Revit File Size

[Tanner272]

Question: how do drafting views affect the size of Revit files?  If I have a lot of drafting views, will it unnecessarily increase/bloat the size of my Revit file?

My boss is very detail-oriented.  He likes everything detailed, as much as possible, to help limit the number of change orders we have to deal with in the construction phase (which, for the most part, as seemed to work for him).  However, has given me a question that I don't know how to answer: can we put all of our details together outside of the Revit model and then link them in to the Revit model?  He is concerned with two things: 1) that the Revit file doesn't get overly massive; and 2) he doesn't want whomever is working on details to mess with the actual Revit model that somebody else is working on.

We currently have over 300 details, each in its own drafting view.  Before we are finished, we could potentially have near 500 details.  Is it possible to have a separate Revit file with just details, that I can then link back to the central Revit file; if so, can I callout specific details from that detail file in my main model?

I hope that's not too confusing...

[ToanDN · Accepted solution]

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@Tanner272 wrote:

Question: how do drafting views affect the size of Revit files?  If I have a lot of drafting views, will it unnecessarily increase/bloat the size of my Revit file?

Yes.

My boss is very detail-oriented.  He likes everything detailed, as much as possible, to help limit the number of change orders we have to deal with in the construction phase (which, for the most part, as seemed to work for him).  However, has given me a question that I don't know how to answer: can we put all of our details together outside of the Revit model and then link them in to the Revit model? 

Yes.

He is concerned with two things: 1) that the Revit file doesn't get overly massive; and 2) he doesn't want whomever is working on details to mess with the actual Revit model that somebody else is working on.

We currently have over 300 details, each in its own drafting view.  Before we are finished, we could potentially have near 500 details.  Is it possible to have a separate Revit file with just details, that I can then link back to the central Revit file; if so, can I callout specific details from that detail file in my main model?

If you want it works like AutoCAD Xrefs (updated details and reload them in the project) then you can draw details in another file, not in drafting views, but in model views (detail plan, RCP, section, elevation view), then link this model to your project, create views and set the link to display by linked view.  You can create callouts referencing other view and point to those views.

However, I would only create standard typical details using he above method, project specific details are better created directly in the project, preferably using actual detail callouts, draft and annotate over.

I hope that's not too confusing...

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[Tanner272]

Thank you

[constantin.stroescu · Accepted solution]

Drafting Views can be imported into another new Project by using in the new one :

Insert>Insert from File>Insert Views from File ( select your file and then check all your drafting views) They will be load into the new file (only 2 d annotation elements can be loaded)

[HVAC-Novice]

Yes, it will increase file size. But if the drafting views (or the sheets they are on) are not open, they should not affect performance a lot (e.g. generating the view).

I rather have one large file than 2 smaller ones that need to stay together and are linked. You won't save overall file size. 

You could compare the file size with and without the 500 details.  500 details sounds a lot, but depends on what project size. 

Maybe make sure the details all use the same line types etc. and don't use groups and so on. If you collected 500 details, they may come from different people and you unnecessarily use more line types for the same type. You also may be able to combine details. For example, I put all my typical duct details in one view instead of making a view for each duct transition detail and so on. That also makes it easier putting them on sheets.

A better way to improve file size and performance is to go through all families and simplify them and select what detail is shown in what discipline. Avoid arrays, locking etc. 

Edit: I just did an experiment with my template that includes all my standard details (about 30). I created a project and it started at 18,324 kB. Then I deleted all the 30 details and the project "shrunk" to 18,312 kB. So eliminating 30 details saved me 12 kB. Hardly worth to worry about. YMMV.  I save much more file size by optimizing one single family.