If you are like us, you’re exploring the many improvements included in Revit version 2024. One enhancement getting a lot of attention is the new project templates. Autodesk is touting it as a key improvement, and Nicolas Catellier ranked the change #3 in his RevitPure blog post, Top 20 Best New Features in Revit 2024, and he said, “The templates have been reworked to include more ‘best practice’ features. Instead of 1 template per discipline, they have been merged into one super multi-discipline template.”

We agree that the new templates are a very nice improvement, and we are proud to see that Ideate BIMLink played a role!

If you have Ideate BIMLink installed, and you want to test drive the new Revit template with embedded link definitions:

1. Start Revit 2024
2. Select File>New
3. Pick one of the two new templates
4. Select Ideate Software>BIMLink

The five pre-loaded templates, shown in yellow in the image, are the ones included with the Autodesk out-of-the-box template. 

A good template is built with clean and accurate standards. Ideate BIMLink is a Revit add-in that makes the process fast and easy. We are thrilled that Autodesk trusted it when updating the templates to make starting projects and developing templates easier than ever. We recommend reviewing your own custom templates and consider adding your own must-have link definitions.

Did you know that you can use Ideate Automation to export views and sheets to PDF and DWG files without worrying about editing the Revit Views/Sheets sets? This feature streamlines the sheet set creation and management because the Revit sheet sets are static lists, while the list of views and sheets that need to be exported is constantly changing. 

When you select the desired model to be exported to PDF or DWG, you must select the desired sheet sets, which are static and exist within the Revit model. To address this challenge, we enhanced our PDF and DWG scripts within Ideate Automation to include a dynamic list that is setup through an Ideate BIMLink link definition to prescribe the sheet set. This Ideate BIMLink definition (.link) file can be saved outside of the Revit model so that it can be used across models.

As a result of this implementation, the task name in Ideate Automation is now called: “IBL-Export_Combined_PDF_Dynamic” and “IBL-Export_Individual_PDF_Dynamic,” and same goes for the DWG export tasks. If you aren’t already aware, you can save Link definition from Ideate BIMLink and use it externally. The idea with this script is to use one Ideate BIMLink definition that’s managed by a filter and can be applied to multiple models. 

 
 
Tips for setting up the Ideate BIMLink definition filters for Dynamic sheet sets:

1. Set placeholder property to False. This will ignore all placeholder sheets because they don’t have Titleblocks and will interrupt the printing process. You want to avoid that. 
2. Use a parameter that can be used parametrically across models. 
3. Once you set all your properties conditions, check “Elements Must Pass All Filters” making this an AND condition. 

Watch this short video to see an example of Ideate Automation exporting a combined set of PDFs using the desired sheet set from an Ideate BIMLink definition that’s dynamic. For exporting individual PDFs, refer to the good naming standards tips found within Steve Deadman’s blog post on Exporting PDFs from Revit.

This blog post is part of our Training Series. Access more here. You can learn more in the related Ideate Automation Help Topic: How to Export to PDF.

Browse our website to learn more about how Ideate Software’s Revit add-ins help Revit users save time, increase model accuracy, improve deliverables, and elevate design. You can give them a try by downloading trial versions or purchasing the bundle for access to Ideate BIMLink, Ideate Explorer, Ideate Sticky, Ideate StyleManager, and IdeateApps for six months.

About the Author

Nivin Nabeel, Customer Success Manager, Americas

Nivin has a background in architecture, visual arts, and computer science and has extensive experience in managing and manipulating BIM data, developing and implementing BIM standards and workflows, and applying BIM workflows to ancillary project components for improved efficiency. Before joining Ideate Software, Nivin worked at several architecture and design firms where she learned about Ideate Software products, used them, advocated for them, implemented them, and trained others on how to use them. She earned her Bachelor of Architectural Science degree from Toronto Metropolitan University. Follow Nivin on LinkedIn.

San Francisco, CA, May 23, 2023 – Ideate Software, an Autodesk® AEC Industry Partner and Autodesk® Authorized Developer, announced enhancements to its Revit add-in applications. In addition to aligning its software with Revit 2024, Ideate Software made significant improvements that will help Revit users deliver high-quality models in less time.

Watch the YouTube “What’s New” playlist for highlights of the enhancements included in the May 2023 release for Revit 2020-2024. 

“Many of the improvements were based on customer requests, and all have been rigorously tested by Revit software users in our Beta Tester Group,” said Glynnis Patterson, Director of Software Development, Ideate Software. “By following this proven methodology, we know that our updates are needed and work as promised, and they help us deliver on our goal of developing software solutions that solve persistent Revit challenges.” 

Customers can access the new workflows, features, and fixes immediately by downloading the new versions from the Ideate Software website.

Those who aren’t subscribers yet can download trial versions from the Ideate Software website or purchase the “get-to-know-us” bundle for access to Ideate Explorer, Ideate BIMLink, Ideate Sticky, Ideate StyleManager, and IdeateApps. 

About Ideate Software - Ideate Software, an Autodesk® AEC Industry Partner and Autodesk® Authorized Developer, empowers Revit users to gain unprecedented control over their data. They developed Ideate BIMLink, Ideate Explorer, Ideate Sticky, IdeateApps, and Ideate StyleManager to solve persistent problems in architecture, engineering, and construction, and owner-operator (AECO) workflows. They developed Ideate Automation to boost the power of their Revit plugins by running time-intensive activities in the background.

Autodesk and Autodesk Revit are trademarks of Autodesk, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries.

San Francisco, CA, May 17, 2023 – With steep competition for top talent, Stantec, a global leader in sustainable design and engineering services, knows that its work environment must be one in which its employees have the support they need to focus on the company’s mission of advancing the quality of life in communities across the globe. One way Stantec delivers that support is by using tools by Ideate Software, an Autodesk^® AEC Industry Partner and Autodesk^® Authorized Developer. 

“I have been a fan of Ideate Software tools since I first used them in 2015,” said Ben Holmes, Senior Technician, Stantec. “They help our team spend more time offering unique insight to every project by reducing the time needed to perform repetitive tasks, search for and update model elements, and ensure all deliverables meet our high standards.”

On the East Riverside project, Stantec used Ideate Software tools for auditing models and mentoring on best practices.

When providing examples of how the Stantec team uses Ideate Software tools, Ben mentioned:

• Keeping model data clean with Ideate Explorer
• Reducing the amount of time spent populating schedules with Ideate BIMLink
• Updating drawing elements so line, hatching, text, and other families comply with their template with Ideate StyleManager
• Creating and copying sheets with views with two tools in the IdeateApps collection

Read Spotlight on Stantec for more.

Visit www.ideatesoftware.com to learn how Ideate Software add-ins for Revit help users save time, increase model accuracy, improve deliverables, and elevate design. Give them a try by downloading trial versions or purchasing the bundle for access to Ideate BIMLink, Ideate Explorer, Ideate Sticky, IdeateApps, and Ideate StyleManager for six months.
 

About Ideate Software - Ideate Software, an Autodesk® AEC Industry Partner and Autodesk® Authorized Developer, empowers Revit users to gain unprecedented control over their data. They developed Ideate BIMLink, Ideate Explorer, Ideate Sticky, IdeateApps, and Ideate StyleManager to solve persistent problems in architecture, engineering, and construction, and owner-operator (AECO) workflows. They developed Ideate Automation to boost the power of their Revit plugins by running time-intensive activities in the background.

Autodesk and Autodesk Revit are trademarks of Autodesk, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries.

Microsoft Excel is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other countries. All other brand names, product names or trademarks belong to their respective holders.

Glynnis Patterson, our Director of Software Development, and I had the chance to visit San Francisco on May 1-5, 2023

During the trip, we presented our latest and upcoming features to a selected group from the AECO community and showcased our latest software solutions that respond to our customers’ requests, improve workflows, and increase productivity. 

The event was held at the Salesforce Tower with incredible views of the city.

Photo by Ben Alfonso. Looking out the Salesforce Tower into the San Francisco Skyline

We visited Woods Bagot and Y.A. Studio at their offices, and we held an event that people from many prominent Bay Area firms attended. During that event, I spoke about our latest product developments. Topics included:  

• Introduction to Dynamic Filters within Ideate Explorer
• Align and Distribute Text and Tags
• Documentation Health Within the Review Tab within Ideate Annotate
  • Grid and Level Markers Clashing 
  • Hidden and Cropped Detail Groups
  • Unexpected Keynotes
  • Duplicate Tags
  • Customizable Filters
• Material and Compound Layer Management
• Shared Parameters Creation
• Sheet and View Set Management
• New Features in Ideate ViewCreator
  • Copying Schedules and Updating Their Filter Values 
  • Creating Views from Rooms that Exist in Linked Models
• Ideate Automation! 

Throughout the event, attendees had the opportunity to ask questions about the software solutions presented. They also had the chance to network with other Revit users and learn about best practices and industry trends.

We also had the privilege to sponsor and attend the 2023 AIASF Design Awards that was held at Herbst Theatre! Congratulations to all the winners! You can read more about this event in our previous blog post.

Overall, Ideate Software's visit to San Francisco was a success, with attendees expressing enthusiasm about the new features presented, and we heard a lot of wonderful feedback on the new implemented features. We wanted to extend a big thank you to Gensler, WRNS Studio, SOM, HOK, Modulus Consulting, BAMO, Interior Architects, Hart Howerton, Foster + Partners, San Francisco Public Works, and EHDD for sharing their ideas and feedback with us this past week. 

This event demonstrated Ideate Software's commitment to providing innovative solutions that help Revit users overcome their challenges and achieve their goals.

We look forward to upcoming city visits, but we left our hearts in San Francisco! 

Check out our Events page to learn of other opportunities to meet with the Ideate Software team in person and vitually. Browse our website to learn more about how Ideate Software products help Revit users save time, increase model accuracy, improve deliverables and elevate design. You can give them a try by downloading trial versions.

About the Author

Nivin Nabeel, Customer Success Manager, Americas

Nivin has a background in architecture, visual arts, and computer science and has extensive experience in managing and manipulating BIM data, developing and implementing BIM standards and workflows, and applying BIM workflows to ancillary project components for improved efficiency. Before joining Ideate Software, Nivin worked at several architecture and design firms where she learned about Ideate Software products, used them, advocated for them, implemented them, and trained others on how to use them. She earned her Bachelor of Architectural Science degree from Toronto Metropolitan University. Follow Nivin on LinkedIn.