DesignSeries00001.pngCreating and Editing a Working File

All modifications to the project are made in clones of the main project file, called “working” files. An individual user can create multiple working files for a given project file. However, any given layer in the project can be checked out to only one working file at a time.

To create and edit a working file:

  1. From the Vectorworks application, open the project file.

    2. The New Working Document dialog box opens. All design layers and sheet layers in the file are listed, along with status information about each layer.

    Click to show/hide the parameters.

  2. Select the layers to check out; the available layers display in black text. After the working file is created, you can use the Layers tab of the Project Sharing dialog box to check out different layers at any time (see Layers Tab). Keep in mind that no other users can edit the layers while you have them checked out.

    3. You can work on classes and resources without checking out any layers.

  3. Click OK.

  4. On the Checkout dialog box, enter a comment to describe why the layers are checked out, and click OK.

  5. The drawing area displays the visible layers; modify the layers you checked out as needed. Keep in mind the following:

    6. ●    The various layer selection lists in the application display the names of the layers you checked out in this working file in blue. Layers that are currently checked out in other working files are dimmed.

    ●    You can only modify the layers that you checked out. You can, however, snap to and copy objects from layers that you have not checked out.

    ●    To modify a viewport, you must check out only the layer on which the viewport resides. You can change viewport properties that affect other layers, such as section line instances and detail callouts. To create a section viewport, you must check out only the viewport destination layer, not the layer where the section line is inserted. You can update a viewport on any layer.

    ●    You can modify document preferences and settings, resources, and other non-drawing document data if you have the required permission level. See Permission Level Descriptions.

    ●    Sometimes a change you make may affect something in layers that you have not checked out. If one or more of the affected layers is currently checked out by another user, an alert displays, and the action is not completed. If the affected layers are all available, you are prompted to check out the layers. Checking out a layer that is out of date automatically updates the working file.

  6. While working on the file, save the file periodically with the Save command, as usual. This updates the local working file, but not the project file.

  7. When you are ready to update the project file, select File > Save and Commit. This updates both the working file and the project file. You can commit changes as often as needed; see Committing Changes to the Project File.

  8. When you are done working on these layers, select File > Close and Release. If there are unsaved or uncommitted changes, you are prompted to save and commit the changes first. This closes the working file and removes the lock on the layers that were checked out, so that other users can update them.

  9. To perform additional work on the project, open the working file again, and check out the appropriate layers.

 

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