Mastering Autodesk® Revit® Architecture 2013

Appendix B

Tips, Tricks, and Troubleshooting

This appendix provides some tips, tricks, and troubleshooting to help keep your project files running smoothly. Listed here are some pointers to keep you from getting into trouble as well as a peppering of timesavers and other great ideas.

In this appendix, you'll learn how to:

• Optimize performance
• Use best practices
• Apply tips and shortcuts

Optimizing Performance

It should make sense that a smaller file on a good network will run the fastest. There is no “typical” project file size, and a file can range anywhere from 10 MB to over 300 MB. We've found that small, dense projects with a lot of geometry and detail (like a medical office building) can be larger in file size than a warehouse project (which is mostly full of space). Because documentation is often an indication of project complexity, we've found that for each documented sheet, your file will be about 1 MB. So a completed project of 100 full-size sheets will be about 100 MB.

Much of that variation depends on the level of detail in the model itself, the presence of imported geometry (2D CAD files, SketchUp, and so on), the number of views you have, and the overall complexity. Obviously, your hardware configuration will also be a factor in determining the speed and operation of your models.

You can optimize your hardware in a number of ways to get the most out of the configuration you have. You should first look at the install specifications and recommended hardware specs for ...