Revit Tip: Bulk Editing in Revit: Multi‑Select with the Properties Palette

Streamline bulk edits by leveraging multi-selection and the Properties palette to push consistent values across many elements—fast and safely.

• Select your target elements with window/crossing selection, then click Filter on the Modify ribbon (or the status bar) to keep only the categories you intend to edit. The goal: ensure the elements you keep actually share the parameter you want to change.
• With multiple elements selected, the Properties palette shows either a single category (if uniform) or Multiple Categories. Only parameters common to the current selection appear and can be edited. Fields showing “<varies>” can be overwritten with a new value to apply to the entire selection.
• Use Select All Instances (visible in view or in entire project) to quickly gather identical types before editing. This ensures your multi-edit targets truly share parameters.
• Understand instance vs type behavior:
  • Instance parameters: change values in the Properties palette to update only the selected elements.
  • Type parameters: clicking Edit Type modifies the type and therefore all instances of that type. Pre-filter your selection to the exact type(s) you intend to change.
• If a parameter you need doesn’t appear for a mixed selection, it’s not common across those categories. Consider:
  • Narrowing your Filter selection to just the categories that share it.
  • Standardizing with a shared parameter (same GUID) across families so it becomes editable in multi-select operations.
• Use the Project Browser and temporary Hide/Isolate to limit what you can accidentally select. In 3D, apply a Section Box first, then select and Filter—clean selection equals clean edits.
• QA tips before committing:
  • Check that elements aren’t in a design option you’re not editing, or in a linked model (read-only).
  • Confirm ownership/worksets. If the Properties palette reports Not Editable, borrow or make the elements editable, then proceed.
  • Pinned elements can often accept parameter edits, but if blocked, unpin temporarily.
• Speed patterns that work:
  • Update Comments, Mark suffixes, or Phase Demolished in one move after a tight category filter.
  • For rooms/spaces, mass-apply a standardized Department or Occupancy with a single edit.
  • For MEP, align System Abbreviation or Comments across a filtered selection of ducts or pipes.
• When type edits must span many different types, consider a temporary schedule workflow (with sorting and highlight in model) to guide safe, batched changes. The Properties palette is great for instant wins; schedules keep long runs organized.
• Establish a consistent parameter strategy in your templates and families so the Properties palette shows exactly the fields you expect during multi-select. This dramatically reduces the need for one-off fixes later.

Pro move: build and maintain shared parameters for cross-category data you routinely edit (for example, asset tags, specification references, or QA flags). With shared parameters in place, the Properties palette becomes a reliable control panel for sweeping updates.

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