Revit 2026 is Released

 Revit 2026 has been release to the public now! Here's a quick observation today, a department of subtle candidate. The Manage Links button on the Insert ribbon has moved to the front of the line! It used to be at the end of the Link panel. It makes sense I suppose but now it's farther away from the action.

Ghost Tooltips Be Gone

This seems to be a recent phenomenon. I noticed it first in Navisworks and then occasionally in Revit or AutoCAD. What is that you ask? Well it's hard to describe. When I use a command and then move my cursor away from it to do something else a tooltip appears for that previous command. In some cases I didn't use the command, merely my cursor was hovering over it before doing something else. It's weird.

I've tried disabling tooltips entirely but there doesn't appear to be a way to do that in Navisworks, or if it is possible I've not stumbled on to it yet. Similar for Revit and AutoCAD.

A practical very recent example, I used Refresh and after it completed I moved my cursor to the far right side of the screen to activate the Properties panel and the tool tip for Refresh appeared. The only way the tip will disappear is to move my cursor back over the tool. However in the fifteen or so minutes since that happened no tips have appeared no matter what I do. It is so weird and annoying.

Strange stuff, maybe it's just my PC...

Manage Cloud Models Dialog in Revit

The Manage Cloud Models dialog that Revit displays is a terrible design. Utterly ineffectual.

No search, no options for changing from icons to a list and it seems that it fails to list all of our projects at times. A very disappointing experience trying to use it...EVERY time. I have a sense of dread every time I think I need to open it. Lately I think...what's the point, it's not going to show me what I need.

Sigh...

Manage Cloud Models - UI Real Estate

 I wish the list of projects I get when I use Manage Cloud Models (BIM 360 projects) didn't waste sooo much real estate. These big icons are a waste of space, they just mean lots of scrolling. Well if you only have a couple projects on BIM 360 maybe it's no big deal to you. But hundreds? I keep looking for a View option of "List" or "Details" ... something to shrink this bugger down.

That's my experience with Revit 2020 at the moment when a good many projects that I get to look at reside. I'll have to check out 2021 to see if it is any different.

UnHelpful Help Location URL

I read about quirky Reviteristic issue at RFO this afternoon. A weird graphics glitch occurs when we interact with the Help Icon families that use the URL parameter feature to reference an external document. This is an example of it in the sample architecture model that ships with Revit (rac_basic_sample_project.rvt - in imperial content).

When we select the icon and examine its properties we get this Learning Link parameter.

When we click in the field the small button appears with the ellipsis icon. Clicking on the that button will take us to the URL saved in family.

The trouble begins after we move our cursor away from the field and start to resume work. The URL is stuck on screen over another parameter like below, the Detail Number parameter for the view.

I noticed that I can work past the issue if I click in the Default Analysis Display Style field, which I presume works because it also has an navigation/ellipsis style button.

I also noticed that if I am careful to click on the field right above the Learning Link, called Location, before leaving the Properties Palette I can avoid the issue too.

The forum thread was talking about this in 2019 but these images are from 2020.2. 

Filter Dialog and Reading a Long Filter Name

Dialog stretchiness has been an ongoing long standing user wish for all dialogs. Daniel wrote to me hoping that I'd echo his complaint about the Filter dialog. Yes you can stretch it but the frames remain less so. The Filter name frame does add a scroll bar at the bottom when a filter name exceeds the width of the frame, which does not increase in size when the overall host dialog stretches out. Ideally we'd be able to stretch/adjust individual sections of such dialog boxes. If memory serves that is dependent upon which GUI tools are being used to generate the dialog. If that tool set doesn't do it then...we don't get it...without a custom entity.

Daniel was writing about Revit 2019. Even when you scroll over to the right completely a filter with a long name gets truncated and you can't read all of the name.

I note that in Revit 2020 a tooltip will appear that displays the full name while the frame does the same truncating even when it has been scrolled completely to the right.

Naturally, we can avoid it if we can use Filter names that are not very long, an easy fix...there's that word again - easy. Easier said than done...it seems.

Type Selector on Ribbon - Oops

I received quite a few comments on the last post. Most were pointing out that my powers of observation are failing me. It's a feature that has been in the product since at least 2011 according to one insider at Revit. Mea culpa!

Qualifies for Dept. of Subtle eh?

Revit 2017.1 - Type Selector on Modify Ribbon

Working with some new Revit users last week I noticed something strange happened to my interface and not theirs. I suddenly had a Type Selector on my Modify Ribbon tab, on its own ribbon panel.

I thought, "I don't remember that!" Then I thought, "It must be a new subtlety with Revit 2017.1 that I haven't noticed yet!" Looking at it again, once I remembered to be curious, I found that when I right-click on the Type Selector, in its long standing home on the Properties Palette, two options appear, the ribbon one being new. Those other users had Revit 2017 installed.

Now I don't see the What's New in Revit 2017.1 documentation page taking credit for this subtle change. I don't recall running into it while writing my What's New post for 2017 when that came out either, nor is it listed in that documentation section either when I scanned it again just in case.

I wrote strange happened earlier because I don't recall right-clicking and selecting that option unless I had a short term memory lapse. I suppose I might have been talking and clicking without looking, yeah I've done that while discussing a Revit feature plenty of times. What was I writing about? Oh...

Still I don't remember doing it. I also don't remember it being there all along since installing Revit 2017.1 in the first place and I'm pretty sure I've used it a lot since doing that. ...again with doubting my memory? I suppose it could just be the default location for the original install of the update and I just failed to notice it. I don't that's speaking well of my observation skills though. Well, never mind.

Don't worry about me, just take advantage of it if you like that as an available option too! Since Autodesk isn't claiming responsibility for it, who wants to?

View Reference User Experience Inequality

The View Reference feature reveals information differently according to how you access the feature. A post at RFO yesterday, and subsequent reply by pivoarch, made me see this subtlety finally.

When you create a new view and choose the Reference Other View option you get the sheet and detail number value (when the view is on a sheet) in the description in addition to the view name, like this.

When you want to fix or change a View Reference the sheet and detail number values are not presented to us, like this.

It would be very helpful to include the sheet and detail number values in every instance that it is displayed to us.

Properties Palette and Project Browser are not Responsive

This issue tracks back at least a couple of years now but I've just been asked about it again the other day. People report that on occasion Revit refuses to acknowledge when you click on either the Project Browser or Properties Palettes. For example this thread at Autodesk's User Forum began in February 2014.

The suggested methods, in the thread, for fixing this issue include: Using Save As, Disabling Hardware Acceleration and clicking on the Help icon. One person posted that their screen went black first and then Revit crashed. That bit sounds like a graphics card/driver could be involved.

Those fixes resolved the situation but don't tell us specifically why it happened in the first place. Since it has not happened to me personally I can't say for sure why it happens either. I have heard that some errors generate a warning message that can get lost behind the Revit UI. Using ALT + Tab will allow you to cycle between open windows (applications) and you may find a message dialog lurking there. I wouldn't expect any part of Revit to be responsive as such. Interesting that users find that they can access the Help and Application menu (Big R) items despite the two windows being inaccessible.

Perhaps a reader has isolated the cause?

Revit 2017 - Associate Family Parameter Tool Tip

It's the little stuff...

Revit 2017 is missing the tool tip for the Associate Family Parameter button that it took awhile to get. Now it's tool tip-less again.

It makes me sad for that little sneaky button :(

Pre-Selection and Selection Color

I always change the default color that Revit uses for selected elements. I use Red.

The default setting is the same blue that is assigned to Pre-selection. I don't recall when that changed but somewhere in the fog of time it used to be assigned to red. I happen to like the visual confirmation, the difference between what is highlighted and what is selected. To each their own.

If you want to change it too: Application menu (Big R) > Options > Graphics page

View Range Dialog

I hinted at this change when Revit Sunrise became available at the end of last summer. In 2016 R2, when you open the View Range dialog box and click the Show button this version will appear.

It's intended to provide more information about what the settings within View Range mean.

Fwiw, I still think this version would be better for View Range and Ceiling Plans.

Revit 2016 - Project Address

In past releases the Project Address parameter that is baked into Revit has always required using the Project Information dialog to enter a proper address format. The usual techniques to force a hard return (like CTRL + Enter or CTRL + M) fail to deliver (for me they've never worked).

In 2016 (using R2 now) when I click on the Project Address parameter within a title block family a special dialog appears to add/edit the information, much more bettererer.

Revit 2016 - Licensing Access has Changed

Prior to Revit 2016 we could either take the Application menu > Licensing or the About Revit route to review our licensing information. Here's the first in 2015.

In 2016 they've removed the Application menu path leaving just the About Revit route.

Not a real hardship, just a big confusing if you were expecting to find it under the Application menu like in the past.

Thanks to Dave for the prompt!

Title Bar and Recent Files List

Galen shared this User Interface quirk with me the other day. He thought of my Dept. of Subtle and thought this qualifies. I agree.

When you decide to turn off the Option: Enable Recent Files page at startup the Title Bar seems to lose its will to show the software name and version.

It's happy to do so when it is enabled. Galen sent me this screen capture of Revit 2015.

My quick test shows it's happens in Revit 2016 too. It seems the lack of an active window to display shuts off the title bar's information. Certainly subtle and not a big deal really, just quirky.

Save Icon Diskette

This is just one of those things that runs through my head as I use and teach others to use Revit. We've been using this icon for Save in most if not all of our software for a long time.

When was the last time we really used one? Does your computer even allow for its use now?

If that's so 1980-90's then what icon would be better for Save these days? A life preserver? I know one product that uses it now, a product called Workspace from Union Square. It looks a bit like these.

If the icon was a $ would people use it more?

Filter Dialog and the More Parameters Button

A small part of a recent exchange at RFO prompts this post.

There is a sneaky button next to the Filter Rules drop down list box. If you click on it (the button with the ellipsis ... ) it will open the Project Parameters dialog. Using it implies or suggests that choosing a parameter from the list, if any are there, will assign the parameter to Filter by. It doesn't do that. It is side door access to creating a Project Parameter. A side door because it allows us to do that without bailing out of the Filter dialog first to do it.

Clicking on the button is the same as choosing the More Parameters option at the very bottom of the list of parameters.

It might be a little more obvious if it said Create Parameter instead?

Oh so subtle...

Windows 10 and Revit 2013 UI Glitch

I know it is a bit unfair to suggest or expect that 2013 should support Windows 10. With that in mind I offer this as something to watch out for if you must use 2013 and Win10. I needed to work on a family that must stay in that version so I installed 2013 yesterday. I thought I was successfully past it but it keeps dragging me back in.

As soon as I got started working I noticed that the Title Bar of the UI is missing the Quick Access Toolbar (QAT) and the Help/Info Bar.

Then I noticed that hovering over where they should be caused tooltips to appear. They ARE there but just not visible. I was able to get the QAT below the ribbon by hovering and clicking carefully where that button should be. I don't really need the Info Bar that often so I should be okay for now, plus I know the buttons are there, just bashful.

Via a Twitter reply and @mark_labell_jr He suggests a Windows theme hack described HERE. It worked for me.

Adding Callout to Quick Access Toolbar in 2014

If you're using Revit 2014 and have tried to add the Callout tool to your Quick Access Toolbar (QAT) you've been turned away, rejected, sorry no you can't do that here... Sorry, applying Web Update 3 doesn't fix it either.

Subtle and minor it may be but stuff like this frustrates users. ...and I was sure it was possible. Oh right, it's working in Revit 2015. One more subtle reason to upgrade.