Every day, our Ideate Software Support team fields all types of questions from AECO professionals all around the world. You can review some of these recent question and answers via our Ideate Software support series blog category.
It seems like we’ve received a fair number of support cases recently around this strange warning message concerning Ideate Sticky. So, I wanted to explain it in detail and offer a quick fix.
Unexpected future version? What’s going on here?
Ideate Sticky customers might see this message when someone on the project team has upgraded to the latest version of Ideate Sticky and the rest of the team has not. When that specific person updated the stickies in the project with their latest Ideate Sticky version, this upgraded the settings format, causing the warning to show up for everyone on an older release. When the person with the latest release of Ideate Sticky opens another project and updates the stickies, the warning will start to show up there as well.
The reason this change was made in the latest release is the display scaling calculation. You can read more about that specific setting in this blog article.
The EASIEST and fastest way to update the whole office to the latest release of Ideate Sticky or the entire software bundle is to use our Ideate Software Installer. I mentioned it recently within this blog post ensuring you have the latest release of IdeateApps.
The Ideate Software Installer is the best way to update all your Ideate Software tools in a snap!
Now that you know about the Ideate Software installer, I hope the road ahead is smooth sailing! Wait, “Roads? Where we’re going, we don’t need roads.”
Keep those amazing questions coming to [email protected]. We are always happy to assist our customers with their Ideate Software solutions.
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 20 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 and LinkedIn.
As a company that develops Revit software plugins, we love Revit. We think you should too.
BIM is Awesome
Many Ideate Software employees have been involved in architecture and engineering for several decades, so they remember the days of creating designs with pencil and paper.
The move from there to BIM within a career is almost overwhelming; seeing what used to take days come to life within hours really can seem like magic to those of us who have been around for a while. And our newer staff members are just as enthusiastic about where BIM is going as the more experienced ones are about where it has been.
Revit is the Best BIM Tool
While you may know that Revit is one of the top BIM tools in the world, you may not know why it is better than all the rest. Here are a few reasons:
Unified Database
All the data needed to generate a Revit model is kept in the same database, and that database is updated anytime the model is modified. No longer do team members need to search for data through numerous project files.
Scheduling
Revit schedules are used to report the information in the model in a tabular format. Scheduling, which can be one of the more time-consuming tasks in the architectural design process, is greatly simplified with Revit because the schedules automatically update as changes are made to the model, ensuring they are always in alignment.
Collaboration
With Revit, several users can work on the model at the same time. Users push the work they do to the central model while pulling changes made by colleagues into their local copy. This not only speeds the process, it also exposes clashes that can be mitigated in the design phase rather than when the structure is being built.
3D Renderings
There are a lot of programs available that provide 3D visualization outputs, but those from Revit are truly realistic. With views from any angle or perspective, architects can “walk” customers through early designs to point out large and small details, incorporate customer feedback into the next version, and quickly iterate until the customer sees that their vision is accurately reflected in the design. Design options can also be easily explored.
Parametric Modeling
Parametric modeling lets you specify the key parameters of your project and make changes interactively, with the model automatically updating. Revit employs parametric modeling in the form of families. Everything in Revit is part of a family; some are integrated into the software, others are accessible through libraries, and others are created from scratch.
Cost Estimating
Accurate cost estimating is vital to the success of a project. Revit can be used to develop a detailed construction cost estimate in various ways.
Consistent Documentation
Using templates that come with Revit or storing custom templates within Revit means you can deliver consistent construction paperwork across all your projects. Consistency contributes to clarity, which helps eliminate frustration caused by confusion.
Ideate Software is the Best Revit Software Plugin
You may say we are biased, but we’re not the only ones saying that our products are great. Here are a few examples:
“Why these application functions haven't been replicated, bundled or brought out into Revit itself astounds me. They simply transform the process of using Revit from a data perspective entirely into one that is 100% more automated, feasible and enjoyable.”
“Ideate's suite of tools is indispensable at our firm. There are so many tasks that are made more efficient, and many tasks that would just be flat out impossible without these tools. Ideate does a fantastic job at listening to their customers and they implement suggestions and feature requests quite rapidly. I have been using their products for more than 6 years and highly recommend all of them.”
“The Ideate suite of tools are one of very few tools I've come across for Revit that do exactly what they're supposed to, without spamming your toolbars with useless gizmos.”
“I recommend every firm within AECO that uses Revit to invest in the Ideate Software Bundle. Not only does the software make Revit users more efficient within the program, allowing for advanced communication with Revit itself, it also has a user interface that is second to none. All Ideate applications are essential for every Revit user to be able to utilize on a daily basis - BIMLink for interaction with Revit data through Excel, Sticky to bring in static Excel data to a Revit sheet, Explorer to analyze the model in an advanced way, etc.”
Success Stories
We are pleased that companies in all disciplines and across the world have taken the time to share their experiences with Ideate Software through success stories, blog posts, and webinars. Access information about them all via the Case Studies filter on our blog posts.
Our most recent success story is about Evolve Consultancy, one of the UK’s premier BIM and design consultancies. Evolve uses Ideate BIMLink to populate Revit models with COBie (Construction to Operations Building information exchange) data to satisfy ISO 19650-2 requirements. Read more and see screen shots here.
Here’s a short video about another company, HLW, and why they recommend Ideate Software tools:
The Ideate Software Difference
Visit our website for details of each of our products. Here are highlights:
Ideate Explorer – Dramatically decrease the amount of time spent on model management and enhance model performance with this Revit software plugin. Use it to quickly find and delete incorrect, obsolete, and hidden problem items—including imported or linked DWG drawings—as well as to find, refine, and revise elements, even those not included in the Revit project browser. Included with Ideate Explorer are three features that also help you keep your models in top working order:
Warnings Manager – Audit and address Revit warnings ranked by importance and fix problems using tools in Revit while the Warnings Manager dialog box is open
Navigate – Navigate through view-based elements to find unused sheets and views; find and filter legends, schedules, sheets, or views by category and/or keyword; and customize work environments without altering the project browser
Query – Search within set parameters for elements like unused annotations, design options, in-place usage, structure usage/area scheme, and revisions
Ideate BIMLink – Instead of working inside of Revit to verify and/or edit data one element at a time, you can use Ideate BIMLink for Revit. Import to Excel where you can easily view and manipulate large amounts. Once the data is updated, you can then use Ideate BIMLink for Revit to import Excel data back into Revit, and the model will immediately update.
Ideate Sticky – Share accurate and nicely formatted non-BIM data with Revit teams by live-linking a Revit file to Excel, Word, and PDF documents. These “stickies” look nice, are easy to read, and can be easily updated when changes are made to the original file.
Ideate StyleManager – Problems frequently occur when data is pasted from one Revit file to another and the styles associated with the original file get copied along with the data. This can clog up the model with incorrect information that can take a long time to remove if working in Revit. It’s important to remove that data, otherwise it can cause model performance problems. With Ideate StyleManager you can quickly and easily analyze, merge, or delete non-standard Revit styles. You can also use Ideate StyleManager to see the view filters applied to views and to clean object and line styles and patterns, text, fonts, parameters, and more.
Ideate Automation – Run time-intensive BIM tasks silently in the background while you do more meaningful work. Started manually or scheduled to run at a more convenient time, Ideate Automation increases productivity, eliminates the need to train staff of repetitive tasks, and ensures task outcomes are highly predictable, free of user errors, and standardized.
If you have any questions, reach out to us. We are here to help you understand and use our Revit plugin solutions.
Browse our website to learn more about how Ideate Software add-on products 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 the Revit plugin solutions Ideate BIMLink, Ideate Explorer, Ideate Sticky, Ideate StyleManager, and IdeateApps for six months.
Building Information Modeling (BIM) is a collaborative process that allows architects, engineers, contractors, and other construction professionals to plan, design, and construct structures within a single 3D model. It also supports owner-operators in building maintenance and management processes.
The Road to BIM
Initially, designers, architects, and engineers created drawings and blueprints to express their visions and information about building plans. Then, computer aided design (CAD) brought the plans into a digital environment. Next, CAD evolved to 3D, enabling more realistic illustrations. The concept of BIM came around in the 1970s, and today it is the standard and increasingly becoming a mandated process to ensure that the planning, design, and construction of buildings are efficient.
The Power of BIM
The power of BIM is the information, or the “I” in BIM, because it is actionable; BIM components are intelligent, have geometry, and store data, and when they are changed, the BIM software updates the model to reflect that change. These automatic and instant updates dramatically reduce the chance of problems associated with outdated information and version control.
Structural engineers, architects, MEP engineers, civil engineers, designers, project managers, contractors, and owner-operators can all access the information in a BIM model through a common data environment, and it can be used in all stages of a structure’s life, from inception through operation and even renovations.
The 4-Step BIM Process
Plan
Design
Build
Operate
Generate context models of the existing built and natural environment
Perform conceptual design, analysis, detailing, and documentation
Begin fabrication using BIM specifications; share construction logistics with trades and contractors
Strip unneeded data from models; leverage remaining data for operations, maintenance, and renovations
BIM Tools
BIM is a process, not a tool. There are several tools available that support the BIM process, and Autodesk leads the pack with:
Revit – One of the industry’s most popular BIM authoring tools used by architects, designers, engineers, contractors, and others
Navisworks – More of a project review solution for AEC professionals than an authoring tool like Revit
BIM 360/Autodesk Construction Cloud – Unifies the design, project, and construction processes into a single process
Civil 3D – Designed on top of AutoCAD for civil engineers; typically broken up in to separate pieces, like grading, alignments, and pipe networks
User Requests
As powerful as Autodesk software is, it does have limitations. And even though Revit is the leading BIM tool for architects, engineers, and construction teams in the world, users need more. Anyone who checks out the Autodesk Revit Forums can read feature requests submitted through various channels, including Revit Architecture Forum, Revit MEP Forum, Revit Structure Forum, Revit API Forum, and Revit Ideas. Autodesk created Revit Ideas as a way for users to communicate their frustrations with the software, including what they wish the software could do and how existing features can be improved. Other users can give “kudos” to ideas they also deem important. There are also independent Revit forums, such as www.RevitForum.org, where people post questions, share knowledge, and discuss Revit software.
Ideate Software Responds
Regularly reviewing these public channels is just one of the ways the professionals at Ideate Software remain aware of the needs of the Revit community and able to develop Revit tools that address the needs expressed by Revit users. We also sponsor and participate in industry events, host webinars, lead virtual and in-person user group meetings, attend Autodesk University every year, and regularly ask our customers for feedback. Then, we take all the knowledge we gain to determine how to bring exceptional value to our customers by investing in product enhancements and new product development.
Gathering information about the needs of Revit users is our first step. Then we create beta versions and ask our customers to give them a try. Because our professionals have been developing Revit tools since 2008 and have proven over and over again that we deliver products that help Revit users do their jobs better, we have a large and loyal group of people who regularly help us fine-tune our products and updates, ensure they meet real needs, and verify that they perform as described.
Today, our suite boasts six products, each developed and iterated in direct response to requests from Revit users. These Revit plugins for architecture, engineering, construction, and owner-operator industries automate time-consuming manual processes, streamline repetitive processes, make it much easier for designers and engineers to build models that look good, perform well, and help construction professionals and owner-operators perform their duties with fewer errors, less waste, and greater job satisfaction.
Here's how our tools can help you:
Quickly find and delete incorrect, obsolete, and hidden problem items—including imported or linked DWG drawings—as well as find, refine, and revise elements, even those not included in the Revit project browser. This functionality dramatically decreases the amount of time spent on model management and enhances model performance. Included with Ideate Explorer are three additional features that will also help you keep your models in top working order:
Warnings Manager – Audit and address Revit warnings that are ranked by importance and fix problems using tools in Revit while the Warnings Manager dialog box is open
Navigate – Navigate through view-based elements and find unused sheets and views; find and filter legends, schedules, sheets, or views by category and/or keyword; and customize working environments without altering the project browser
Query – Search within set parameters for elements like unused annotations, design options, in-place usage, structure usage/area scheme, and revisions
Instead of working inside of Revit to verify and/or edit data one element at a time, you can use Ideate BIMLink to export the data you need to review to Microsoft Excel where you can view and manipulate massive amounts of data at the same time. You can then use Ideate BIMLink to import the verified or updated data back into Revit, and the model will immediately update.
Share accurate and nicely formatted non-BIM data with Revit teams by live-linking Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and PDF documents to the Revit file with Ideate Sticky. These “stickies” look nice, are easy to read, and can be easily updated within Revit when changes are made to the original file. Whether it’s building codes, consultant data, abbreviation lists, general notes, or any of the many other non-BIM data critical to a project’s success, you can be sure your team always has access to current information.
Eliminate the problems frequently caused by pasting data from one Revit file to another. Often, styles associated with the original file get copied along with the data, clogging up the model with incorrect information that can take a long time to remove if working in Revit. Not removing it isn’t an option, because extraneous data can cause model performance problems. With Ideate StyleManager, a top Revit plugin, you can quickly and easily analyze, merge, or delete non-standard Revit styles. You can also use Ideate StyleManager to see the view filters applied to views and to clean object and line styles and patterns, text, fonts, parameters, and more.
Run time-intensive BIM tasks silently in the background while you do more meaningful work with Ideate Automation. Either started manually or scheduled to run at a convenient time, Ideate Automation can increase your productivity, eliminate the need to train staff of repetitive tasks, and ensure task outcomes are highly predictable, free of user errors, and standardized.
Examples of tasks to automate include:
Exporting key Revit model health data
Creating document issue records
Preparing COBie data drops
Generating quantity take-off data
Generating regular, automated PDF exports
Delivering CSV reports on key Revit family and project metrics
Here’s a short video that shows how to use Ideate Automation to perform Revit model health checks:
If you have any questions, reach out to us. We are here to help you understand and use our Revit plugin solutions.
Browse our website to learn more about how Ideate Software add-on products 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 the Revit plugin solutions Ideate BIMLink, Ideate Explorer, Ideate Sticky, Ideate StyleManager, and IdeateApps for six months.
Ideate Software has been addressing persistent challenges in Revit workflows for a long time.
In 2008, we launched our first Autodesk Revit addin, Ideate Explorer, and since then, we have made frequent, meaningful enhancements to Ideate Explorer and launched and made significant enhancements to Ideate BIMLink, Ideate Sticky, IdeateApps, and Ideate StyleManager. Most recently, we launched Ideate Automation.
Ideate Explorer – Find, refine, and revise many elements excluded from the Revit project browser
Ideate BIMLink – Export Revit data to Microsoft Excel for faster verifying and editing
Ideate Sticky – Integrate and format non-BIM data into Revit projects
IdeateApps – Simplify everyday Revit tasks with the 10 tools in this collection
Soon, we will write a similar blog post about Ideate StyleManager and Ideate Automation. Like the four tools above, our professionals developed these pro Revit tools to address challenges faced by Revit users. Here are the launch blog posts:
When looking into what makes a company successful over the long term, you will find lists with a varying number of items. Three components make it to almost all the lists:
A strong mission
A focus on customers
A solid team
Our Mission
Our guiding mission is to provide our customers with the most extensive, highest-quality information solutions possible. We strive to accomplish our mission every day by developing and supporting Autodesk Revit plugin solutions that give people in the architecture, engineering, construction, and owner-operator spaces unprecedented access to and control over the data in their Revit models so they can 1) create better Revit models in less time, and 2) leverage the data in the models to streamline operations.
We consider ourselves successful when we improve our customers’ productivity and their return on investment in both Revit software and Ideate Software tools.
A Focus on Customers
Because our success depends on making our customers successful, we must know what they need to be successful. If we presume or speculate, we most certainly will miss the mark. Missing the mark creates a negative customer experience, which will lead to fewer sales, unrenewed contracts, and low referral rates. We ensure we know that customers need to be successful by talking with them.
We pay close attention to Revit forums including Revit Ideas, Autodesk Community, and the Revit Roadmap, and we take those ideas into consideration when enhancing our existing tools and developing new ones. Here’s a recording of a webinar in which we highlighted the top user requests addressed by Ideate Software tools.
We track calls to our Support Desk and post frequently asked questions and responses in Support Blog Series.
We consider our customers are a critical part of our product development cycle. We frequently solicit feedback from our customers on our existing tools, ask for new feature requests, and discuss our ideas before beginning the software development process. We also work with customers during rigorous beta testing processes to ensure the tools work as promised and deliver significant value.
Our People
Ideate Software has an extensive team of technical experts who are obsessed with providing Autodesk Revit plugin solutions to meet the needs of Revit users. Employing architects, engineers, BIM and technology experts, and other professionals, our diversity and real-world industry experience position us to provide premium services that ensure improved productivity and return on investment.
Robert Palioca – President
Bob was an original founder of Ketiv Technologies, Inc., one of the first Autodesk value added resellers and a leading developer of third-party applications for AutoCAD software. He became president of Ideate, Inc. in 2005 to retool the architecture, engineering, construction, and owner-operator (AECO) industries through design technology, education, and solutions.
Glynnis Patterson, NCARB – Director of Software Development
Glynnis is a registered architect and has worked within the BIM industry since 1998. A graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, she has worked as an architect, educator, and construction site manager.
David Haynes – Director
David is a registered architect and a project management certified professional. Before joining Ideate, he had his own architectural practice and was president of a commercial design-build construction company for 15 years.
Richard W. Taylor, Associate AIA – Technical Evangelist
Richard has more than 33 years of experience working for companies that develop architectural and engineering software solutions. He was part of the original development of Revit while at Revit Technology Corporation and spent 12 years at Autodesk, where he presented, taught, and worked to improve features in Revit.
Jesika DiGregorio – Development Manager
Jesika received her Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Oregon in Eugene, where she also spent time studying advanced math. Before joining Ideate Software, she worked as a junior designer at an award-winning firm specializing in architecture and land planning. After working in architecture design for several years, Jesika decided to pursue her interest in programming.
Ben Bishoff – Senior Software Engineer
Ben has been a software engineer for more than 30 years and has been developing Ideate Software applications for more than 16 years to help customers save time, increase accuracy, improve project deliverables, and elevate design. With a bachelor’s degree in Physics, he has worked at several software companies that develop applications for the AECO industry.
Hank DiVincenzo – Senior Software Engineer
Hank has been a software engineer for more than 24 years. With a bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering, he has developed applications for a variety of companies. Before joining Ideate, Hank worked on immersive 360° video applications used for situational awareness within the National Security Agency and Department of Defense.
Stephanie Fitzgerald – Software Developer
Stephanie earned her Ed.M. in Technology, Innovation, and Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and her B.S. in Physics and Mathematics from University of Oregon. In past roles, Stephanie wrote C# and web design curriculum for Zaniac, where she was also the project manager for development, managed a research study of student motivation to learn math for Harvard University, and redesigned the website for a Tufts University library.
Michael Coffey – Software Developer
Michael has a Bachelor of Architecture from New Jersey Institute of Technology and is a registered architect in New York, LEED accredited and a Revit Architecture Certified Associate. Before joining Ideate Software, he worked at an architecture firm, and in his latest position there, he coded and implemented tools using the Revit API, documented and trained in BIM and Revit tools, and managed content and standards.
Jan Sako – Support and Q/C Manager
Jan holds a bachelor’s degree in Communications. He brings in extensive experience in customer issue resolution and general IT troubleshooting. His other passions are green technologies, specifically reuse and recycling, and various other environmental initiatives. Jan previously worked within the sustainability movement in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Steve Deadman – Customer Success Manager — UK/EMEA
Steve’s CAD/BIM experience stretches back to his first job as a CAD Coordinator 2001. Since then, he has built a proven track record of BIM implementations at award-winning architectural practices, including several on The Architect’s Journal’s Top 20 list. At his most recent employer prior to Ideate Software, Steve was the Head of BIM for nearly five years.
Nivin has a background in architecture, visual arts, and computer science. Before joining Ideate Software in 2022, she 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.
Team with Us
If working with a company with a proven history is important to you, look into Ideate Software. Explore our range of Autodesk Revit addins and see how they can make your Revit projects faster, simpler, and more productive and efficient.
If you have any questions, reach out to us. We are here to help you understand and use our Revit plugin solutions.
Browse our website to learn more about how Ideate Software add-on products 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 the Revit plugin solutions Ideate BIMLink, Ideate Explorer, Ideate Sticky, Ideate StyleManager, and IdeateApps for six months.
Every day, our Ideate Software Support team fields all types of questions from AECO professionals all around the world. You can review some of these recent question and answers via our Ideate Software Support Series blog category.
Thousands of users all around the world use Ideate Sticky every day to combine the ease and flexibility of Excel, Word, and PDF editing with the convenience of a sticky note. Ideate Sticky elegantly connects non-BIM data from an Excel, Word, or PDF document into Revit projects, enhancing cross-team workflows.
Over the past few years, we’ve had several support cases where a specific user updates the Ideate Sticky schedule, and the formatting width of the Sticky schedule changes. A Sticky schedule can change size unexpectedly when updated or auto-updated on a computer with a different display scaling than the display scaling value used on the computer that originally created the Sticky schedule. This issue is most commonly manifested when using remote desktop applications or laptops with docking stations, as well as with external devices such as projectors where display scaling could be changed during a Windows session.
Different computers might have different scaling and display resolutions that could potentially impact the width of a Sticky schedule, as shown in these images.
For our June 2022 release, we solved this condition with a new width calculation option.
Use this new project-based setting to use an improved width calculation for all Sticky schedules found within the project. This option is turned on for all new projects and off for any projects with Stickies created prior to the June 2022 release for Revit 2020-2023. Please refer to this online Help file for additional details.
The improved Sticky schedule width calculation is turned on for any new projects. This can be accessed via the Settings cog from the Ideate Sticky main dialog.
All customers are encouraged to deploy the latest version of Ideate Sticky for Revit versions 2020-2023 to take advantage of this improvement. Because this feature controls the size of text it is imperative that all users within the company are utilizing the same build version for Ideate Sticky.
Keep those amazing questions coming to[email protected], because this is critically important feedback allows us to continue to improve our software every release.
Richard W. Taylor, Associate AIA – Technical Evangelist 
Many Ideate Software employees have been involved in architecture and engineering for several decades, so they remember the days of creating designs with pencil and paper. 
Initially, designers, architects, and engineers created drawings and blueprints to express their visions and information about building plans. Then, computer aided design (CAD) brought the plans into a digital environment. Next, CAD evolved to 3D, enabling more realistic illustrations. The concept of BIM came around in the 1970s, and today it is the standard and increasingly becoming a mandated process to ensure that the planning, design, and construction of buildings are efficient.
As powerful as Autodesk software is, it does have limitations. And even though Revit is the leading BIM tool for architects, engineers, and construction teams in the world, users need more. Anyone who checks out the 
Ideate Software