Today is the global launch day for Autodesk® Revit® 2025, and for the ninth year in a row, I will share what’s new and improved in the application here on the AECbytes platform. As usual, there are lots of great new features to share. Did your top requests make it into this release? To find out, keep reading this article which mainly focuses on the Revit platform and architectural discipline as I am a registered architect (WI) and work at Lake|Flato Architects, a top-ranked architecture firm.
To see some of these new features and enhancements in action, check out this video I posted on YouTube: https://youtu.be/QTpChuu2GHw
Note that a few items mentioned in this article have already been added to Revit 2024 via mid-cycle updates. Nothing mentioned in this article was available when Revit 2024 was first released.
Let’s start with my top three favorite features in Revit 2025: Toposolid enhancements, Sheet Collections, and small arrays in families.
After working on several Revit 2024 projects and experiencing the limitations with “version one” of Toposolids, the 2025 collection of enhancements is welcomed. There is still work to do, and one enhancement introduces a new limitation. But overall, the Toposolid feature is starting to mature into a robust new element type within Revit.
Here are some of the key enhancements highlighted in the graphic and numbered list below.
Another Toposolid enhancement shown in the examples below is that contours remain visible while modifying sub-elements. Excavation volumes are also calculated and listed in properties. Finally, a Toposolid by Face command has been added to the Massing/Site tab.
This new feature has an equally great backstory … we all know that Revit is a sophisticated application that serves a massively diverse industry regarding project types, global building codes, and workflows. Autodesk is sometimes criticized for not improving the product in certain areas; for example, we really do need improved stairs and railings to support creativity and comply with codes.
However, it is possible to get involved and guide and influence change. Autodesk has a Feedback Community where customers can continually test new features via a rolling beta version of the software and offer “feedback.” In the recent 2025 cycle, the customer need/request for same-numbered sheets was being developed (currently, customers are using special hidden characters to create these sheets as a workaround). In response to the concerns being voiced by beta testers, Revit expert Aaron Maller offered a solution he had seen in other applications and had suggested previously at an in-person Inside the Factory event (active members of the feedback community can get invited to participate in this event). Aaron suggested Sheet Collections to support sets of sheets for sheets with the same number, which could even support multiple projects within the same active Revit model. That comment sparked a discussion that became a new feature from which we all benefit.
Here is a related Autodesk Community blog post I wrote on getting involved in the Autodesk Feedback Community: How to get involved in the development of Autodesk software
Now to the new feature …. Sheet Collections allow groups of sheets to be organized separately from the sheets considered “directly in the model” as stated in the message dialog shown below (lower right). Revit’s automatic reference system is unaffected as views can still only be placed on a single sheet. Same-numbered sheets are still different sheets with different views.
Sheet collections can be referenced in views, schedules, and filters. Sheet Collections can only be created by right-clicking on the Sheets node in the Project Browse as there does not appear to be a related command on the View tab of the Ribbon.
Revit families can now be developed with small array values. Until now, it was not possible to have an array value of 1 or 0. If you are at a firm or manufacturer that likes to keep content in older versions to limit maintenance and offer maximum compatibility, this will be one of those situations where some content must be upgraded to the latest version to support this new functionality.
Arrays with an option of zero will often have other geometry in them, so placed instances are still visible/accessible within the model. For example, the table below can have the chairs turned off just by entering 0 for the number of chairs. But the family is selectable because the table is still visible.
Now, let’s get into the larger list of new features. Here are several new features that are not discipline specific.
Selected text and tags can now be aligned or equally spaced with the new Multiple Align tools. In the example below, notice the notes are not left-aligned and the tags across the bottom of the cabinets are not equally spaced. The second image below shows the aligned and spaced results!
The Material Browser now supports selecting multiple materials in a project or library, which can then be deleted or loaded into a project in a single operation. Additionally, the way material thumbnails are generated has also been optimized to load more quickly when the new Quick option is selected for Render Settings (see Figure 8). The Render Settings option is for the entire project, not just the selected material.
Properties can now be sorted in ascending or descending order, in addition to the original default order. As shown in the example below, sorting happens within each grouping. Keep in mind this could add confusion in some cases where content has been painstakingly developed to present parameters in a particular order – although that arrangement is still accessible via the default sorting option.
The search feature within the Project Browser has been enhanced and promoted to a permanently visible location at the top of the panel. When searching, the contents are visible and nicely highlighted for better context.
Various Revit add-ins store data within the RVT file that can conflict with each other. Autodesk has implemented enhanced controls during upgrades as well as open, linking, and loading, to maintain the integrity of the database. The warning dialog will list the vendor(s) associated with the deleted data.
You may be surprised to hear that this value calculated by Revit needed to be fixed … even a super-experienced Revit user I know was. Rooms with internal “islands” like the column enclosure in the room below now calculate the perimeter value correctly. This is helpful, for example, if you need to calculate how much baseboard to purchase.
When categories are filtered by discipline, some of the newer parameters in Revit have been considered and adjusted accordingly. For example, Audio Visual is not needed when filtered for Structural.
The Home screen now lists your usage details and skill development suggestions on the My Insights tab — you may have already seen My Insights emails from Autodesk. As you can see in Figure 14 below, I have been doing a lot of energy modeling recently.
There is a New Revit Home toggle in the lower left. Notice, in the images below, the previews are more compact, fitting many more recent projects on the screen. There is a great search feature and enhanced access to cloud-hosted projects via the Autodesk Projects tab.
The Revit Personal Accelerator has been improved to offer more transparency and control over local storage in the cache, which is related to using Autodesk Docs, Design Collaborate Pro, and Autodesk Construction Cloud. Notice that the location of the files is listed and the ability to set the storage limit on your system.
This new feature can export PDF files for large groups of sheets in the background, allowing the designer to continue working in Revit.
The architectural discipline has several new features. Here are the highlights.
If a wall has “Wrapping at Ends” toggled on and Layers within the wall type are set to “Wrap” then these new icons allow you to control wrapping for each side of the selected wall. Previously, it was all or nothing, and you would need to create additional wall types for wrapping and non-wrapping conditions.
Now, you can simply select the wall and click the new wrapping icons that appear. As shown in the example below, one side can be wrapped while the other is not. These icons only appear when wrapping is enabled for the selected wall type.
On a related note, if you are not familiar with how wrapping at inserts can be controlled parametrically by doors and windows, be sure to check out this post (and this one, too).
Mullion profiles can now contain multiple loops. These loops can be internal and cut the larger loop, or they can be external and create additional geometry. The example below adds one of each, where the internal loop emphasizes the location/position of the curtainwall system’s pressure plate and cap.
The way curtainwall mullions join or clean up with each other has not changed, so the transition between more complicated profiles may need to be considered (not unlike how they are built in reality). Also, it is not possible to assign multiple materials to different parts of the mullion.
When creating walls, it is now possible to proactively “Join” and “Join & Lock” touching parallel walls. This makes the modeling process more efficient when material layers are modeled as separate wall types. In the example below, the wall (a single 5/8” finish material) being added on the left instantly joins with the adjacent wall, which is automatically cut by the door opening. The result on the right is a single door cutting four separate walls. This was possible previously, but it required the walls to be joined manually. Again, in this new workflow option, the walls must touch.
Did you know: In the manual scenario, it is possible to join walls that do not touch, and the cutout (for the door or window) jumps across the gap!
I wanted to highlight a couple of features that support high-performance design within Revit.
On a related note, creating and voting for “Revit Ideas” is a great way to participate and help guide Revit product development. Check out (and vote for) this blog post about an idea I created on tracking material reuse within Revit in support of a circular economy: Vote for this Revit Idea - Revit Element Reuse Workflow.
When developing an energy analysis model, the operating schedule is a significant part of defining the internal loads of the building. Until now, we could only specify the operating schedule for occupancy, lighting, and equipment based on a single 24-hour day. In Revit 2025 we have ultimate control in that all 365 days in a year could theoretically have a different schedule. The example I made up below is for a school that has holidays and summers off but could have also been modified to have different weekend conditions.
Access to this feature has also been enhanced via a command added to the MEP Settings drop-down on the Manage tab. Previously it was only accessible from within the Building/Space Type Settings dialog.
Revit 2025 now supports the latest version of gbXML (v7.03). This schema supports Revit’s advanced HVAC systems like Zone Equipment, Air Systems, and Water Loops.
Unfortunately, I am not able to offer the same level of detail for the MEP and Structural features and enhancements in Revit 2025. Be sure to check out the official Autodesk blog for more on these new features. Offered below are a few highlights.
Here are a few of the new structural-specific features and enhancements:
Here are a few of the new mechanical-specific features and enhancements:
Here are a few of the new electrical-specific features and enhancements:
Once again, we have a nice list of features many will be able to use right away in this new version of Revit. If your firm does a lot of site work in Revit, you should spend some time understanding the feature before using it … especially before upgrading production models.
Daniel John Stine AIA, IES, CSI, CDT, Well AP is a Wisconsin-registered architect with over twenty years of experience in the field of architecture. He is the Director of Design Technology and leads Investigations (an internal research program) at the top-ranked architecture firm Lake|Flato Architects in San Antonio, Texas. He is a co-author of the forthcoming AIA Climate Action Business Playbook and serves on the AIA national COTE subcommittee, Climate Action & Climate Justice. Dan has implemented BIM-based lighting analysis, early energy modeling, virtual reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) , and created the Electrical Productivity Pack for Revit (sold by ATG under the CTC Software brand). He has been featured in articles/blog posts by ARCHITECT Magazine, ArchDaily, Dell, NVIDIA, and Enscape.
Dan has presented internationally in the USA, Canada, Scotland, Ireland, Denmark, Slovenia, Australia and Singapore; at the AIA National Conference, Texas Society of Architects conference, AIA-MN Convention, NVIDIA GTC, Lightfair, Autodesk University, RTC/BILT, Digital Construction Week, and several AIA COTE Working Groups. By invitation, he spent a week at Autodesk’s largest R&D facility in Shanghai, China, to beta test and brainstormed new Revit features.
Engaged professionally, Dan is a WELL Accredited Professional, a member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), Illuminating Engineering Society (IES), Construction Specifications Institute (CSI), Autodesk Developer Network (ADN), Chair of the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) BIM Standards committee, and is a Construction Documents Technologist (issued by CSI). Dan has also been a guest on several podcasts, including ARCAT Details, Business of Architecture, Inside the Firm, BIM Thoughts, and Simply Complex.
Committed to furthering the design profession, Dan teaches graduate architecture students at North Dakota State University (NDSU) and has lectured for architecture and interior design programs at Penn State, Pratt Institute, NDSU, Northern Iowa State, UTSA, University of Minnesota, University of Michigan, as well as Dunwoody’s new School of Architecture in Minneapolis. As an adjunct instructor, Dan previously taught AutoCAD and Revit for twelve years at Lake Superior College.
He has authored 17 textbooks, including the #1 Autodesk Revit book in North America, within the academic market. Two books are focused on architectural hand sketching, with one containing a sketch from the late Cesar Pelli.
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