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🛠️ Revit Worksharing & Worksets Workshop
ARCH 51000: Advanced Studio | Prof. Mi-T. Chang
This workshop covers how to transform a standard Revit project file (.rvt) into a Central Model and how to use Worksets to divide building elements among your 3-team members safely without overriding each other’s work. I encourage you to watch all 12 videos.
🏗️ Part 1: Initializing Cloud Worksharing (Team Leader Only)
Only one team member should perform these initial setup steps. Ensure all teammates are added to your Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC) or BIM 360 project folder before starting.
Open your base file: Open the Revit project containing your initial site, zoning mass, or existing 1912 structure.
Enable Collaboration: Go to the Collaborate tab on the ribbon and click the Collaborate button.
Choose the Cloud: Select In the cloud (if using ACC/BIM 360) and click OK.
Save to the Project Folder: Select your account, navigate to your team’s specific ARCH 51000 project folder, name your file clearly (e.g., ARCH51000_Team01_ShabazzCenter), and click Save.
⚠️ Important: This file is now the Central Model. No one should ever open, edit, or move this specific file manually inside the cloud browser interface.
👥 Part 2: Creating and Assigning Worksets
Once the Central Model is created, the team leader must set up the 3 distinct technical scopes you’ve been assigned for the Shabazz Center project.
On the Collaborate tab, click Worksets.
By default, Revit creates two initial worksets (Shared Levels and Grids and Workset1).
Click New to create three additional worksets matching your team roles:
PDF
01_Envelope_Context (Assigned to Student A)
02_Structure_Circulation (Assigned to Student B)
03_Interior_Exhibits (Assigned to Student C)
Click OK. When Revit asks if you want to make one of the new worksets active, choose No.
💻 Part 3: Daily Team Workflow (Every Student, Every Day)
Step 1: Opening Your Local File
Never open a central model directly. Instead, follow this sequence every time you open Revit:
Go to File > Open > Project.
Navigate to your ACC/BIM 360 cloud location.
Single-click your team’s file. Look at the bottom of the open dialog box and verify that Create New Local is checked.
Click Open. Revit will automatically download a custom copy of the central model to your hard drive.
Step 2: Activating Your Workspace
Before you draw a single line or place a single wall, look at the bottom bar of your Revit window (or the Collaborate tab).
Use the Active Workset dropdown menu to select the workset you are responsible for (e.g., if you are Student C, make sure 03_Interior_Exhibits is active). Any element you create will now automatically belong to your scope.
Step 3: Borrowing and Requesting Elements
Revit protects files by locking elements when a student clicks on them.
If you need to modify an element belonging to a teammate’s workset, Revit will show a pop-up window saying you do not own the element.
Click Place Request. Your teammate will receive an unmissable notification on their screen allowing them to grant you editing access.
Step 4: The Golden Rule — Synchronizing with Central
Do not just click the standard Save icon. Saving only updates the file on your local laptop. To share your progress with your team, you must sync:
Click the Synchronize with Central shortcut (or press Ctrl + S and select Sync settings).
Ensure Relinquish All Borrowed Elements and User-Created Worksets is checked. This unlocks elements so your teammates can work on them when you are gone.
Add a brief description in the comment box (e.g., “Added columns to structural grid” or “Refined curtain walls”).
Click OK.
🧹 Part 4: Model Hygiene & Troubleshooting Rules
The “Greyed Out” View Rule: To avoid accidentally touching a teammate’s work, go to the bottom control bar and turn on Workset Visibility. You can color-code your screen by workset or make your teammates’ scopes completely transparent while you design your own section.
Never Close Without Relinquishing: If you close Revit without syncing and releasing your elements, your team will be completely blocked from editing those items until you open your laptop and sync again.
Keep Up with Warnings: Go to Manage > Inquiry > Warnings. If your team crosses more than 50 active warnings (overlapping walls, unjoined lines, duplicate marks), dedicate the first 15 minutes of your next studio block to cleaning them up together.
There be a quiz after this page.