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.