RevitTricks

04.AI-IN-PLANS (1/8"/FT) 04.AI-IN-PLANS (1/4"/FT) Added- for interior floor plans (Intended for AE451 series – needs some coordination with interiors- Steph & Michelle can we meet tomorrow morning?)                to show casework and interior elevations (& Details?) Project browser settings: Browser- (Default) Browser *UNUSED VIEWS filters out showing all unplaced views in the set- except dependant/primary views *USED VIEWS isolates views placed on sheets. *NOTE: for USED / UNUSED - With the exception of PRIMARY/DEPENDANT Views… Primary views are never placed on sheets… so they show as unused even though the dependant views ARE on sheets. Unused dependant views show under the primary view status. View templating nomenclature: 00.01-DETAILS-GENERAL(1-1/2"/FT) |  |  |       |      | |  |  |     ...

For elevations on the plans that exist within a callout- 1. Go to the callout (Or verify the scale of the callout) 2. Select the point of the elevation 3. Match the HIDE AT SCALES COARSER THAN properties of the elevation to the callouts scale. If the callout is 1/2"/ft then the Elevation marks within that should be hidden at scales coarser than 1/2"/ft. IMPORTANT: If for some reasons callouts are being deleted - YOU MUST OPEN THE CALLOUT TO SEE IF THERE ARE ANY ELEVATIONS IN THE CALLOUT and change them back to 1/8"/ft. If this step is not followed the elevations will be invisible in every view. NOTE: SIM views are view-specific and do not have a hide at scales coarser than. This could be handled programmatically- search through every view defaulting the hide at scales coarser than for the finest scale visible. Filters for tags and limit for hide at scales coarser than and [ ]only views on sheets (REGEX filter) should be considered.

There are a lot of reasons for including interior finishes included with wall types including accounting  for material thicknesses and elevational information, fire & Smoke ratings, etc . Ways of managing the wall partition schedule that meets the BIM nature of projects (Including finishes) are being devised. Some of the wall types should be inseparable like heavy stone finishes on a load bearing partition while others can be additive- like the wood finish panel   systems in corridors. Having placeholders for elements like these in critical wall types or UL Specific wall types should be the basis for categorization . The VA Is heading to a process similar to this (< >). I disagree with the approach of creating 'general' partitions with generalized notes (I.e. Cementitious board at all wet areas, Impact resistant board at all corridors and only one A1 wall type) and I disagree with reverting to a generalist approach to the Revit BIM ...

For the wall legends t he underpinning data needs to be the basis for tagging- and from best accounts in my research and discussions with other BIM Managers- modular systems seem the best way to go. One possible combination a wall class ( E xisting, C oncrete, M asonry, H =Shaft, S =Steel Stud, W =wood) + (Nominal size of the wall assembly rounded to the nearest quarter i.e. 4 for four inches, More definitive would be eights expressed as 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 so 4-1/2" would be 42, 7-5/8" would be 75. This could be brought back to 1/4" increments- and should be noted in the schedule general notes. Additionally for more interior-intense finish jobs I have seen systems similar to above over a list of modifiers for interior-exterior in a compound tag. The finishes won't be of particular note to the wall tags- Unless there is a specific UL that calls it out or requires it... Or if a specific assembly is required for structural support as in the stone. A schedule of wall ty...

The 'seed' process requires Architecture to create a base minimum shell model of slab, grids & floor levels for each building. These seeds are distributed to the consultants to ensure each trade within a building links to the same coordinate system. Sample seeding process: ·          Architectural creates a shell model of slab, grids & floor levels for the buildings- establishing the XYZ 0,0,0 point- typically at a grid intersection (A1) o     If a good CAD File has been created and can be used they should be brought in at 0,0,0 and followed as a basis of organization so CAD and Revit will overlay properly o     If no reliable CAD files exist origins can be located by turning on the "Reveal Hidden Elements" light bulb located at the bottom-left of the modeling view ·          Enables work sharing ·          Saves the file with corr...

Focusing on one typical detail the following process evolved - the results match the Revit detail very closely... We will have to see if successive exports have any glitches in them. Since Revit is exporting in a CAD layer format much like the NCS- the following was translated down to Dustin's template (Fewer layers....) for this project. #1 Export from Revit (Using the NCS3.0 APPX template and Override objects: #2 Open in AutoCAD and cleanup using DWG_CLEANUP VBA (I have here locally - we can set to redistribute if needed) #3 LayerTrans using the attached template: NOTE_ Not all line weights are there- BUT most are... We can adapt further and re-examine if later exports vary too much:

More of a what we can use Revit for… Revit can be used in a very limited fashion to leverage CAD drawings. ·          Link the CAD file in (Verifying the origins line up) to the current view only, and origin to origin. ·          Use Room separation lines (at the centerline of the CAD walls) to set the limits of the room. ·          Furniture will then schedule according to the rooms. ·          Color keyed schedules can be quickly created and labeled. ·          For more accurate square footages, use generic wall types to approximate wall thicknesses. Visibility and graphics 101 checklist for missing objects- Start with the light bulb tool in the lower-left hand corner of the 'Drawing area' in the rightmost side of the 'View Control Bar'- click it and it will show all hidden objects lo...

Found this from an AU2010 class- The Revit Server Extension may prove helpful if we need to work over the WAN. http://download.autodesk.com/us/subscription/sap_2011/videos/revit_server_extention/aec-sub-adv-pack-revit-server-ext.html From what I gather it adds an intermediary  between the actual central file and what the end-users perceive as the central file. Typically for use if users on a project must collaborate across the WAN. A central server (over the WAN) maintains what I will call the WAN-CENTRAL file The local server communicates with the WAN-CENTRAL to maintain updates on what I will call the LAN-CENTRAL during STCs The end-users STC on their system syncs with the LAN-CENTRAL copy. This is supposed to eliminate the (potentially deadly) Wide Area Network lag- so users perceive a STC that is as fast as a LAN STC and no issues arise from the lag not syncing across systems. All this appears to be handled with my SQL- so true locks can be established with pieces and...

Notes from AU- For designing models define the processess- eg- A sweep should cut the wall but not typically be embedded in the wall type. Sweeps should be modeled separately from wall types to limit creation of wall types. Model floors for each level separately In this blog there are several Process vignietttes which are intended for searching an use to work collaboratively with one another. And another big tip I really would like to approach more often- talk to contractor about what they need in the model- what they would like to see -- Satterfield & Pontikes are able to turn around cost estimates on buildings in as little as 15 minutes once properly set up.

Autodesk - Autodesk Revit Products for BIM-Enabled Sustainable Design

When setting up a typical standard - with standardized naming (ie modular naming for walls, doors, widows, etc.) there is a shared _TYPE parameter in the 3.0 shared params file that can be used.   If the _TYPE shared parameter is not used- type marks will automatically be assigned and are un-inheritable from project to project. This will need to be something assigned to the standard if the ID Tagging systems are to be unified.  

Another tidbit FYI : )   Spot elevations will only work on Model components not detail components (In sections in particular). A Circle with a bar through it (NO Symbol) will appear if the user does not tab down to the model elements underneath. Note also- Spot slopes in elevations will tag the roof hip befor tagging the roof slope. Use the TAB key to select the slope beyond.

CALLOUTS OVER BREAKLINES IN Revit 2010   When making callouts-  the cannot overlap Match lines without overhanging the view . There are  some cases where  the callouts cannot be broken into smaller separate individual callouts . One work around is to utilize SIM callouts to act as partial references to the callout.     One major drawback - the cropped region does not relate to the limits of the callout. It would be better to make smaller independent callouts if possible to break up the spaces.     These callouts overlap the boundary and can cause print issues: The workaround should only be used if smaller separate callout regions cannot be used.   1. Create a floor plan of the area, a. Rename the view to match view naming standards b. Select the elements you want to focus on and use the sunglasses to isolate the elements c. Associate the correct view template   2. Turn the Crop Regions on and ...

List of AutoDesk products supported on Windows 7 (32 bit AND 64 bit?) http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/item?siteID=123112&id=14185352 Autodesk expands power of Windows 7 certified AutoCAD 2011 with new features for conceptual design and drafting productivity http://microsoftfeed.com/2010/autodesk-expands-power-of-windows-7-certified-autocad-2011-with-new-features-for-conceptual-design-and-drafting-productivity/

With the TurnTool software you can make 3D models available for everyone online on the internet or offline from CDROM, USB or from your computer http://www.turntool.com/

Sketchup into Unreal.... You have 2 options when doing this 1. Buy the Pro edition (which is about $500 i dunno), that has the export on it already 2. Get HT3DUT3. Its a plugin which i use that can convert skp straight into 1 mesh of t3d or even a whole world of t3d. Its great. Thanks http://forums.epicgames.com/showthread.php?t=650874

UDN - Two - CADtoUnreal http://udn.epicgames.com/Two/CADtoUnreal.html

Anyone tried this for the Revit x64 DB Connect??? http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=58CE885D-508B-4 5C8-9FD3-118EDD8E6FFF&amp;displaylang=ja&displaylang=en

K eep section and detail callouts relatively tight to what is being annotated.   Basically – If the current view’s range ‘touches’ the extents of a tag’s Crop Region that callout/section/detail will show in the view. If MORE space is needed for annotations- turn the annotation crop on and stretch the limits to include the necessary annotations.   There are many places where annotations can be turned off but all views should be kept closely cropped to the elements (i.e. curtain wall elevations) referenced.   Several comments regarding “CW showing in plan” were due to the section-elevations of the curtain walls extending too far to the plan views below.

If you don't have the luxury of a 100% Revit-BIM Based project you will need to import/export to CAD and subsequently DGN for most DOD / USACE projects. The   Revit View naming conventions established in the DOD outline correspond with slightly adapted NCS Version 4.0 File naming conventions. There are a few basic reasons for the format and rigidity 1. The view names need to be organized in something other than "DETAIL 1", "CALLOUT OF FLOOR PLAN 1" "ELEVATION 1", etc. from Revit's generic naming conventions. 2. Because the views are exported to PDF and DWG reference especially in Hybrid projects- the best convention we have to follow is based on the current NCS (National Cad Standard currently version 4.0).  Every major player in the US either loosely or strictly follows or will be following this standard; Including U.S.A/C/E, VA, GSA, and DOD.  Building Smart Alliance  currently oversees the NCS  and the NBIMS i...

Added... " Browse to the export folder. " below Cad Export Process (After bare-bones & Materials are assigned) Revit Icon> Export> CAD Formats > DWG Select set to export (Or Insession) Select sheets/views to filter in the list. Sort by name to itemize everything by drawing type and its name Set up CAD Layer naming (If not already set) This may require selecting one of the read-only layer exports and resaving it under a different Name. Revit ADDS ALL LAYER NAMES from linked drawing files- to prevent this list from becoming too large we made it read only. Browse to the export folder. Strip everything off the ‘tail’ of the file name so the project number (and building identifier if necessary) are the only   elements left to use as a prefix. Revit will add a “-“ after this prefix. For standard CAD export - Make sure the [ ] Xref views on sheets is unchecked. This places all elements with the sheet in one file. For “STRIP REFERENCING”   Make...

Finish extents tag-   to show extents of finish along wall in plan.  This 'tag' is actually a  DETAIL COMPONENT that you can use to tag walls/extents of finishes to show the extent of finishes in plan (Interiors old-school). It can be taken one step further- By incorporating this detail component into a generic wall hosted family- it can force to snap to walls and will show wherever the instance is cut. These families would actually map the extent of the wall finish as a wall-hosted object which then would show the tags when cut. This can be done but would take some reconstruction of the family to keep it under control (Like the ADA graphics- it would likely need to be a generic subcategory and/or locked down to a specific workset) MARK and DESCRIPTION are the parameters for the text/graphics. These are designated by type. FINISH_EXTENTS.rfa

  To show the ceiling plans correctly, the RCPs will be cut at a height of 7’6”   All the drop soffit areas lower than this will need to have plan regions added to them to drop the RCP cut plane in these regions to 6’9” to display and register correctly.       A SINGLE SKETCH in the PRIMARY VIEWS with all the plan regions indicated can be used to lower the view across all drop soffit areas that are below the 7’6” mark similar to below. Try to keep relatively tight to the   Without a ceiling to tag, no height information or graphics stippling/representations will show (The elevation targets will disappear).        

Autodesk likely destined for the clouds... So' Private and Public' (MS ' Dedicated VS Standard' ) versions are already being run in the clouds... HUGE application implications for work-sharing applications like REVIT! http://labs.autodesk.com/technologies/trials/   OVERVIEW Welcome to Project Twitch! This project is testing remote delivery of our applications over the Internet. The goal of project Twitch is to enable you to test and try the latest versions of AutoCAD, Revit, Inventor, and Maya without having to install or download the applications. These applications run remotely on our servers and are delivered to you over the Internet.          

View references  – there are two types of VIEW REFERENCES  – opposite and adjacent .   View References ONLY show in PRIMARY<>Dependant view relationships. They are not visible in standard views. It is best to find the extents of the dependent views from the primary view and place the view reference tags there- use the dependant view extents (Dashed in view/annotation crop regions in the primary view) to place the tags.   BOTH Opposite and Adjacent tags should be used as they ‘grow’ from opposite sides of the match line- The invisible aligning line (Below in purple) should align with the match line. Each must point to the corresponding dependant views- adjustable from the options bar or element properties.   NOTE: ·          In the primary view reference ALL view reference tags show. ·          In the dependant vie...

This document outlines the processes of cross-platform collaboration between Revit and AutoCAD. Version 2010-06-03-1.0 Basically the steps involved in Exporting from Revit to CAD (and back) are as follows: Creating reference in Revit (Discipline and type-specific, plan, section, elevation, Callout or detail) Naming the callout view name correctly. Creating sheets in Revit (Setting up the details on the sheets in Revit) Exporting Revit to CAD Matching Revit output in CAD Detailing in CAD STRIP REFERENCING (For re-importing to Revit) Re-Importing the enhanced information back into Revit. NOTE:   Elements shown in RED are behaviors that need to be verified with each upgrade/update to Revit or CAD editing program. Each update can cause its own unique set of issues and should be tested on a case-by-case basis. This should probably be done with a single detail/sheet export/import from Revit to CAD before full export to CAD is assumed to be working correctly. There ...

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