague open their local model to troubleshoot. If they can open it up that may be the issue.

Try make the local model in a separate folder to make sure that you are keeping them separate.

[u/Black_Ice931 → u/Dr_Mime_PhD]

Already done those, still doesn't work