Revit Links and Clean Models

[Anonymous]

Good afternoon fellow BIM experts -

Here is a doozy -

I am modeling a 300,000sf modular building, and my modules are all in separate files. Roughly, there are 20+ revit files that are linked to a host file, and the host file in excruciatingly slow!!

The model is 12 stories high - the revit links make up the typical floor plan, and are copied to each floor. (We have very powerful computers as well)

I can't pan, region/mask detail, or generally perform basic tasks in Revit that would normally take seconds. It is taking me hours to complete simple operations.

I have purged numerous times in the host file.

I went back into each linked file and simplified as much as I could (purged, generic families, no groups etc...). The linked files are around 4-6 megs each, and the host file is only 2megs

We haven't even gotten into MEP, Material mapping, rendering, or anything detailed. I am horrified of what this model will become as we move forward.

If anyone has any advice it is greatly appreciated, thanks.

[ToanDN]

You may want to use worksets for different portions of your model. Turn off what not being visible or relevant for Views or View Templates.

[Alfredo_Medina · Accepted solution]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Good afternoon fellow BIM experts -

Here is a doozy -

I am modeling a 300,000sf modular building, and my modules are all in separate files. Roughly, there are 20+ revit files that are linked to a host file, and the host file in excruciatingly slow!!

.... The linked files are around 4-6 megs each, and the host file is only 2megs

...

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Welcome to the forum.

There's something strange here. You said "The linked files are around 4-6 megs each, and the host file is only 2megs". That's too small. Not even the size of a typical template. 

As mentioned above, worksets are necessary to handle performance. And,..divide and conquer... A big task is a collection of smaller tasks. Break the project into multiple models, one per building or important part. The site model is usually not used for modeling or doing any work, other than just handling the location of the buildings on the site, with coordinates, so the workload is reduced to each model of part, which is way smaller than the whole. There is nothing to be horrified about. 🙂

An additional advice : try to reduce the .dwg content as much as possible. The more native Revit elements you use, the better the performance.

[FGPerraudin]

Hi @Anonymous,

Obviously you need to have a look at your file management strategy.

You have to understand how Revit handles memory there (memory handling is the obvious issue).

1. A linked model can be managed 2 ways:
   1. attachment (the data is copied in the model and updated with the link)
   2. overlay (the data is temporarily stored in the model each time you load it)
   3. For flexibility reasons, overlay works better (no circular references, easier to handle when working on different links at the same time), but for memory reasons, attachment works better (better memory management as the definitions of the links are stored in a more "permanent" memory space). In order to improve memory management, I would use attachment.
2. Part your file for better memory management. First, activate the collaboration mode and then create worksets. Worksets are amazing, as they allow you to choose what is loaded in memory and what is not. That way you can part your file ionto smaller, more manageable subparts.
3. Be carefull of the level of detail you display. Even if a model is very light, the fact that it is copied several times can have serious file handling consequences. A link that is repeated 2000 times will take roughly as much space than one that is repeates 2 times. (only one definition for as many locations as you want). What you produce via repeating instances of a definition you loose as computing time (it takes less storage, but requires much more memory). Solution? Manage the level of detail of your models. Everything does not need to be 3D modeled. Choose the right balance of 3D and 2D integrated detailing.
4. Finally, purge you view as often as you can, avoid ressources consuming display modes (photorealistic, etc), crop you views (as it won't need to calcuate what is cropped, and all the classics...
5. And if nothing works, check you computer. First go through addins that might run in the background and run real time calculations which would have devastating performance effects, then go through classic computer cleaning and memory management solutions (clean registery, shut other programs, etc...)

I hope this gives you a good view of what you can optimize in terms of memory management,

François

[m.voss.alvine]

we will create several worksets just for architectural models.  one workset for the first couple floors, another for the next couple, and so on.  then if you are not working on the upper floors, you can do a partial open and close the worksets you dont need at the time.