ForgeFab beta help

Install and update

Close all Revit sessions before installing or updating ForgeFab.
Download and run ForgeFab Beta 1.2.17.
Start Revit 2024, 2025, or 2026 after the installer finishes.
Open a detached test model or a non-production project copy for first validation.

Current beta installer: Download ForgeFab-Beta-Setup-1.2.17.exe (about 55 MB). SHA-256: 8A2AC3D361446C2D7D7BDEADA7C0B464F4A65C250DF71CE37B39507C4C127E5E

Beta builds expire after 30 days. Each beta installer is stamped with its build date and refuses to open the Hub once 30 days have passed. The About page inside the Hub shows the exact expiry date. If your build is expired, sign in and you'll be routed to a "download the latest" message. Reinstall from this page to reset the clock.

What's new since 1.2.4

Hub splash + Quick Selections — looping intro background with the "Fabricating the Future" tagline, plus a "Quick Selections" panel that remembers the last six panels you opened.
Floor sleeves — dedicated ForgeFab_Sleeve_RD_Floor and _SQ_Floor families auto-deploy to %APPDATA% on first launch. Slab Penetrations now lands the sleeve at slab top with the correct vertical bore — no more rotation hack.
Login flow actually works — fixed four broken Firebase REST URLs that were 404'ing every sign-in attempt. Refresh tokens now encrypted at rest via Windows DPAPI.
Ductwork, Project Standards, Account, Assistant panels are now reachable from the Hub side rail (they had pages but no nav entries).
Clash Detect — Structural group now catches slabs, structural walls, roofs, beam systems, embeds, stairs, and ramps (silently missed before). Yellow warning banner surfaces unloaded links and closed worksets. Each clash row reads "host ↔ linked" and the zoom lands the camera directly on the collision (no manual zoom-in needed).
About page — now shows the actual installed version, build date, channel, and a recent-versions changelog.
License + protection — proprietary LICENSE and NOTICE files ship in the install dir. AI/ML training opt-out is documented in the LICENSE (Section 3) and baked into the DLL's assembly metadata. The installer wizard requires license acceptance.

First run

After Revit opens, ForgeFab loads a ribbon tab and the WebView2 Hub. The startup splash should say Fabricating the Future. If the Hub does not open automatically, use the ForgeFab ribbon button to open it.

Sign inUse the Momentum account you signed up with. ForgeFab opens a browser approval page when the beta login is required.

ThemeThe Hub follows Revit's light or dark mode where supported.

Project copyStart with a safe model copy until your team approves the workflow.

Beta buildSome panels may be visible but disabled. That is expected for tester builds.

Working panels in beta

These are the panels testers should evaluate first. If a panel is not listed here, treat it as internal or not ready unless your beta admin specifically asks you to test it.

Panel	Use it for	Tester note
Project Standards	Code/profile setup, wall clearances, plan-view violation colors.	Confirm project name/address/profile values and wall clearance behavior.
Project Analysis	Floor-level plan analysis, linked context, clash categories, ceiling legend.	Verify linked model visibility and design-option context on real projects.
Schedule Maker	Create fabrication schedule presets and custom schedules.	Check that labels, icons, and fields are readable.
Family Browser	Search and load curated families from configured folders.	Try diffuser, hanger, sleeve, and common support searches.
Hanger Settings	Service/type support selection and hanger rule setup.	Confirm round support types do not apply to rectangular duct unless intended.
Manual Conduit Draw	Conduit rack drawing, route and fill, bridge testing.	Report impossible bridge cases with screenshots and selected element counts.
Multi-System Routing	Parallel fabrication routing across services.	Test simple runs first, then multi-turn runs with elbows/couplings.
Ductwork	Connected-run highlighting and fabrication transition testing.	Check flat-side transition behavior on real fabrication duct parts.
Point Layout	Preview and layout point placement for model context.	Confirm level selection, descriptions, and color behavior.
Assembly Manager	Classify and review fabrication assemblies.	Use level/elevation view controls to isolate scope.

Recommended testing workflow

Open a copied Revit model and confirm the ForgeFab tab loads without startup errors.
Open the Hub and verify the beta panels are visible.
Run Project Standards first. Save a profile and run one selection check.
Run Project Analysis on one floor. Confirm linked geometry and legends are readable.
Create one schedule from Schedule Maker and confirm it appears in Project Browser.
Search for and load one family in Family Browser.
Test one routing or hanger workflow on a small selected area.
Use Revit Undo after each batch if the result is not what you expected.

Small tests win. A 10-element test is better than a 4,000-element first run. Build confidence with small scopes, then expand.

Troubleshooting

ForgeFab does not load

Close Revit, reinstall the current beta package, and reopen Revit.
Confirm your Revit version is supported by the beta package.
Send a screenshot of the Revit external application error if one appears.

The Hub opens but a panel is disabled

That usually means the workflow is not enabled for beta testers yet. Internal development builds may expose more panels than the beta release.

A routing command disconnects elements

Stop and save a screenshot before undoing.
Send the selected services, sizes, number of rows, and direction sequence, for example: right, up, right.
Include the exact Revit warning text when possible.

A family keeps loading repeatedly

Report the panel name, family name, Revit version, and whether the family is already loaded in the project.

Report feedback

Send feedback and screenshots to info@virtubuildr.com. The best reports include:

Revit version and ForgeFab beta installer date.
Project type and whether the model has linked files or design options.
The exact panel and button used.
What you selected before clicking the button.
Expected result, actual result, and any warning/error text.
Screenshot or short screen recording when the problem is visual.

Beta boundaries

The beta release is intentionally limited. The development addin may contain additional tools, but beta testers should not depend on them until they appear on this help page.

Currently not part of public beta validation: Equipment Headers, Spool, Export to Beacon, Parts Mapper, Fab Tags, Beacon, and model upload/export workflows. These may appear disabled or unavailable in beta builds.