Link a Revit Model into Twinmotion and Keep It in Sync

1. One-time setup: install the Datasmith Exporter plugin for your Revit version (from Epic Games' Datasmith download page) and restart Revit — a Datasmith ribbon tab appears.
2. Prepare the Revit model for export:
   1. Open (or duplicate) a 3D view — Datasmith exports exactly what this view shows.
   2. Use VV (Visibility/Graphics) and a Section Box to hide levels, scope boxes, and clutter you don't want in Twinmotion.
   3. Keep materials assigned by type in Revit — Twinmotion groups geometry by material, so tidy Revit materials = a tidy Twinmotion scene.
3. Export the Datasmith file:
   1. With the 3D view active, go to the Datasmith tab and click Export 3D View.
   2. Save the .udatasmith file next to your Twinmotion project, with a stable name (e.g. studio_model.udatasmith).
   3. Keep the folder that is created alongside it — Twinmotion needs it; never separate or rename the pair.
4. Import into Twinmotion:
   1. Open the Import menu (bottom of screen) and click the + icon (or Ctrl + L), choosing GEOMETRY.
   2. Select the .udatasmith file. Recommended settings: Collapse: by material, Enable Substitution: ✅.
   3. Click the three dots next to substitution table, choose Generate Default Table, and save it in the project folder.
   4. Click OK — the model appears at the scene origin.
5. Work in Twinmotion: drag materials from the Library onto the model, add vegetation and context. The substitution table records which Twinmotion material replaced which Revit material.
6. Re-sync after design changes in Revit:
   1. Back in Revit, edit the model, keep the same 3D view, and click Export 3D View again, overwriting the same .udatasmith file.
   2. In Twinmotion, open the Import tab and click the refresh icon on the import — the geometry updates in place.
   3. Because Enable Substitution was on, your material swaps are re-applied automatically; only genuinely new Revit materials arrive raw.
7. If you must export to a new file instead of overwriting: click the three dots on the old import, choose File Settings, and repoint the link to the new .udatasmith.
8. (Optional) The Direct Link button syncs without files — convenient for quick checks, but the file-based route above is the stable one for submitting and archiving coursework.

Note: The whole pipeline hinges on stable names — same .udatasmith file, same 3D view, same Revit material names. Rename any of them mid-project and Twinmotion treats the model as a stranger, dropping every material substitution you've made.

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Taught in

• New for 2026 — first taught in BIM + Computational Workflow 2026.