Minimize unnecessary geometry, views, and elements when designing your model.
The size of a Revit file can often be affected by a number of attributes that are likely unnecessary to your model. The following considerations will help trim the size of your model.
- Always leverage the team understanding of typical 2D drawing conventions to invest the correct level of model complexity. For example, minimize geometric detail that cannot be seen at the chosen output scale. The necessary level of detail can be conveyed in terms of a commonly understood drawing scale.
- Use generic versions of elements until wall, roof, window, and door type construction are determined. Unless material use or other types of analysis will be applied to the model, generic models incorporate less geometry and are sufficient for many projects.
- In large-scale projects, break up the model into multiple files of about 200 MB and link together the resulting project files. This works best if you can work on one file while the other links are unloaded for a majority of the time. However, engineering consumers of architectural models may have to maintain one or more constantly loaded links, which may affect model size estimation and thresholds for those disciplines.
- When creating detail views, model hatches with filled regions, not lines.
- Limit joined geometry to necessities.
- Remove unneeded area schemes.
- Avoid maintaining unnecessary groups. Delete unused groups from the Project Browser.
- Regularly review and fix warnings.
- Use arrays to copy and associate objects together. After an array deploys, ungroup the arrayed objects to remove their parametric associations. Alternatively, you can deselect Group And Associate in the Options bar when you create the array.
- Avoid populating project templates with an excessive number of families that may or may not be useful for every project. Favor a minimal rather than a comprehensive template.
- Walls should not extend through many levels. This design can cause relationships between levels that can significantly increase the time needed to update the model.