Updating Our Custom Architectural Template

[jorgedelacova7458]

I have a general question. When updating our custom template from an older Revit version to the current Revit version, would it be better to open it and let it automatically upgrade. Or is it better to Open the OOTB Revit template in the current Revit version and add custom content and settings to it? Does Autodesk ever fundamentally change how a template file behaves?

[RSomppi]

It's always best to rebuild the template with each new release. Some people will upgrade a few times before rebuilding.

[barthbradley]

Just upgrade. The OOTB Templates aren't rebuilt for each new release.  They are upgraded as well.  

[RSomppi]

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@barthbradley wrote:

Just upgrade. The OOTB Templates aren't rebuilt for each new release.  They are upgraded as well.  

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I think you've been ignoring best practices again.

[barthbradley]

..bumped due to contextual content being removed from thread discussion. 

[barthbradley]

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@RSomppi wrote:

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@barthbradley wrote:

Just upgrade. The OOTB Templates aren't rebuilt for each new release.  They are upgraded as well.  

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I think you've been ignoring best practices again.

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Huh? Best Practices?  Can you point me to what you are referring to?  Maybe I missed the memo.  

[jorgedelacova7458]

After taking a look at the Project Browser, it looks like there is some additional content (especially in the Families) that has been added in later OOTB templates. Finding this content is a bit of a surgical effort. Will update once I have more info.

[barthbradley]

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@jorgedelacova7458 wrote:

After taking a look at the Project Browser, it looks like there is some additional content (especially in the Families) that has been added in later OOTB templates. Finding this content is a bit of a surgical effort. Will update once I have more info.

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You can always open a Project in a new release using your custom RTE from a prior release, and then use Transfer Project Standards to transfer content from another open new release Project created from a different RTE.  Then Save as Template.  Name the RTE "New and Improved".   😉 

[RSomppi]

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@barthbradley wrote:

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Huh? Best Practices?  Can you point me to what you are referring to?  Maybe I missed the memo.  

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Your missing something, alright.

https://blogs.rand.com/architectural/2011/08/migrating-revit-project-templates-to-the-next-version.h...

[HVAC-Novice]

That is advice from 2011. Do you have anything newer? 

I've been upgrading my template (and adding features over the years) since 2008 or whenever I started Revit. Now on 2023 and don't think I have a template issue. Some projects also drag on over some years and get upgraded. 

It may be a good idea to re-create the template over the years to do things in new ways etc. But I don't think it is really necessary. Maybe I do that with mine some time since so many things changed over the years. 

And how do we know the new template Autodesk provides isn't just an upgraded file from last year?  What would be the official R2023 blank template that never was a previous version? Serious questions.

[barthbradley]

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@RSomppi wrote:

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@barthbradley wrote:

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Huh? Best Practices?  Can you point me to what you are referring to?  Maybe I missed the memo.  

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Your missing something, alright.

https://blogs.rand.com/architectural/2011/08/migrating-revit-project-templates-to-the-next-version.h...

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HA! Okay, I appreciate the effort. Really.  Thank you for that 2011 third-party "fact sheet" - supposedly supported by Autodesk VAR Technical Resources   The only response I have to that is that we've been upgrading RTEs successfully and without incident (at least nothing that was a show-stopper) for over a decade now.   Maybe Revit has improved over the years?  😉 

[RSomppi]

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@HVAC-Novice wrote:

That is advice from 2011. Do you have anything newer? 

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Sorry, you'll have to find it for yourself. It might be an old article but the logic still applies.

[RSomppi]

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@barthbradley wrote:

The only response I have to that is that we've been upgrading RTEs successfully and without incident (at least nothing that was a show-stopper) for over a decade now.

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Yeah, some people don't take good advice because they've been doing it wrong without any problems. The problem with that logic is that when the problem does arise, it could be catastrophic and bring your project to a screeching halt I wholly believe in prevention and with some of the recent changes, I would recommend rebuilding.

Good luck!

[barthbradley]

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@RSomppi wrote:

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@HVAC-Novice wrote:

That is advice from 2011. Do you have anything newer? 

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Sorry, you'll have to find it for yourself. It might be an old article but the logic still applies.

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It could be Russian disinformation.  Dunno. But, I'd love to see what the Autodesk Value-Added Resellers (VAR) actually said at the time.    

[HVAC-Novice]

What are the problems that could arise? 

And what would I base a new template on? The ones provided by Autodesk seem to be upgraded from older versions. 

I'm not disputing that it may be a good idea to re-create from scratch every few years for a variety of reasons. But if that is just based on an upgraded file, it may not resolve the issues you talk about. 

The oob template files and oob families look exactly the same as they looked a decade ago. So I'm really not sure the R2023 template isn't one that was just upgraded by Autodesk over the years. 

[RSomppi]

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@HVAC-Novice wrote:

What are the problems that could arise? 

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Keep upgrading and you might find out.

I rebuild to avoid those kind of issues because when I started Revit it was recommended to rebuild all content periodically. Not doing so does not guarantee a problem will arise as evidenced here but when I have an issue, I don't have to wonder if I should rebuild my content because I've eliminated it as a possible cause before the issue arose.