Tabbed project browser

[pieter1]

Give the project browser tabs for: views, legends, schedules, sheets,families,groups,links,assemblies. This would greatly reduce the amount of scrolling/collapsing/uncollapsing 

[pieter1]

I included a sketch on how it could work (very similar to the 3ds max command panel). There are others ways off course (custom tabs for example similar too the cad palettes where you get to decide how many tabs there are and what is put on them) but I guess this way is easier and accomplishes 95% of the goal.

[pieter1]

Also, it would be nice to have a dropdown just underneath the tabs for quick selection of browser organization options (for views and sheets).

[pieter1]

Just to make sure my previous comment is clear I updated the sketch. It's not very graphically pleasing but I'm sure autodesk will have a way to fix that.

[ttourangeau_svn]

This isn't the first time this idea has come up, and you could argue that we really need a separate built-in family browser... but as a baby step towards a better user experience.

The Problem:

When you're working on a project with a large model - such as a tower or a building with complex levels, the number of floor plans, elevations, sections, and so on can become quite large. In the day-to-day "active work" on a model you're often switching between these views. When you want to print a sheet to review it, or make/modify a family for a new condition, you have to close up all of your trees (or scroll endlessly) to get to the lower parts of the tree - sheets, views families.

The Solution:

Instead of having everything in one long, cascading list that gets really difficult to navigate,it would be nice to have tabs for families and sheets in the Project Browser. Groups and Schedules too, if you can swing it! The icons currently used for each could be put in a horizontal line along the top of the Project Browser, and clicking each would switch between Project Browser views.

Existing Solutions:

Kiwicodes Project browser is OK, but it's expensive for a large office and it's not "in tune" with the interface of Revit. As any BIM manager knows, consistency across machines is important for troubleshooting with users and training people, and Kiwicodes' solution is totally open-ended. Having a basic function built into Revit would be a solid first step, and hopefully open the door to more refinements (such as a better Family Browser) down the road. 

[sasha.crotty]

Thanks for your submission and votes on this idea!  We are evaluating where this request falls into our roadmap and will provide an update when we have made a decision.  

The Factory

[sasha.crotty]

We've completed our review of this idea. After investigating the effort required to implement this request, we unable to add it to our roadmap at this time due to other priorities. However, we think this is a great idea so we will reconsider it as we made adjustments to our roadmap in the future. Thanks for the submission and keep voting!

The Factory

[Clarke_Symetri]

Hopefully there's some way of improving the project browser in the current roadmap. It would be nice to be able to format the text in the project browser, like make some views bold or different colors; or be able to filter to only the open views... similar to what I've seen in the Kiwi plugin.

[ToanDN]

Revit is really behind on this regard.  AutoCAD Sheet Set Manager and AutoCAD Architecture Project Navigator have had this kind of organization for over ten years. 

[Anonymous]

Hi,

 it would be nice to have different dock able window for family browser, Revit link browser, sheet browser as well as all views.

Most of our project we have different file for documentation that case once views are created we doesnt required to see views in the project broswser.

so in the various stage of the project we required only particular groups in the Revit model.

Like Navisworks docukble window for various elements, good to have following separate browser.Same time it good to have in one browser when required.

1. Revit Model Views Browser. (Views are created from model)
2. Annotation Views. (Legend view and Drafting VIew)
3. Sheets Browser.
4. Families Browser.
5. Revit link browser. 
6. Group Browser

Have good day..

Regards

Sheik Uduman

RSP Architects Planners and Engineers

UAE

[Anonymous]

The "one window to rule them all" approach revit has had with the project browser has got to go.  there needs to be a much more intuitive, faster way to quickly move between sheets, families, views, schedules, etc, that doesn't involve scrolling up and down an interminably long list all house in one window.  the collapsing hierarchical approach is not sufficient.

separate the windows for views, sheets, families, and schedules/legends.  offer a quicker, more intuitive way to navigate each that isn't a simple scrollbar window.  offer bookmarks for quick access between views or windows.  create the ability to quickly cycle through bookmarked views so i can switch quickly back and forth between two or three views without closing every single other view i have open.  add a thumbnail preview browser for sheets so i can quickly navigate or tell if something egregious is wrong with a sheet without having to manually open it.  give me the option to create a custom project browser window that only has the elements i want at that moment, and which i can customize on the fly.  give me the option to better customize and tweak my workflow (quickly and effortlessly) and users can adjust as necessary.  right now, its a slog.  by far the weakest point of revit is its UX/UI.  it impedes workflow rather than helps it along.  Improve this and you will save companies millions of dollars in saved time.

[Kimtaurus]

A similar idea has been posted already and is under review.

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/revit-ideas/family-browser/idi-p/6324899

Please search to Ideas board before posting.

[peter_vanorshoven]

Instead of having the project browser as one big tree, can't we have at least a few tabs where the main branches are located (views / sheets / schedules / families)? Since sometimes you have to switch between all of this, one gets tired of scrolling up and down...

[pieter1]

Justed wanted to add that the current UI already has the ability to dock palettes on top of each other to create tabbed panels. Perhaps the factory could use this to reduce the work that's needed to implement this feature:

1) split the project browser up into discrete panels (one for views, one for legends, ...)

2) adjust visuals (show the symbols instead of text on the tabs + move the tabs to top of panel instead of bottom)

3) in the default UI dock all the panels of the previous PB on top of each other ]

[Anonymous]

I like the idea of having individual browsers for plans/elevations/3d views, for sheets, and families, since each of these lists can become long and constantly scrolling up and down is a pain.

I don't think having a separate browser for families only is not enough.

[pieter1]

Improving the project browser is now on the roadmap, so hopefully this idea is taking into consideration!

I've made a sketch combining a few ideas: tabbed project browser + project browser search + dropdown for browser organization

[sakar_deepak]

Project browser contains a long list of items and one has to scroll up and down several times to locate particular view or family. Even for a small project, list gets long and it is a problem to click and scroll up and down so often. 

I think Project browser should be split within the project browser itself in to couple of tabs to reduce this tedious problem. You can have separate tabs for Families and Views. Further View tab can be split in to other tabs for Plan views, 3D views, Rendered views etc. . This will reduce scrolling a lot.

Thanks

Deepak Gupta

architect

[sakar_deepak]

@pieter1 This is an evidence of how serious this problem is because so many people think alike in the same direction. But, alas, Autodesk doing nothing on it.

[sakar_deepak]

There is one another related problem with this. 

There are so many views in the list that whatever system of naming you adopt you forget what view contains what. For example, if you have to open a particular rendered image and you forget ( which is quite normal ) the name of the view, you need to open all the rendered images to see the desired image. 

This is another tedious task. I think it should show a thumbnail of the view when you hover the cursor over the view name. So that one does not need to open all views to find the desired view.

[pieter1]

There is an idea for that as well. (I didn't look it up for you but I'm sure you'll be able to find it if you use the search function)

[sakar_deepak]

I would like to add that Drop Down Tabs as suggested by @pieter1 should be made available in the Ribbon. There is a lot of space lying vacant in Ribbon where it can be adjusted. It is far easier to use it there. 

In fact, AutoDesk can completely done away with the Project Browser. List of Families is not used much. Every thing in the Project Browser can be very well adjusted in the Ribbon itself.