Revit Tip: Transfer Project Standards into an Active Revit Model

Leverage Transfer Project Standards to pull clean, vetted content from your template into an active model—without restarting the project.

Workflow

• Prep: Open your source template (or standards container) and the target model in the same Revit version/build. Save a backup of the target.
• In the target model, go to Manage > Transfer Project Standards.
• Set Copy from to the open source file (your template/standards RVT).
• Select Check None, then pick only what you truly need to avoid bloat.
• Click OK. When Duplicate Types appears:
  • Overwrite: enforce your standards by replacing matching names.
  • New Only: add missing types but keep the target’s existing ones intact.
• Sync (workshared projects) and test on a few views/sheets before broad rollout.

What to transfer (curated set)

• View Templates and View Types for consistent graphics and documentation.
• Filters to control discipline visibility and QA/QC color checks.
• Object Styles and Line Weights for drawing hierarchy.
• Line Styles and Line Patterns for annotation clarity.
• Fill Patterns (model/drafting) for hatches and poche.
• Materials (including appearance assets) for render and shaded views.
• Annotation Types: text, dimensions, tags, symbols, and view reference heads.
• Title Blocks and Viewports for standardized sheet layouts.
• DWG/DXF Export Settings and Print Settings for predictable deliverables.
• System Family Types: walls, floors, roofs, ceilings, stairs, railings (only those you standardize).

What not to expect

• Shared Parameter definitions and Project Parameters (manage via your shared parameter file and template governance).
• Worksets, Design Options, and model geometry.
• Phases and Phase Filters (establish these up front in the template).
• Schedules, Drafting Views, Sheets, and Legends (use Insert from File > Insert Views from File).
• Linked file paths or coordinate systems (manage via shared coordinates workflow).

Post-transfer QA (5-minute check)

• Open a couple of key views and reapply their View Templates; confirm graphics match your standard.
• Place common tags and dimensions to verify fonts, sizes, and leaders.
• Print a test PDF; confirm line weights and filled regions read cleanly.
• Run a DWG export with your office setup and inspect layer mapping.
• Review Materials in shaded views to ensure correct patterns and assets.

Pro tips

• Maintain a single “Standards Container” RVT curated by your BIM manager; update on a schedule and annotate changes in a changelog.
• Transfer in small batches and test—overwriting everything at once can mask issues.
• Name standards with clear prefixes (e.g., AEC_ or OFF_) to avoid collisions and speed audits.
• Before big rollouts, pilot in a detached copy of the project to de-risk production models.

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