Tag: batch

The Complete Guide To Automatic Batch Revit File Upgrade Tools

Luke Johnson

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.

Scheduled and Unattended Exporting from Revit to Multiple Output Formats.

Luke Johnson

I reviewed RTV Xporter PRO late last year, but there have been a few updates and new features since then so I thought I’d briefly list them here.  For less than $50US per user, you get a lot of automation capability. A 2016 compatible version is now available. Also, a new build for Revit 2015 has been released.

Here are some of the new features in Xporter PRO 2015 build (599):

  • improved revision management
  • improved stability for unattended scheduled tasks with Revit
  • improved PDF connectors
  • new Citrix Sharefile connector
  • new Edit/Update Revit Sheet Parameter data mode
  • new Right-Click shortcut menu options on the main interface
  • new Create 3D views split by floor level and export to individual NWC files

Get it here

A few of the other key features of this addin:

  • tasks can be automatically run as a single Batch process or on a repeating Daily, Weekly, Monthly and Hourly Scheduled process.
  • Automatic creation of PDFs, DWG, DWF, DWFx, DXF, DGN, NWC and IFC files from Autodesk® Revit® drawing sheets and views.
  • Built-in parametric file naming engine automatically saves exported files to match any company’s or project team’s file naming conventions.
  • Batch print large format and reduced hardcopies to two separate printers simultaneously.

If you want to know more, you can check out my November 2014 review:
What Revit Wants: Automatic Batch Printing and Exporting from Revit that could save you Dollars and Time (RTV Xporter Pro review)

Upgrading Revit files using eTransmit if you are faced with "central model could not be reached" error

Luke Johnson

Why does this happen? Because the Bulk File Upgrader doesn’t work if it is trying to upgrade a Local and it can’t find a Central (I believe this is a Revit API thing)… and you may get this error:
filename.rvt could not be upgraded: The file-based central model could not be reached, because e.g. the network is down or the file server is down. 

The core problem here is that someone has probably given you a Local copy, when they should have given you a Central or Detached copy to link into your project.

If we want to upgrade lots of these “local-type” linked files, how can we get around this batch upgrade limitation? We will need to to use eTransmit – twice. Let’s say we are upgrading from Revit 2013 to Revit 2015:

  1. Make a blank 2013 RVT project
  2. Link in all the 2013 version files you want to upgrade
  3. Save the host file in 2013 and close it
  4. Transmit the host using Revit 2013, including Links and tick the ‘Open and Save models in the active version of Revit’ option (this places the newly saved linked models into a transitory state, where you can choose to save as central or work with this model temporarily)
  5. Open Revit 2015
  6. Addins – Transmit a Model
  7. Choose the output eTransmitted 2013 host file from step 4
  8. Make sure to tick the “Linked Revit models” and “Cleanup” boxes
  9. Click Transmit Model and wait for all of the files to be upgraded (yay)
  10. Remember to discard the host file before transmitting or copying the files

Note: using the “Add Files” option in eTransmit and adding RVTs manually will not upgrade them.

Here’s the link for eTransmit for Autodesk Revit 2015.

Also, you *might* have to press ok after each if you get this error (Easy Keynoter?)

NWC Batch Export from Revit – multiple Revit views to multiple NWCs with one click

Luke Johnson

Have you seen the BIM One Batch NWC Exporter? Its a free little addin for Revit that allows you to select multiple views and export them to NWCs all in one go. It works well, but it doesn’t have all the power of a full featured export addin (like RTV Xporter Pro – full review coming soon).

Important: during the signup process, you will have to choose a BIM One key – like a password. This is what will allow you to activate the addin manager, and use the installer. So, make sure you choose a BIM One Key before pressing ‘Save’ on the registration page.

Here’s what the addin manager looks like:

Quick demo of using the addin in Revit 2015:

From the BIM One site: 
Here are the steps to install the application:

  • Sign up on our website: Sign Up
  • Download the Add-Ins Manager: bimone.com/addinsmanager/setup.exe
  • Open the Add-ins Manager and log in
  • Select the apps you want to install and click Install

    • Here is more information about the Add-Ins Manager: User Guide – 
    See more at: https://bimone.ca/Apps/Product?productId=8#sthash.vcuO5zSl.dpuf 

    via
    Virtual Construction and Technology BIM One Inc. – NWC Batch Export