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Ideate StyleManagerUsing Ideate StyleManager
  • StyleManager Basics

    • Ideate StyleManager Basics

    There are four basic functions available within Ideate StyleManager. In this topic we will review the general purpose of each: 

    Analyze

    The Analyze function is required for most styles to assess which elements are referencing the selected style(s). View templates, fonts, material appearance assets and nested parameters are automatically analyzed. All other styles require manually triggering the Analyze process to investigate all possible usages.

    For example, when Ideate StyleManager analyzes the use of a Material, it is assessing whether the material is part of an object style, defined as a layer within a wall, used as a parameter within a family, used as a paint assigned to element, or even whether it’s been defined as an override within a view template or phase setting. The analyze process can take a while, so it is advised to not analyze all styles at once. 

    In the image below, the numbers showing on the Object Style dialog indicate that those styles have been analyzed. A style must be analyzed before it can be merged or deleted.

    Merge 

    Once a style has been analyzed, the Merge button option will be enabled. The Merge button is found on the main dialog for each tool at the lower left corner. Merging allows two or more styles to be combined into a single specified style. 

    1. Select two or more styles to be merged. If you include the target style (the one be kept) within this selection, it will make the next steps easier.
    2. Select the Merge button to see the Merge dialog as shown above.
      - If your target style is listed dialog, select it from the list.
      - If not, then uncheck the "Selection Set" option at the top. This will display all possible choices for the target style.
    3. Ideate StyleManager will modify each element that was using the older style and update to the selected target style. Upon completion the (now) unused styles will be deleted.


    Rename 

    Select a single style from the list on the left and right-click to select Rename. If more than one style is selected, the Rename button will be disabled. New names must be unique within the project. 


     

    Delete 

    The Delete button is available when a style has been analyzed. There are two exceptions: one is when the style is built-in, such as the <solid fill> pattern, and the other is when there is an object style from a linked file. In this instance the Delete button will be disabled for the primary category of the linked file. The workaround in this case, would be to remove the link first. 

    Both used and unused styles can be deleted. Read on for a detailed description of each.

    Deleting an Unused Style

    Deleting an unused style is the very purpose of Ideate StyleManager. The fact that it is unused (0 instances) means that it is safe to delete and will not impact the project visibility or graphic display. Deleting unused styles will make the project file and/or related families cleaner, and by providing fewer choices, makes the project simpler to manage moving forward.

    Deleting a Used Style

    Deleting a style that is used is generally not recommended. When a style is deleted, the project data and/or related families will be removed. Elements using this style will be reset to default state. For example, if a subcategory object style is deleted (e.g. Detail Items: Clearance), then the elements assigned to that subcategory will be reset to the parent object style (e.g. Detail Items).

    The risk of deletion varies with the usage. Deleting a style that is only used by an unplaced group, for example carries little risk, whereas deleting a style from a placed group will likely result in a change to the displayed graphic in 2D and/or 3D views.

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