How to upgrade Family library from Revit 2019 to Revit 2025?

[ivan_picuric]

Hi everyone!

Our firm is upgrading from Revit 2019 to Revit 2025.

1. The first issue is that our entire Family library was created by a single user in Revit 2019, so I can't simply upgrade and overwrite them. Is there a solution that would allow me to overwrite these families in the new version of Revit? What is the fastest way to upgrade the entire library to Revit 2025?

2. What is the quickest and most efficient way to upgrade multiple projects (Revit files with linked models) to the new version? Is it enough to just open them in the new Revit version, run an audit, and overwrite?

Thank you in advance.

Best regards,
Ivan

[RSomppi]

Do not overwrite the family library. Make copies and then upgrade to prevent overwriting. Each family needs to be opened and saved. The jump from 2019 may create issues with families. It's probably best to do this manually and test each family. There are ways to do this in bulk but I've not done it so I'll leave that for others to comment.

Upgrading a project should only be done when required but your workflow should work. Again, the upgraded families in these projects may have problems.

[ivan_picuric]

What kind of issues with families?

[RSomppi]

There were changes to parameters and units in look-up tables. The units issue is breaking upgraded families. These may or may not affect you but should be considered before upgrading projects.

[HVAC-Novice]

1. Make a copy of the existing files and label them as the 2019 version
2. Upgrade the families to your current Revit version. The attached dynamo script does batch upgrades. You also can use it for projects. But IME, projects are better upgraded manually since there is more handholding, links etc. but for families it works fine
3. Before you upgrade, remove the backups of families. I attached a script for that as well.

[barthbradley]

You know, you can upgrade a 2019 Project to 2025 and then use Save As Library to save out all the Families in it to any location.   

https://help.autodesk.com/view/RVT/2025/ENU/?guid=GUID-FC6CC53B-0010-4AF9-BFE2-6B044191A645

[ivan_picuric]

Thank you. I assume the same approach would work for upgrading the Revit template from 2019 to 2025, and then using "Save As" for the library?

[RSomppi]

I would rebuild the template from scratch. That's a pretty big leap from '19 to '25 and there have been a lot of changes to the program. It may work for you, it may not. I would rebuild, regardless but, hey, that's just me.

[ivan_picuric]

Do I need to back up and rename each family before saving them to the new version of Revit?

[HVAC-Novice]

A template or starter project would be upgraded the same way. 

If you rename families is up to you and likely depends on if you maintain multiple versions.

I only use one version. I copy the old version in a folder i name  "2019" or similar. If you use multiple Revit versions, you may want to include the version in the file name (really up to you). But Revit itself doesn't' care what the file name is. 

Edit: the official recommendation is to NOT skip versions. You should consider a policy to upgrade annually. I don't' say you should upgrade right after release of a new version. But you don't' want to get the old version too stale. 

You pay a LOT of money for the subscription. May as well take care of new features. Autodesk also will NOT fix some issues on old version if a problem is fixed in a newer release. 

My current policy is to upgrade a few months after release and I don't' read about major issues. and once one of two SP are released. You DON'T have to use the same policy. but you should have  "A" policy. Waiting 6 years is way too long IMHO. 

[RSomppi]

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@ivan_picuric wrote:
Do I need to back up and rename each family before saving them to the new version of Revit?

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I would save copies of them as insurance in case something happens during the upgrade process. I don't rename them but I do keep different versions in separate folders by version year.

[Simon_Weel]

How to batch upgrade Revit files (autodesk.com)

[ivan_picuric]

Yes, I completely agree with you, but our CEO has a different opinion. 🙂