The VU.CITY Revit plugin allows Revit models to be prepared and exported for use in VU.CITY. It supports Revit versions 2023-2027 and provides two export workflows:

• Early Access - GLB export for the new VU.CITY
• Legacy - FBX export supported by Legacy VU.CITY app and the new VU.CITY

The plugin also handles model positioning during export. When a Revit project has been correctly set up with geolocation information, this allows the exported model to be placed in the correct location in VU.CITY without requiring manual positioning during import.

Installation

The VU.CITY Revit plugin is installed and updated using the VU.CITY Auto-Update Service. The Auto-Update Service provides a central way to install the VU.CITY plugins and check for updates.

Installation locations

The installation location depends on the version of Revit being used.

Revit 2027
C:\Program Files\Autodesk\ApplicationPlugins\VUCITY.bundle

Revit 2026 and older

C:\Program Files\VUCITY\Revit (main VU.CITY plugin files)

C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\Revit\Addins\[Revit version] (add-In loader files)

These locations can be shared with an IT team when troubleshooting installation issues or deploying the plugin.

Exporting models

1. Open the Revit project and select the 3D view to be exported.
2. Locate the Add-Ins tab and select VU.CITY Export > Export to open the export menu.
3. The export format can be selected using the tabs: Early Access and Legacy.
   

Early Access - GLB export

This workflow was designed to handle model positioning without moving the model geometry to large real-world coordinate values. This is important because very large coordinate values can introduce floating-point precision issues, which can appear as visual artefacts such as flickering in model geometry. Instead, the model remains close to the Revit origin while the information needed to position it geographically is carried with the exported model.

• GLB

  

Export options

Export - Select between the visible or selection

Exclusion filters - Exclude linked files, MEP elements, planting, fixtures, and fittings to reduce model complexity.

Model optimisation - Reduce the level of detail, with “medium” as the recommended setting.

Units - GLB exports always use metres, matching VU.CITY’s default units.

Coordinate System - Defines the coordinate system used to geolocate the exported model. Select the coordinate system that corresponds to the geolocation information in the Revit project.

Project Positioning - Select between Survey Point and Project Base Point to set which Revit reference point is used to position the exported model. The selected reference point should correspond to how the Revit project has been positioned. More on positioning options below.

Size filter - Excludes objects below the specified size from the export.

Auto save - Automatically saves the exported GLB file in the current folder using the Revit file name.

GLB positioning

The selected coordinate system and project positioning reference are used with the Revit project’s geolocation information to calculate where the model belongs in the real world.

The Survey Point is usually used as the reference for shared or real-world coordinates, while the Project Base Point provides a project-specific reference. The selected reference point should match how the Revit project has been configured.

During export, a VU.Origin object is added to the model and aligned with the selected reference point. The positioning information from this object is then used by the VU.CITY import pipeline to place the model in the correct location. When the project has been correctly configured, no manual positioning is required during import.

Exporting without geolocation

Not every Revit model will contain usable geolocation information, and in some workflows the model’s position may be intentionally defined during import to VU.CITY. In these cases, select 'Unspecified' as the Coordinate System. This way the model is exported without applying geographic positioning. It can then be positioned during the VU.CITY import process using the standard positioning fields:

• Easting
• Northing
• AOD
• Bearing
• Scale
• Orientation
  

FBX export (Legacy)

The Legacy tab retains the existing FBX export workflow. FBX remains available for workflows that require the FBX format, and files exported using this workflow can be imported into both the Legacy and new VU.CITY applications.

• FBX

  

Export options

Export - Select between the visible or selection

Collapse by - Group geometry by family or material to optimise model size and performance. It is recommended to collapse the geometry either by family or material.

Unify - Merges geometry into a single selectable mesh

Exclusion filters - Exclude linked files, MEP elements, planting, fixtures, and fittings to reduce model complexity.

Model optimisation - Reduce the level of detail, with “medium” as the recommended setting.

Units - FBX exports always use feet, matching Revit’s default units.

Size filter - Excludes objects below the specified size from the export.

Auto save - Automatically saves the exported FBX file in the current folder using the Revit file name.

Model positioning

The FBX workflow handles positioning differently from the GLB workflow.

For FBX, the model geometry is moved during export to reflect its real-world position.

Updating the plugin

Updates are delivered through the VU.CITY Auto-Update Service.

1. Right-click the VU.CITY icon in the Windows system tray.
2. Select Check for Updates.

The Auto-Update Service provides a convenient way to keep the installed plugin up to date.