Model Exchanges & Optimized Performance
Autodesk Revit is a great coordination tool for the AEC industry. It allows for alignment of systems and a systematic approach to document management. However, there are a couple of ways that we can streamline load times for our design team and have less space allocated on our servers. Revit file sizes can become large fast, without proper care. This, in turn, consumes large amounts of available server space, which is avoidable. The steps highlighted below will expand productivity of our teams and extend the useful life of the file management systems that we use on a daily basis.
Optimized Performance
File size reduction is a growing issue, pun intended. Below are a few options to aid in decreasing model load times, which can directly increase productivity.
Purge unused objects. Please note that purged objects cannot be recovered. If unsure, make a backup of your project before purging.
Remove superfluous or unused design options. When changes are made within the main model, all design options have to be updated, even though options may not be active or visible.
Remove unused raster images or renderings, as they can quickly increase file size. Additionally, refrain from importing large images and then scaling them down to fit the title block. The image will retain its original file size. Use appropriately size images with correct resolution settings.
Create a minimal drafting view for opening and closing the project. Before saving and closing, open this view and close any other open views. This will prevent unused views from being loaded during startup, freeing up memory and increasing performance.
Weekly Model Exchanges
During the design portion of each project, the design team should setup a weekly model exchange. This means that the design team agrees on a regularly scheduled exchange of information. Each consultant uploads and shares a Revit model so that everyone working on the project has the most updated data around which to design. This helps to ensure collaboration happens throughout the design process, rather than just at the end of each design phase.
At Aethera Engineers, we house the method by which we download and upload Revit models and other Construction Documents, i.e. Drawings and Specifications, within the folder structure of each project. This ensures that anyone coming into a project has the ability to post on behalf of the organization. The file contains the link, username, and password for downloading or uploading requisite information.
