RS-SYSTEMS

REVIT.ProjectBrowser

Advanced Project Browser, family library, and model-structure management

Complete solution description for Revit designers of all disciplines, BIM coordinators, and BIM managers

One managed browser for views, legends, schedules, sheets, families, groups, links, and the library.

Eight categories, complete tree organization, and a personal workspace for every specialist.

Solution description · July 2026

Contents

1. Purpose of the solution and five key differences
2. Main window and eight categories
3. The Library category
4. Grouping, filtering, and sorting for every category
5. Custom groups and drag-and-drop
6. Independent user settings and presets
7. Search, navigation, and view-placement control
8. Operations with views, legends, schedules, and sheets
9. Working with families, groups, and linked files
10. Tree appearance settings
11. Extended RS.CDE mode
12. Practical scenarios
13. Benefits for designers and the team
14. Recommended workflow
15. Summary

1. Purpose of the solution and five key differences

This solution is intended for Revit designers of all disciplines. Revit.ProjectBrowser replaces the standard Project Browser with an advanced work panel in which the model structure becomes not merely a list, but a managed personal environment for finding, organizing, and acting on project content.

Five fundamental differences

1. The solution supports eight working categories instead of seven: the Library category is added to views, legends, schedules, sheets, families, groups, and linked files. One or more folders containing RFA families on a local or network drive can be connected, after which those families appear directly in the tree.
2. Grouping, filtering, and sorting can be configured for all eight categories without exception, not only for views, sheets, and schedules. Each category has its own set of organization schemes.
3. Custom groups and nested subgroups can be created in any category, and elements can be moved into them with the mouse. When an element is moved into a folder built from a custom parameter, the solution can change the parameter value and thereby genuinely move the element according to the organization rule.
4. Active-scheme selection, section visibility, node expansion, and appearance are stored independently for each login and document. Three specialists working in the same model at the same time can see the tree differently without interfering with one another.
5. In a corporate configuration, the solution connects to the RS.CDE server core and switches to an extended mode. The administrator can define mandatory rules and restrictions: permit family loading only from the approved library, prohibit creating or renaming certain views and sheets, control structure, and prescribe required actions.

Primary practical benefit

The designer spends less time scrolling and searching, opens the required object faster, keeps the personal workspace organized, and does not impose a personal browser layout on other model participants.

2. Main window and eight categories

Revit.ProjectBrowser is placed as a dockable Revit panel and retains the familiar tree logic. Category switches are at the top, search is below them, and the main area is occupied by the tree with groups, elements, and counters. One category, several categories, or the combined All mode can be enabled.

Figure 1. Main window: switches for eight categories, search bar, tree, active schemes, and element counts.

Combined and single-category modes

Categories work as independent switches. The designer can leave only the required section visible or assemble a personal set of sections displayed at the same time. The system stores this choice locally, so it does not change colleagues' interfaces. Counters beside nodes show the actual amount of content and allow the model structure to be assessed quickly.

3. The Library category

The Library turns family folders into a complete eighth browser section. In the settings, several local or network directories can be added, nested-folder scanning can be enabled, and the index can be refreshed at any time. The tree shows not the contents of the current model, but available RFA files that can be found and opened directly from Revit.

Figure 2. Library settings: multiple sources, nested folders, list refresh, and full metadata rereading.

How indexing works

• Folder scanning and metadata reading run in the background and do not require every family to be opened sequentially in Revit.
• The RFA name, category, types, saved Revit version, and text parameter metadata are extracted and included in search.
• Backup files such as Family.0001.rfa are excluded automatically.
• Unchanged files are read from cache, while deleted or modified records are updated.
• The tree can be organized by folder, name, family category, or placement method: unhosted, host-based, or undefined.
• Double-clicking or the Open command opens the selected family in Revit.

Why the library is more useful than an ordinary folder

The designer searches for a family by more than the file name. The index includes category, types, and descriptive parameter values, so the required object can be found by purpose, manufacturer, description, or another known attribute.

4. Grouping, filtering, and sorting for every category

The Project Browser Organization window contains eight tabs, one for each category. On every tab, users can create, edit, rename, delete, and activate their own schemes. Changes are previewed in the tree, while the active-scheme choice is stored separately for the current user.

Figure 3. Eight independent organization tabs: Views, Legends, Schedules, Sheets, Families, Groups, Linked files, and Library.

Capabilities of one scheme

• Up to three filter conditions combined with AND logic.
• Up to six grouping levels with variable depth: when a value is absent, an element can skip a level and remain higher in the tree.
• Grouping by parameter, view type and family, discipline, scale, detail level, associated level, sheet number or name, category, and other fields.
• Filter operations: equals, does not equal, contains, does not contain, starts with, is empty, is not empty, and regular expression.
• Grouping by the first N characters, with optional prefixes and suffixes added to folder names.
• Sorting by a selected system field or parameter, in ascending or descending order.
• For sheets, a separate parameter can be selected for display instead of the standard sheet number.

Practical example

Views can be grouped as Discipline → View Purpose → Level, sheets as Section → Set, families as Discipline → Category, links as Discipline → Source, and the library by folders or categories. All these structures operate independently.

5. Custom groups and drag-and-drop

In addition to formal parameter-based schemes, Revit.ProjectBrowser can create a manual working structure. The Create Group command is available in model categories, and groups can contain nested subgroups. An element, family, or entire folder can be added through the context menu or dragged with the mouse.

Figure 4. Context menu: search, show active view, create group, create Revit elements, organization, and expansion control.

Figure 5. Creating a custom group and dragging selected views into it.

Two types of movement

Custom groups are stored inside the model through Extensible Storage and travel with it. In a workshared model they are available to project participants, while personal expansion state, visibility, and selected schemes remain local.

6. Independent user settings and presets

Revit.ProjectBrowser separates the shared model structure from the personal workspace. Organization schemes and custom groups may be stored in the model, but active-scheme selection, category visibility, expanded nodes, and appearance are stored locally for a specific login, document, and Revit version. Therefore, participants in the same model do not overwrite one another's working settings.

Worksharing example

An architect can see views by purpose and level, a structural engineer by discipline and type, and a BIM coordinator by owner and stage. All three work in the same model, but each receives a personal browser.

Figure 6. Presets: local saving, loading, publishing to the model, and importing user settings.

What a preset includes

• Organization schemes and custom groups.
• Selection of active schemes by category.
• Category visibility and node-expansion state.
• Colors, fonts, sizes, capitalization, brackets, and text compression.
• Other local browser display settings.

A local preset is saved as a separate file on the workstation. When required, the user publishes the preset to the model, after which colleagues can import it as a starting point while retaining the ability to customize their own version later.

7. Search, navigation, and view-placement control

Search works in the current category or within a selected tree branch. The query is split into words, and an element must match all entered fragments. This makes it possible to find the required views, sheets, families, and links without fully expanding large trees.

Navigation capabilities

• Quick opening of a view, legend, schedule, or sheet from the tree.
• Showing the current active view in the browser with automatic expansion of its path.
• Separate visual highlighting of the active view.
• Searching within a specific group, folder, or category.
• Expanding and collapsing selected branches or the entire tree.
• Saving the expansion state separately for each document and category.
• Displaying information in the status bar about the sheets on which the selected view is placed.
• Automatically expanding sheet views when a view is placed.

The required object is found by name or context in a few seconds, without long scrolling or manual tree traversal.

8. Operations with views, legends, schedules, and sheets

The browser is not limited to display. Context commands perform routine operations directly beside the selected object, support multiple selection, and use standard Revit transactions.

Views and legends

• Creating a floor plan, reflected ceiling plan, drafting view, legend, and keynote legend.
• Opening, renaming, deleting, and displaying properties.
• Standard duplication, duplication with detailing, or duplication as a dependent view.
• Applying a view template to the selected view.
• Converting a dependent view into an independent view.

Schedules

• Creating a schedule/quantities, graphical column schedule, material takeoff, sheet list, view list, and note block.
• The Unify command for two or more schedules of the same category and type.
• Batch alignment of field sets, column order, filters, sorting/grouping, header formatting, hiding, totals, and display parameters.
• The solution compares selected schedules, presents differing values as options, and writes back only the parameters the user actually changes.

Sheets

• Creating a new sheet with the standard Revit command.
• Creating a sheet collection in Revit 2025 and later.
• Automatic numbering of selected sheets in tree order: prefix, suffix, starting number, increment, and digit count.
• Two-pass renumbering prevents conflicts between temporary and final numbers.
• Showing where a view is placed on sheets and automatically expanding sheet contents.

Why the commands are located in the browser

The designer performs the action where the object is already selected. There is no need to find a command on another ribbon tab, select the element again, or open an additional list.

9. Working with families, groups, and linked files

Families

In the Families category, the browser shows families and types and, in the standard structure, also displays the number of placed instances. Views by category, name, discipline, and usage count are available.

• Creating a new family type and renaming a family or type.
• Opening a family for editing, saving one or more families to disk, and updating from a file.
• Deleting selected families with processing of problematic elements.
• Selecting all instances of a type in the active view or throughout the project.
• Starting placement of a new instance of the selected type.
• Assigning and clearing a custom discipline for a family or an entire category.

Groups

• Separate display of model and detail groups.
• Creating a model group with the standard Revit command.
• Renaming, deleting, displaying properties, and selecting all instances in the view or throughout the project.
• Any custom schemes and manual groups, as with the other categories.

Linked files

Links can be organized in the standard way, by discipline, or by source: local drive, Revit Server, or ACC/cloud. The main operational commands are available for each link type.

• Reload, unload, and reload from another file.
• Save link sites/positioning.
• Create a new instance of the link type.
• Select instances in the current view, throughout the project, or throughout the project including legends.
• Rename or delete selected links.
• Assign a discipline manually and then use it for grouping.

10. Tree appearance settings

Appearance is divided into four independent levels: categories, groups, elements, and the active view. This creates a clear visual hierarchy in which major sections stand out, working elements remain easy to read, and the current view is highlighted separately.

Figure 7. Display settings for categories, groups, elements, and the active view.

11. Extended RS.CDE mode

In a corporate environment, Revit.ProjectBrowser can operate as a client of the RS.CDE server core. In this mode, the browser becomes not only a personal navigation tool but also a point at which project rules are applied. Policies are assigned by role and may differ for designers, BIM coordinators, team leaders, and administrators.

Examples of server policies

• Allow families to be loaded only from approved Library folders.
• Prohibit loading third-party RFA content or require approval of an exception.
• Restrict the creation, deletion, or renaming of views, sheets, schedules, and links.
• Prescribe a mandatory naming scheme, grouping structure, or parameter completion.
• Prohibit specific commands for users without the appropriate role.
• Record violations, mandatory actions, and the status of requirement fulfillment.

Clarification regarding the supplied archive

The RS.ProjectBrowser 1.0.91 source archive confirms the local functionality described in sections 1–10. The RS.CDE integration client and server-side policy mechanism are not present in this archive; they belong to a separate corporate environment and must be supplied or connected together with the server core.

12. Practical scenarios

Scenario 1. An architect organizes views for the current task

The architect creates a manual Review Issue group, drags plans, elevations, and sections into it, and after issue either deletes the group or moves the elements back. View parameters are not changed.

Scenario 2. A BIM manager defines a formal structure

A Discipline → View Purpose → Level scheme is created with service views filtered out. Elements grouped by a custom parameter can be dragged between folders while the parameter value is corrected at the same time.

Scenario 3. An engineer searches for a family in a network library

The engineer enters a purpose or manufacturer in search. The browser finds the RFA through indexed metadata, shows its folder and category, and then the family can be opened in Revit.

Scenario 4. Several specialists work in one model

The architect leaves only views and sheets, the engineer uses views, schedules, and families, and the BIM coordinator displays every category. Settings are stored locally and do not switch colleagues' interfaces.

Scenario 5. Unifying schedules

The designer selects several schedules of one category and brings their fields, filters, sorting, and formatting to a consistent state in one operation.

Scenario 6. Preparing a sheet set

Sheets are grouped by section and set, after which the selected set is automatically renumbered with the required prefix, increment, and digit count.

Scenario 7. Corporate RS.CDE library

The administrator permits loading only from approved network folders. The designer sees allowed families in the Library, while an attempt to use third-party content is blocked by project policy.

13. Benefits for designers and the team

For BIM coordinators and BIM managers

• The same organization mechanisms are available in every category, so standards do not end with views and sheets.
• Presets can be published into the model as a recommended team structure.
• Disciplines can be assigned explicitly to families and links and then used for grouping.
• Schedule unification and automatic sheet numbering reduce repetitive operations.
• RS.CDE server policies turn recommendations into verifiable mandatory rules.

Project result

The Project Browser stops being a long shared list. It becomes a designer's personal workspace and, at the same time, a managed layer of project standards.

14. Recommended workflow

1. Connect approved local or network folders in the Library category and run indexing.
2. Determine which categories are required for the current role and disable the rest in the combined view.
3. For each working category, select an existing scheme or create a new one with filters, grouping levels, and sorting.
4. Configure the appearance of categories, groups, elements, and the active view.
5. Save a personal preset. If the structure is useful to the team, publish it to the model.
6. Use custom groups for temporary work and parameter-based schemes for formal classification.
7. Find elements through the search bar or start a search inside the selected branch.
8. Use context commands for operations with views, sheets, schedules, families, groups, and links.
9. In corporate mode, apply RS.CDE policies by role and avoid unnecessary individual exceptions.

Rules for effective configuration

• Do not create more grouping levels than are practically necessary: the tree should shorten the path, not complicate it.
• Use manual groups for temporary selections rather than adding project parameters.
• For stable team classification, use parameters with clear permitted values.
• Name presets by discipline, purpose, and version, for example Architecture — working views — 2026-07.
• Before dragging many elements into a scheme folder, check which parameter will be changed.
• Periodically refresh the library index after network folders are changed.

15. Summary

Revit.ProjectBrowser extends the standard Revit Project Browser where it becomes inconvenient on a real project: it adds the eighth Library category, applies grouping and sorting to every category, allows manual groups and drag-and-drop, and stores an independent workspace for each user.

The 1.0.91 code also confirms advanced operations with views, sheets, schedules, families, groups, and links: branch search, active-view highlighting, schedule unification, automatic sheet numbering, family and Revit-link management, background library indexing, and movement through parameter-based schemes.

When a separate RS.CDE server environment is connected, the solution can become a point for applying role-based project rules: control the permitted library, restrict actions, and prescribe a mandatory structure. Local personalization and corporate standardization do not conflict: the user receives a convenient browser, while the project receives managed rules.

Result for the designer

Less time spent searching and navigating, less visual clutter, faster routine actions, and a clear personal structure without interfering with colleagues' working settings.

Revit.ProjectBrowser in brief