RS-SYSTEMS

REVIT.ProjectBrowser

A Project Browser that adapts to you: fast access to views, sheets, families, and the library

Product guide for Revit designers in all disciplines, BIM coordinators, and BIM managers

Everything you need for your project is close at hand: views, legends, schedules, sheets, families, groups, links, and your library.

Version 1.2 · product description · October 2026

Contents

1. At a glance: what you get
2. The main window: All, Recent, and categories
3. Sheets: from creation to plan alignment
4. Views, legends, and schedules
5. The context menu: commands for every selected item
6. A tree structure for your task: schemes and custom groups
7. Families, groups, and linked files
8. Family library
9. Search and navigation
10. Personal settings, presets, and appearance
11. Licensing and updates
12. Practical workflows
13. Additional features
14. Summary

1. At a glance: what you get

Revit.ProjectBrowser replaces the standard Revit Project Browser with a panel that lets you display the model structure in the way that suits you. Find the view, sheet, or family you need faster, use fewer clicks, and leave your colleagues’ workspace undisturbed: each user can organize the tree differently within the same model.

Key features

• Everything in one window. Views, legends, schedules, sheets, families, groups, linked files, and your family library. The All tab brings the sections you need together.
• Recent. The items you have worked with recently appear at the top: opened views and sheets, edited schedules and families. Return to your work with one click.
• Working with sheets. Create sheets in batches, duplicate sheets together with their views, rename and renumber multiple sheets, and align plans precisely across different sheets.
• Commands for every selected item. Select ten views or sheets and the menu command runs for all ten, rather than just one.
• Your tree structure. Group and sort by any parameter: discipline, level, sheet set, or scale. Each category has its own schemes. You can create custom groups and move items by dragging them.
• Your personal workspace. Schemes, expanded folders, and appearance are stored separately for each user. Save useful settings as a preset and share them with colleagues.
• Family library. Folders containing RFA files on a local or network drive appear directly in the tree; search covers names, categories, types, and descriptive parameters.

Tasks the browser helps you complete

2. The main window: All, Recent, and categories

The panel docks in the Revit window and uses a familiar tree layout. Category buttons and search are at the top; folders, items, and counts appear in the tree below, with a status bar at the bottom. A quick launch bar for other RS-Systems products is located in the lower part of the panel.

Figure 1. The main window: category buttons, search, and the tree on the All tab.

Figure 2. Recent is the first section on the All tab. Figure 3. Right-click All to choose the categories shown on this tab.

Categories work like tabs

Click a category button to show only that category in the tree: Views, Legends, Schedules, Sheets, Families, Groups, Linked Files, or Library. Exactly one button remains selected, making it clear which section is currently displayed.

The All tab with your choice of sections

The All tab shows several categories in one tree. To choose which categories it contains, right-click All and select the ones you need. By default, every category is enabled except Library, which reads from disk and contains the most data. Clearing a category on the All tab does not affect its own button: that button still shows the entire category.

Recent: return to your work quickly

The first section on the All tab records your activity in the model, from newest to oldest: opened views, legends, schedules, and sheets; edited schedules and families; and families opened for editing. Its rows behave just like those in their respective categories: double-click to open a view or sheet.

• History is stored separately for each model and each user, persists between sessions, and holds up to 100 entries.
• Set the number of displayed rows under Settings → General → Opening Views, in the Rows in Recent field (1 to 100, with a default of 10). Reducing this number does not delete any history.

Figure 4. The Recent section in the browser window.

The browser remembers where you left off

• When you reopen a project or family, the view you were last working in opens immediately.
• If a view on a sheet is activated using Activate View, the corresponding view row is highlighted in the tree.
• A schedule’s zoom level, adjusted with Ctrl and the mouse wheel, is retained after closing and reopening it.
• After editing a family and using Load into Project, the project tree stays in place: selection, scroll position, and expanded folders are retained.
• The panel remembers its width. If another Revit panel docks beside it, the original width is restored when that other panel closes.

3. Sheets: from creation to plan alignment

Sheets account for much of the documentation work, so all the main operations are available directly from the tree.

Figure 5. The Sheets category.

Create sheets in batches

Create Sheets… opens a window with an editable preview. Set a prefix, starting number, increment, and quantity, or paste a list of numbers and names. The window remembers your rules separately for each model.

• The default title block is the one used most often in the model. The No Title Block option now requires an explicit selection.
• Title blocks that have not yet been placed in the model are included automatically.
• The standard Create Sheet command remains available in the menu and works as before.

Duplicate sheets

Duplicate Sheet supports two modes:

• Sheet Only — the title block, parameters, and additional revisions, without views.
• With Detailing — includes views, legends, and schedules, placed in exactly the same positions on the new sheet as on the original.
• Several sheets at once — Duplicate Sheets… creates a batch of copies of each selected sheet through a single window.

The copy receives the first available number in the form <number>-N. Anything that could not be transferred is listed in the status bar; the sheet is still created.

Change numbers and names for multiple sheets

Select several sheets and press F2 to open a list where you can edit their numbers and names. The window immediately flags problems, such as an empty or duplicate number, highlights changed rows, and saves everything in one operation. If any change fails, the entire batch is rolled back. Numbers can be swapped within the set, for example A101 and A102. If the organization scheme displays another parameter instead of the sheet number, that parameter is edited instead.

Align…: match plans precisely across different sheets

In a set of floor plans, grids should occupy the same position on every sheet. Select the sheets, choose Align…, and specify a reference plan (the first one by default). Views on the other sheets are then positioned so that their common grids match the reference. The window includes a Current / After Alignment preview, precise 1 mm nudges of the entire stack, and an option to match crop boundaries to the reference.

• Views are aligned only when their scale and orientation match the reference, with one view per sheet. Other views are skipped, and the application explains why.
• Requires Revit 2022.1 or later.

4. Views, legends, and schedules

Figure 6. The Views category.

Figure 7. The Legends category.

Figure 8. The Schedules category.

Views and legends

• Duplicate View. Works with views, legends, and schedules. The copy becomes active immediately, as in Revit, and is placed in the same custom group and scheme folder as the original.
• View templates. Apply a template to all selected views. Create Template from View… creates a template using the view’s properties without changing the view itself. The template selection window is now resizable and includes a quick name search.
• Create from the browser. Floor plans, ceiling plans, drafting views, and legends can be created beside the relevant group using Create in This Group. The new item appears in that group immediately.
• Dependent views. Convert dependent views to independent views for all selected views.
• Place on sheets. Drag a view, legend, or schedule from the tree onto a sheet using either of the two methods available in the standard Project Browser. The bottom of the panel shows which sheets already contain the selected view.

Schedules

• Standardize. For two or more schedules in the same category, align their fields, column order, filters, sorting, grouping, formatting, and totals in a batch. Differences are shown as alternatives, and only the settings you change are written.
• Schedule definitions in a file. Export schedules, project parameters, and their values to JSON or CSV using the rs.schedules standard, then create them from those definitions in another model.
• Export. If RS.Exporter is installed, Export… sends selected schedules, sheets, views, and legends directly to its window, retaining their organization in the browser.

5. The context menu: commands for every selected item

Right-click to open the command menu. It is designed to show relevant actions and make their outcome clear:

Figure 9. The context menu: search, reveal the active view, create groups and Revit elements, organize the tree, and control expansion.

• Batch operations. A command runs for every selected row: open, duplicate a view or sheet, create a template, select all instances, reload families, or unload and reload links. The result appears in the status bar, for example “Links unloaded: N of M”. An error on one item does not stop the others.
• Applicable items only. Commands that can never apply to a row are hidden. Commands that are temporarily unavailable are grayed out with an explanation.
• Standard Revit commands with clear failure messages. Create Sheet, Create Schedule…, Create Legend…, Create Floor Plan, Create Link…, and other commands are invoked reliably. If a command fails, the reason appears in the status bar.
• Keyboard. Enter opens the selected view, sheet, schedule, or legend. If several items are selected, all of them open, with the last one becoming active.

6. A tree structure for your task: schemes and custom groups

The Organization window configures the tree separately for each category, including Library. On each tab, you can create, rename, delete, and activate your own schemes; changes appear immediately in the tree.

Grouping schemes

• Up to six grouping levels in any order: parameter, view type and family, discipline, scale, level, sheet number or name, category, and other fields. If a value is missing, the item stays at the level above.
• Up to three filter conditions: equals, does not equal, contains, does not contain, starts with, is empty, is not empty, or regular expression.
• Ascending or descending sorting, grouping by the first characters, and a prefix and suffix for folder names.
• For sheets, any parameter can be displayed instead of the number.
• Built-in modes: Standard reproduces the current structure of the standard Project Browser; families can use By Category, By Type, or By Type and Category; links can be grouped by discipline and source.

Example: views — Discipline → Purpose → Level; sheets — Section → Set; families — Discipline → Category. All schemes work independently.

Custom groups and drag-and-drop

Create custom groups and subgroups in any category, then move items into them by dragging or through the menu. Drop an item onto any row within the group; the group heading is not the only drop target. If a folder is based on a parameter, moving an item changes that parameter’s value, so the item moves according to the rule. Custom groups are stored in the model and are available to everyone on the project.

7. Families, groups, and linked files

Figure 10. The Families category.

Figure 11. The Groups category. Figure 12. The Linked Files category.

Families

• Both loadable and system families, including walls, floors, and roofs, are shown. Families without types remain visible, and imported DWG files have a separate section.
• Edit opens all selected families in the editor; double-clicking a family type opens Type Properties.
• Duplicate a family or type without a manual Save As, use Save… to organize files into subfolders, reload from the source file with Reload, or choose Reload From….
• Select all instances of a type in the view or the entire project, start placement, or assign a discipline to a family or category.
• Delete on a type removes that specific type. If deletion would affect other types or families, the application asks for confirmation.

Groups

Model groups and detail groups are shown separately, with commands to create, rename, delete, view properties, and select all instances.

Linked files

• A status icon beside each RVT link indicates whether it is loaded, unloaded for everyone, unloaded only for you, or not found.
• Unload for Me removes the link only from your session, without affecting colleagues.
• Group by discipline and source: local drive, Revit Server, or cloud.
• Reload, unload, save sites, create an instance, or select instances for several links at once.
• Link Manager launches RS.LinkedModels from the links menu in any view.

8. Family library

Library displays RFA files from your chosen folders on local or network drives in the tree. Find and open a file without looking for it in File Explorer.

Figure 13. The Library category.

• Connect several folders, include subfolders, and refresh the index at any time.
• Scanning runs in the background. The file’s name, category, types, Revit version, and descriptive parameters are read, and all of them are included in the search.
• A file whose types have been read expands into a list of family types. Organize the tree by folder, Revit version, file size, or modification time, and hide files that your Revit version cannot open.
• Backup files such as Family.0001.rfa are excluded; unchanged files are read from the cache.
• Double-click to open the family.

9. Search and navigation

• Word-based search: an item must contain every fragment entered.
• Search in: narrows the scope to a group or category without clearing the tree.
• Esc exits search; Show in Browser locates the type selected in Revit within the tree.
• Show Active View expands the path to that view.
• The tree does not scroll or expand automatically. Expansion state is saved separately for each model and category.
• After renaming, the row stays selected and visible, and focus remains in the panel.
• When a view is placed on a sheet, the views on that sheet are expanded.

10. Personal settings, presets, and appearance

Selected schemes, expanded folders, category visibility, and appearance are saved separately for each login, document, and Revit version. An architect can view by purpose and level, a structural engineer by discipline, and a BIM coordinator by phase. All three work in the same model without overwriting one another’s settings.

Settings window

Figure 14. Settings, General tab: opening views, the number of Recent rows, and replacing the standard Project Browser.

The settings window has six tabs: General, Display, Presets, Library, Revit Tabs, and Activation.

Figure 15. The Display tab.

Figure 16. The Colors tab.

• General. How views open (one click in the current tab or a double-click), the number of Recent rows, replacing the standard Project Browser, and displaying the RS-Systems products panel.
• Display. Font, size, style, case, brackets, and text compression. Five appearance levels are available: categories, custom groups, scheme folders, items, and the active view.
• Colors. Text and background colors for the light, dark, and RS-Systems themes, set separately by tree level and category. An Auto theme also follows the Revit theme in Revit 2024 and later.

Presets

A preset is a collection of your settings: organization schemes, custom groups, scheme selection, category visibility, and appearance. Save it to a file, load it, or publish it to the model so colleagues can import it as a starting point and later adapt it to their needs.

Figure 17. The Presets tab.

Figure 18. The Library tab.

Figure 19. The Revit Tabs tab.

Figure 20. The Activation tab.

Revit Tabs colors open view tabs by project or file, making it easy to see which model a view belongs to. This setting is shared across RS-Systems products.

11. Licensing and updates

The product can operate under a license, during a trial period, or on a pay-per-minute basis.

• Trial period. A new product initially runs for 90 days. The trial can be extended with a unique code without an internet connection.
• License. A license for an individual product or a Suite activates all the products it covers. A short code in the form RS-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX from the email is accepted in the Activation window. A license issued for a specific computer can be applied offline using a code or a .rslic file.
• Pay per minute. Add funds to your account on the website, and any product in the range can run at a charge of 1 cent per minute of actual work. An individual product license always takes priority over pay-per-minute billing.
• One update window. Instead of separate windows from each plugin, a single RS-Systems Updates window lists new versions. Checks run no more than once a day, and installation requires your permission.

When no valid entitlement is available, the panel is locked and the standard Revit Project Browser is restored, so you still have a browser for your project.

Figure 21. Bottom of the panel: quick access to RS-Systems products and sheet placement details for the selected view.

12. Practical workflows

Prepare a sheet set

Create sheets in a batch, duplicate a typical sheet With Detailing, edit numbers in a list using F2, and align floor plans to a reference. This takes substantially less time than working on sheets individually with the standard tools.

An architect organizes views for the current task

Activate the Discipline → Purpose → Level scheme, create a custom In Progress group, and drag today’s working views into it. Recent brings you back to those views tomorrow.

A BIM manager defines a common structure

Configure schemes for views, sheets, and families, save a preset, and publish it to the model. Colleagues can import it in one action and adjust it as needed.

An engineer finds a family in a network library

Connect a network folder to Library and search by purpose or manufacturer. Search covers names, categories, types, and parameters.

Standardize schedules

Select schedules from the same category, choose Standardize, and align their fields, filters, and formatting in one pass.

13. Additional features

Corporate RS.CDE rules

Corporate deployments can connect to an RS.CDE server environment where an administrator can assign role-based rules for using the browser. The server environment is supplied and configured separately; contact RS-Systems for details.

14. Summary

Revit.ProjectBrowser turns the Project Browser into a tool for everyday work: quickly return to recent views and sheets, prepare sheet sets with batch commands, work with groups of selected items, and keep the tree organized in the way that suits you.

The benefit for designers

Spend less time searching and performing routine tasks, and more time designing. The shared model remains shared, while your workspace stays your own.