How to Create Revit Templates for New Projects

Edited 2 weeks ago by ExtremeHow Editorial Team

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Creating a Revit template is an important step in ensuring the efficiency and consistency of your future projects. The Revit template serves as a starting point for your projects, containing predefined settings, standards, views, and sometimes even model elements. It can save time, reduce repetitive tasks, and minimize errors, allowing you to focus on design. Let's look at the detailed process of creating a Revit template step by step.

Understanding the need for templates

Before we jump into the construction process, let's understand the importance of Revit templates. Templates help maintain a level of consistency across projects, making it easier for teams to collaborate. They contain predefined objects and settings such as walls, families, levels, dimensions, and annotations, which means you can start designing immediately without having to set up these elements from scratch each time.

Setting up your Revit environment

Start by setting up a Revit project that will serve as the foundation for your template. Consider the following elements:

• File naming: Develop a consistent naming convention for your projects and save the project file with a logical name.
• Project units: Decide whether your projects will use imperial or metric units. Go to the "Manage" tab, click "Project units", and set the units as needed.
• Levels: Create and adjust levels according to the type of project you often work on, be it a residential building, commercial complex, etc.
• Grid: Define a grid in your model to aid in the layout of structural elements. Maintain consistency in grid spacing and naming.

Configuring template settings

Now, let's work on the specific settings and aesthetic of your template:

View templates

View templates determine the graphics and visibility settings for your views. Set up view templates for different types of drawings, such as floor plans, elevations, sections, and detail views. This will simplify the process of setting up views for each new project.

Object styles

In Revit, object styles control the visibility and appearance of different types of elements in the project. Go to "Manage > Object Styles" to adjust line weights, colors, and material representation. Make sure any changes reflect your firm's standards.

Content and family

Add and customize materials and families that are used frequently in your projects. Load standard families such as doors, windows, and furniture into your template file. Also, customize materials to suit your design specifications. Creating custom families can be a time-consuming process, but it adds significant value to repetitive design tasks.

Annotation styles

Standardize styles for annotations, including dimensions, tags, text, and leaders. Go to "Annotate > Dimension Style" to set your preferred styles for consistency across projects. Make sure text size, font, and line styles adhere to any regulatory requirements or company standards.

Title block and sheet

Set up the title block to include all the information you need for your projects. Include details such as the project name, address, sheet numbers, and other important information. Create a standard set of sheets in your template (e.g., cover page, site plan, floor plan), so you don't have to recreate them for each project.

Fine-tuning of structural and MEP elements

If your projects frequently require structural or MEP (mechanical, electrical, plumbing) design:

Structural settings

Configure settings for specific structural components. Set up standard beam systems, foundation types, and create frequently used structural families. Go to "Structural Settings" to ensure the default settings are aligned with the most common structural standards and design codes you work with.

MEP settings

For MEP design, set parameters such as duct and pipe sizes that apply in most scenarios. This ensures that your Building Information Modeling (BIM) processes are consistent and efficient from one project to the next.

Creating a schedule

Schedules are a powerful aspect of Revit. Develop standard schedules, such as door, window, and room schedules, making sure they include all the required information fields. This improves project documentation and helps meet deadlines.

Collaboration settings

Adjust settings to help collaboration, especially if your team uses worksharing. Set up appropriate worksets and make sure default save paths are easy to access for multiple users. Configure "Worksharing" settings through the "Collaborate" tab.

Saving and deploying your template

Once all the elements are set, save your file as a template. Go to "File > Save As" and select "Template" from the menu options. It is a good practice to save different templates for different types of projects such as residential, commercial and interiors to meet the varied demands of each project type.

Testing your template

Create a test project using your newly created template. This test helps to identify if all the settings, views, and components are working as intended. Any feedback received from this test run should be used to further refine and improve the template.

Updating and maintaining your template

Update your template periodically to incorporate new standards, families, or materials. This ensures that your designs reflect current practices and regulatory updates. Maintain a version control system to track and manage changes over time.

Conclusion

Creating a Revit template is a significant task that requires thoughtful planning and execution. Time invested in setting up a template saves countless hours on future projects. Consistency in design elements and adherence to company standards ensure high-quality output and smooth project delivery.

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