8/10/2019 Ten Best Practices for Better Revit Performance

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Ten Best Practices for Better Revit

Performance

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Architizer Editors

No matter how skilled you are at using Revit to model, analyze, and represent your

design, software performance is key to maximizing the power of the program. Slow

syncs, sluggish openings, and jittery model displays that come with big, complex files

can cause frustrating and time-wasting delays. HP and technology consultants

CASE have examined Revitsperformance HP through its HP Performance

Advisor tool, and CASE through the auditing of BIM models for AECO clients and

developed a series of recommended practices. These 10 pointers will help you make

your models and workflows work harder, smarter, and more efficiently for you.

1. Use elevation and section far clip

To reduce the data processed in generating your drawings, each section and elevation should

have a far clip active and set so that it only extends far enough for the correct information to

show in the drawing. This will also help make startup times shorter.

2. Minimize DWG imports

DWG are one of the main causes of increased file sizes and reduced model performance.

Minimize DWG links and imports by using them only for reference and then remove them

once Revit elements have been generated.

3. Don't explode CAD drawings into families

In Revit, never explode an AutoCAD file. Even when deleted, each XREF is treated as an

imported symbol, adding extra data to the file and reducing performance. If you must explode

a file, purge XREFs first, and remember to use purge unused often when in Revit, to get rid

of extraneous files. Use CASE's Import from File tool to import to a separate Revit file and

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remove ?rogue/rouge? line styles using the programs"Change and Replace Linestyle"tool to

purge the family, and then load it into your active project.

4. Remove unused options and views

Even when inactive and invisible, design options can slow the model since they all have to

update with changes. For a cleaner model, remove any unused design options. Similarly,

unplaced views add data to the file and contribute to slow model performance and large file

sizes. Purge views often.

5. Eliminate unused families

It sounds like something the mafia would do. Revit families that are removed from the model

still contribute to the file size. To increase performance, purge unused families often so it is

easier to remember which ones should go. Also, only remove the families and not the types,

which can be hard to reintroduce once erased.

6. Use model lines sparingly

Use model lines sparingly, since they are easily mistaken for a drawing error in other views.

Where possible, replace model lines with detail lines.

7. Use room separation lines

Room separation lines help divide rooms where no other bounding object is present.

However, be careful. When these lines begin to overlap with other bounding objects, such as

walls and columns, they will cause errors. The use of room separation lines should be

minimized as much as possible by using room bounding elements whenever appropriate.

8. Worksets

Using worksets more elegantly can vastly improve your workflow. Make it easy to see which

links have been opened by placing Revit links into separate worksets. Keep the model well-

structured by breaking it into bite-sized worksets. Create a 3D view for each workset and

name it worksetworksetname" (using your own title for worksetname), and set the

visibility graphics for each 3D workset view to isolate the workset. This makes it easy to

keep track of what is in a workset. Alternatively, you can use the CASEworkset browserto

visualize worksets.

9. Avoid excessive 3D model detail

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If Revit families grow too detailed, model display performance can be impacted, especially

on larger projects. When highly detailed models are required, create high and low detail

versions of the family. Use family type parameters to switch between these versions

depending on the output need. Low detail versions should be extremely simple (just abounding box that accurately depicts the shape and size), and its visibility parameters turned

off. The high detail versions can be temporarily switched for visualization and exporting.

10. Get performance advice

UseHP Performance Advisorto fine-tune your workstation without the IT department. The

program can help with everything from the temperature of your computer, to your current

GPU usage, to the RAM utilization of applications. Installing the latest graphics drivers,

optimizing system and bios settings and finding diagnostic information can all help improve

performance. Performance Advisor is included with HP Z Workstations featuring Intel

Xeon and Intel Core processors.

Editorsnote: The tips in this article were originally developed by CASE with HP and Intel.

The original article can be foundhere.

http://hp.com/go/performanceadvisorhttp://hp.com/go/performanceadvisorhttp://hp.com/go/performanceadvisorhttp://www8.hp.com/us/en/pdf/july_augi_advertorial_tcm_245_1738549.pdfhttp://www8.hp.com/us/en/pdf/july_augi_advertorial_tcm_245_1738549.pdfhttp://www8.hp.com/us/en/pdf/july_augi_advertorial_tcm_245_1738549.pdfhttp://www8.hp.com/us/en/pdf/july_augi_advertorial_tcm_245_1738549.pdfhttp://hp.com/go/performanceadvisor