Preparing for Teamwork in Revit: File Paths and Point Clouds

What will you learn in this guide?

Before sharing a Revit project with a team, clarify where files are stored and how team members will locate linked resources. According to Autodesk’s Revit 2026 help, the file location settings let you define paths for project templates, user files, family templates, and point clouds. This guide reviews these settings and provides a pre-collaboration checklist.

For projects that use point clouds, knowing only where the model file is stored may not be enough. Revit stores the saved path information for point cloud files relative to a designated root location. For collaboration, Autodesk recommends that each user copy the point cloud files to their own computer and keep the relative path to those local copies consistent across the team.

This article does not provide step-by-step instructions for enabling worksharing or creating a central model. Autodesk’s related training pages indicate that these topics are covered, including working with central and local files; however, the page content provided does not show the detailed sequence of clicks for these tasks. The steps below focus on file locations and the point cloud workflow documented in the official help.

Requirements and preparation

• Software: Revit. The file locations information is in the Revit 2026 help. Don’t assume the interface or behavior is the same in other versions; check the help for the version you use.

• Project information: Agree as a team on which project template, family templates, and, if applicable, point cloud files will be used.

• Team decision: If you plan to use local copies of point clouds, agree on a shared structure in advance so team members can keep the same relative path.

• Account and license: The sources reviewed do not specify account or license requirements. No account requirement is assumed here.

Before you begin, note the current settings and the locations of the project files. Changing a root path may require reloading point clouds that are already linked. It’s safer to agree on a plan as a team rather than make the change on just one computer and assume everyone else is using the same setting.

Review file locations

1. Open the File Locations tab. In Revit, open the File tab, select Options, and go to the File Locations tab. Autodesk’s help says this section includes options for project template files, the default path for user files, the default path for family templates, the point cloud root path, and system analysis workflow files.

2. Check project templates. This field determines which template files are listed on the New Project screen when you create a new model. Check that the starting template used by the team is in the correct location and that the expected templates are listed. This is a preparatory check to help prevent projects from being started with different files; it does not automatically standardize template contents or project standards.

3. Review the default path for user files. This option sets the default save location for the current file. According to Autodesk, when a specific folder is set, Revit displays it by default when opening or saving a file. Team members may have different working arrangements, so don’t treat this setting as the location for shared project files. Make sure each user’s default save preference isn’t confused with the team’s workflow.

4. Review the family template path. This field sets the path used for templates and libraries. The installation path given in the help for Revit’s default family templates is %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Autodesk\RVT 2026\Family Templates. If your organization uses another library, company-specific secondary libraries can be added with the Places option on the File Locations tab. Confirm as a team what setup your organization uses; the source does not provide details about the contents of company libraries or how they are shared.

5. Set the point cloud root path. Revit assigns a root path during installation, but you can change this location. The Saved Path information shown for point cloud files in the Manage Links dialog is stored relative to this root location. Before changing the root path in existing projects, check the linked files and the locations used by team members. Autodesk notes that point cloud files linked previously may need to be reloaded after the change.

6. Align the point cloud setup across the team. In the workflow Autodesk recommends for collaboration, each user copies the point cloud files locally. As long as the relative path to these local copies remains the same for each user, links stay valid when team members synchronize with the central model. Storing files in the root directory may be easier in some situations; the right approach depends on the project setup. The key is to agree on a shared approach that prevents everyone from using a different relative path.

7. Check system analysis files if needed. The File Locations tab also has an option for system analysis workflow files used with OpenStudio. Autodesk says default files are provided for annual building energy simulation and HVAC system loads and sizing. If these workflows aren’t used, don’t treat this field as a required part of team preparation.

Common mistakes

• Assuming existing links will fix themselves after changing the root path: Autodesk warns that point cloud files linked previously may need to be reloaded.

• Allowing each user’s local files to have different relative paths: In the recommended workflow, keeping the relative path consistent across team members is important for links to remain valid when synchronizing with the central model.

• Confusing the default path for user files with a shared file location: The help defines this option as the default save path for the current file, not as a setting that determines all the rules for team sharing.

• Assuming the template path alone controls project standards: The setting selects which template files appear on the New Project screen. The team must separately decide which template to use.

• Overlooking version differences: The file path information here comes from the Revit 2026 help. The sources do not confirm that the same steps and behavior apply to other versions.

Next steps

Once file paths are agreed on, document which project template the team will use and how point cloud files will be made available locally. When a new team member joins the project, check that they follow the same relative path. If the point cloud root path will be changed, plan for the possibility that existing links may need to be reloaded.

Anyone looking to set up worksharing or learn how to work with central and local files can consult Autodesk’s “Worksharing in a Revit project” and “Enabling worksharing and sharing project files” training. The training pages include topic descriptions and brief duration information; the content provided here does not include their detailed setup steps. So don’t treat file path preparation as the entirety of setting up worksharing.

For architecture and interior design teams, the practical benefit is making linked resources predictable in addition to the model itself. In particular, aligning the relative paths of local copies can help point cloud links work consistently across team members. However, this doesn’t remove the need to coordinate the templates and file locations used by everyone on the team.

Sources and license

This guide was adapted into Turkish based on Autodesk’s Revit 2026 official help page “Options Dialog: File Locations Tab” and Autodesk Learn training pages “Worksharing in a Revit project” and “Enabling worksharing and sharing project files.” All sources were provided under a free license. The training page descriptions cover worksharing and central/local files; since they do not include detailed implementation steps, none have been invented for this guide.