One of the most valuable features of Assemble is the ability to quickly identify changes between model versions. In Assemble’s new multiple model environment, any view can be compared, including those views which contain multiple models.

The compare function is available when two or more versions of at least one model in the project has been published, as indicated by the display of the SHOW CHANGES button. When Assemble performs a comparison, the current model version considered the master or primary model, labeled ‘A’ in the Compare Panel and the Inventory. The compared version is considered the secondary model, labeled ‘B’ in the Compare Panel and the Inventory. When the source quantity of the secondary model differs from the source quantity of the primary model, Assemble displays the variance graphically in the Viewer and by source quantity in the Inventory. By default, Assemble runs the current model version against the previous model version automatically.

Run Compare

  1.  Click the 1-Changes-Icon button next to the view name, directly above the Inventory. This button will only display, if there are at least two model versions published for at least one model in the project. After clicking the button, the compare feature will begin running and by default will run the most current model version against the previous version.

Add Columns to Variance Report:

By default, Assemble will display the variance for the source Quantity for all objects visible in the view. You can also run additional properties to the variance, such as Area, Length or Volume, by adding columns to the Inventory.

  1. Click the 2-Columns-Icon link, directly above the Inventory, to open the Columns dialog.
  2. Type the name of the property in the Search Box.
  3. Left click on the name of the property to add it to the column list, then click Done.
  4. Assemble will regenerate and update the Inventory to display the changes for the new property. Note that viewer displays changes for the source Quantity only.

Change Model Versions:

  1. To change the model versions that you would like to compare, click on the dropdown buttons underneath the name of the model in the Compare panel and choose the version.
  2. Click Update, to run the compare feature for your new model choices.

How to read the Assemble variance report in the Inventory:

When model versions are compared, the Inventory displays the source quantity for each model and the variance between the versions. A quantity variance in green signifies quantities added, whereas a quantity variance in (red) signifies quantities deducted. For a detailed description of variance types, click here.

Text for Source IDs, Type Names, and Category Names are identified in black, green, or red. Black text signifies that the object exist in both versions of the model. Green text signifies that the object exists only in the primary version of the model, and red text signifies that the object exists only in the secondary version of the model.

How to read the Assemble variance in the Model Viewer:

When model versions are compared, the Viewer displays the model geometry for the primary model, and geometry from the secondary model when objects are not visible (or were deleted) from the primary model. Objects with variance are color-coded according to the variance filter they are assigned to, and the legend for the variance filters is displayed in the Show variances for… section. Tooltips within the Viewer will allow a quick overview of the object and its variance.

Note: There are some objects that exist in the Grid but do not have geometry in the Model Viewer. Often in Revit, multiple object types make up a system family. The geometry of the types are available in the Model Viewer. Examples include curtain walls and stacked walls, which do not have representing geometry for the whole (or system family) but do have geometry for the parts (or object types). Other objects, such as 2D wires or lines, are not represented with geometry in the Viewer. To learn more about Quantities and Geometries Published to Assemble, click here.

Filter Variance Types in the Viewer and Inventory:

Upon completion of running a variance, the Compare panel displays a legend of the change types and the number of objects that have been changed. There are 5 types of changes that Assemble displays in the legend and the viewer. You can modify the display of the change types in the model viewer using the legend.

  1. In the Compare panel, click on Removed, Type Changed Only, Quantity Changed Only and Type and Quantity Changed.
  2. Click Update. Notice the Viewer and Inventory will display only those objects that have been Added between model iterations.

Notes on Compare:

  • Our default precision is 0.01. Objects with a quantity variance beyond 0.01 will be ignored as a variance. For example, if the area of a floor slab increases from 400.00 SF to 400.01 SF, a variance will be reported and the object will be color-coded according to the proper variance filter. A floor slab with a quantity of 400.0001 SF changing to 400.005 SF will not be reported as a variance.
  • By default, Visual Variance will filter out Unchanged (or recurrent) objects and will apply Ghost mode to the Model and Grid. To view the Unchanged items in the Grid or Viewer, you will need to turn on the Unchanged variance filter as explained in this document.

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