San Francisco, CA, 10/29/2019 – Ideate Software, a veteran Autodesk Developer Network member and provider of applications for Autodesk Revit software, is pleased to report the tremendous success of its newest Revit productivity solution, Ideate StyleManager.

“We started getting positive comments almost immediately after launching Ideate StyleManager this past June,” said Glynnis Patterson, Director of Software Development at Ideate Software. “Many customers had provided input as beta testers during its development, and they had high expectations. I congratulate the entire software development team for meeting and even exceeding those expectations.” 

Ideate StyleManager addresses problems that occur when styles associated with content load into a model along with the content, or when users create non-standard styles. Managing those unwanted styles in Revit can be time consuming and risky but ignoring them can cause publishing errors and end-user confusion. Ideate StyleManager fixes the problems by making it easy to:

• Delete styles that can’t be deleted in Revit software 
• Merge non-standard styles into standard styles 
• Analyze the usage of all styles to understand the true scope of a deletion 
• Clean up Object Styles, Line Styles, Line Patterns, Fill Patterns, Materials, Material Appearance Assets, View Filters, Templates and Scope Boxes 
• Understand which views are using which View Filters

One company using Ideate StyleManager is Mackenzie, a provider of professional design services in the Pacific Northwest. When talking about Ideate StyleManager, Rusty Gesner, an Associate Principal, Director of CAD/BIM at Mackenzie, said, “It’ll save you a lot of time by ensuring your efforts at cleanup and standards maintenance don't cause inadvertent side effects.”

He continued to say that you’ll appreciate Ideate StyleManager if you’ve ever been frustrated by:

• Searching and drilling down to determine if and where styles are used
• Making sure there won't be collateral damage if you modify a style
• Cleaning up the issues caused by importing and exploding a DWG
• Combining duplicate styles

“We appreciate Rusty and the entire Mackenzie firm,” said Glynnis. “Not only do they use and promote our solutions, they also participate in beta testing, helping us achieve our goal of developing software that solves persistent problems encountered by BIM professionals in architecture, engineering, construction, and building owner workflows.”

Read more about Mackenzie and Ideate Software.
 

---

About Ideate Software
Ideate Software empowers Revit users to gain unprecedented control over their data. Ideate BIMLink, Ideate Explorer, Ideate Sticky, IdeateApps, and Ideate StyleManager were all developed to solve persistent problems in architecture, engineering, construction, and owner (AECO) workflows. Ideate Software solutions enable Revit users to save time, increase accuracy, improve project deliverables, and elevate design.

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

###

It’s easy to search, analyze and delete imported object styles with Ideate StyleManager.

Object styles listed within the Imported Objects tab (shown below at right) reflect the style information that comes from:

• Linked CAD files
• Imported CAD files
• Imports that have been exploded within the project
• Imports that have been exploded within a family
• Imports in a family file 

 

Here are instructions on how to search, analyze, and delete these imported styles. 

Searching Imported Styles

The presence of an imported object style in a project doesn’t necessarily mean there are graphic elements within the project, but without Ideate StyleManager it’s difficult to tell. 

In the example above, the Green-Drain.dwg style is a remnant of an exploded import and is no longer in use, as indicated by Ideate StyleManager on the left. The Revit dialog on the right shows this style can’t be deleted, but Ideate StyleManager allows this deletion.

When reviewing imported object styles, we recommend you filter the list by unchecking the Object Styles checkbox and leaving the Imported Style checked. Within the filtered results, you will notice that some of the import styles are shown in bold; these indicate a parent style. Styles listed underneath are the children of that parent. In the example above, Green-Drain.dwg is the parent and Green-Drain.dwg: DIM is a child. 

Before you can delete any object style, you must first analyze it.

Analyzing Imported Styles

To analyze a style, select it from the Found in File pane, then select the Analyze button.

TIP: When analyzing imported object styles that include a .DWG or .DGN, it is expedient to first select and analyze the parent style (in bold). If the parent is not in use, there’s no value in analyzing the children, and deleting the parent will also delete the children.

If an imported style is used in the current file (family, template, or project), the details about how it is used are displayed at the right within the Usage pane. This information indicates if the style comes from a linked or imported CAD file or if it is embedded within a family file. It’s important to note the usages, as their related styles are treated differently within Ideate StyleManager.

Deleting Imported Styles

• Deleting Styles used by Linked CAD Files
  
  If an imported style is used by a linked CAD file, the Delete button will be disabled for the parent style only. Use the Manage Links dialog in Revit for that task. It will be possible to delete the children styles of a CAD link, but it is generally not recommended, because a reload of that link would simply reconstitute the styles. Instead we recommend the link be selected and then you use Revit’s delete layers tool if needed.
  
  Linked CAD files have two possible usage results:

1. CAD Link — used to indicate the presence of a referenced but unloaded link file
2. Link Instance — used to indicate the presence of a linked (CAD) file

• Deleting Styles used by Imported CAD Files
  
  Import Instances refer to an imported CAD file or the results of partially exploded CAD imports.
  
  Imported Styles used by imported CAD files have a unique behavior within Ideate StyleManager; we allow you to delete the parent and children styles, whether they are used or not. Deleting the parent that is “Used” will result in the deletion of the related parent and children object styles as well as the graphics associated with that import. A warning will precede this action. 

 

• Deleting “Import in Families”
  
  The Imports in Families object styles indicate that a family within the project (used or unpurged) has an import or exploded import within the family file. 
  
  In the example below, the style called A-DETL-DIMS is found within 23 families. Many people prefer these styles to be removed entirely from family content. If you agree, use StyleManager to edit each family and replace the content with native Revit elements (lines, regions, extrusions, etc.). To delete these styles, refer to Ideate StyleManager Basics.

More about Ideate StyleManager

Watch this recording of our webinar to learn more about how you can properly manage styles in your Revit models to reduce publishing errors and end-user confusion.

Visit our website for more information on our Revit productivity tools. Give them a try with a free trial version, or subscribe today.

---

About the Author

Glynnis Patterson, NCARB – Director of Software Development
Glynnis is a registered architect and has worked within the building information modeling (BIM) industry since 1998. A graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, she has worked as an architect, educator and construction site manager. Glynnis is the Director of Software Development Services and continues to work with AECO clients worldwide, developing, and consulting on solutions to BIM challenges. In her spare time, Glynnis volunteers for the local high school and with growitgreenmorristown.org. Find Glynnis on LinkedIn.

 

Are you curious to see how companies use Ideate Software tools? Want to watch one of our customer-focused webinars again? Would you like a colleague to watch one? 

We make it easy with the Customer Webinars Playlist on our YouTube channel.
 
These customer-focused webinars are well-attended and often spark interesting discussions on how to use our Revit productivity solutions to streamline workflows, enhance productivity, save time and demonstrate ROI. 

We will continue to add recordings as they become available. Here’s what you will find there now:

CBT Architects – The ‘I’ in BIM – How to Transfer Data to and from Revit

Payette – BIM Managers Set the Stage for Increased Knowledge and Productivity

BD Mackey Consulting – Hitting a High Note: Tuning your Revit Template

Steinberg Hart – Developing Efficient Processes

If you are interested in showcasing your company, BIM management best practices and use of Ideate Software solutions in an upcoming webinar, please don’t hesitate contact us. We’d love to hear from you.

Companies with one person using Ideate Software tools see that person move away from tedious, time-consuming Revit tasks to more interesting, creative work. That person is happier because he/she can focus on what matters most, and clients are happier because they get more innovative and accurate designs, quicker.

Now imagine the sweeping changes that would occur if your whole team used all the Ideate Software tools.

Making these changes is easier than you think with savings available through multi-product and multi-user pricing:

• Single-user, stand-alone license annual subscription
  • US$495 - US$795 each (Ideate StyleManager, Ideate BIMLink, Ideate Explorer, Ideate Sticky, IdeateApps)
  • All five Ideate Software solutions – US$1,495
• Multi-user, network license annual subscription
  • All five Ideate Software solutions for one person at a time on the network – US$2,495
  • All five Ideate Software solutions for five people at a time on the network – US$7,000
  • All five Ideate Software solutions for 25 people at a time on the network – US$10,000
• Enterprise, multi-user network license annual subscription
  • All five Ideate Software solutions to all Revit users in your company – US$20,000

ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS INCLUDE:

• Instructor-led online training and access to recorded webinars, how-to videos, and robust Help files 
• Support from technical experts 
• Software that works with the current and previous three versions of Revit
• New Ideate Software releases for subscribed titles within the subscription period
• International license use (network; no additional fees) 

More and more of our customers around the world take advantage of the bundles. So don’t put it off any longer. Join hundreds of satisfied Ideate Software customers all over the globe and opt for a bundle today. Not sure which pricing option is right for you? Contact us to discuss your current situation, and we will help you discover the appropriate solution for your firm. 
 

Recently, I had the thrill and honor of welcoming Steinberg Hart’s BIM-VDC Director Gautam Shenoy to a webinar to share his knowledge of product delivery. With more than 15 years of BIM experience and 10 years of experience working with Ideate Software tools, Gautam has developed a lot of best practices and successful workflow options. He presented some of them at our webinar, which covered some of the following topics:

• Questions to ask when trying to win a project or on the path to procurement
• How design technology connects with data 
• Project delivery methods
• Timelines
• How to effectively measure ROI 

Throughout the session, Gautam shared how he and his team use Ideate Software tools to streamline processes, keep their models clean, and enhance collaboration with all stakeholders, including non-Revit users. He also shared this spreadsheet he created to determine the return on investment of IdeateApps and convey that ROI to leadership (click on the image):

Here are some comments from people in attendance:

• “Definitely liked the ROI slide.”
• “Gautam's graphic representation of his team's workflow was fantastic!”
• “Gautam clearly explained how the Ideate Software solutions can be applied to many aspects of the AEC industry and for different project scenarios (design-bid, design-build, etc).”

Did you miss the webinar? Want to see it again? Here’s a link to the recording.

 
 

Visit our website for more information on our Revit productivity tools. Give them a try with a free trial version, or subscribe today. 

---

About the Author

Richard W. Taylor, Associate AIA – Technical Evangelist 
Richard has more than 30 years of experience working for companies that develop architectural and engineering software solutions, such as Intergraph, Bentley, and Autodesk. He has over 18 years of Revit experience, and he was part of the original development of Revit while at Revit Technology Corporation. He worked for 12 years at Autodesk, where he presented, taught, and worked to improve features in Revit. Richard holds both a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies and Master of Architecture from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. As Technical Evangelist, Richard works with AECO clients worldwide, developing and consulting on BIM solutions. Find Richard on Twitter.