R-MEP 2012: Reloading Links Not Automatic with Syncing

Let's start off with a little Revit tid-bit that seems to surprise people a lot. ...And by surprise I mean irritate and disappoint.

Many of you are past CAD users. You are used to having to go reload your cad file backgrounds manually. You are also probably used to seeing a pop-up in the lower right-hand corner that tells you your cad file background (aka xrefs) are out of date and you need to reload them.

Revit (atleast 2012) does not work that way. There is no pop-up to tell you your links need to be reloaded. Ok, I get it, Revit isn't CAD so we shouldn't make too many comparisons. The part that surprises many people is if you have File Sharing set up and you are working in a Local copy and you Synch with Central, it does *not* reload any of the files you have linked to your model. Nope. It just doesn't happen. I have watched several people when I tell them to reload my model (separate file than the file they are working in) into their model and all they do is go to Sync with Central and they are surprised when they do not see my updates. You *have* to go to Manage Links and Reload from there. Synching with Central will *never* reload the Links.

I have found I do this so much (due to constant changes) that I added the Manage Links button to the Quick Access Toolbar at the very top. { I also threw the Reload Latest (for Synch with Central), Synch with Central, Align, and Spell Check buttons up there as well. }

So there you have it. If you can't figure out why you are not seeing the latest and greatest of the Linked files...make sure you've actually Reloaded them. On the flip side of that...make sure the file you are reloading had been Synch'ed with Central before you reload it, otherwise only that person's Local file has the changes in it and no-one can access them.

Switching it Up!

Now that I have my blog switched over to cover CAD and Revit and anything else along the way I thought it best to throw a little post out.

I am here to discuss the issues that I see people struggle with on these different software packages. I am by no means here to bash the products. You can do some seriously powerful and awesome things with them. However, along the way there are bound to be sticking points..areas that just frustrate you. I think for the most part it is because you see how much these products can do and you get disappointed in some of the areas that you find lacking. I know I do at times.

Also if I find cool tricks to make things go faster and more efficient I'll post them here as well.

So let's get started..... :D

Ta-Da!!

Here's the new layout!
What do you think?
I might do some more tweaks if I find something cool, but for now I think this will do.

Have a good week people!

Upcoming Changes to the Look of the Blog

I am going to try to work on the template for my blog.
In the process of that I may lose links and/or some functionalities for awhile...
Hopefully I can get it all put back together successfully.
I haven't looked at HTML code in a couple of years, so I'll be winging it!

Wish me luck!

Wow, Even Longer Time No Post, Eh?

Wow...so contrary to what you all might think, I have not forgotten I had a blog. It just seems that everything I do these days does not really replay to why I initiated this blog. I'm well into the Revit-MEP side of things these days. I've set up and built content for R-MEP 2011 and am using 2012. Word on the street is we might be upgrading to R-MEP 2013 in the next couple of months if all goes well. I'm also at a different job now. No longer a CAD Manager in title. I'm a "Mechanical Engineer" by title (and degree for that matter). I usually embrace the more IT/Technical side of myself than the Mech Eng side.

So...what should I do with my little blog now?

Wonder if i can swap out the name of it to something a little more appropriate to what I do these days?

Perhaps it won't take me another year and 8mos to post again?

In the mean time, you all be good to yourselves and others!!

Maybe I'll bump elbows with you at AU 2012!!! :D

Heads Up!

Heads up!

Hopefully the old bookmarks you had for my Ab's AutodeskBuildingSystem blog brought you to my updated blogspot here. I thought it might behoove me to convert this to just a general Nerd Discussion and not pin myself down to just one software. Autodesk likes to mix things up now and again and ABS didn't remain the name of the old software...also I shifted for the most part out of A-MEP and into more R-MEP.

So enjoy the nerd-yammer followers! :D

PS - It doesn't look like the bookmarks you had will send you to the updated location...bummer. Hope everyone can find me!