Project Navigator

I'm trying to learn project navigator, in AutoCAD MEP 2014. Whenever I try to edit the project properties I get a window that reads, "Cannot edit project properties. Please try again later. The project data file is currently in use by xxxx." This started happening since I moved the project on to our network drive. I don't as far as I know have anything open from the project. Can anyone help?

 

P.S. Is there any good tutorials on the project navigator? So far most of my knowledge is from trial and error.

You're not suppose to just "move" any files when a Project is set up. You have to open the Project Browser, right-click the Project and click "Move Project". If you right-click the Project in Project Browser, and click "Browse Project" then I believe it will remap everything. Going off memory here... haven't touched AutoCAD MEP in years.

I agree with TZ. You have to let Project Navigator handle opening, saving, moving and copying all files in the project. Never open/save anything from windows explorer. When that is done outside PN, the XML file that goes along with each DWG file and the DST file that goes along with each project, does not get updated. At least that is what I think happens.

 

 

I don't even use the x-ref manager even though all the different types of drawings and sheets are just nested x-ref's. I always right click the construct drawing name in PN and choose xref to separate my background drawings from my construct. For view drawings I would right click the drawing name in PN and choose properties if I have to make changes.

 

 

So far I have only done three fairly large 3-D coordination jobs and the As-builts that go with it, and Project navigator is awesome. I really thought things would eventually fall apart and get corrupt, but they never did. The other trades don't use it. They keep everything in on drawing (with x-refs) and several layouts. The first time I did not use it and I spent a lot of time searching for up-dated files to x-ref. I love the drag and drop!

Hertz, glad to see you really utilizing AutoCAD MEP to the fullest, and not partially... especially with the Project Navigator. Because of your self-motivation to do things right in AutoCAD MEP, when you eventually transition to Revit it will be so much easier for you.

Thanks,

Work is getting slow and I am ready to give Revit another go. I got about a 1/3 the way through a different book when things picked up, so I had no time. I was going to start from the beginning of the book to drive things home. When I know I will have time I will probably pick up a month or two at Cadlearning.

 

 

Work in central New Jersey has picked up quite a bit over the last few years. Our hall should have 100% employment through the summer. The company I have worked for, for the last 26 years, is just a little slow right now. Many jobs are finishing up in the next few months, with not a lot starting. I have the as-builts to do for one. I usually do a little at a time, at home (not completely un-paid). This time I will let it sit. I might need something to do in the office when there is no work. That will free up my home time for Revit.

 

 

Hey, where is the brown nose smiley!

Work is getting slow and I am ready to give Revit another go.

It's hard to just "give Revit another go". You just gotta jump on in, both feet. Fiddling around with Revit will just frustrate you, trust me. Pick a small, easy job and just go for it.

 

I'll definitely be here to assist you on everything when you do find the time though.

Thanks for the help. I figured that out just before I read your post. I think I'm going to have a long talk with our CAD people about how to modify drawings while using this.

 

 

In the past we've drawing in model drawings and then used a separate drawing for our paper space with notes. From what I'm reading the view portion of the project navigator, you would use that for notes and them place the view into a sheet drawing. It seems to me that this is adding another step and drawing. What are the benefits to using views as opposed to using the sheet drawings for notes?

It's hard to just "give Revit another go". You just gotta jump on in, both feet. Fiddling around with Revit will just frustrate you, trust me. Pick a small, easy job and just go for it.

 

I'll definitely be here to assist you on everything when you do find the time though.

 

Thanks for the offer and incite. Right now I only have the trial version that turned into a viewer/trainer like you said it would. So I can't save, but it works great along with the books chapter files. I can always pick up where I left off.

The company's subscription is up next year. I will have to see where they want to go with this. If it will save me time and them money maybe.

The only thing I don't like is that you can't save back. you are stuck in an endless cycle of upgrading. Our Fire alarm vendor is still using AutoCAD 2004. They use it on a daily basis. It might be hard to explain why I need the latest and greatest. The subscription I make sure they make out on, because I don't put in all my time. They might still wan't to sit out for awhile while everyone else catches up, even if it costs them more money in the end.

Thanks for the help. I figured that out just before I read your post. I think I'm going to have a long talk with our CAD people about how to modify drawings while using this.

 

 

In the past we've drawing in model drawings and then used a separate drawing for our paper space with notes. From what I'm reading the view portion of the project navigator, you would use that for notes and them place the view into a sheet drawing. It seems to me that this is adding another step and drawing. What are the benefits to using views as opposed to using the sheet drawings for notes?

 

 

 

Paul Aubin covers your question in his book. Without reading it again to refresh my memory, I will say it can be done both ways but you will be missing out on a lot of the benefits of Project Navigator.

 

I like having a model only drawing no annotations, tags or dimensions. I don't like when I receive another trades drawings for coordination, and it is loaded with all that and paperspace layouts. It just makes the file bigger for my under powered computer. I don't need any of that to see if I have a hit. The one mechanical drawing was 187 megs, I would curl my toes when I had to overlay it (Right after a save).

 

I like having a "view drawing" with all the tags reading properties off the construct. Everything updates when there is a change in the construct. The drawing is set up just like it is going to print. I don't have to worry about layer states or reconciling them. When I am ready I right mouse click the drawing in PN and choose create model space view. You can have several. when you drag the modelspace view name that was created in PN to a sheet, it does 30 things that you would have had to create manually, all with one drag and drop. All you have to do is add a title. The title will read the name of the model space view the scale and drawing number (if there is more than one on a sheet) all automatic through Fields.

 

I am not sure how much of this would be possible without PN. It certainly keeps things organized and up to date. For a simple coordination job I will have "view" drawings for enlarged floor plans and elevation views of the electric rooms. All of that I would not want in the construct. I guess it would be possible to do it in model space in the sheet drawing. I just like having it all laid out and annotated before it gets there.

 

I would also like to mention something that was not taught in the books. Keep your auto save on (mine always shut off mysteriously) And when/if it crashes, do not say yes when it asks if you want to save up to the last point. I have lost more time that way. The XML file that goes with DWG file wont recognize the newly saved file and the old file will be back at the beginning where you started. If you say no you will only lose from the last auto save. There are ways to fix it, but for me loosing ten minutes with an auto save , is a lot faster than trying to to get PN to recognize a file after it has been changed from .BAK to .DWG

 

The same goes for files that you swap out. I put all the drawings I receive in the element folder and then Xref them into constructs ( I know one more xref ). when you receive a new file swap out the element drawing. when you try and swap out a construct drawing the XML file always knows! Even if you use the same name. IT ALWAYS KNOWS!!!!

 

The only thing I don't like is that you can't save back. you are stuck in an endless cycle of upgrading.

Yeah but that's not a bad thing. At all. In fact it's genius as much as it is bold. With going this route, you never have to battle the backwards compatibility issue that many software industries deal with. You aren't required to constantly upgrade, you just need all parties involved in the same version... there's a difference. This actually keeps the entire industry always moving forward which is what's needed if the industry is to strive.

 

The guy running AutoCAD 2004 obviously has no desire to better himself, his skill or his company. AutoCAD 2005 came with Excel style tables. AutoCAD 2006 with Dynamic Blocks. AutoCAD 2007 with an entire change of solid modeling. The Sheet Set Manager is in there in one of those versions. Anyways, point being, is that technology going stagnant is definitely more negative on the industry rather than a positive.

 

Autodesk doesn't require you to upgrade every year, in fact just the opposite. They allow all Revit users access to any version via download. So they let the market decide when it's time to upgrade. Right now we have a project still on Revit 2013, even though we are starting all new projects in Revit 2015 now. It was a decision made by who we are contracted to. If you asked us how we feel about it, sure... we'd say it's counter productive but they're the ones writing the checks.

 

Just putting it into perspective is all.

 

-Tannar