Transferring Global Parameters Between Revit Projects

In preparation for my upcoming presentation 'Power to the People - Global Parameters' at BILT ANZ 2017 in Adelaide (2.3 at 1.30pm Friday 26 May), I have done some in-depth analysis of how Global Parameters work. I don't want to spend too much time during the presentation on the nuts and bolts as there is much more exciting stuff to look at with what Global Parameters can achieve - so I plan to publish some of that research here . . . .

. . . . .Starting with how to copy Global Parameters between Revit projects:

There are two ways to achieve this, with varying results.

Transfer Project Standards

From v2017 it is possible to copy Global Parameters between projects  using the 'Transfer Project Standards' function.   However, it is 'all or nothing', as per usual for this feature - it copies every single Global Parameter in one project to the other one, along with all the values and formulas.  So it is like applying a sledgehammer - you could transfer two hundred parameters when you only want two. 

• It does not copy any associations between modelled elements and Global Parameters - these would have to be re-associated to elements in the new project.

• NB. If there are any materials selected for any material type global parameters, the materials will be transferred too.

• If Global Parameters already exist in the project (with the same names), Revit will ask if you want to overwrite them - it will overwrite both values and formulas.
  Be careful not to lose any values or formulas if the names happen to be the same by coincidence.

Copy & Paste

Copy & Paste of elements between projects will also transfer any associated Global Parameters. This will in turn bring with it any formulas included in those Global Parameters, and any further GPs referred to within those formulas. This does not guarantee that the whole GP relationship will necessarily work properly once copied because there could be GPs that rely on such things as reporting parameters driven by dimensions that were not copied.

• The benefit of this method is that it only brings with it the Global Parameters associated with the elements that you want to copy anyway.
• It also maintains any associations between selected elements and Global Parameters.

If identically named Global Parameters already exist in the project:

• It does not copy/overwrite existing Global Parameters
• If the Global Parameter values and formulas are the same, it maintains them, and maintains the element associations to the Global Parameters.
• If the Global Parameter values and formulas are different it will try to maintain associations, but using the new values - if this causes significant changes it will warn you that it needs to break the associations

Conclusion

Use whichever method best suits your purpose:

• If you want to overwrite Global Parameters, use 'Transfer Project Standards - but it copies all your Global Parameters.  You may need to transfer them to an intermediate blank project, then delete the ones you don't need, keeping only the ones to transfer - then transfer those into the final destination project.
• If you want to maintain associations with elements, or only want to copy specific Global Parameters - use Copy and Paste.

Copying Sheets Between Revit Projects

A year ago I published a post about copying views between Revit projects.  This has recently been receiving a lot of hits, so it is obviously a big issue for Revit users.  Here is another tip related to this topic, with credit due to Alex Dobysh of Mirvac in Sydney, who showed the concept to me:

Copying Sheets

You might think it is not possible to copy and paste sheets between projects.  Well, normally it is not, but there are certain situations where it is possible - kind of . . .

In the project browser, if you right-click on a sheet, the option to 'Copy to Clipboard' is normally greyed out

However, if the sheet does not have any model views on it, then 'Copy to Clipboard' is enabled

In this situation, Revit considers Legend views to be model views even if they do not have any components placed on them.  It is curious why it does this, since legends can be placed on multiple sheets - yet another of Revit's legendary inconsistencies (pardon the pun).

Once you have copied a sheet to the clipboard, you can go to another project in the same Revit session, and 'Paste from Clipboard'

This will create a new sheet with exactly the same layout of title block, schedule views and any annotation (text etc);  it brings with it the schedules in the same location and format as the original sheet;  it also brings drafting views - but if those already exist with the same name, it creates a new drafting view with a number suffix.  As schedules are allowed on multiple sheets, it does not create new ones if those already exist.

You can also paste sheets within the same project to create copies of them - it just increments the sheet number and puts a number suffix to the sheet name.  If there are any drafting views on the sheet, it will duplicate them and increment a number suffix.  This is a quick way to create multiple similar sheets - all you need to do after that is add the model views

Links for Copying Views

Copying views between Revit projects
Copying contents of 3D views between Projects
Duplicating Views with Linework Overrides (within projects)

Copying Views Between Revit Projects

I figured out how to copy perspective views between Revit projects a few years back.  I see that this topic has been addressed in various blogs and forum posts, but maybe not comprehensively, so I reckon its worth putting it all in one place for reference.

There are several methods to copy views, depending on what view type and where you are in the project browser.

• Copying a view between projects is quite different from using the 'Duplicate' command because that command only works within a project.

• Selecting a view in the project browser does not generally allow you to copy it - the copy icon is not available, nor is there a 'Copy' option when you right-click on a view name (Drafting views and schedules are the exception).
• Copying views between projects does not usually copy associated annotation objects, with the exception of drafting views.  Annotation has to be selected and copied separately after the view is copied.
• None of the following methods will work between different Revit sessions - however, I see no reason why anyone should open more than one Revit session anyway.

Copying Drafting Views & Schedules

Drafting and schedule views can be copied from one project to another by two methods:
Method A - Copy & Paste

• Select a drafting view or schedule in the project browser
• Right-click and choose 'Copy to Clipboard'

 

• Go to the other project
• 'Paste' from Clipboard

• Regardless of where the focus is (Project Browser or canvas), it will paste the view into the other project

Method B
You only need to open the project to be copied into, and use the 'Insert from File' command

• Then select the project that you want to copy views from - it will list allowable view types, and even preview them.

• It will also allow you to copy sheets that have only drafting or schedule views on those sheets.
• As soon as sheets have other view types on them (including legends), it will not even list them in the Insert Views dialog box

 Method C

• If a drafting view that you have copied by method A or B contains callouts to other drafting views, they will be copied across into your project, even if they are not on the sheet (in the case of inserted sheets) - and the callouts will link correctly.  
• NB. this does not occur when drafting view callouts are contained on other views types that are copied (sections, detail or plan views etc).
• If you try to copy a plan or section by selecting its view crop boundary, you can also select a drafting view callout on that view - it will also be copied to clipboard.  However, when you paste the view, it will bring along the callout but disassociate it from the drafting view (which it does not copy across).

Copying 3D Views (isometric or perspective)

Copy Method 1.
If you have a 3D view open, you can select the view crop boundary, then right-click and copy or else use the copy to clipboard icon from the ribbon.

 

Copy Method 2.
If you have another view open, you can find the view name (to be copied) in the project browser, then right-click on it and select 'Show Camera'

It will show the camera definition of the selected 3D view (be it isometric or perspective)

 

Then you can copy to clipboard

Paste Method 1
If you are in a plan view in another project, all you need to do is 'Paste Aligned to Current View' and the identical 3D view definition will be created in the same location.

Paste Method 2

• If you are in a 3D view in another project, when you try to paste the 3D view it will not give you the option to paste to the current location.  
• You have to paste to a Selected level (choose the appropriate one);  
• if you try to 'Paste from Clipboard' you will not be able to get the view into exactly the same location as it was in the first project - so that is not recommended.

Copying Plan Views

You can use the same method (1) for copying plan views between projects:

1. Select the view crop boundary of the plan view, 
2. copy to clipboard
3. Go to the other project
4. Paste - Aligned to Current View or to Selected Level

• If you paste to Current View, it will create a new plan view associated to the same level as the current view;  if the original associated level name exists in the new project it may be named 'Temp.Level 1' regardless of the associated level or the original name;  if you paste again, it will create a new plan view named 'Temp.Level 2' 
• If you paste to Selected Level, it will create a new view associated to that level - again named 'Temp.Level 1' (or the next number in sequence), not the actual level number.

• It will not copy associated annotation from the original view, unless you select those at the same time as the view crop boundary
• It will copy most view properties of the original view, but not an associated View Template, even if that same view template exists in both projects.

Copying Section Views

You can copy a section view easily by selecting the section marker in plan (or the section view crop boundary in the section view itself)

• When you paste the section into another project you need to remember to go to the same level it was copied from before pasting to Current View (or Selected Level) otherwise the heights will be different.
• Section view properties will be copied, with the exception of assigned view templates.

Copying Elevation Views

You can copy an elevation view either by selecting the elevation marker or the individual elevation itself;  if you copy the whole marker it will include associated elevation views

 

Copying Area Plan Views

You can copy Area Plans by selecting their view crop boundary.

• When you paste them, they may retain the view name - if the associated level from the view in the original project does not exist in the new project; otherwise it will rename to a temp view name.
• You can paste them to multiple selected levels, in which case the views are renamed with a number suffix, which do not relate to the levels that they become associated with - so you need to rename them

Copying Detail Views & Callouts

• You can select a callout from a plan, section or elevation view, then Copy to Clipboard

• Alternatively you can select the view crop boundary and right-click to copy it
• You can then go to the recipient project and paste Aligned to Current View or to Selected Views or Same Place (but not to Selected Levels)

• The detail view will be created and a callout placed on the view that you selected;  if a detail view of that name already exists it will rename the new one with the next number suffix.

Copying Legend Views

I have not found a way to copy legend views between projects - legend views do not allow view crop boundaries.  So, what you need to do is to create a new legend view in the project, then copy and paste all the annotation objects from the original legend view in the other project.

Make sure that your new legend view is the same scale as the original, otherwise text and symbol size will appear to change.

Copying View Templates

View templates have to be copied by a totally different method:

• Open both the projects that you want to copy from (donor) and to (recipient)
• In the recipient project, go to 'Manage' 'Transfer Project Standards'

• Click on 'Check None' to deselect all items in the list
• Select View Templates

• Click OK to proceed - it will copy all view templates from the donor project into your active project - you have no choice in the matter.
• NB. If you want to copy only a few view templates, you could create a new intermediate project;  import all view templates into that; remove the ones you don't want from the intermediate project; then transfer the remaining ones from the intermediate project into the recipient project.
• When you copy views from one project to another, it copies most view properties, but not assigned view templates.  In that situation, you would need to transfer the view templates separately (as described above), then manually reassign to each copied view.

More on Copying Sheets and Views

Refer to this link to find out how to copy sheets between projects
Also Copying contents of 3D views between Projects
and  Duplicating Views with Linework Overrides (within projects)

Please add a comment if you know more or better ways to copy views between projects.