First-Time Setup

This guide walks you through setting up Pyvoid for the first time, orienting yourself with the toolbar, and configuring the extension for your workflow.

Quick-Start Checklist

• Verify Pyvoid tab appears in Revit ribbon
• Open CommandHub launcher with Ctrl+Shift+P; open Smart Select with Ctrl+Shift+; and preview a query
• Open CommandHub from Settings and search for a tool
• Run ReViewer for an initial model health snapshot
• Configure keyboard shortcuts with Shortcuts Manager
• Explore each panel by hovering over tool icons
• Try one guided workflow (Deep Cleanup, Sheet Production, or Standards)

flowchart LR
    A["1. Verify\nInstall"] --> B["2. Try\nSelection + Search"]
    B --> C["3. Health\nSnapshot"]
    C --> D["4. Configure\nShortcuts"]
    D --> E["5. Explore\nPanels"]
    E --> F["6. Try a\nWorkflow"]
 
    subgraph Ribbon["Pyvoid Ribbon (left to right)"]
        direction LR
        P1["Selection"]
        P2["Modeling"]
        P3["Health"]
        P4["Sheets"]
        P5["Views"]
        P6["Export"]
        P7["DevTools"]
        P8["Settings"]
    end
 
    A --> Ribbon
 
    style A fill:#3b82f6,color:#fff,stroke:#2563eb
    style F fill:#10b981,color:#fff,stroke:#059669
    style Ribbon fill:#1e293b,color:#e2e8f0,stroke:#475569

Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure you have:

• Autodesk Revit 2025, 2026, or 2027 installed
• Pyvoid installed via the Pyvoid installer

Step 1: Verify Installation

After installing Pyvoid and launching Revit, you should see a Pyvoid tab in the ribbon alongside your other tabs.

The Pyvoid tab contains these panels from left to right:

If the Pyvoid tab does not appear, restart Revit and verify the extension is registered in the Add-Ins manager.

Step 2: Try Smart Select And CommandHub

Tools: Smart Select and CommandHub

Two fast-entry surfaces are worth learning immediately:

1. Press Ctrl+Shift+P to open the CommandHub launcher; press Ctrl+Shift+; to open Smart Select and confirm you can build a preview query against the active document.
2. Click CommandHub in the Settings panel to open the unified launcher/documentation surface.
3. Type part of a tool name (for example, warn for Warning Center) and launch it from the results.

Recommended: Use Ctrl+Shift+P for the CommandHub launcher (press again to dismiss) and Ctrl+Shift+; for Smart Select.

Step 3: Take an Initial Health Snapshot

Tool: ReViewer

Open a project and run ReViewer to establish a baseline understanding of the model's health. This is not about fixing anything yet -- it is about knowing where you stand.

Note the following metrics:

• Warning count
• File size
• View count
• Family count

These numbers will become meaningful over time as you track trends.

Step 4: Configure Keyboard Shortcuts

Tool: Shortcuts Manager

Assigning keyboard shortcuts to your most-used tools dramatically speeds up your workflow.

Recommended shortcuts for new users:

To assign shortcuts:

1. Open the Shortcuts Manager from the Settings panel
2. Search for the tool you want to assign
3. Click the shortcut field and press your desired key combination
4. The tool warns you if the shortcut conflicts with an existing assignment

Step 5: Explore the Panels

Spend a few minutes hovering over each tool icon in the ribbon. Every tool has a tooltip that briefly describes what it does. This quick survey helps you build a mental map of what is available.

Start with these panels:

Selection Panel

The tools you will use most often. Learn the Memory tools (MWrite, MRead, MAppend) early -- they change how you work with selections across views.

Health Panel

Run Warning Center on a project to see the warning landscape. Even if you do not fix anything today, understanding the types of warnings in your model is valuable context.

Sheets Panel

If you work on documentation, explore Batch Sheet Maker and Sheet Forge. These tools save hours during sheet production phases.

Step 6: Try the Key Workflows

Once you are comfortable with individual tools, try one of the guided workflows:

• Deep Cleanup: If your model has performance issues
• Sheet Production Blitz: If you are setting up sheets
• Standards Enforcement: If you need to audit naming and worksets

Ongoing Learning

Follow the Essentials Learning Path

The Getting Started Essentials guide walks through the 12 tools that make the biggest difference, organized by the workflow moments when you need them.

Use Command Palette Proactively

When you find yourself doing something tedious in Revit, open Command Palette and search for keywords related to the task. There may already be a Pyvoid tool for it.

Check the CommandHub Guide

CommandHub's guide flyout contains searchable documentation for every tool. Open CommandHub from Settings or press Ctrl+Shift+P, then use Tab, Ctrl+J, or Ctrl+Enter to open the guide. If a tool's behavior is not clear from its tooltip, check there.

Explore Shift+Click Behaviors

Some tools have alternate behavior when launched with Shift held down. The tool documentation notes which tools support this.

Review After Each Milestone

After completing a project milestone, spend 10 minutes reviewing which tools saved you the most time. This helps you identify workflows worth formalizing for your team.

See Also

• Top 10 Tools to Learn First - curated starting point after initial setup
• Your First Model Audit - 15-minute hands-on walkthrough
• Getting Started Essentials - the 12 tools that change how you work in Revit

Last updated: 2026-04-16