Archiving Models, the Whole Enchilada

[kirklyncox]

Anyone want to share their protocol for archiving BIM models, *cough*, Revit models upon hitting certain milestones? Like SD? DD? CD?

Archiving the Central file is easy by doing Detach From Central, and moving it in an Archive folder.

What about the Linked Models and the mess of DWGs that the Archived/DFC model is still reading...that stuff is still live. Do you have to go through all that stuff? Copy file and Reload From? What's your experience with this?

What we're trying to achieve is capturing a snapshot of the model as we move forward in design and documentation.

Thanks,
Kirk

[Dive_Syko]

Check out Autodesk Labs. The new E-Transmit for Revit would be a good solution.

Autodesk Labs Utilities eTransmit for Revit

[pfaudler]

All our models are stored under Revit/Model and links under Revit/Model/Links..So when we archive models at every milestone issue we also archive links folder.
So for instance, for DD archive on 111221 we will have following..
../Archive/111221_DD_Models
../Archive/111221_DD_Models/Links (all 2D/3D dwgs + STR/MEP revit models)

I would also advise adding "111221_DD_Submission" suffix to all revit models when you detach/save for archive.
Hope that helps.

[bassed]

I would also advise adding "111221_DD_Submission" suffix to all revit models when you detach/save for archive.
Hope that helps.

File naming with Month/Year/Day is the key for indexable files of any nature, seems people don't do this as the normal though.

As for archiving, in my experience different firms actually different time frames for archive. If you only archive at SD/DD/CD what happens when you decide to go back to a design that wasn't placed in Revit as a D.O. and you need that info all over again? If you save a weekly copy you can always go back to grab that previous element that may have been long gone in the month(s) of development of the model between phases of design. Just my humble opinion.

[snowyweston]

File naming with Month/Year/Day is the key for indexable files of any nature, seems people don't do this as the normal though.

I would say YY/MM/DD was the preferred format.

[bassed]

I would say YY/MM/DD was the preferred format.

Yes indeed, I didn't proof read Y/M/D should have been my order.....mah bad

[cellophane]

we use a filename_2011-1223 extension for files and a 2011-1223_foldername for folders.

The end result is the same but the sorting in a directory is a little different.

[Twiceroadsfool]

Directory level archiving, folders named "yyyy-mm-dd- Purpose," the Model folder (Which has all Linked models in it, and a Project Linked CAD folder in it" all gets dragged in to the folder. We dont even bother repathing any of it, unless we need to open it. One open with DFC, and Manage Links > Reload From, and your archive is fine. Archiving takes about 45 seconds.