Revit Standards - Getting Started

In one of my first Blogs I talked about the duties of a BIM Manager.

Id like to follow up on one aspect, and it is that of Office Templates. With all good endeavors an Action Plan is required. It makes it easy to track what has been done and even set deadlines for certain tasks if necessary. Id like to mention a piece of software I use as a bible and that is MS OneNote. I use this to keep track of everything from Open Tickets, to Content that goes on our inter-office Wiki.

First: What is a Template??

Templates are defined as ‘a standardized non-executable file type used by computer software as a pre-formatted example on which to base other files, especially documents’. Templates contain a set of repeated elements and are created to standardize visibility setting across the final documents.

Second: Why are Templates necessary??

Using a template to work from and to layout elements, allows for less time with background work and more time on individual projects. Templates also provide a level of consistency across all projects, this is essential from a marketing perspective.In our office we have several different Architectural Studio types.

The Process for me is to:

Build a Master Template
Set Up each Studio Template from the Master

Third: What should I put into my template?

Below is a list of Items I am building into my office master template:

Project Units (Metric/Imperial)
Levels and Spacing
Defined Views (On-Going)
View Properties
View Display
Detail Level by Scale
View Templates
Object Styles (On-Going)
Fill Patterns
Material Definitions
Line Styles
Line Weights
Line Patterns
Title Blocks
Grid Styles
Wall Styles
Floor Styles
Roof Styles
Door Styles
Window Styles
Stair Styles
Railing Styles
Section Styles
Elevation Styles
Callout Styles
Default Families Loaded (Family Manager Add-In?)
Default Loaded Tags
Default Symbols Loaded
Temporary Dimension Defaults
Permanent Dimension Styles
Text Styles
Snap Settings
Room and Area Settings
Browser Organization
Phases
Keynoting (Spec Software integrated?)
Project Parameters (On-Going)
Site Settings
Structural Settings
Filters
Spelling Library
Color Schemes
Export Layers Defined
Import Lineweights
SHX font mapping
Use OpenGL Hardware Graphics
Sun and Shadow Settings
Revit .ini customization
Keyboard Shortcuts
Code Requirements
Cover Sheet Requirements

As you can see this is a long list of items to check off!!

Fourth: What Not to put in your Template??

Do not make your project templates heavy, i.e. you do not include everything that a project MAY use. This is why we have a Standard Content folder with a structure for the user to find the content to be load easily. So items may be loaded in using Load Family and System Families can be loaded either via Copy/Paste or Transfer Project Standards.

Details:

Adding details that a project may use will unnecessarily weigh the template down. Some details are appropriate to add, like standard mounting heights, abbreviations, patterns etc. In our office we have the sheet setup for out Architectural Standards which get put in for every project. Those details are appropriate to add to the project template.

Worksets:

Although my Master Template does not allow me to add in worksets, Each Studio Template is a workshared enabled model (or a Central File). I have a Disclaimer that is visible upon opening the Studio Template. Create process guidelines for creating and using worksets for projects.