Understanding the Difference Between a Project and a Template

Overview

Before creating your first Artcraft kitchen, it's important to understand the difference between a Revit Project and a Revit Template.

Although they work together, they serve two very different purposes.

Understanding this distinction will help you start every project correctly and take full advantage of the Artcraft Design-to-Order workflow.

What is a Revit Template?

A Revit Template (.RTE) is a pre-configured starting file that contains standards, settings, views, schedules, sheets, and other resources used to create new projects consistently and efficiently.

Think of the template as the foundation for every new project.

At Artcraft, we've already completed much of the setup work for you by creating a template that includes the tools and standards commonly used when designing kitchens.

The Artcraft Template includes:

• Pre-built drawing sheets

• A customizable title block

• Kitchen design reference levels

• A pre-configured cabinet schedule

• Standard project views

• Settings that support the Artcraft Design-to-Order workflow

Rather than rebuilding these items for every new project, you simply start with the Artcraft Template.

What is a Revit Project?

A Revit Project (.RVT) is the actual design file where you create a specific kitchen or interior space.

Every project is unique.

As you design, you'll place cabinets, draw walls, modify layouts, create elevations, generate schedules, and prepare documentation for that individual client.

Each kitchen should be created as its own project while continuing to use the same Artcraft Template as the starting point.

How They Work Together

The relationship between a template and a project is simple.

You begin by opening a New Project and selecting the Artcraft Template.

Revit then creates a brand-new project based on that template.

From that point forward, all of your design work takes place inside the project—not the template.

The template remains unchanged so it can be reused again and again for future projects.

Why Artcraft Uses a Template

Using a standardized template provides several important benefits.

It ensures that every project begins with the same drawing standards, organization, and workflow.

It also helps ensure that cabinet schedules are organized correctly for exporting information into Accolades, reducing setup time and improving consistency between projects.

Most importantly, starting with the Artcraft Template allows you to spend more time designing and less time configuring your Revit environment.

Best Practices

• Save the Artcraft Template in a location that is easy to find.

• Never design directly in the template file.

• Always create a New Project from the template.

• Save your project immediately using a meaningful project or client name.

• Use the same Artcraft Template for every new project to maintain consistency.

Key Takeaway

Think of the template as your starting framework and the project as the actual kitchen you're designing.

You only download and configure the template once, but you'll create a new project from it every time you begin a new design.

Using the Artcraft Template ensures that every project starts with the same proven foundation, supporting a faster, more consistent Design-to-Order workflow.