Revit Tip – Configuring Revit to set your custom template file as default

by Dennis Collin

A Revit users experience is greatly enhanced if provided a template file with all a company’s required standards, views, annotation families, patterns and sheets all loaded and ready for use at one’s fingertips.

Fig 1. Any office using Revit should have a template created and set to improve efficiency and productivity.

Although Revit is provided with some templates which may be acceptable to get started, it is inefficient to have to browse through a lengthy list across network drives to access a file somewhere on the network! Like any motor race users want their standards file in Pole Position!

Once a custom template file has been created. It should be stored at a suitable shared location which all users can access.

By running Revit’s’ Options command custom user templates and content can be specified and promoted so that they are the default choice when selecting or loading content.

Fig 2. Configuring Revit to use a custom user template file.

Click file locations a custom template can be added, by clicking on the green plus button marked. If necessary redundant file shortcuts can be removed by clicking the red minus button below. For Revit to prefer the new customised template the template order list can be modified, and the custom template can be promoted so that is number 1 on the list and can be the first or most obvious file to be selected!

Fig 3. Promoting a customised user template to be first in a list.

Once set, when creating a new project, a company’s custom template will be at the top of the list, this will ensure users are using company approved title sheets, schedules, and annotation families that comply with specified CAD and BIM standards.

Fig 4. Custom template at the front of the queue!

Creating templates and configuring Revit are just some of the topics that we cover on our Arkance Revit training courses. For more information and to talk to one of the team click here.