Open in Batch — BIMO Documentation

Open in Batch opens and activates several Revit files in sequence. For each file, you can separately configure detaching, opened worksets, and the view to activate. The command is available even when no Revit document is open.

Warning: this command works directly with files and central models. Test the settings on copies first and make sure current backups exist before processing production workshared models.

When To Use It

Open the same set of projects at the start of a work session.
Open several central models as separate local copies.
Open models with a limited set of worksets.
Navigate to a specified view in each model.
Save several opening scenarios as presets.

Before You Run

Confirm access to every file and network path.
If any central model will be opened without Detach, create a writable local-copy folder in advance.
Coordinate access with the owners of production models and confirm that backups are current.
Close duplicate documents that are already open in the current Revit session.
Leave Workset pattern empty for files where worksets are not used.

Add Documents

Run Open in Batch from the standard BIMO Ribbon.
In Documents for openning, select Add From Dialog....
Select one or more .rvt files.
Configure each added model.
Set Local copy folder when required.
Confirm the settings and run the command.

Add From Dialog... selects .rvt files only, but the file input for an individual list item also supports .rfa and .rte.

Command Settings

Setting	What It Does
`Documents for openning`	List of files and their individual settings. Files are processed in list order.
`Local copy folder`	Existing folder where BIMO creates local copies of central models when `Detach` is off. The command does not create the folder.

Each document has these settings:

Setting	What It Does
`Model filepath`	Path to an `.rvt`, `.rfa`, or `.rte` file. An unavailable file is skipped with a notification.
`Detach`	Opens the model with `Detach and Preserve Worksets`. No local copy is created.
`Activate the view`	After opening, activates the first view whose name matches the pattern. Leave it empty to keep the view selected by Revit.
`Workset pattern`	Opens user worksets whose names match the pattern. Use this setting for workshared models.
`Inverse the workset pattern`	Opens worksets that do not match the pattern.

Detach Or Local Copy

Scenario	Behavior
`Detach` is on	BIMO opens the specified file detached and preserves its worksets. `Local copy folder` is not used. The document is not saved automatically.
`Detach` is off and the file is central	BIMO creates a file with a `yyyyMMdd_HHmmss` suffix in `Local copy folder`, then opens that copy.
`Detach` is off and the file is already local	BIMO opens the specified local file directly. It does not create another copy.
`Detach` is off and the file is not workshared	BIMO opens the specified file directly. It does not create a copy.

Warning: turning Detach off does not mean BIMO always creates a copy. Local and non-workshared files are opened from their original paths.

Workset And View Patterns

Patterns are case-insensitive and must match the complete name. Use:

* for any number of characters;
? for one character.

Examples:

Pattern	Result
`Shared Levels and Grids`	Exact name only.
`A-*`	Names beginning with `A-`.
`Links`	Names containing `Links`.
`??-Core`	Any two characters before `-Core`.

For a workshared model, BIMO first closes all user worksets. When Workset pattern has a value, matching worksets are opened; with the inverse option enabled, non-matching worksets are opened. If the pattern is empty, user worksets remain closed.

Activate the view uses the same wildcard syntax. BIMO activates the first matching view. If no view matches, no separate warning is shown.

What Happens During a Run

For each list item, BIMO:

Checks that the file exists.
Configures Detach or creates a local copy.
Closes all worksets and opens the ones selected by the pattern.
Opens and activates the document in Revit.
Activates the first matching view when requested.

Documents are not closed and normally are not saved automatically. Review every opened file and save it only to the intended location.

Automatic Revit Dialog Responses

During the batch, BIMO automatically responds to several Revit dialogs, including workset selection, missing third-party updaters, macro security, and unresolved references. This keeps batch opening moving, but an important warning may not require manual confirmation.

After opening, review external references, updater state, macros, and loaded worksets in every model.

Critical Recovery Behavior

Warning: after a repeated CentralFileCommunicationException, the current implementation runs a recovery path that opens the current model path detached and performs an overwriting SaveAs as central. With Detach enabled, the current path can be the source model. The error can still stop the entire batch after recovery.

Do not use this workflow on uncontrolled central models. Have a current backup, coordinated access, and a recovery plan before running it.

Presets, Variants, And Keyboard Shortcuts

Open in Batch supports presets. A preset stores the file list, per-file options, and local-copy folder. You can assign presets to Variant #1, Variant #2, and Variant #3.

A variant with valid settings launches immediately without reopening the settings window. Before using one, recheck saved paths, Detach, and the state of the central models.

For setup details, see Presets and Variants.

Errors And Troubleshooting

Problem	What To Check
A file is skipped	Check the path, file existence, and network access.
A local copy is not created	Confirm that `Local copy folder` already exists and is writable.
Required worksets do not open	Check the full pattern, add `*` for a partial-name match, and confirm that the model is workshared.
The wrong worksets open	Check `Inverse the workset pattern`.
The view is not activated	Check its name and wildcard pattern. If several views match, the first one found is used.
The batch stops on a central model	Do not rerun it blindly. Inspect the central/local files and error log, then restore the model to a known safe state.

Known Limitations

Add From Dialog... selects .rvt files only.
An empty Workset pattern leaves all user worksets closed.
The command does not create the local-copy folder.
Only the first matching view is activated, and no missing-view message is shown.
There is no final report, automatic document closing, or rollback of files already opened.
Most per-file errors are reported and processing continues; central communication errors can stop the entire batch.
Some Revit dialogs are dismissed automatically.