Template Manager

Template Manager provides comprehensive tools for analyzing and managing view templates in Revit projects. It helps BIM managers and project leads identify views without templates, discover unused templates that can be purged, and apply templates in bulk. The modeless window design allows continuous workflow integration while working in Revit.

Getting Started

Find Template Manager on the Amorphous ribbon tab in the Data Tools panel.

The split button provides two commands:

Command	Description
Template Manager (main button)	Opens the audit and management window
Compare Templates (dropdown)	Opens the template comparison tool

The tool requires an open Revit document to function.

Features

Sheet and View Auditing - Analyze all sheets and their placed views to identify template usage patterns
Template Usage Statistics - See which templates are used, how many views and sheets use each, and which view types they apply to
Problem Detection - Highlight sheets with no views, views missing templates, and unused templates
Bulk Template Assignment - Apply or clear templates on multiple selected views at once
Purge Unused Templates - Delete all unused view templates with confirmation
Excel Export - Export audit results to a formatted Excel workbook with three worksheets
Real-time Filtering - Search, filter by view type, and toggle problem-focused views
Navigation - Double-click any sheet or view to navigate to it in Revit

How to Use

Basic Workflow

Launch the tool - Click Template Manager on the ribbon
Review the summary - The summary bar shows total counts and highlights problems
Explore the data - Use the three-column layout to navigate sheets, views, and templates
Take action - Apply templates, clear assignments, purge unused, or export to Excel

Auditing Template Usage

Launch Template Manager - the window opens and automatically scans all sheets, views, and templates
Review the summary bar at the top showing:
- Total sheets, views, and templates
- Problem counts (sheets with no views, views missing templates, unused templates)
Use the three-column layout:
- Left (Sheets): All project sheets with template status
- Middle (Views): Views on selected sheet(s) and views using selected template
- Right (Templates): All view templates with usage statistics
Select sheets to see their views in the upper-middle panel
Select a template to see all views using it in the lower-middle panel

Applying Templates

Select views from either views panel (use Ctrl+Click or Shift+Click for multi-select)
Choose a template from the “Assign Template” dropdown at the bottom
Click “Apply to Selected” to apply the template
Review the confirmation showing success count and any skipped views

Clearing Templates

Select views that have templates assigned
Click “Clear Template” to remove template assignments
Views will revert to their individual settings

Purging Unused Templates

In the Templates panel, unused templates show “Unused” status with yellow highlighting
Click “Purge Unused” to delete all unused templates
Review the confirmation list showing which templates will be deleted
Click Yes to proceed or No to cancel

Exporting to Excel

Click “Export to Excel” in the bottom-right
Choose a save location (defaults to Downloads folder with project name)
The Excel file contains three worksheets:

Worksheet	Contents
Sheets	Sheet number, name, view counts, template summary, problem flags
Views	Sheet info, view name, view type, and assigned template
Templates	Template name, view count, sheet count, view types, usage status

Navigating to Views

Double-click any sheet or view in the lists to navigate to it in Revit. The Revit canvas will switch to show the selected item.

User Interface

Summary Bar

The summary bar at the top provides at-a-glance statistics:

Statistic	Description
Sheets	Total number of sheets in the project
Views	Total number of placed views on sheets
Templates	Total number of view templates
Missing Templates	Views that have no template assigned (problem indicator)
No Views	Sheets that have no views placed (problem indicator)
Unused	Templates not applied to any view (can be purged)

Problem counts are highlighted to draw attention to items needing review.

Three-Column Layout

The main window uses a three-column layout for efficient navigation:

Left Column - Sheets

Lists all sheets in the project
Columns: Number, Name, Views (count), Template Status
Template Status shows: “All Applied”, “Missing (#)”, or “No Views”

Middle Column - Views (two panels)

Upper panel: Views placed on the selected sheet(s)
Lower panel: Views using the selected template
Columns: View Name, Type, Template, Sheet (if applicable)

Right Column - Templates

Lists all view templates with usage statistics
Columns: Name, Views (count), Sheets (count), View Types
Unused templates are highlighted in yellow

Filter Bar

Control	Description
Search	Text search across sheets, views, and templates (case-insensitive)
View Type	Filter by view type: All, 3D View, Floor Plan, Ceiling Plan, Section, Elevation, etc.
Missing templates only	Show only views/sheets missing template assignments
No views only	Show only sheets with no placed views

Filters apply in real-time as you type or change selections.

Action Buttons

Button	Description
Assign Template (dropdown)	Select a template to apply
Apply to Selected	Apply the selected template to highlighted views
Clear Template	Remove template assignment from selected views
Purge Unused	Delete all unused templates
Export to Excel	Save audit data to Excel workbook
Close	Close the Template Manager window

Options & Settings

Option	Location	Description	Default
Search	Filter bar	Text search across sheets, views, templates	Empty
View Type	Filter bar	Filter by view type (All, 3D, Plan, Section, etc.)	All
Missing templates only	Filter bar	Show only views/sheets missing templates	Off
No views only	Filter bar	Show only sheets with no placed views	Off

Tips & Best Practices

Start with the summary bar - Quickly identify if there are problems that need attention
Use filters strategically - Enable “Missing templates only” during QA reviews
Multi-select for efficiency - Select multiple views before applying templates to save time
Compare before applying - Use Compare Templates to understand the impact of switching templates
Export for documentation - Create Excel reports for project handoff or QA documentation
Regular purging - Periodically purge unused templates to keep the project clean
Double-click to navigate - Quickly jump to problem views without leaving the window
Keep the window open - The modeless design lets you work in Revit while the window stays accessible

Limitations

Limitation	Details
Schedules	Template detection for schedules may not work for all schedule types
Linked Models	Only analyzes the active document, not linked models
View Types	Some specialized view types (e.g., Walkthroughs, Renderings) may have limited template compatibility
Purge	Template deletion is permanent and cannot be undone
View selection	Cannot select views across both middle panels simultaneously

Troubleshooting

Template not applying to some views

Cause: Templates must be compatible with the view type. A Floor Plan template cannot be applied to a Section view.

Solution: Filter by view type to ensure you’re selecting compatible views. The confirmation message will indicate how many views were skipped due to incompatibility.

Search not finding items

Cause: The search looks for the text in visible columns.

Solution: Search is case-insensitive and searches across all visible columns (sheet numbers, names, view names, template names). Ensure the item isn’t being filtered out by the View Type or checkbox filters.

Window blocking Revit

Cause: The window is modeless but may appear in front.

Solution: Click anywhere in Revit to work in the model. The Template Manager window stays open and accessible. You can also minimize it to the taskbar.

Data doesn’t reflect recent changes

Cause: The window captures data when it opens.

Solution: Close and reopen the Template Manager to refresh the data after making changes outside the tool (like creating new templates or placing views).

ESC key closes window

This is intentional behavior for quick dismissal. Use the Close button if you prefer clicking.

Purge Unused button is disabled

Cause: There are no unused templates in the project.

Solution: The button enables when at least one template has zero views assigned.

Use Cases

Scenario	Solution
QA check before deliverable	Review sheets with “No Templates” or “Missing” flags using the filter checkboxes
Standardize floor plan templates	Filter by “Floor Plan” view type, select views, apply the correct template
Clean up project templates	Review Templates panel for unused items, click Purge Unused
Troubleshoot template differences	Use Compare Templates to see exact parameter variations
Document template usage	Export to Excel for reporting or project handoff
Find views without templates	Enable “Missing templates only” checkbox
Identify empty sheets	Enable “No views only” checkbox

Compare Templates - Compare two view templates side-by-side to identify parameter differences
Export VG - Save visibility/graphics settings to share across projects
Import VG - Load visibility/graphics settings from exported files
Transfer VG - Copy visibility/graphics settings between views
QuickVis - Quick visual style and detail level changes