First, Some Information

To explain Cloud Connector, we first need to understand a bit of the basics of Revit keynoting systems. Revit by default uses a local text file to store keynote data. To extend it’s capabilities, Revit allows external systems to register themselves with Revit to provide keynote data to the system. Essentially, this allows keynote data to be provided from any source imaginable as long as the right system is registered with Revit. Revit will just reach out to that system and ask for the keynote data when necessary.

Revolution Design uses this system to provide a keynote solution that allows users to collaborate in the cloud across physical regions even around the world. Keynote data is stored on our secure cloud servers and accessed by our Cloud Services and provided to Revit when necessary. For more information on this, see our Cloud Services page.

So What’s the Problem?

This system is powerful and allows dramatic extension of they keynote system in Revit. The one drawback is that they system needs to be registered in order to work. If the model is opened on an instance of Revit that does not have that same system registered Revit has no way of connecting to the keynote data it needs. In recent versions, Revit does seem to cache the keynote data in the model, so it can still display the last keynote data that it got from when the system was connected, but it will not be able to update correctly.

In order to fix this the users would simply need to install Keynote Manager (which contains Cloud Services). For some users this is an easy solution, but in some cases it can present some problems:

  • Some companies may have users that need to work on Revit models but that should not be editing keynotes. Installing Keynote Manager fully puts extra tools in front of them that they are not supposed to access.
  • Keynote Manager requires a license separate from Cloud Services. A Cloud Services license is required to connect to the cloud project, but a Keynote Manager license is not (that license only allows you to edit keynotes and view them on the UI, apply them to Revit elements, etc.). Installing Keynote Manager fully can use up Keynote Manager licenses unnecessarily.

What is Cloud Connector?

To solve the issues above, Keynote Manager can be installed in Cloud Connector only mode. In this mode, the main Cloud Connector core pieces are installed, but the Keynote Manager UI is not presented to the user. The only UI they will see is the cloud login screen when necessary. This allows Revit to use the Cloud Services system to get keynote data (and the system to get the license), but does not show the user any Keynote Manager functions or take a Keynote Manager license.

You should install Keynote Manager as Cloud Connector for users that need to work on Revit models that use cloud based keynoting but do not need to make any direct edits or use Keynote Manager tools to apply notes.

I Accidentally Installed the Wrong Version, Can I Switch?

Certainly. There are two ways to switch depending on your comfort level with editing xml files.

If you are not comfortable editing xml, you can simply uninstall the program and then reinstall it using the other option. This is the simplest and most foolproof way to make the switch.

If you are familiar and comfortable with xml you can make this switch easily without requiring an uninstall (or even script it for multiple users if you are able to do that). This setting is driven by a file named ‘KM.config’ which is located in the executing directory of the program (so you will need to do this for each Revit version installed as the executing directories are different). Open this file and find the node named ‘CloudConnector’. This node will have an attribute named ‘LoadAsCloudConnector’. The value of this node is a simple True/False switch so change the value to turn Cloud Connector mode on and off.

Note that this is only read on Revit startup so after changing this mode you will need to restart Revit for it to take effect.