How to know which template has been used for the project?

[kevin_peter]

I am working on central model via collaboration.

how do i know which template has been used for the project?

Can someone help me?

[f.cornelius]

As far as I know, no way of telling.

We usually solve that problem by defining the template with their version in a drafting view.

However, it is mostly no good here seeing as most companies use a custom project template with their own settings.

[Anonymous]

I have the same question, I hope Revit has a way to record the template file that was used to start the project. Hope someone can support us with this.

What I have done for now is to use any data that can help me track down the initial template, comparing it with the templates that we use in the company.

*Used the Collaborate/Manage Models/ Show History" option to see when it was first saved and look through the users and save dates and times.

*Use the Manage tab to check project information and project parameters that the project has. 

*Looked at the family types I have in the project and cross reference with the templates I have.

*looked at the View templates and compared them to the view templates in the templates.

This is time consuming but has helped me identify what Project template was used to start a project. If I don;t have the initial Project template then I am out of luck, hope Autodesk has a way to know this.

[RobDraw]

To what end?

Ask the person who created the project.

Templates are merely a way to preload things. Most places have one that is set-up according to what they deem necessary to start projects with. They often get tweaked or updated. Revit supplies a few example templates. There really isn't anything special about them except for being set-up for different disciplines. 

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@Anonymous wrote:

If I don;t have the initial Project template then I am out of luck 

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This statement has me wondering. What are you really looking for? 

[Anonymous]

As you mentioned some companies have many Templates, each one specific per discipline, geography, language, view templates, worksets, annotation standards, etc... There should be a way to know the name of the template that was used to start a project. Sometimes we get files and we never have interaction with the company that started them... Sometimes in the same company yo don't know who started the file and what template they used. You might even ask the person that started the project and they might have forgotten...

What do you recommend with all your experience?

[RobDraw]

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@Anonymous wrote:

As you mentioned some companies have many Templates, each one specific per discipline, geography, language, view templates, worksets, annotation standards, etc...

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Actually, I did not say that. What I was trying to say is that most companies have a single template that gets updated on a regular basis. They do not want to have to maintain multiple template files. If you are working for a company that has that much diversity in their projects and requires multiple templates, they should have a standard in place for setting up projects including which template to use. I work for a multi discipline firm that works in single model projects. We have one template for the releases (yearly) of Revit that we are using and we are constantly updating it. So, the template that was used to start a project has probably been updated since the inception of the project. The new template for the latest release of  Revit is not created until it is required as we are relatively new to Revit and actively updating standards. Imagine trying to apply a single change to multiple view templates across multiple project templates, it's quite tedious.

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@Anonymous wrote:

Sometimes in the same company yo don't know who started the file

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This should never happen.

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@Anonymous wrote:

You might even ask the person that started the project and they might have forgotten...

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You can't fix poor standards and inadequate personnel. 

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@Anonymous wrote:

Sometimes we get files and we never have interaction with the company that started them...

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Knowing which template was used to start a project from a consultant would have absolutely no meaning without the template file.

[Anonymous]

Thank you Rob, good points. At the moment I want to know which template was used in certain revit files compared to the revit templates they have provided. This will help for the Shared parameters that are needed for 4D, 5D & 6D. 

I see your points and agree with them. Now I want to solve the issues of poor project setup. Hopefully Autodesk has something that can help in near future.

[RobDraw]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Now I want to solve the issues of poor project setup.

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How would finding out the source of that benefit you? The model has already been created. You haven't stated how this information would benefit you. I am truly curious as to why this is so important as there is possibly a better way of getting what you really want.

[Anonymous]

We have 22 revit files from our AE, we will get 10 more. We will get approximately another 30 from subs. The AE has 2 offices in different companies doing the work. The subs will have from 1 to 2 offices in different locations. The files have to have the owner standards, an owner revit template was provided and the files that we are getting look like they have the standards but when you look at them in detail they don't have all of the standards. We don't have a Revit check file in order to automate the check standard process. We need to have all the files have a common set of Shared parameters in order to get our FM parameters and our COBie data aligned. We want to make sure each model abides to the standards. The problem we face at the moment is to see which of the 60+ files need work. Checking if they were started with the correct template makes the narrows down the search and quality checks to each file. QA/QC wants to make sure every stakeholder started out with the correct Template or will issue NCR.  Any suggestions to make this process faster?

[RobDraw]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Checking if they were started with the correct template makes the narrows down the search and quality checks to each file.

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Like I already said, the starting point is irrelevant. If you have to make sure a set of standards has been upheld, just apply the said parameters and see if they work. If all parties have done as required, all should go well. Correct?

My point is that it doesn't really matter what template the project was started with. What really matters is if they conform to the agreed upon standards in their current state. Correct?

[Anonymous]

Is there anything we can do with Dynamo script? we are also facing problem for this issue.

[RobDraw]

I'm sorry, but I'm having trouble seeing any value in determining the template that a project was started with.

Could someone please explain how this could provide any useful information?

[f.cornelius]

It could provide usefull information if the said template is preloaded with families mostly used components by a company. Some products might not be available anymore, but may still be used in auto-routing.

Also with experience comes insight. This may result in other workflows. Newer templates may be equiped to handle these workflows, while older ones aren't adapted to these.

Good versionmanagement will provide the user what is possible and what will take more time.

But unfortunatly there is no real other solution as to creating a splash screen as a drafting view with the version number in it.

[RobDraw]

I'm sorry, but without specific examples, this sounds like a bunch mumbo jumbo and catch phrases. I honestly don't see it.

[f.cornelius]

Personally I don't see the whole point of finding out what version a template is, but there is no mumbo jumbo in it at all.

Say you got a perfect template build in 2015. Currently in the Netherlands we start to see an increased interest in Direct Current as opposed to the Alternating Current. The template could be revised to version 2.0 which includes all electrical settings for DC and all families that most probably wil. be used. It would make it easy to see if you can go easily to DC in a project without having to make all the settings, systems and families. Having to make them could result in differences at which there could be a situation that add-in applications or scripts won't produce the right result.

Another example: you use a specific type of piping brand with fittings. At some point they rehaul the whole piping line and re-engineer the fittings. This could result in having modelled a perfect MEP model, but it can't be made IRL anymore, due to the used fittings not being able to be ordered. The new fittings have different dimensions. If you checked the template version you could see that the template in the project is from 2013 and that your company released version 3.0 which includes all the correct and manufacturable piping systems and fittings.

Yet another example: I have drafting views which display standard detailing information from relevant standards for the MEP. Standards are being renewed and discontinued. Having these drafting views up to date with the latest relevant standards helps the engineering. This is also information which could be checked from versioning template files.

[RobDraw]

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@f.cornelius wrote:

Personally I don't see the whole point of finding out what version a template is, but there is no mumbo jumbo in it at all.

Say you got a perfect template build in 2015. 

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I'm not even sure the version of Revit is the basis of the original question.

That "perfect" 2015 template was out of date years ago along with the library associated with it. 

[fabiosato]

Hello Alejandro,

I believe it will be much more useful to you to find out if the files complies with the template settings than if they were actually started from the proper template.

Check the settings and loaded families are some aspects to check, regarding the parameters, you can create a check file with proper schedules done and them link the files and check if it is filled up.

[Anonymous]

Thank you, I have already done all of the above. I just can't beleive that Revit having such a big database of registry, logs, etc. does not register which Template was used to start the project. Blockchain is comming and then we will all see the benefit of having EVERYTHING registered in our files.

Thanks again.

[Anonymous]

The Autodesk Journal should have a record? - User - AppData - Local - Autodesk - Revit - Revit Version - Journals.

Granted it is not easy, you have to scroll through a lot of information (timestamped) but it may be listed there.

[lmolina6V6K7]

Interesting approach. However, this is a local file right? What if we received the Revit file from another department or company? Can't access their local user folder to verify the creation log.