I recently asked ArchSmarter readers what tools they’re using to be more productive in Revit. Over 75 different add-ins were recommended! I tallied up all the votes and came up with this list of top-ten recommendations. There are some repeat nominees from my previous round-ups (which you can read here and here) as well as some welcome newcomers.
So who made the cut? Here’s this year’s list of the top 10 Revit apps you should be using.
1. Coins Auto-Section Box
For the second year in a row, this was the top recommended app by ArchSmarter readers. And it’s no wonder – this super useful tool enhances Revit’s already great Section Box tool. Though Revit 2016 introduced the somewhat-similar Selection Box, many ArchSmarter readers far prefer this app. FREE.
2. Flux
Flux is like a Swiss-Army knife for BIM data. It can pretty much do everything. Less a single tool than a whole platform, Flux makes transferring data from one application to another relatively painless. Need to get your column locations from Tekla into Revit? Flux has you covered. How about taking your surface panel layout from Grasshopper to Revit? Yup, Flux will do that too. The Evaluation version is FREE. The Pro version is $60 / month (USD).
3. Palladio X BIM WindowsLayout
Another perennial favorite on the list. If you’re like me, you probably have a whole bunch of Revit windows open at any given time. But managing those windows isn’t exactly easy. This simple but effective tool helps you with that. Use it to manage and arrange all your open Revit windows in Revit. FREE.
4. Enscape
Enscape is a real-time rendering engine for Revit. If you need to create beautifully rendered virtual walk-throughs of your projects, this is the tool for you. Enscape can export directly to the HTC Vive and Occulus Rift VR headsets for a fully immersive experience. Cool stuff! $45 USD / month or $449 / year.
5. Ideate BIM Link, Explorer, and Sticky
Want to import and export Excel data to and from your Revit model? Try Ideate’s BIM Link. This tool creates a link between Excel and Revit for easy data extraction and editing in Excel. Explorer is a tool to review and query your model’s data. Use Sticky to import Excel tables directly into Revit. This is useful when you need to include non-BIM data in your Revit drawing set. BIM Link starts at $850 USD while Explorer and Sticky retail for $395 USD.
6. Xrev Transmit
Easily export and print drawings in multiple formats simultaneously. Supported formats include DWF, DWG, DGN, DXF, and PDF as well as any network printer. A super useful tool for those project deadlines. $69.00 (USD).
7. RTV Xporter Pro
Similar to Xref Transmit, RTV Xporter lets you batch export and print from Revit. Xporter also lets your schedule print and export jobs. Handy when you want to print your sheets on a daily basis. Xporter starts at $49 (USD).
8. Rushforth Tools
Rushforth Tools, or RT for short, is a cornucopia of time-saving productivity tools. There’s something for everyone here. Favorites include the Parameter Transformer and DraftXL, a tool for importing and exporting to Excel. Single license costs $99.99 USD. Site licensing is available.
9. Kiwi Codes Bonus Tools
Another collection of productivity tools, this one from our friends in New Zealand. Bonus Tools includes 100(!!) individual tools such as “3D View for Each Level” and “Views to Sheets”. Bonus Tools starts at $35 USD / year.
10. ArchSmarter Power-Pack for Revit
OK, this is my own add-in but it’s a good one. I took seven of the most popular free macros from the ArchSmarter Toolbox and combined them in a convenient app format. Rather than loading the individual macro files, you can access the tools directly from the add-in ribbon. Power-Pack is available for Pay-What-You-Want. That’s right, you get to name your own price!
Other Apps
With more than 75 apps recommended in this year’s survey, it’s hard to narrow the list down to just 10 apps. Here are some others apps that just missed the top 10:
How about you?
So what apps are you using? What’s missing from the list? Leave me a comment below!
ClashMEP is a real-time clash detection tool for Revit which eliminates the need for Navisworks for MEP coordination.
Brett, thanks for the recommendation. I’ll check it out.
CTC BIM Manager Suite and BIM Batch Suite are both very useful as are pyRevit and Revitonic’s Purge Linetypes
Can’t believe you left off Dynamo
Good point. Dynamo did score high in the survey but I deliberately left if off the list. Since it’s now included in Revit, I wanted to make room for other apps that people may not have heard of.
those are the 4 critical ones that i’d have included over several on this list.
I’m surprised that Revolution Design’s Workflow didn’t make the list. I couldn’t live without it in my daily Revit life!
Dave, Workflow is a good one. I think I need to expand the list to the top 20 for next year.
Thanks! FYI, Pricing info for Xrev Transmit is incorrect. Should be:
From $49 AUD. (Approx. $37 USD)
Onbox is an app that became very popular in Brazil and other Latin countries, it is a free app that has a lot of pro features:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBkLv59vPsg&
Hi Michael – Not sure if this made the list, but ASSA ABLOY Openings Studio is a full-featured tool used for creating and visualizing 3D doors, frames, and hardware objects and modifying the associated parameters for use in design, construction, and facility management.
Thanks Erin. I will check it out.
Hi Michael,
We use CGS Tools for Revit – (www.cgsplus.com). It is a collection of 45+ tools that helps in design, documentation and BIM Management. BIM query and Content Admin kit are one of the most powerful tools of the set. I know hundreds of users around me that we use on regular basis.
Best regards,
dhanjeet sah
Thanks Dhanjeet. I hadn’t heard of CGS Tools. I’ll check it out.
Amplify Apps has out a couple of great apps, the most popular of which creates worksets from a .txt file of comma-separated workset names (Create Worksets). It’s free, and is going to be updated soon to allow direct user input, but it’s definitely something to look at. Additionally, they have an app that takes a random selection of curtain grids and deletes a user-specified percentage of them (Randomizer | Curtain Grid), which is $5.00. They’re pretty cool, and Amplify will be having quite a few more out within the next couple of weeks!