Save worksession information in .3dm file

Would it be possible to save attached worksession file directly in .3dm file rather than keeping a separate .rws file?

Hi Daniel- I do not think that is practical, if I understand - the worksession is independent of any particaular Rhino file - it pretty much has to be since you can activate and deactivate, attach and detach files at will, not to mention there can be any number of different worksessions from different users associated with any of the files.

-Pascal

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Thank you, but i still think that it could be useful in autocad-like xref’s style of work. It would be much easier to maintain only a single file that pulls other dwg and 3dm files rather than saving a separate rws file.

Blocks (pointing to a file) work this way already, but they have limitations - perhaps instead blocks could have a “worksession mode” which would let you select individual parts of the block (like worksession files do)? Is that somrthing that Rhino blocks could do as well? Thats the only reason why Im switching to worksessions.

Hi Daniel - I think, currently, they are not sufficiently like blocks -

● The Worksession command lets more than one user work on a large project. By breaking the project down into many files, one user can edit a part of the project while another user edits a different file. Only one user can have a file open for editing, but many users can see it.

● The attached file can be in any format that Rhino can import, not just Rhino models. Attached geometry cannot be edited but it can be used for input to creation commands.

● When a worksession object is dragged, it snaps back into place.

● Each user maintains his own worksession (.rws) file. These are not meant to be shared. The Rhino files used as reference geometry are shared, but the .rws files are not.

● Objects can be copied from a worksession file and pasted into the active file.

-Pascal

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Hmm thanks again for explaining this, but I think that opening/closing files is too slow for such a granular workflow. Do you know any large project, which were developed with worksessions? I would be really curious to learn more as in my experience everyone copy-pastes into single 3dm files. Even in AutoCad its prohibitive for users to jump between xrefs and everyone copy-pastes blocks (even with an option to partially open selected parts of the file). Its just too slow for the number of small changes you need to make each time (I think).

On the side note it would be a little better if you could open separate files in new tabs (without blocking your current work), but still doesnt solve this issue.

If you could do this with blocks as well that would really solve this issue (linked blocks rather than worksessions).

Exactly, if blocks could do that as well, that would be the holy grail for me.

I prefer blocks’ ability to be moved from their original location and ability to reset them back where they were (if needed).

Yes, exactly - worksessions are not the same as blocks, they have a different purpose. Imagine a complex project where structural elements are created by one expert and say, electrical by another expert who knows nothing about building structures but in order to build that part of the project must know exactly where the srtucture lies. If the structuer could be moved, that might be convenient for that user, but not so good for the airplane - that user does not have access to the structure except as ‘read only’ so to speak.

-Pascal

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That’s fine. I may ask it in a separate thread then, but is there any chance for making blocks editable like worksessions? As you mentioned, making selected elements in blocks active (being able to select them at all) is indispensible for complex projects.

In the ideal world you could move around elements of a linked file without having to copy them. If a door was drawn in different place (as they often are) it shouldnt prohibit you from putting it correctly in 3d

@pascal would the thread linked below be an alternative solution? Sorry for nagging, but it would be a really useful feature to collaborate with other CAD packages Partial block import - #2 by Daniel_Krajnik

for me worksessions are pretty useless unless you can save layouts and layouts layer states in them

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