Revit 2012: Revit.ini customization, the old fashioned* way...

As we all know Revit 2012 deployment creation wizard gives you 3 options for content file location:

1. Default – user profile related
2. Local – installs content library and templates locally on the machine
3. Network share

I find that the deployment works fine, and it creates a correct Revit.ini file on a client machine.  However, the problem is, when you specify content path to shared network location (option 3), the deployment creates Content at the deployment creation time and then overwrites is every time Revit 2012 is installed on a client machine.

Workaround 1:

1.  Create new Revit 2012 deployment (do not modify the current one) and set content path to network share.

2.  Install Revit 2012 with from that deployment image

3.  To avoid repeated reinstallation of Revit Content on the network share by subsequent Revit 2012 installations from the same deployment you need to rename the original master.rac.xml located in rac2012\AdminImage\Content\Revit folder and place the attached master.rac.xml in there.

4.  Install Revit 2012 from that deployment image (now content will not get overwritten, but the problem will be revit.ini file in C:\Program Files\Autodesk\Revit Architecture 2012\Program\UserDataCache.

5.  Copy Revit.ini file from first install (Step 2) in the second installs (Step 4) C:\Program Files\Autodesk\Revit Architecture 2012\Program\UserDataCache folder.

6.  Start Revit 2012 on the second machine.

 

Workaround 2:

1.  Create new Revit 2012 deployment (do not modify the current one) and set content path to network share.

2.  Modify master.rac.xml file in AdminImage\Content\Revit folder, to omit repeated Content overwrite on the specified network share.  The master.rac.xml file is attached.

3.  Modify both inifile.xml (AdminImage\x64\RAC2012 and AdminImage\x64\RAC2012\Program Files\Autodesk\Root\Program\Setup\Cache) files to create Revit.ini file properly for during the deployment installation.

The sample files are attached:  inifile.xml, master.rac.xml, Revit.ini.

You can also refer to this post for more information: 

http://revitclinic.typepad.com/my_weblog/2011/05/deploying-revit-2012-with-a-customized-revitini-file.html

Thanks to Avto Chachava for this tip.

^{*It is old fashioned because we are using the most basic tool: a text editor.}

Comments

[Kubsix]

When choosing option 3 (Network share) there are two dialog box prompts. The second one asks "Some content already exists in directory selected for * Content. Overwrite existing files?"

Does choosing "No" result in nothing being installed at the network share location? Or does it mean that new files will be installed only if the file name differs than any of those already in share location?

Does choosing No then prevent subsequent overwrites with the next client install(s)?

[David Lau]

I have been on vacation last week so my apologies for the delay. If you edit your master.rac.xml file, this will not install the content regardless of your settings you choose in the Deployment Wizard.