Revit gets a new version every year, and every year we theoretically have to upgrade our Revit files. If you are a pro-active BIM Manager, you also have to upgrade a bunch of families and other files. If you are working on certain large projects, maybe the updates are deferred for a year or two, and then you find that you have to upgrade about 800 Revit files from Revit 2015 to 2018. Obviously, they all have to upgraded at once to maintain the integrity of the data and the workflows. What is the best way to do it?

I investigated a few different options and my notes and links are list below. In my case, I decided to go with RTV Xporter Pro and its File Upgrader option. It is an extremely affordable addin (currently $49USD), considering the amount of batch processing functionality that it provides.

The very first thing to do is ensure you have a backup. In my case, I had a complete offline mirror of the Revit files, and I ran the upgrade against that mirror. Then, I could just overwrite the live network location once I confirm that everything works as expected.

I would say that another thing to do is to create some form of data snapshot of your Revit models prior to upgrade. I have a method of doing this which is pretty powerful, but its a secret (for now).

Here are the steps to upgrade a Revit dataset using RTV Xporter Pro 2018:

  1. Set up a File Upgrader XML file (my settings shown below). As you can see, I chose to Detach and Audit and then Save the file over the top of the current file in the same location. This way, all of the Revit links should be maintained once the whole dataset is upgraded to the new version.
  2. Open Xporter Pro link from Revit
  3. Create Task Schedule
  4. Import the Upgrade XML as a Batch Process
  5. Set the Revit EXE location for the target version
  6. After saving the task, open in Windows Task Scheduler and you can run it immediately.

The screenshots below show the important stuff from the above steps.

1) My RTV Xporter Pro Settings:

3) Creating the Scheduled Task:

4 and 5) Load Batch Process XML and Set Revit Application, like for 2018:

6) Running the Scheduled Task:

Tip: During a typical file upgrade, Revit will often come up with warnings. If you run the RTV File Upgrader task in Interactive mode, you will get the dialog box which requires user interaction (export warnings and proceed past the Revit warnings). However, if you run the upgrade from the Task Scheduler, it will automatically dismiss the warnings for you as it upgrades. Some examples are warning dialog including errors like ‘could not cut instance out of wall’. In the Scheduled Mode, this process will all happen unattended.

This is what it looks like as it upgrades (scheduled mode):

This is what it looks like as it upgrades (interactive mode):

Update 10/1/18: RTV Xporter Pro can define rules for dismissing dialog boxes, in the Task Dialog Settings. See below:

end Update 10/1/18

You can get RTV Xporter Pro here

There are other addins and ways to upgrade. Here is a pretty comprehensive list:

Paid Revit Addins:

  • Harry Mattison has built a powerful Bulk File Upgrader addin that has a lot of good reviews on the App Store. You can find it here.
    Current price: $99USD
  • BIMWERX Batch File Upgrader. Very simple UI and good reviews. You can get it here.
    Current price: $10USD
  • NTI Tools have a File Upgrader. You can get a trial at this link. You have to register and then get an email with the download.

Previous posts:

These previous posts show some other pretty useful methods to keep in mind…

Upgrading with RTV Xporter

Upgrading with eTransmit

Upgrading with File Upgrader (previously provided by Autodesk)

Batch Upgrade Family Templates by Renaming Hack

 

Batch Upgrade Families with Dynamo

Using this definition or the Rhythm node, as per this forum post.

Content Batch Utility Help Link:

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/revit-products/troubleshooting/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/Upgrading-old-families.html

Old Maller tweet:

Aaron Maller

http://t.co/O0eqcPo8t1
Upgraded Batch utility and journal for Fam upgrades. Does TPS of OS/LW/LT, and does Parameter Re-order in 2015.

Dead link?

Even older links:

http://www.revitforum.org/architecture-general-revit-questions/1971-updating-content-2011-2012-a.html

http://www.revitforum.org/architecture-general-revit-questions/1976-revit-2012-a.html

http://forums.augi.com/showthread.php?83775-RVT-file-batch-Upgrade

 

Batch Utility

This Batch Utility is usually available on you Revit installation media:

“C:Program Files\Autodesk\Revit 2013\Program\en-US\Utilities\ContentBatchUtility\Upgrade_RFA.bat”

 

Old re-post:

Run this utility, then run the Family Categorizer – instant and up to date Family Library!

The Revit Jedi: Batch Upgrade Utility

 

Feel free to comment with your thoughts.

Back in March 2015, I posted a script that I had created to disable all Revit addins. That was put together in Powershell and was a pretty severe and somewhat ugly method to use. Happily, earlier this year Robert Manna developed and posted about a more refined tool that Stantec calls the Add-in Manager.

It requires no installation and allows you to selectively switch Revit addins on and off prior to launching Revit. Obviously, this is easier than manually renaming .addin files, and quicker than uninstalling / re-installing addins all the time 🙂

Interestingly, the Bitbucket site is under BoostYourBIM, so it looks like Harry Mattison (probably the best Revit API coder in the world) was involved in building this helpful little tool.

Here are the steps to install (copied from the original post):

  1. Download the tool from Bitbucket here.
  2. Find where you downloaded the zip file and unzip it.
  3. When unzipped, there will be a BIN folder; browse into the BIN folder then the Debug sub-folder.
  4. Run the tool by double-clicking on the exe file.
  5. In the window that opens, pick your version of Revit (or go with all if you like).
  6. The data grid will update to display all of the machine wide and the logged in user specific add-ins installed. You can pick and choose, invert, select all, then simply click on the “Enable/Disable” button to either enable or disable the selected add-ins.
  7. Once you’ve made your choices, start Revit in the normal manner. Simple and easy.

 Thanks for sharing Robert!

Harry has put together a nice Revit addin UI for searching, choosing and setting Uniformat and Omniclass codes.  You can read his post and view the video at:
A better way to set Assembly Codes & Uniformat | Boost Your BIM – making Revit even better

Direct download for addin:
here it is – http://gdurl.com/WsDe/download

I’ve always felt that the Floor tool in Scan to BIM is a bit lacking – rather than analysing and deforming an existing Floor element, I want it to work like the Topo tool (just select a bunch of points and decimate).

Well, now it can (sort of).  Like this:

  1. Use the Scan to BIM topo tool to make temporary topo “Floors”
  2. Then use the Topo to Shape Edited floor macro from Boost Your BIM

Sometimes, What Revit needs is for you to put two workflows together to solve a problem in the most efficient way…

Download the add-in:
Topo From Lines | Autodesk Revit | Autodesk Exchange Apps

Update it:
Use this files in this ZIP to replace the files installed in C:ProgramDataAutodeskApplicationPluginsTopo From Lines.bundle
http://gdurl.com/i2vu

Read the post:
Topo From Lines now available on the Autodesk App Store | Boost Your BIM – making Revit even better

Heads-up thanks to Belinda Thompson

Oh, but if you want a super high resolution contour import, check out:
What Revit Wants: Using Civil3D to increase your Topography resolution in Revit

Most of you already know how highly I recommend Harry Mattison.  He is completely at peace with the Revit API, and he knows instinctively how to solve Revit coding challenges that are out of reach for most of us.

For less than $150, you can learn the Revit API from the master, at https://www.udemy.com/revitapi/

Harry was an employee of Revit Technology Corporation and Autodesk from 1998 to 2012 and spent four of those years developing and testing new Revit APIs in areas such as the Family Editor, Massing, Analysis Visualization, Dynamic Model Update, and Views & Schedules.

I have personally started reviewing the classes, and the level of expertise targeted by this course is very appropriate — intermediate to advanced Revit users, with a comprehension of basic programming techniques.  Not too basic, and not too complicated 🙂

At RTCNA this past week, Harry Mattison has been taking API challenges and answering them left, right and centre.  Most of us are trying to figure out What Revit Wants, while Harry seems to inherently understand What the Revit API Wants – and what it can handle.

Take this example – he was challenged to provide a method of printing Sheets from a Linked RVT in the host project.  Turns out it was easy!  Read his full post below:
Print Sheets from Host & Linked RVT files | Boost Your BIM – making Revit even better

But this wasn’t the only challenge he answered during RTCNA.  Here are a few more gems:
Live link between Parameters in Model & Detail Families
(yep, it updates itself)

“View” Field added to a Detail Item Schedule
(ability to schedule the View a particular Detail Item exists in — 2014 only)

Automatically Synchronize With Central
(let’s call this “the real Revit autosave” — 2014 only)

Nice work Harry.

I’ve been waiting for this!  Keyboard shortcuts can make you ridiculously more productive in any CAD software, and that certainly includes Revit.  Harry has made a little ‘tutor’ program that gives you visual cues on what Keyboard Shortcuts you can and should be using (like Veodin Keyrocket for Windows / Office).

Unfortunately, the full version isn’t free – but I guess the guy has to make a crust somehow 🙂  And I have a feeling that $5 will pay for itself in about half a day of improved productivity.

EDIT: Updated versions 27 Feb 2013
2012 Install 2013 Install Purchase License

Check it out:

“Free version provides reminders for shortcuts that contain the letter “W”. If you find it helpful and want reminders for all shortcuts, please purchase a license.

Read more:
Download the Revit Keyboard Shortcut Tutor today! | Boost Your BIM – making Revit even better