Old Model and New Project

[nmehta]

We just began working on a major addition and alteration project. We have received a RVT model from the previous consultants. The model is in good condition. We intend to use this model but without all views, details, graphic standards, etc. We intend to incorporate our office project/ graphic standards into it. What would be best practice standard for this exercise of cleaning out an existing model?

[david_peterson]

First, save a copy to a DVD or something like that, something that you can't screw up so you always have a back up, then you can start cleaning.
I'd delete all sheets, detail views, section views, RCPs, elevations, I'd consider deleting all the plans as well if you don't have any plans on using much from them. Then I would purge all not used. After that I think I'd use the transfer project standards tool to get your office standards into your model. After that it all depends on how "clean" you want this new model to be. There a few tools out there that will allow you to select all of any object family and type in the entire model so you could switch them to yours. Warning, this may not be worth the effort.
I would create new floor plan views for all of your new work and Maybe keep the existing ones, but that could get you into trouble down the road if people start using text and such from the existing model.
Just a few thoughts.

[MikeJarosz]

We received a file from another architect for a government project that was shelved in 2009 due to lack of funding. The project was near 100% CDs. When the project was finally funded in 2013, we got the job...and the 2009 file. I hope your file is more recent.

On loading the file it upgraded from 2009 to 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 successively. With links, this took all day. The resulting file had none of the new features added since R2009! Plus, the project was done the way THEY do things. Our principals wanted it done the way WE do things. The families were full of shared parameters, but we had no SP file.... and so on. In the end, we lived with the file as we found it, but I don't think we saved much time.

The consultants had a much harder time. Revit Structural and MEP have come a long, long way since 2009. The structural engineer decided to start from scratch in S2013.

Then, there was Navis. The original 2009 Revit file had never been checked for clashes. Whether that is because Navis was relatively new in 2009, or because they just didn't do it, I don't really know. However, we found plenty of clashes to fix.

I would be careful about reusing someone else's model. Don't rush into the boss's office with wild reports about how much time this will save. Be skeptical. It could be a while before you fully realize what you have inherited.

[bclarch]

I wouldn't try to use an upgraded version of their file. Deleting all of their custom formatting and implementing yours will be a pain. Here's how I would tackle it. I would create a new project file from your office template. Open a copy of the consultant file that you received. Cut and paste the model from their file into yours. (Assuming it is not a monstrously large project.) You can then use the "insert from file" command to bring over any sheets, schedules, and drafting views that you think are worth salvaging.

[kmarquis]

You could also open a new project file based off your template and then link the old project into the new file. After the file has been placed you could bind the link which essentially 'explodes' the file and turns it into a Model Group that could be Ungrouped. Just be careful with Phasing. Doing this gets rid of any Existing and New geometry phasing. You'd have to fix that which isn't a huge deal if it's all existing.