Checking out and releasing objects

You can check out specific objects, including viewports, as long as neither the object nor the layer where the object displays is checked out in another working file. Other objects on the layer are still available for checkout by other users.

After editing, you can select an object you have checked out and release it, along with all of your other checked out objects and layers. All changes in your working file must be either committed or discarded upon release.

Checking out a specific object

Command	Path
Check Out	Modify Context menu

To check out a specific object:

From your working file, select one or more objects and select the command. An alert displays if an object cannot be checked out because it is checked out to another user, or because it is out of date in your working file. Double-click an object listed in the alert to locate it in the drawing.

Alternatively, you can simply edit one or more objects. If the affected layers and objects are all available, you are prompted to check them out. If desired, click the option to check out other objects on the same layer automatically during this session.

On the Checkout dialog box, enter a comment to describe why the layer or object is being checked out.

When your edits are complete, select an object you have checked out, and select Modify > Release, or right-click on the object and select Release from the context menu. When prompted, select whether to Commit or Discard all changes in your working file. All layers and objects you have checked out are released.

Alternatively, select File > Save and Commit.

Checking out and releasing objects based on criteria

Command	Path
Custom Checkout Custom Release	Tools

The procedure to check out objects is very similar to the procedure to release objects after they have been edited.

To check out or release objects based on specified criteria:

From your working file, select the appropriate command.

The Custom Checkout or Custom Release dialog box opens.

See Using saved sets to save and apply saved settings.

Specify the criteria for the operation as described in The Criteria dialog box.

For the Custom Checkout command, specify the objects to check out.

For the Custom Release command, you cannot select specific changes to commit or discard upon release. However, you might use the selection criteria to determine how many objects will be modified upon release, for example.

Do one of the following.

From the Custom Checkout dialog box, click Check Out. An alert displays if an object cannot be checked out because it is checked out to another user, or because it is out of date in your working file. On the Checkout dialog box, enter a comment to describe why the layer or object is being checked out.

From the Custom Release dialog box, click Release. When prompted, select whether to Commit or Discard all changes in your working file.

Administrative release

If you have Administrative permission, you might occasionally need to release layers and objects that are checked out by another user, or by you in a different working file. Any unsaved changes will be lost.

To release objects and layers checked out by another user:

From your working file, do one of the following:

From the Organization Dialog box or Navigation palette, right-click a layer or viewport and select Administrative Release from the context menu.

From the Layers tab of the Project Sharing dialog box, select a layer and click Administrative Release.

Right-click an object and select Administrative Release from the context menu.

Select Tools > Custom Release, and specify criteria to select one or more objects that are checked out by another user, or by you in a different working file.

An alert dialog box displays, showing the layer and owner of each selected object. Double-click an item in the list to locate the object in the drawing.

Click Release Anyway to release all checked out layers and objects, without committing the changes.