Karo.ModelGuard v1.3.5 Installation & Documentation ========================================= How to Use ---------- What it does Karo.ModelGuard enforces BIM policies while people work in Revit, not after the model is already damaged. When a controlled action happens, the add-in either asks for a written reason (Justify), blocks the action (StrictBlock), or stays silent (Disabled). Every decision is written to one shared team log on your network share. There is no server and no cloud. One configuration folder on a network path is the source of truth for the whole office. Who does what Role | What they do ---------------------|---------------------------------------------------------- BIM manager / admin | Creates the shared config once, sets policy modes, reviews the log and Terminal Everyone else | Installs the add-in, connects to the same folder, keeps working in Revit First-time setup (BIM manager) 1. Install Karo.ModelGuard on a machine with Revit (Karo.ModelGuard-1.3.5-Setup.exe). 2. Start Revit. If nothing is connected yet, the add-in offers Karo.ModelGuard Initial Configuration. 3. Choose Create new configuration. 4. Pick a network folder (UNC path) that all team machines can reach. 5. The app creates the folder structure and makes you the first administrator (current Windows user). 6. Restart Revit. Open the Karo tab → ModelGuard. Connecting other users 1. Install the same add-in. 2. On first run, choose Connect to existing configuration. 3. Select the same network folder the BIM manager created. 4. Restart Revit. Policies apply automatically — no manual JSON editing. Typical day for a user 1. Work in Revit as usual. 2. If a policy is in Justify mode (for example Explode CAD), a dialog asks for a short reason before the action continues. Cancel = action does not run. 3. If a policy is in StrictBlock mode, the action is cancelled and a clear message explains why. 4. Open ModelGuard only when you need Overview, How to use, or language (EN / RU). Typical day for an administrator 1. Open ModelGuard on the Karo ribbon. 2. Rules — set each policy to Disabled / Justify / StrictBlock. Changes save to the shared config and reach connected users without restarting Revit. 3. Log — filter the central CSV event log (who, when, which policy, justification text). 4. Terminal — see who is connected, Revit/plugin versions, last activity (monitor only — no settings here). 5. Administrators — add or remove admin Windows accounts when needed. Policies included (MVP) Policy | Pain it prevents -----------------------------|-------------------------------------------------- Explode CAD | Flood of useless CAD geometry after explode Delete Shared Parameter | Broken schedules / lost shared parameter data In-Place Family Creation | In-place families that break BIM standards Dimension Text Override | Fake dimension text that hides real sizes Important - Daily admin work happens inside Revit, not in Initial Configuration. - Initial Configuration is only for create or first connect. - If the network folder is temporarily unavailable, the add-in can keep working from a local cache; if there is no cache, it enters a safe mode that does not crash Revit. Installation ------------ Safe to install. Karo.ModelGuard is digitally signed by Karo Modum. Windows may show an "Unknown publisher" notice on first download — this is expected for independent software. The installer registers the publisher certificate automatically so you only see this once. Before you start - Close all running Revit sessions before installing or updating. - You need Windows administrator rights for installation. - Make sure at least one supported Revit version (2023–2027) is installed. - Plan a network share for the team configuration (BIM manager). Users need read access to the config folder and write access to the runtime/log folder (IT can set this once). Step-by-step 1. Download Karo.ModelGuard-1.3.5-Setup.exe from your purchase confirmation or download page. 2. Right-click → Run as administrator (recommended). 3. If Windows SmartScreen shows "Windows protected your PC" or "Unknown publisher": - Click More info → Run anyway. - The plugin is signed with a self-signed publisher certificate, not a commercial EV certificate. The file is safe — see below. 4. The installer detects installed Revit versions (2023–2027) and also installs Karo.ModelGuard Initial Configuration. 5. Click Install and wait for completion. 6. Start Revit. On the Karo ribbon tab you will see ModelGuard. 7. Complete Create or Connect in Initial Configuration when prompted, then restart Revit. About the self-signed certificate (please read — this is normal) Karo.ModelGuard is distributed by an independent developer (Karo), not a large software vendor. Commercial EV code-signing certificates cost hundreds of dollars per year and require legal entity verification — for a focused Revit tool this is often impractical. Instead, the plugin uses a self-signed code-signing certificate issued by Karo Modum. This means: What you may see | What it actually means -----------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------- SmartScreen: "Unknown publisher" | Windows does not recognize the publisher yet — not a virus warning Publisher name: Karo / Karo Modum | The same certificate signs the installer and all plugin files Admin prompt during install | Needed to copy add-in files and register the certificate once What the installer does for you automatically: - Installs the add-in for each selected Revit year under C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\Revit\Addins\{year}\ - Installs shared Initial Configuration and local data under C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\Revit\Addins\Karo.ModelGuard\ - Registers the public certificate in Trusted Root Certification Authorities and Trusted Publishers - After this one-time step, Windows treats future updates from the same publisher as trusted You do not need to: - Disable antivirus - Change Revit security settings - Manually import certificates (unless your IT policy blocks the automatic step) Corporate / IT-managed computers If installation fails at the certificate step, ask your IT administrator to either: - Allow the installer to run with administrator rights, or - Manually deploy the public certificate (KaroModumPublic.cer) to Local Computer → Trusted Root Certification Authorities and Trusted Publishers via Group Policy The add-in does not send project models to an external cloud service; configuration and log live on your network share. Updating Run the new installer over the previous version. Local connection and cache are preserved — users do not need to run Initial Configuration again. Uninstalling Use Windows Settings → Apps → Karo.ModelGuard → Uninstall, or run the uninstaller from the Start menu. Network configuration and log files on the share are not deleted. System Requirements ------------------- Requirement | Details ---------------------|-------------------------------------------------- Software | Autodesk Revit 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026, or 2027 (any edition that supports add-ins) Operating system | 64-bit Windows 10 or Windows 11 (Revit platform requirement) Architecture | x64 only Permissions | Administrator rights for installation Disk space | Add-in files per Revit year plus shared Initial Configuration under ProgramData Network | Network share required for team configuration and central log; local cache used if the share is temporarily unavailable Additional runtime | None — all dependencies are included in the installer Languages | User interface: English and Russian (default follows Revit language; switcher in the hub). Initial Configuration is English only Compatibility notes - One installer covers all supported Revit versions; only versions detected on your PC (or manually selected) are installed. - Revit must be restarted after installation and after first Create/Connect for the connection to load. - Daily administration is done inside Revit; Initial Configuration is only for creating a new shared config or connecting to an existing one. - The plugin supports both English and Russian Revit installations. Tips and Limitations -------------------- Tips for best results - Create once, connect many times. The BIM manager creates the shared folder once; everyone else only connects to that folder. - Use Justify before StrictBlock. Start with Justify to collect reasons and build team habits, then switch critical rules to StrictBlock. - Review the Log regularly. The central CSV log shows who triggered a policy, when, and what justification they entered. - Watch Terminal for rollout. Confirm plugin versions and connection health across the team without changing settings. - Offline is expected. If the network share is briefly unavailable, the add-in can continue from a local cache. Restore the share so the cache can refresh. - Language: Toggle EN / RU in the hub; preference follows the product language settings. Initial Configuration stays English. Known limitations - MVP policies only — Explode CAD, Delete Shared Parameter, In-Place Family Creation, and Dimension Text Override. Additional policies may be added in later releases. - File-based configuration — no cloud console or central database; the network folder is the source of truth. - Initial Configuration is not an admin console — change policy modes, administrators, and connection path from inside Revit after the first setup. - Safe mode — if there is no usable config and no local cache, the add-in enters a safe mode that does not crash Revit; policies may not enforce until configuration is available again. - Optimistic save conflicts — if two administrators save overlapping changes, the later save may need a reload and retry (no automatic merge). - IT folder permissions — users need read access to the config folder and write access to the runtime/log folder on the share. What this tool is designed for Karo.ModelGuard is built for day-to-day BIM governance: stopping expensive model-quality mistakes as they happen, with a shared audit trail. It is not a full document management system or a post-project model audit suite. Support For questions or installation help, contact us at gosudann@gmail.com.