Karo — WhatsChanged (Karo.WhatsChanged) v1.9.3 Installation & Documentation ========================================= How to Use ---------- Karo — WhatsChanged helps you track what changed in your Revit project since you last reviewed it. It compares the main project file and any loaded linked models against your personal reference point and shows added, modified, deleted, and link-replaced items in a clear list. Getting started 1. Open a Revit project (main file with or without links). 2. On first open, the add-in quietly saves a reference point — no alert is shown. 3. When something changes later (for example, after a link reload or edits to the main file), a short notification appears in Revit. 4. Click View Changes in the notification, or open the Karo tab on the ribbon and click Whats Changed. The Changes window - Browse all detected changes in a sortable table with filters for change type (Added, Modified, Deleted, Link replaced), document (main file or a specific link), and free-text search. - The summary line shows counts by change type and how many rows match your current filter. - Click a row to locate the element on the active view — works for both the main file and linked models. - Color changes on view (main file only) — added elements are shown in green and modified elements in yellow on the active view. Linked models are not bulk-colored; use row colors in the table and click a row to zoom and select. - Remove focus effect — clears neighbor dimming around a selected element; main-file highlight colors stay until you mark changes as reviewed. - Scan main file — rescans the main project file and all links when you need a full refresh (background monitoring focuses mainly on linked models). - Export to Excel — saves a spreadsheet of the rows currently visible in the list, respecting your active filters. - Always open in 3D — when an element is hard to see on a plan or section, the add-in can open a dedicated 3D view and frame the element with about 2 meters of surrounding context. Drag the section box handles to adjust the view. When you are done reviewing Click Mark as reviewed. This saves the current model state as your new personal reference point, clears the change list, and removes highlight colors on the main file. This affects only your reference point — each team member keeps their own. Workshared and cloud projects (BIM 360 / ACC) Each user keeps a personal reference point; it is not shared with the team. For cloud-hosted models, your data is stored locally on your computer. After syncing with the central model, the list may include changes made by other users — use Scan main file when you need the full picture of the main project file. In-app help Open About in the top-right corner of the Changes window, then click How to use for a full guide inside Revit. The interface is available in English and Russian. Installation ---------- Before you install - Close all running Revit sessions. - You need administrator rights on your computer (standard for Revit add-ins). - Supported versions: Autodesk Revit 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026, and 2027 (64-bit Windows). Step-by-step installation 1. Download Karo.WhatsChanged-1.9.3-Setup.exe from your purchase confirmation or download page. 2. Right-click the installer and choose Run as administrator (recommended). 3. If Windows SmartScreen shows a warning such as "Windows protected your PC" or "Unknown publisher", this is expected for software from independent developers. Click More info, then Run anyway to continue. See the note on code signing below. 4. The installer detects which Revit versions are installed on your computer and offers to install the add-in for those versions. You can also choose versions manually. 5. During installation, the setup registers the Karo code-signing certificate in Windows Trusted Root store. This is a one-time step that lets Windows verify the add-in files were published by Karo and were not altered after signing. You may briefly see a status message: "Registering Karo code signing certificate..." 6. When installation completes, start Revit. The add-in loads automatically — look for the Karo tab on the ribbon with the Whats Changed button. Where files are installed The add-in is placed in the standard Revit add-ins folder, for example: C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\Revit\Addins\2025\Karo.WhatsChanged\ (one folder per installed Revit year) Uninstalling Use Settings → Apps → Installed apps (or Control Panel → Programs and Features), find Karo.WhatsChanged, and uninstall. This removes the add-in files from all Revit versions that were selected during installation. About our digital signature Karo — WhatsChanged is digitally signed with a publisher code-signing certificate issued to Karo. This is the same approach used by many independent BIM software vendors: the certificate proves that the files come from us and have not been tampered with since we built the release. Why you might see "Unknown publisher" Large commercial vendors often use expensive Extended Validation (EV) certificates that are pre-trusted by Windows SmartScreen from day one. Smaller specialized tools — including most Revit add-ins — typically use a standard code-signing certificate. Until Windows has seen enough installs of that certificate, SmartScreen may show a caution screen even though the software is legitimately signed. This does not mean the software is unsafe. It means Windows has not yet built reputation for this specific publisher certificate. You can verify the signature yourself: 1. Right-click Karo.WhatsChanged-1.9.3-Setup.exe → Properties → Digital Signatures tab. 2. Select the signature and click Details. 3. Confirm the signer is Karo (or the name shown on your certificate) and that the signature status is Valid. What the installer does for you Our installer automatically adds the Karo public certificate (KaroModumPublic.cer) to your computer's Trusted Root Certification Authorities store. After this one-time step: - Windows can fully validate the Authenticode signature on the setup program and add-in DLLs. - You do not need to manually import any certificate file. - No browser downloads, license servers, or always-on internet connection are required to run the add-in. If your IT department manages certificates If corporate policy blocks automatic root-certificate installation, ask your IT administrator to approve the Karo publisher certificate. The public certificate file is included in the installer and can be deployed via Group Policy if needed. The add-in itself runs entirely inside Revit and stores data only in your project folder or local AppData — it does not require network access for normal operation. Antivirus false positives Occasionally, antivirus software may flag new or rarely-seen signed executables. If this happens, add an exception for the installer and the add-in folder listed above, or contact us — we are happy to help your IT team verify the signature. System Requirements ------------------- Requirement | Details -------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------- Software | Autodesk Revit 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026, or 2027 (64-bit) Operating system | 64-bit Windows 10 or Windows 11 (same as supported by your Revit version) Architecture | x64 only Permissions | Administrator rights required for initial installation (adds files to ProgramData and registers the publisher certificate) Disk space | Approximately 15–25 MB per installed Revit version for the add-in; additional space for per-project reference data (typically a few MB per project) Network | Not required for normal use. Internet needed only to download the installer. Revit worksharing | Supported — personal reference point per user (Level 1 worksharing support) Cloud models | BIM 360 / Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC) supported — reference data stored locally Languages | User interface: English and Russian Supported model content - Main Revit project file (host model) - Loaded Revit links (.rvt) - Detection of: added, modified, and deleted elements; parameter, type, level, phase, geometry, and location changes; link file replacement Data storage - Local / server models: {Project folder}\.Karo\WhatsChanged\ProjectState.db - Cloud models (no local folder path): %LocalAppData%\Karo\WhatsChanged\{project-guid}\ProjectState.db - User preferences: stored next to the add-in DLL in user-settings.json Your reference data stays on your computer. It is not uploaded to any external service. Tips and Limitations -------------------- Tips for best results - First open = silent baseline. When you open a project for the first time, the add-in saves a reference point without showing changes. Edits after that point will be detected. - Linked models are watched automatically. The add-in monitors loaded links in the background. Use Scan main file when you want to refresh the main project file as well. - Mark as reviewed regularly. Click Mark as reviewed when you have finished checking changes. This updates your personal reference point and clears highlight colors on the main file. - Use filters. Narrow a long list with the change-type filter, document filter (main file vs. a specific link), or the search box. - Deleted elements. Deleted items appear in the list only — they cannot be selected in the model. Check the Details column for the last known level, type, and position. - 3D navigation. If an element is off-screen on a plan or sheet, the add-in offers to open a dedicated 3D view. Enable Always open in 3D to skip the prompt. - Excel reports. Export the current filtered view to share change summaries with colleagues. - Switch views. Host highlight colors apply to the active view. If you switch views, open the Changes window or click Scan main file to re-apply colors on the new view. - Closed worksets. If not all worksets are open, the change list may be incomplete and false "deleted" rows are possible. Open all relevant worksets before reviewing. Known limitations - Personal reference point only. Each user has their own baseline. Marking changes as reviewed does not affect other team members' lists. - Loaded Revit links only. Unloaded, missing, or non-Revit link types are not fully tracked while unavailable. - No bulk color overlay on links. Linked model elements are not bulk-colored in the view. Use table row colors and click a row to zoom, select, and dim neighbors. - Host highlights on active view only. Added/modified coloring applies to the main file on the currently active view, not on all views at once. - Background scan scope. Automatic background monitoring focuses on linked models. The main project file is scanned when you open the Changes window or click Scan main file. - Worksharing sync. Syncing with the central model alone does not always mean something changed for you, but after sync the list may include changes made by others. - Deleted elements cannot be zoomed to. They are listed for information only, with last-known details from your reference point. - Performance. Very large models (tens of thousands of elements) may take longer to scan. The add-in shows a thin progress indicator during scanning. - Revit version match. Install the add-in for each Revit year you use. The multi-version installer handles this automatically when multiple Revit versions are present. What this tool is designed for Karo — WhatsChanged is built for day-to-day coordination: catching link updates, spotting unexpected edits, and reviewing changes before you sign off on a model state. It is a personal review assistant, not a full project audit log or multi-user change-management system. Support For questions or installation help, contact us at gosudann@gmail.com (also shown in the in-app About dialog).