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WHAT'S NEW

RS.CDE 2.0 — What's new

Version 2.0.0 · November 2026

The key change in 2.0: RS.CDE is now a standalone application for the BIM manager, while a free agent remains in Revit. Each project stores its information in its own folder. Models received from other disciplines are write-protected. Corporate standards are deployed to all models as a single package, model checking is more comprehensive and previous project knowledge can be found by searching correspondence.

The solution was previously called RS.BIMManager. From version 2.0, it is called RS.CDE.

Highlights

What changed	Benefit to managers and BIM managers
Project stored in an RS.CDE subfolder of its own folder	Project data moves with the project; nothing important on the system drive and no shared database tied to one computer.
Ownership: in-house or received	Received models cannot be edited or saved; information issued back to the consultant remains identical to its original.
Standards packages	Deploy corporate standards to all models with one confirmation and backups.
Checks and BEP naming rules	Standards violations, blank title blocks and defective schedules are reported before issue.
Decisions section	Similar problems and decisions from old projects are found in ordinary correspondence.
Windows application and free agent	BIM managers work with the project outside Revit; workstations only need a free agent.
AI access through RS.MCP	Assign RS.CDE batch jobs to the AI agent using natural language.

Projects in their own folders

Project data stays in the project folder. The project profile (organisation, responsible people, models with relative paths) and a historical file register are stored in <project folder>\RS.CDE. Move the project to another drive or server together with its data.
Project drives. At first launch, the BIM manager selects the drives containing projects. RS.CDE finds all company projects; a button refreshes the list. The system drive cannot be selected because important data is never stored there.
Organisation. Set the organisation name once, and it is saved in each project profile. RS.Messenger and other suite products obtain their projects from RS.CDE rather than creating projects themselves.
No projects, no folders. Until projects or users exist, RS.CDE creates no data folders. Temporary data remains solely in Windows' temporary directory.
Migrating from the previous release. On first run, projects from the former shared database are moved into each project's RS.CDE folder. Unavailable folders appear in a report and the previous database is not modified.

In-house and received models

A new Ownership column in the file list lets BIM managers label models as in-house or received from a named organisation. The designation is entered manually and is not inferred from folder location.

Products in the suite cannot write to a received model. The agent prevents it being saved in Revit.
Save As is always available. The resulting copy is treated as an in-house model and can be edited.

This guarantees managers that consultant information remains exactly as received, avoiding disputes about whose changes caused an error.

Corporate standards: packages and new sections

Standards package. Parameters, families, view templates, schedules and graphics can be assembled into a package and deployed to chosen models with one confirmation. Dependencies run in the right order automatically: parameters first, then line types and patterns, followed by other items.
Graphics. Filters, object styles (line weights, colours, line patterns and category materials), line patterns, fill patterns, text and dimension types.
Schedules. Transfer schedule definitions, including category, fields, sorting and formatting. Same-named schedules are retained on sheets rather than recreated.
Shared parameter files. Add parameters from a shared parameter file to many models at once.
Families with parameters. Company title blocks and other families transfer with related project parameters so their labels work immediately.
Backup before every write. Each modifying batch job creates a model file backup first. Configure the number of backups in the project settings.

Model and BEP checks

The new Checks section reads project models without changing anything.

Reference compliance — identify missing and differing items in each model.
Functionality — detect title-block labels that will be blank and schedule fields whose parameters are not bound to the relevant category.
Health — file size, warnings (number and most common), CAD imports and unused items.
Project audit — same-named parameters with different GUIDs, duplicates and instance versus type inconsistencies.
Coordinates — deviations in shared coordinates from the reference, shown by axis.
Naming — validate views, sheets, families, worksets, levels, grids, filters and schedules against project BEP naming masks. Set the masks in a rules editor and test them against sample names.

Export the results as an HTML report for the lead project engineer, project manager or client.

Links, views and families

Link rules. Define which models link to which, overlay or attachment, workset and pinning. Check previews intended actions; Apply Rules updates all models.
Reference views. In addition to 3D views, create floor, ceiling and structural plans in all chosen models.
Family area parameter. For NWC export, a width × height parameter is added even when family dimensions have different names. The default operation is a dry run.
Grids. Compare and align grids across project models.

Decisions from previous discussions

The Decisions section searches similar problems in correspondence, tasks and approvals across all company projects or only the current project. Natural, imprecise queries are supported. Search recognises word forms and synonyms, and the organisation may expand its synonym list. Results show when and where issues were discussed and open the original conversation.

There is no need to maintain a decisions database: everyday messages in RS.Messenger are the source. With an AI subscription, RS.MCP and RS.Messenger can also search and summarise these discussions.

Application and agent

The Windows BIM manager application has a project and file tree at the left, work sections in the centre and an RS.Messenger panel at the right for the selected project or model.
The free Revit agent on each workstation logs model activity, executes application commands and colour-codes view tabs. One switch enables or disables it for all installed Revit versions.
Open a model in the correct Revit version. A file opens in the version in which it was saved and is not silently upgraded. For workshared models, Revit creates a local copy in the standard manner.
Commands to other suite products, such as exporting sheets and schedules through RS.Exporter directly from the application.
The interface supports more than 20 languages, selected in Settings.
Window position and size are remembered, including on multiple monitors.

AI access through RS.MCP

RS.CDE batch operations are exposed to the RS.MCP AI agent. Ask in natural language, for example: “Create a ceiling plan in all project models from the architectural reference” or “Add an area parameter to door and window families”. The agent selects the appropriate RS.CDE operation automatically.

Modifying operations require an explicit list of models or an explicit “all models” instruction, preventing accidental processing of every file.

Fixes and improvements

Decision search is faster: the discussion index stays in memory and reloads only when changed. Short Russian words are handled more accurately, avoiding confusion between similar words.
Opening files from the application no longer causes unnecessary Revit warnings.
The RS.Messenger panel remembers its width; if its process stops, the application shows the reason and offers Restart.
Resizing windows no longer leaves visual artefacts or extra taskbar buttons.
Search fields in all sections now have a × clear button.
View tabs can be coloured by project or file in every product in the suite, with filled backgrounds by default; the active tab is not brighter than the rest.

What this makes possible

Deploy the corporate standard in one day

Previously BIM managers worked through each model, loading title blocks, adding parameters, copying view templates and correcting line patterns. Twelve models could take a week and still differ. A complete standards package now deploys to every model with a single confirmation and backups.

Checks before delivery rather than during formal review

Blank title blocks, empty schedule fields, duplicate parameters and invalid names used to appear on issue sheets or in review comments. Checks now identifies them across all models in advance, and the HTML report becomes part of internal acceptance.

Work with consultants without disputes about edits

The Ownership designation resolves the recurring conflict “you moved our model” versus “we changed nothing”. Received models cannot be saved or edited; an editable copy is made explicitly using Save As.

Organisational knowledge without a separate knowledge base

Companies spend years trying to maintain libraries of standard decisions that nobody updates. RS.CDE 2.0 requires no manual entry: Decisions searches ordinary messages, tasks and approvals already created in RS.Messenger.

Benefits of version 2.0 by role

Role	What changes
BIM manager	Standards packages replace manual model-by-model work; Checks produces a report; link and naming rules are configured once per project; the application runs without Revit.
Lead project engineer	Pre-issue readiness report for coordinates, levels, title blocks, schedules and BEP; search technical decisions across past projects.
Lead project architect	Unified view templates and graphics; compare consultant levels and grids with the architectural model; protect models from third-party edits.
Project manager	Model register with owners and activity; objective readiness data instead of verbal status; fewer late rework cycles.
Designer	Models with standards already applied; an unobtrusive free agent; model opens in the correct Revit version.

Important points when upgrading

Received models can no longer be saved. Explain to your team that anyone needing to modify a consultant model must use Save As. This protects the original; it is not an error.
Projects move into their own folders. On first launch, 2.0 migrates projects from the old database and displays a report. Verify every project was found. Unavailable folders are listed and the previous database is left untouched.
The system drive is not used. If projects were located on C:, move them to a data drive or network share.
Set model ownership. RS.CDE cannot identify received consultant models until you mark them. Prioritise active projects.
Product name. In menus, the installer and licensing, RS.CDE replaces RS.BIMManager.

How to upgrade to version 2.0

Install RS.CDE 2.0 on the BIM manager's workstation and the agent on the team's computers.
Choose project drives on first launch and review the migration report.
Mark in-house and received models for active projects.
Configure BEP naming and project link rules.
Run Checks on each active project to establish the current status.

Compatibility

Revit 2021–2027. Previous-version data migrates automatically at first launch. The product licence code is revitcde; the Revit agent needs no licence.

DESCRIPTION

RS.CDE — solution overview for BIM managers and project managers

RS.CDE is a common data environment on the design organisation’s side. It combines a Windows application for the BIM manager with a free agent in Revit 2021–2027 on every workstation. It keeps the project model register organised, deploys the corporate standard to every model in a single operation, checks models without opening each one manually and shows who is working on which models right now.

Managers gain a predictable project: models follow consistent rules, third-party models are protected against accidental changes, and breaches of standards are visible before delivery rather than during the client’s review.

Problems it solves

Project models reside on network drives, arrive from other disciplines by email and cloud services, and are edited by dozens of people. The corporate standard exists on paper but is implemented differently in every model. The BIM manager learns about problems last — when title blocks are blank, schedules calculate incorrectly or a consultant's model has shifted in coordinates.

Problem	Consequence	What changes with RS.CDE
No unified project model register	It is unclear which files are current, where central models reside or which came from other disciplines; links still point to old folders.	The project register is stored with the project itself: models, disciplines, paths and ownership, available to all products in the suite.
Standards are distributed manually	A BIM manager spends a week on each standards release; models use different templates, parameters, line types and patterns.	A standards package deploys parameters, families, templates, schedules and graphics to all selected models in one operation.
Problems are found too late	Blank title-block fields, schedule fields with missing parameter bindings and duplicate parameters emerge at issue time.	Check every project model against the reference and report what fails, where and why.
BEP naming rules are breached	Views, sheets, families and worksets are named inconsistently, making delivery and checking difficult.	Define project naming patterns and check names across every model, listing violations.
External models are edited	A received consultant model is accidentally saved or altered, so the issued data no longer matches the original.	Model Ownership protects received models against writes and saves; Save As creates an editable in-house copy.
Links, levels and grids diverge	Consultant models have inconsistent coordinates or levels, and their links use different insertion methods.	Enforce link rules and compare levels and grids across models; correct discrepancies in batches.
No view of real activity	Nobody knows who opened the model, synchronised last or currently holds the file.	Agent logs model opens, saves, synchronisations and closures, with live model presence.
Previous decisions are lost	Teams solve the same problems on every project; an answer may exist in last year's messages but cannot be found.	Decisions searches related problems and resolutions in correspondence, tasks and approvals across all projects.

Unlike a file repository, RS.CDE manages the content of models — parameters, templates, schedules, links and naming — across every model in the project at once.

The project as a single whole

Each project stores its information in an RS.CDE subfolder within its own project folder. This contains the project profile (organisation, responsible people and models with relative paths) and a file register with history. If the project moves to another drive or server, its data moves with it. There is no common database on the computer, and important data is never written to the system drive.

On first launch, the BIM manager specifies the drives containing projects. RS.CDE discovers the organisation's projects automatically; RS.Messenger and the other products in the suite obtain their project lists from RS.CDE.

The BIM manager assigns ownership to each model: in-house or received from another organisation. The system does not infer ownership from the folder. Received models are protected: RS-Systems products do not write to them, and Revit prevents them from being saved. To make an editable copy, use Save As; that copy is then considered in-house.

Deploy the corporate standard to every model in one operation

The BIM manager selects a reference model — any project model or the corporate template — then chooses which elements of the standard to distribute and the destination models.

Parameters — transfer between files and add shared parameters from the shared parameter file to many models at once.
Families — including associated parameters and family types.
View templates — including filters and visibility settings.
Schedules — transfer definitions without recreating same-named schedules, which remain placed on existing sheets.
Graphics — filters, object styles, line patterns, fill patterns, text types and dimension types.

Selected items form a standards package deployed with one confirmation. Models are opened and edited sequentially, without intermediate windows. Every write operation is preceded by a model backup. Nothing extra is deleted: standards are added and aligned, while discipline authors' work remains intact.

Check models without opening them one by one

The Checks section reads all project models in a single pass without changing them. The results are a model-by-model table and an HTML report for the lead engineer or the delivery pack.

Reference compliance: missing or different parameters, families, templates and schedules.
Functionality: title-block labels that would be blank and schedule fields whose parameters are not bound to the relevant categories. Otherwise these problems are often discovered on sheets during issue.
Model health: file size, total and most common warnings, CAD imports, and unused items (Revit 2024 or later).
Project-wide audit: identically named parameters with different GUIDs, duplicate parameters, and instance/type mismatches.
Coordinates: compare each model's shared coordinates with the reference and show deviations along each axis.
Naming: validate views, templates, sheets, families, worksets, levels, grids, filters and schedules against the project's BEP naming patterns.

Batch management of links, levels, grids, views and worksets

Links: project rules define which models link to which, insertion method, workset and pinning. Check previews the intended action without changing anything; Apply Rules corrects the selected models.
Levels and grids: compare levels with project policy and grids across models, then correct discrepancies.
Views: create consistently configured 3D, floor-plan, ceiling-plan or structural-plan views in every selected model from a reference.
Worksets: audit and standardise names.
Family area parameter: for NWC export and quantity take-off, add a width × height parameter to families even if their dimension parameters have different names. The default is a dry run with no modifications.

Activity log and presence

The free RS.CDE agent in Revit logs who opens, saves, synchronises and closes monitored models. The BIM manager can see which models team members are working on now; management sees actual project activity without asking each contributor. The agent executes commands from the application so batch jobs run on the BIM manager's workstation without manually opening individual files.

Revit view tabs can be colour-coded by project or file, so users do not confuse views when several models are open.

Decisions from previous discussions

The Decisions section finds similar problems and their solutions in correspondence, tasks and approvals across all company projects. Queries may be informal and imprecise, such as “opening in load-bearing wall shifted after structural change”. The search understands synonyms and word forms. There is no need to record decisions separately: their source is everyday project communication already stored in RS.Messenger.

With an AI subscription, AI in RS.MCP and RS.Messenger performs the same search, reads the discussions and briefly explains what was agreed, by whom and when. Conventional search works without AI or internet access.

How it works in practice

Scenario 1. Design-stage issue: apply standards and check before delivery

The BIM manager selects the corporate template or an architectural model with approved presentation as the reference.
The standards package includes company title blocks and their parameters, stage-specific view templates, schedules and graphics.
Deploy to Models applies the package to every discipline with backups. Staff can resume work the next morning in updated models.
Checks across all models reveal blank title-block fields, unusable schedule fields, BEP violations and coordinate discrepancies.
The HTML report goes to the lead project engineer; corrections become RS.Messenger tasks linked to the model with deadlines.

Result: consistent standards across disciplines, with problems found before issue rather than during the formal review.

Scenario 2. A consultant sends a new model revision

The file is placed in project incoming information and marked as received from an external organisation.
Links to it across all disciplines are brought into line with project rules for insertion, workset and pinning.
Level and grid comparisons reveal any shift in the consultant's model.
The source model is protected against accidental saving or editing by RS-Systems. If edits are needed, create an in-house copy using Save As.

Result: coordination uses the consultant's original; differences are visible on receipt, not just before issue in the federated model.

Scenario 3. A recurring problem

The lead project engineer asks: “How did we handle a ventilation penetration through a fire-rated wall on the last project?” Decisions finds a discussion from two years ago identifying the proposer, the fire-safety agreement and the approved details. No new meeting is necessary.

Benefits by role

BIM manager

Task: deploy and maintain the standard across all models and verify quality before issue. Today this means manual work and visual checking in every model.

Benefit: batch standards deployment, single-pass checks and a report identifying defects. Rules for links, levels and naming are configured once per project. Backups are created before every write.

Lead project engineer

Task: coordinate disciplines and issue technically correct information. Pain points are mismatched coordinates and levels, empty title blocks and schedule defects discovered during formal reviews.

Benefit: a pre-issue report for every model covering coordinates, levels, title-block and schedule functionality and BEP violations. Interdisciplinary links follow common rules.

Lead project architect

Task: keep the architectural model as the reference for other disciplines, with common levels, grids and coordinates.

Benefit: compare other disciplines' levels and grids against architecture, unify templates and graphic settings and protect the model against accidental edits by others.

Project manager

Task: keep milestones and deliveries predictable. The problem is learning of model issues only when issuing information.

Benefit: a project model register with owners and activity, objective readiness reports and searchable experience from previous projects instead of repeated meetings.

Designers

Benefit: models open with standards already applied; staff use correct templates without manual setup. The free Revit agent works unobtrusively.

Getting started

Install the RS.CDE application on the BIM manager's computer and the free agent on Revit workstations. The agent also comes with every product in the suite.
Select project drives. RS.CDE discovers existing projects, and new projects are created through the application.
Mark which project models are in-house and which were received from consultants.
Select a reference and define project rules for links, levels and BEP naming.
Prepare a standards package and run the first Checks operation to establish the baseline.

No server or change in the existing folder structure is required: RS.CDE adds only its own RS.CDE subfolder to each project.

Management questions

Could deploying a standards package damage a model? Every write is preceded by a backup. Nothing extra is deleted, and link rules and family area parameters can first be dry-run without modifications.

Do we need internet or a server? No. RS.CDE works on the company's local network; the project's data remains in its project folder on your file server. RS CDE Server is required only when multiple organisations collaborate over the internet or management needs a web portal.

How much does the workstation agent cost? It is free; only the BIM manager application requires a licence.

What if someone opens a model in a newer Revit version? The application uses the version in which the model was saved. A workshared model is not opened in a newer version, avoiding an upgrade of the central model for the entire team.

Architecture

RS.CDE has two parts. The BIM manager application manages projects, standards, checks, links, views and logs. The free agent runs in Revit 2021–2027 on each workstation, logging activity and executing application commands. It operates on the company network without internet or an application server; project data is stored in the project's RS.CDE folder. RS CDE Server supports collaboration between organisations over the internet, a web portal and mobile applications.

The interface is available in more than 20 languages, with Automatic, Light, Dark and RS-Systems themes, consistent with Revit.