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VARIATO — How to use

May 7, 2026
9 min read

VARIATO compares a host Revit document against a linked Revit model and identifies every element that is new, deleted, or repositioned between the two. Results are delivered either as colour overrides applied to selected views, or as text values written to a shared parameter on every affected element.

Buttons at a glance

Button Ribbon label What it does
Variato Variato Opens the comparison dialog. Configure a link, select categories and output mode, then execute the comparison.

The tool exposes a single entry point. All configuration — link selection, category filtering, and output choice — takes place inside the dialog that opens when you click the button.

Before you start

  1. Open the host Revit model (the document you want to receive the comparison results).
  2. Confirm that at least one Revit Link is loaded in the host model. VARIATO cannot run if no links are present.
  3. If you are using Shared Parameter mode, confirm that a text-type shared parameter already exists on the categories you want to tag. VARIATO writes to existing parameters — it does not create new ones.
  4. If you are using Graphic Override mode, confirm that the views you want to colour are open and belong to the current document (not a linked document).
  5. Save the host model before running the comparison. This is not required, but it ensures you can undo the transaction if the output does not match your expectations.

Core workflow

Open host model
       |
       v
  Click Variato
       |
       v
 Select Revit Link  -->  Dropdown lists all loaded links
       |
       v
Select categories   -->  Tick each Revit category to compare
       |
       v
Choose output mode
    /        \
Graphic     Shared
Override    Parameter
  |              |
Select views   Type or select
Select colour  parameter name
       |              |
       +----+----+----+
            |
            v
        Click Execute
            |
            v
   Results applied to model

Scenarios

Scenario 1 — First comparison on a new project

Context: A structural engineer has loaded the architectural model as a link. You want to establish a baseline record of which structural elements are new relative to the linked architectural model, using a shared parameter called Variato_Status.

  1. Open the structural host model in Revit.
  2. Click Variato in the AvantLeap tab.
  3. In the Select Revit Link dropdown, choose the architectural linked model. The status column will show "Loaded" if the link is active.
  4. In the Select categories list, tick Walls, Floors, Structural Columns, and Structural Framing.
  5. Select the Shared Parameter radio button.
  6. In the parameter name field, type Variato_Status or select it from the dropdown if it already exists on the model elements.
  7. Click Execute.
  8. VARIATO collects all elements in both documents, compares them by ElementId and location, and writes NEW, DELETED, or MODIFIED to the Variato_Status parameter on every affected element.
  9. Open a schedule filtered to Variato_Status is not empty to review the full list of differences.

Expected outcome: Every structural element that exists in the host but not in the architectural link is tagged NEW. Elements present in the link but absent in the host are tagged DELETED. Elements whose location has shifted by more than 0.001 feet are tagged MODIFIED.

Scenario 2 — Weekly coordination update

Context: The architectural model has been updated and re-linked. You need a quick visual overview of what has changed since last week so the coordination team can review it in a clash-detection session.

  1. Open the host model. Reload the architectural link via Manage Links if it has been replaced.
  2. Click Variato.
  3. In the Select Revit Link dropdown, confirm the updated architectural link is selected.
  4. Tick Walls, Doors, Windows, Floors, and Ceilings.
  5. Click Select All to include every category if a full sweep is needed, then manually untick any categories that are not relevant to this week's review.
  6. Select the Graphic Override radio button.
  7. In the View Type dropdown, choose 3D View.
  8. In the view list, tick the coordination 3D view shared with the full team. Use Select All if you want to apply overrides to every 3D view.
  9. In the Colour dropdown, choose Red for changed elements.
  10. Click Execute.
  11. Navigate to the 3D view. Elements highlighted in red are new, deleted (they will appear in the host as-is), or repositioned relative to last week's link.

Expected outcome: The 3D view displays colour overrides on every affected element. The status bar in the dialog shows a summary count of new, deleted, and modified elements before the dialog closes.

Scenario 3 — Cross-discipline MEP review

Context: The MEP engineer has received an updated structural model as a link. Before placing new ductwork and pipework, the MEP team needs to know which structural columns and beams have moved.

  1. Open the MEP host model.
  2. Click Variato.
  3. In the Select Revit Link dropdown, select the structural linked model.
  4. Tick Structural Columns, Structural Framing, and Structural Foundations.
  5. Select the Graphic Override radio button.
  6. In the View Type dropdown, choose Section View.
  7. Select the coordination sections that cover the floor plates where MEP routing is planned.
  8. In the Colour dropdown, choose Orange to distinguish these overrides from other review markups.
  9. Click Execute.
  10. Review each section view. Orange elements indicate structural members that are new or repositioned. Adjust MEP routing accordingly before finalising duct and pipe layouts.

Expected outcome: Section views display orange overrides on structural elements that differ from the previous link version. Elements with no changes carry no override and display in their default appearance.

Scenario 4 — Parameter-driven data synchronisation for a handover package

Context: The project is nearing handover. The BIM manager needs a handover model where every element carries a Change_Record parameter that records whether it was new, deleted, or modified in the final coordination round. Quantity surveyors will use this parameter to filter elements for cost reconciliation.

  1. Confirm that Change_Record (text type) is loaded onto the Walls, Floors, Ceilings, Doors, Windows, and Furniture categories in the host model.
  2. Open the host model.
  3. Click Variato.
  4. In the Select Revit Link dropdown, select the linked coordination model representing the previous issue.
  5. Tick Walls, Floors, Ceilings, Doors, Windows, and Furniture.
  6. Select the Shared Parameter radio button.
  7. In the parameter name field, type Change_Record or select it from the dropdown.
  8. Click Execute.
  9. After the transaction completes, open a multi-category schedule grouped by Change_Record.
  10. Export the schedule to Excel for the quantity surveying team.

Expected outcome: Every element in the comparison scope carries a value in Change_Record: NEW, DELETED, or MODIFIED. Elements with no change carry no value and can be filtered out of the schedule. The handover model is now queryable by change type.

Scenario 5 — Checking room and area boundaries after a space-planning revision

Context: The space planning team has issued a revised layout. The architecture team needs to verify which rooms and areas have changed boundary or moved position.

  1. Open the architectural host model.
  2. Load the revised space-planning model as a link, or confirm the existing link has been reloaded.
  3. Click Variato.
  4. In the Select Revit Link dropdown, select the space-planning link.
  5. Tick Rooms and Areas.
  6. Select the Shared Parameter radio button.
  7. In the parameter name field, select Variato_Status from the dropdown.
  8. Click Execute.
  9. Open the Rooms schedule. Filter by Variato_Status to list all rooms that are new, removed, or repositioned.
  10. Share the schedule with the space planning team for sign-off before issuing the next coordination round.

Expected outcome: The Rooms schedule displays a clear Variato_Status value for every room that differs between the host and the linked revision. Unchanged rooms carry no value.

Status values

Value Meaning
NEW The element exists in the linked model but has no matching ElementId in the host document.
DELETED The element exists in the host document but has no matching ElementId in the linked model.
MODIFIED The element exists in both documents but its location has shifted by more than 0.001 feet (approximately 0.3 mm).

These values are written verbatim when using Shared Parameter mode. In Graphic Override mode, the same classification drives which elements receive colour treatment.

Supported categories

Category Typical discipline
Walls Architecture, Structure
Doors Architecture
Windows Architecture
Floors Architecture, Structure
Roofs Architecture
Ceilings Architecture
Stairs Architecture
Ramps Architecture
Structural Columns Structure
Structural Framing Structure
Structural Foundations Structure
Furniture Interior
Generic Models All disciplines
Mechanical Equipment MEP
Electrical Equipment MEP
Plumbing Fixtures MEP
Parking Civil
Site Civil
Rooms Architecture
Areas Architecture

Select only the categories relevant to the current coordination task. Limiting the category selection reduces processing time on large models.

Output modes

Graphic Override mode

Applies Revit graphic overrides directly to selected views. Affected elements receive:

  • A 5-point projection line weight in the chosen colour.
  • A solid surface pattern fill in the chosen colour.
  • Matching cut line and cut pattern treatment for section and plan views.

Overrides are applied in a single transaction. Use Ctrl+Z (Undo) to remove all overrides if the result is not what you expected.

Available colours:

Label Use
Red High-priority changes, structural moves
Orange Cross-discipline coordination review
Yellow Informational markup
Green Confirmed changes accepted by team
Blue MEP routing updates
Purple Secondary review pass
Magenta Space planning revisions
Cyan Site and civil updates

Shared Parameter mode

Writes a text value (NEW, DELETED, or MODIFIED) to a named shared parameter on every affected element. The parameter must already exist on the elements before running the comparison.

Use the dropdown in the dialog to select from parameters that VARIATO has detected on the current document's elements. If the parameter name is not in the list, type it manually — the name must match exactly, including case.

Tips

  • Run VARIATO on a worksharing-detached copy of the model if you want to review results before committing them to the central file.
  • Use the Select All button in the category list for a full-model sweep, then untick categories that are known to be stable to reduce processing time.
  • Graphic Override mode and Shared Parameter mode are mutually exclusive in a single run. Run VARIATO twice if you need both visual markup and parameter values.
  • For large models (more than 10,000 elements per category), tick only the categories where changes are expected. The progress bar in the dialog reports element counts as collection proceeds.
  • Shared parameters written by VARIATO persist in the model until overwritten or deleted. Clear the parameter value before re-running if you want a clean slate for the next issue.
  • When reviewing Graphic Override results in a 3D view, set the visual style to Shaded or Realistic to make the colour fills visible. In Wireframe mode, surface fill overrides are not shown.
  • If the linked model is not loaded (status shows "Not Loaded" in the dropdown), reload it via Manage Links before running VARIATO.
  • Coordinate with the model owner before writing shared parameters to a workshared central file. Multiple users writing to the same parameter in the same session may produce conflicting values.