The New 2012 Revit Viewer and what is it exactly?

If you or your users needs to have access to viewing Revit project files and you do not want to purchase the full software, you don't need to utilize the full software or you need to view a file without taking up a license then you can download the Revit software from the Autodesk Website and install it as a free trial. 

Revit Architecture free trial download

Revit MEP free trial download

Revit Structural free trial download

Need help installing the software? Click here for HELP or HELP VIDEOS

After you install the Revit software you will access the Viewer by double clicking on the short cut icons located on your desktop or going to the Start Menu > All Programs > Autodesk > Revit 2012 Product > Revit Product Viewer 2012.

Some key features to know about the Revit Viewer:

When first opening the 2012 Revit Viewer you are prompted with the "Revit Current License Status" dialog box which outlines what you can and cannot do while using the Viewer. (You cannot disable this dialog box from popping up at this time.)

 

1. The Revit Viewer is a no-cost installation for any user who needs to view .rvt (Project file),.rfa (Family file), or .rte. (Template file).
2. You have all the Revit software funtionality except  the ability to make changes to the drawing and then try using the save or save as, plot/publish or export commands.  
3. The Demo/Viewer mode has always been available in the Revit Software under the "Product and License Information" and setting "License Type" to Demo/Viewer. This feature for the new 2012 Revit Products are now shown separate from the Revit software. This was done to help the customer easily access the Viewer and not have to go through the steps of switching Revit to Viewer/Demo mode like in previous releases.
4. If you are using a network version of the software you will not utilize a license to run the 2012 Viewer.
5. If downloading the software for the purpose of just viewing files you will not need an activation code. If you are prompt by the software to activate then you have opened the wrong shortcut or software from the Program list. Make sure you launch the Revit Viewer 2012.

Here are some common questions Revit users are currently asking about the new 2012 Revit Viewer.

Q. Can I install the Revit Viewer only?

A. You cannot install the Viewer separately from Revit because the Revit Viewer is just a simple short cut to the Viewer/Demo mode of the Revit.exe.

Q. Can I have the Revit files automatically open up in the Revit Viewer instead of launching the full Revit software?

If you create a .bat file with:

"C:\Program Files\Autodesk\Revit MEP 2012\Program\Revit.exe" /viewer %1

The set the default program for rvt to the bat file.

 

Posted by: c | 01/25/2012 at 05:53 PM

Thanks to a recent post by c THERE is a way to open a revit file directly into the Revit 2012 Viewer. Here is how I went about testing this out:

From your desktop right click and select New from the submenu, then click on Text Document.

double click on the New Text Document and copy/paste this text string into the body:

"C:\Program Files\Autodesk\Revit MEP 2012\Program\Revit.exe" /viewer %1

Now from the File menu click on Save As and name it Revit 2012 Viewer.bat

You then can change how your .rvt files will open when you double click on them.  This can be changed across the board through your Control Panel > Programs > Default Programs > Associate a file type or protocol with a specific program. You would find the .rvt extension and change the default program that opens these files as the .bat that you created.

For now just to test you will simply right click on the .rvt file and select Open with then click on Choose default program... Make sure to uncheck "Always use the selected program to open this kind of file" if you are just testing this out. Click on the Browse button to navigator to your newly created Revit 2012 Viewer.bat file.

Now your file will begin to open up in the Revit 2012 viewer.  Another added bonus that I often get asked is if you can start up Revit as the viewer from the desktop.  With this .bat file if you leave it on your desktop you can double click on it and it will automatically open up the Revit 2012 Viewer!

How about them apples! Thanks again c for the great post! Your name might be c but I give you an A on your comment!

Comments

[c]

If you create a .bat file with:

"C:\Program Files\Autodesk\Revit MEP 2012\Program\Revit.exe" /viewer %1

The set the default program for rvt to the bat file.

[Cherisse Biddulph]

Thanks, I will give this a try.

[Austin Macdade]

You can put the following text in a .reg file to change the file associations to use the viewer for all Revit file associations (as of this writing). To revert the changes, simply create the same .reg file without the /viewer switches and merge that into your registry.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Revit.AutodeskExchangeFamily]
@="AutodeskExchange"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Revit.AutodeskExchangeFamily\shell]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Revit.AutodeskExchangeFamily\shell\open]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Revit.AutodeskExchangeFamily\shell\open\command]
@="C:\\PROGRA~1\\Autodesk\\REVIT2~1\\Revit.exe /viewer /dde"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Revit.AutodeskExchangeFamily\shell\open\ddeexec]
@="[open(\"%1\")]"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Revit.CentralProject]
@="Revit Central Project"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Revit.CentralProject\shell]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Revit.CentralProject\shell\open]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Revit.CentralProject\shell\open\command]
@="C:\\PROGRA~1\\Autodesk\\REVIT2~1\\Revit.exe /viewer /dde"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Revit.CentralProject\shell\open\ddeexec]
@="[open(\"%1\")]"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Revit.Family]
@="Revit Family"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Revit.Family\DefaultIcon]
@="\"C:\\Program Files\\Common Files\\Autodesk Shared\\Shell\\2015\\MFCFamDoc.ico\""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Revit.Family\shell]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Revit.Family\shell\open]
@="Open"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Revit.Family\shell\open\command]
@="C:\\PROGRA~1\\Autodesk\\REVIT2~1\\Revit.exe /viewer /dde"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Revit.Family\shell\open\ddeexec]
@="[open(\"%1\")]"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Revit.FamilyTemplate]
@="Revit Family Template"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Revit.FamilyTemplate\DefaultIcon]
@="\"C:\\Program Files\\Common Files\\Autodesk Shared\\Shell\\2015\\MFCFamDocTemplate.ico\""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Revit.FamilyTemplate\shell]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Revit.FamilyTemplate\shell\open]
@="Open"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Revit.FamilyTemplate\shell\open\command]
@="C:\\PROGRA~1\\Autodesk\\REVIT2~1\\Revit.exe /viewer /dde"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Revit.FamilyTemplate\shell\open\ddeexec]
@="[open(\"%1\")]"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Revit.InternalContentDocFamilyTemplate]
@="Revit Internal Content Doc Family Template"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Revit.InternalContentDocFamilyTemplate\shell]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Revit.InternalContentDocFamilyTemplate\shell\open]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Revit.InternalContentDocFamilyTemplate\shell\open\command]
@="C:\\PROGRA~1\\Autodesk\\REVIT2~1\\Revit.exe /viewer /dde"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Revit.InternalContentDocFamilyTemplate\shell\open\ddeexec]
@="[open(\"%1\")]"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Revit.Project]
@="Revit Project"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Revit.Project\DefaultIcon]
@="\"C:\\Program Files\\Common Files\\Autodesk Shared\\Shell\\2015\\MFCDoc.ico\""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Revit.Project\shell]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Revit.Project\shell\open]
@="Open"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Revit.Project\shell\open\command]
@="C:\\PROGRA~1\\Autodesk\\REVIT2~1\\Revit.exe /viewer /dde"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Revit.Project\shell\open\ddeexec]
@="[open(\"%1\")]"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Revit.Template]
@="Revit Template"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Revit.Template\DefaultIcon]
@="\"C:\\Program Files\\Common Files\\Autodesk Shared\\Shell\\2015\\MFCDocTemplate.ico\""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Revit.Template\shell]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Revit.Template\shell\open]
@="Open"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Revit.Template\shell\open\command]
@="C:\\PROGRA~1\\Autodesk\\REVIT2~1\\Revit.exe /viewer /dde"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Revit.Template\shell\open\ddeexec]
@="[open(\"%1\")]"