Copy & Array Protections

Knowledge BaseUser Guidance & Protections
Copy & Array Protections

In this article:


This feature provides Company and Project Administrators the ability to add Guide and Prevent protections to predefined elements that are not to be copied or arrayed. With rules-based settings that provide almost infinite customization, administrators are given the control to prevent elements from being copied or arrayed. To assist administrators, Guardian comes pre-loaded with Copy and Array Protections Rules predefined for the most common elements that are known to cause model performance problems.

Why We Created This Feature

Let’s face it, there are certain elements that should not be copied or arrayed, intentionally or unintentionally. As an example, copying In-place families is not a best practice as they significantly increase the file size of the model relative to the same family created as a loadable family. As for an unintentional example, we’ve all seen it before, there are duplicate instances of a Linked Revit model or Linked CAD file in the same place.

Customize Copy & Array Protections

When Copy/Array Protections is first enabled within Project Configurations under the Custom Interaction tab, it will be adopted by each project model once the model is registered. Copy/Array Protections can be further customized at the project level within Project Settings on a model-by-model basis.

Editing and creating rules under Customize behaviors when copying or arraying elements will activate Copy/Array Protections.

Select the settings cog to configure rules that will automatically apply the Copy/Array Protections to any elements that meet the rules conditions.

Project configurations dialog for customizing copy and array behaviors

Select the New button to create a new rule to identify which modeled elements are to be copy/array protected. Create as many rules necessary for the elements that need to be protected. Please note, the rules will be processed in the order in which they are displayed. Use the arrow buttons to arrange the proper order of the rules.  

Copy or array elements rules


Different AND/OR condition types can be used to create rules to meet specific needs for the Copy/Array Protections.

rules dialog box showing and/or condition types

The different conditions that can be utilized include:

Guardian condition types

Category conditions can be used to specify categories that should be protected. Administrators can also specify categories that should be ignored by the rule.

The protection mode can be customized for each rule:

  • Set the Guardian Protection Mode to: Monitor, Guide or Prevent
  • Send Email: If checked, will notify the Project Administrator when an end user attempts to copy or array a protected element.
  • Req. Comment: If checked, requires the end user to provide a comment to proceed with copying or arraying a protected element.
  • Edit Message: Allows the Project Administrator to customize a Command Message that the end user will see when they attempt to copy or array a protected element.

End user experience

When an end user attempts to copy or array a protected element, Guardian will alert them with the custom Command Message provided by the Project Administrator (If the Protection Mode is set to guide or prevent).

If set within the Custom Interactions settings for Copy/Array Protections, the end user will be required to provide a comment to proceed with copying or arraying the selected element.

If set to Prevent mode, the end user will be required to provide the Project Password or One-Time Password to proceed with copying or arraying the protected family.

Command message for a Prevented action of copying or arraying

Project Administrator Notifications

There are two ways for a Project Administrator to receive notification; Project Central and Email Notifications.

Any Copy/Array Protections rule that have been triggered will appear automatically within Project Central’s activity feed.

Enable email notifications in the individual rule set dialog by checking Send email. When an end user attempts to copy or array the protected element, the Project Administrator will be notified with an email containing the pertinent information.  

Email notification from copy/array protection

Common Rule Set Examples

To be fair, creating AND/OR rules sets can take a bit of time to wrap one’s head around. Thus, we have provided the following Copy/Array Protections rule sets to help get started.

Prevent: Revit Links

Used to prevent Revit links from being copied or arrayed.

Rule for prevent Revit Links

Prevent: CAD Links & Imports

Used to prevent CAD links and Imports from being copied or arrayed.

Rule for preventing CAD links and imports

Prevent: In-Place Families

Used to prevent In-Place Families from being copied or arrayed.

Rule for preventing in-place families from being copied or arrayed

Guide: Levels and Grids

Set to Guide to provide users a Command Message best practice when Levels or Grids are copied or arrayed.

Rule dialog box for guiding levels and grids

Monitor: Rooms

Set to Monitor to keep track of when Rooms are copied or arrayed in Project Central and Guardian Backstage to know if future protections are required.

Rule dialog for monitoring rooms

Monitor: Room and Space Separations Lines

Set to Monitor to keep track of when Room and Space Separations Lines are copied or arrayed in Project Central and Guardian Backstage to know if future protections are required.

Rule dialog for monitoring room and space separations lines

Monitor: Area Boundary Lines

Set to Monitor to keep track of when Area Boundary Lines are copied or arrayed in Project Central and Guardian Backstage to know if future protections are required.

Rule dialog for monitoring when area boundary lines are copied or arrayed

Have questions?

Reach out to learn more, ask any questions, or meet the team! We'd love to learn more about your challenges and explore the more proactive solution.

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