Project Sharing - transforming an existing project

[Peter Kovacs]

Hi All! I have recently installed VW 2016 and have been trying to transform an existing project into the new 'Project sharing' workflow. I have also used Graphisoft Archicad for long years so this new BIM feature quickly grabbed my attention. I found it pretty similar to AC hence I am very pleased and committed to use it from now on. I have got an ongoing project which has been set up with the previous BIM referencing method. I now have almost 30 separate files, one for the external/structural model, five for the internal floor plans (it is a 18-story building with some repetitive floors), one for the elevations which is created by section viewports of the referenced-in external model, one for the sections and lots of separated files for details. I was not involved in the project when all these files had been set up, but now I got the 'honourable' task to merge them somehow. My plan is to create two Project files, one which would contain the building model (external bits + internal plans) and then to reference this into a second one which would contain the elevations and the sections by using section viewports and overtracing where is necessary. This all seems to me doable but I have a couple of technical questions:

1. I am not entirely sure whether this project files should contain the sheet layers or not. Is there any advantage to set up a third one as a 'Layout book' with sheet layers only? I would rather keep them in the same file to be honest as they can be checked out by the users just like the design layers.

2. As sharing the layers is the base of this system, how can we avoid having a million layers in a particular project file? I still do not understand why it is not possible to use folders within the design layer list. For example having a 'First Floor' folder which can contain let's say 10 layers and all can be checked out with one click instead of choosing them one by one from a list of 200 hundred layers...

3. I am also a bit concerned of speed issue, which was a major problem with references and split-up files. I would like to use as less references as possible but also would like to keep file sizes at minimum for faster result. I am awaiting for a good manual as 'best practice' of setting up a project in this new system. Will there be any in the foreseeable future?

Any hints and tips would be appreciated, Thanks