153 Workset Mover

Overview

Workset Mover moves all selected elements to the currently active workset in a single operation. There is no dialog — the change happens immediately. It completes the trio of workset shortcut tools alongside 154 Set Active View Workset and 155 Isolate By Workset, and is most powerful when assigned to a keyboard shortcut.

Table of Contents

• Key Features
• Requirements
• Running the Tool
• Tips and Best Practices
• Common Use Cases
• Troubleshooting

Key Features

• Moves all selected elements to the active workset in one operation — no dialog, no extra clicks
• Handles single or multi-element selections of any size
• Each element is processed individually, so one failure does not prevent the others from moving
• Designed for keyboard shortcut assignment

Requirements

• The project must be workshared — the tool will display File is not Workshared and exit if not
• At least one element must be selected before running
• The active workset must be set and editable
• The elements' current worksets must also be editable (not borrowed by another user)

Running the Tool

This tool has no interface. The workflow is:

1. Set the active workset to the destination — use the Active Workset dropdown in the ribbon, or use 154 Set Active View Workset to activate it from a representative element.
2. Select the elements you want to move. Any number can be selected.
3. Run the tool — either find Workset Mover on the Bonus Tools Ribbon or use 115 Search Tools, or press the assigned keyboard shortcut.

All selected elements are immediately moved to the active workset. Verify by checking the Workset parameter in the Properties panel.

Assigning a keyboard shortcut (recommended)

1. Go to View tab → User Interface → Keyboard Shortcuts
2. Search for 153 or Workset Mover
3. Click Press new keys, type your desired combination, and click Assign
4. Click OK

Combining all three workset tools

The three tools are designed to work together with a minimal-click rhythm:

• 154 — click an element to activate its workset
• 155 — click an element to isolate its workset in the view
• 153 — select elements and move them to the active workset

A typical correction workflow: use 154 to activate the correct destination workset from a known-good element → use 155 to isolate the misassigned elements for easy selection → select them all → use 153 to move them.

Tips and Best Practices

• Always verify the active workset before running. There is no confirmation dialog — elements move immediately to whatever workset is currently active. A quick glance at the Active Workset dropdown before pressing the shortcut prevents costly mistakes.
• Use 154 to set the active workset, then 153 to move. Selecting a correctly-assigned element and pressing 154 is faster and less error-prone than navigating the workset dropdown manually.
• Elements are processed one at a time. If an element fails (e.g. it's on a borrowed workset), the tool logs the error and continues with the rest. Check the Output Dialog after a bulk move if you suspect some elements didn't move.
• Some elements cannot be reassigned. Datum elements such as Levels, Grids, and Scope Boxes have workset restrictions and may not move. The tool will log an error for these and continue.
• Elements in groups must be ungrouped first. Grouped elements cannot have their workset changed individually.
• After a bulk move, spot-check a few elements. Select one or two moved elements and confirm the Workset parameter in the Properties panel shows the expected value.

Common Use Cases

Correcting misassigned elements — Elements accidentally placed on the wrong workset are common. Set the correct workset active via 154, select the misassigned elements (filter by workset if needed), and move them all in one press of 153.

Discipline organisation — When setting up a new project or receiving a model that hasn't been properly organised, select all walls/floors/roofs and move to the Architectural workset, then all framing to Structural, and so on.

Level-based worksets — Select all elements on a given level using a filter or selection box, set the level workset active, and move in bulk. Supports partial model loading strategies.

Bulk cleanup after import — Elements from a DWG import or copy/monitor operation often land on the wrong workset. Select the imported elements, set the correct workset active, and move them all at once.

Design option organisation — Move elements to option-specific worksets after modelling, enabling workset-based visibility control of design alternatives.

Troubleshooting

"File is not Workshared" message Worksharing must be enabled on the project. If the file should be workshared, check whether it was accidentally opened as a detached copy.

Nothing happens Confirm that at least one element is selected and that the active workset is set. Check the Output Dialog for errors. If elements are already on the active workset, no change is made.

Some elements don't move Each element is processed individually — failures are logged but don't stop the rest. Check the Output Dialog for specific errors. Common causes are elements on borrowed worksets, elements in groups, or datum elements (Levels, Grids) which have workset restrictions.

Elements disappear after moving The destination workset may be hidden in the current view. Open the Worksets visibility dialog (Visibility/Graphics → Worksets tab) and enable the destination workset. The elements moved successfully — they are just not visible.

Transaction errors / rollback The active workset is likely not editable — either it is set to Non-Editable or another user has it borrowed. Check the Workset table and coordinate with your team.

Keyboard shortcut not responding Verify the shortcut is correctly assigned in the Keyboard Shortcuts dialog and check for conflicts. A Revit restart is sometimes needed after assigning new shortcuts.

Wrong workset — elements moved to unexpected destination The active workset was not what was expected when the tool ran. Use 154 to set the active workset reliably from a known element rather than relying on the dropdown. To reverse a bulk move, undo immediately with Ctrl+Z — the tool runs in a transaction per element, so multiple undos may be needed for a large selection.