Online manual to help you use Tools for Revit application - enhancement tools for Autodesk Revit
Holixa Tools for Revit (old name: Revit Tools) enhances the BIM application Autodesk Revit with a set of tools and automatic functions that will increase your productivity in Revit.
New ribbon:
The .Net application Revit Tools is compatible with Autodesk Revit (“One-Box”) 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017 and with Revit Architecture, MEP and Structure 2016, 2015, 2014 and 2013 (32-bit or 64-bit, any language version).
Creates automatic descriptions of the element structure
Structure Label creates automatic labels of the structure of compound walls, roofs or floors, including the material and thickness of each layer in the selected building element. On any change in the structure, the label will be automatically updated. Supports also combined/attached floors and walls. The labels can by customized by editing the family “CS_Arial_2mm”. You can assign this command to a keyboard shortcut. In Settings you can specify the modifier for material names – using regular expressions you can remove any numerical thickness information (to avoid duplicate thickness values).
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Time tracking for Revit projects
The application Job Time Tracker automatically tracks your true (net) time spent on editing a particular project (job). You can specify idle time delays (pauses between commands) which won’t be calculated into the total project time. You can track individual sessions, total time and the number of executed commands. The resulting data can be exported to Excel.
The time-tracking information is automatically stored in a separate file in the same folder and with the same name as your project and with the extension .CSTIME
. When you transfer your RVT file to another machine, make sure the .cstime file is copied along. JobTime tracks and displays these properties:
dd:hh:mm:ss
The tracking-reactor is ON by default. You don’t need to run the JobTime command from the ribbon. You can run it to display your current time-tracking information, to set a new “Idle time” value (the setting is stored in the project file), to disable it temporarily, or to export the time-tracking statistics to Excel (or other spreadsheet application supporting CSV data files). There you can perform other advanced functions on the tracked data – like adding data from multiple RVT files, or multiple users, graph-presentations, adding price/billing data, etc.
The file tracking is updated on document/project close (provided the project was saved at least once in this session). In Trial mode, the “Inactive time” and “View in Excel” options are disabled.
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The function Reference List displays a list of all referenced files in the current project – e.g. linked DWG and RVT files, keynotes, shared parameters, decals (images).
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The function Link Checker is a tool that automatically checks for updates of external references in the project. Ths application will display a notification when an xref is changed.
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The function Delete Imported Lines performs batch purging of selected linetypes imported from external formats. You can select the linetypes to delete from a dialog. See the extended version Clear Project.
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The function Clear Project (Project Cleaner) can batch-clear unwanted selected types of elements from your projects. In the command dialog, you can select the individual element types. Thi function extends the original function Delete Imported Lines.
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Automatic conversion of projects and families to the current version
The function Bulk upgrade allows to batch upgrade Revit projects, families and templates to the current Revit version.
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The function BIM Sign (formerly a standalone utility) watermarks your BIM document (a RVT project, RFA family or template .RTE/.RFT) with a permanent invisible signature. At any moment, you can then read this signature from the document and prove ownership (intellectual property, IP) of the given document. The signature reading functionality is active even without the Revit Tools license, e.g. after its Trial version expires.
The function Who did it display the author(s) of the last editing operation performed on the selected element(s). You can check an individual element or a selection of elements. User names (IDs) are listed for the selected project elements.
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The function Command Line displays a simple input window, where you can invoke Revit commands by typing their name, resp. a part of their name. The autocomplete box lists all commands matching the typed substring, including any keyboard shortcut and the ribbon path. Try to enter e.g. ‘wall’.
The selected command can be started by clicking on it in the list. If the command is unavailable in the current context, the command line turns red temporarily. You can choose the command name language in the Settings. By loading a currently exported keyboard shortcuts file (XML) you can add also commands from your add-on apps to the accepted commands list.
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This function remains active even after your Revit Tools license should expire.
The function Import DTM simplifies cooperation when designing buildings and civil infrastructure projects. Loads terrain surface from Civil 3D including flowlines with all edges in shared coordinates. Imports terrain models by loading XML files created by the function Export surface from Autodesk Civil 3D using the add-on tool Civil Tools. You can also use the LandXML format. If both applications are installed on the same machine, you don’t need to select the file to import.
The function Export geometry exports selected categories of elements from Revit to Civil 3D – e.g. foundations, retaining walls, volumes, etc. – for further landscaping in Civil 3D.
The function Parameter Manager manages parameters in the currently opened project – allows you to add more parameters from the shared parameters file in one go, or to clear existing parameters from the project in bulk. The tool can also easily filter in the list of parameters for better overview and control.
The function Edit Family Parameters (Family parameters manager) is a tool for batch editing of parameters in Revit families – you can delete, replace and add new parameters in multiple families at once.
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The function Copy Columns allows you to copy parameter values from one column to another in schedules. For example when you need to access values that are only in schedules (calculated values, merged parameters, counts, length totals, etc.) and use them e.g. for labels, filter conditions, etc.
Since version 3.1 you can transfer settings from one project to another (using XML), and allows you to set the tool to run automatically when you save the project.
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The function Coordinates adds the values of global and local coordinates (X,Y,Z) of selected elements to the selected parameters.
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Easier selection of objects by parameters
The function Extended filter offers – compared to the default Revit filtering – a more detailed selection of drawing elements. It allows to limit the selection to a project, to the current view or to a selection set. You can group selected components by level, room or category in any order. You can also filter by parameters contained in families.
Grouped (left) and ungrouped (right) rooms:
Filter by parameters:
Usage:
Automatic generation of openings
The function Opening simplifies the coordination process between the construction and MEP on projects and extends functionality of Revit standard tools for coordination checks. It can automatically create openings through building construction structures in places where they collide with piping and ducting.
This application can be used by both architects and by MEP designers to attach opening requests, where they can manually set requested shape and dimensions. These requests are graphically noticeable proxy elements, displaying notifications to architects – when they attach a MEP model – so that they can create openings in the given position, with given dimensions defined by MEP designers.
The architect gets a table report inside Revit, plus in the classic 2D and 3D Revit views. After they check the requests, all or some of the requests can be used to generate openings automatically. This tool offers wide customization options and allows o.a. filtering of colision elements by material, attaching information about fire inserts, or attaching comments displayable by other team members.
3D view with attached requests for openings
Dialog and plan view with requests (click for larger)
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