BIM WITS

Revit - Tip of the Week

2012-01-05T11:28:00.000-08:00

EXPORTING REVIT FILES TO DWG - AUTOCAD

Many of you are required, from time to time, to export your Revit plans or Sheets to AutoCAD. There is a little checkbox that is often missed that will make your client a LOT happier.

First, to EXPORT your current view to AutoCAD DWG format.. follow this simple diagram below: [R>Export>CAD Formats>DWG files]

After you see a preview of your drawing and select NEXT.. you will see this dialog box:

UNCHECK this box. If left CHECKED, the resultant DWG file will have any views linked into it as XREF's. This could result in a multitude of drawings that all need to be sent to a client - and coordinated with proper directory structure (read: hassle). If the box is UNCHECKED (recommended), then the resultant DWG file is a single DWG file with all the information embedded.

NOTE: Also, if you are exporting to DWG for use in SketchUp.. be sure to change the Files of type: to a 2004 DWGformat. SketchUp can't read the 2010 DWG.

Controlling Visibility of Individual Wall Layers

2011-04-25T07:39:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it is desirable to hide individual layers of a wall while leaving other layers of the same wall visible. For example, when a structural engineer links an architect’s Revit file, the structural engineer may not want to show the rigid insulation, sheathing, masonry veneer and other nonstructural parts of the wall.

It is now possible in the 2012 release of Revit to control the visibility of individual layers of the wall. This can be accomplished by using the new ‘Parts’ tool. After creating parts for each of the layers in a wall, you can hide the layer part (or layer). ‘Parts’ is a new model category in Revit.

Empower the "I" in BIM

2011-02-02T13:38:00.000-08:00

Have you ever had the need to transfer your BIM data between Autodesk Revit and Microsoft Excel? Quite often, it is better to use the power of a spreadsheet application to manipulate your data. You now have the ability to transfer data back and forth between Revit and Excel using the Ideate BIMLink extension.

For more information about BIMLink, go to http://www.inlettechnology.com/Ideate_Products.html.

Download a trial version and try it out yourself! I think you will find this extension has many possibilities.

Developing a Strategy for Your BIM Implementation

2011-01-24T07:30:00.000-08:00

Building Information Modeling (BIM) is a process involving the representation of the physical and functional characteristics of a building in digital form. By using the BIM approach, it becomes possible to streamline processes, improve coordination and simulate construction, which facilitates more reliable decision making for the planning, design, construction, operation and maintenance of buildings.

The implementation of a BIM approach for your organization and for specific projects requires careful planning and consideration. The transition to BIM is a revolutionary process change with challenges, risks and benefits. A well-structured plan can help identify the challenges in advance, minimize risk and increase benefits. Your transition to BIM must consider your goals and uses for BIM, your BIM project execution process, information exchanges and supporting infrastructure for your BIM implementation.

The “BIM Project Execution Planning Guide” provides a structured approach for developing your plan. A team at the Penn State University Computer Integrated Construction (CIC) Research Program authored the guide with assistance from advisors representing the buildingSMART allianceTM and AEC firms throughout the United States. This collection of BIM experience will provide you and your organization with a firm foundation upon which you can develop your plan. The guide is available for download at http://www.engr.psu.edu/ae/cic/bimex/.

Maintaining Linked Revit Files in an Unloaded State

2011-01-17T11:58:00.000-08:00

When working with a Revit file that has linked Revit files, you may decide to unload one or more of the linked files to help improve file performance. This will not be an issue until you enable Worksharing on your Revit file. After you enable Worksharing, Revit does not maintain the unloaded state of the linked Revit files in your local file when you ‘Synchronize with Central’ or ‘Reload Latest’.

You can maintain the linked Revit files in an unloaded state by doing the following:

Create a Workset for each of the linked Revit files and place the linked Revit files in the Workset created for that linked file.
Go to the Worksets dialog box and ‘Close’ the Workset that you want to unload and keep unloaded after you ‘Synchronize with Central’ or ‘Reload Latest’. Closing the Workset will unload the linked Revit file contained in the Workset.

BIM WITS Resuscitation

2011-01-11T05:52:00.000-08:00

WOW! It has been almost two years since our last BIM WITS Blog post and much has happened during this time. I have a lot on my mind about IPD, BIM, Revit, etc. and I plan to share these thoughts on a regular basis using this Blog started by Mike Taylor. Stay tuned for regular postings of my thoughts about IPD, BIM, Revit and other related topics.

Adding more Options for Interference Checking

2009-04-08T11:23:00.000-07:00

You can use the power of Revit to increase your options for interference checks. Instead of only checking for items that occupy the same space, why not check for interferences in equipment clearance spaces?

You can add clearance spaces to your equipment families, such as panelboards, that are not visible by default but will still report an interference if an object is occupying the same space.

Curtainwall Magic

2009-01-23T06:50:00.000-08:00

Curved Mullions are no longer an issue in Revit!
(SECRET REVEALED IN COMMENTS BELOW)

They are easy - you simply select the 'curved mullion' checkbox on the Options Bar when you are placing curtain grids. Shape handles allow you to pull and push manually or you can enter the radius in the field. Floating Mullions (not attached to the curtain wall edges) must be selected PRIOR to adding them... meaning you can't convert one of the simple curved ones to a floating mullion.

Finally we can do anything we want in Revit!

If you need any help with this just email me here at BIM WITS!
Happy Curtainwalling....

It's all "Relative"....

2009-01-21T11:41:00.000-08:00

Using Relative paths for Revit files is a common practice since most of us are sharing our files with consultants and the odds of them having the exact same network configuration is slim.

Unfortunately there is a problem with Relative paths. Revit will only consider a link to be relatively pathed if the linked file is in the same folder as its host.
So if you link a file from another folder and set the path to Relative, Revit will still remember the path to that file and look for it along that path when the host file is moved or copied.

This isn't the end of the world, but it will require reloading of linked files when they are shared with consultants, copied or moved.

Revit MEP Content

2008-12-01T13:55:00.000-08:00

Hey all of you Autodesk Subscription customers! There are 2 new content extentions available for download on the subscription website.

The US Content Extension for Revit MEP 2009 has imperial and metric duct and pipe fittings along with their associated Lookup Tables. These fittings adhere to SMACNA and ASME standards.

The UK Content Extension for Revit MEP 2009 has duct fittings adhering to the DW/144 UK industry standards.

We all know how important it is to have content, content and more content in order to create our building models so this is definitely a step in the right direction.
The nice thing is, the families in these extensions were created based on input from users of the software (imagine that!)

Not an Autodesk Subscription customer? Contact your local Autodesk Reseller to find out how to become one.

Reveal Around the End of a Wall

2008-10-01T13:45:00.000-07:00

I've had enough people ask me this so I decided to post it.
This is a simple thing that is often misunderstood.
When an embedded reveal comes to the end of a wall - it can't wrap around the corner.
So sorry Charlie...

So, you simply have to create a separate wall of JUST THE MATERIAL that is doing the wrapping.
When this new wall is placed along the end of the primary wall - the materials wrap right around the corner just fine.
And any 'embedded'reveals will wrap also.
Bahda Bing.

But if the reveals were placed as Hosted Sweeps (NOT EMBEDDED) - the returns can be edited to 90 degrees and pulled back across the end of the wall.

This can't be done to embedded reveals.

MY PERSONAL OPINION: Don't fake stuff. Build it right so it works and looks right and can also give you accurate material take-offs.

Just Ask!

2008-08-15T13:39:00.000-07:00

Transitioning to a BIM solution is a big step. It is far too important of a decision to make without knowing as much as you possibly can.

Revit is intuitive and fairly easy to learn but with today's fast paced project schedules many people don't have the time to learn by trial and error. Time lost by trying to "figure this stuff out" is a pain in the wallet and can lead to a wrong idea of what BIM is really all about. (See Mike's rant below about falling back to AutoCAD)

There are lots of resources out there and many people willing to share their experiences and lessons learned.

Don't be afraid to ask!

Are you really BIM ready?

2008-08-14T11:05:00.000-07:00

Requirements for BIM deliverables are becoming more prevalent in RFP’s for building design and construction services. Are you and the rest of the project team prepared to satisfy these requirements?

Do not fool yourself or others; buying a box of BIM software does NOT make you BIM ready. Preparedness to satisfy the BIM deliverable requirements entails an understanding of the Integrated Project Delivery process. It requires all project team members (designers, constructors, owners and other key players) to embrace the nine principles of IPD. Otherwise, it will be difficult to fulfill the requirements for a BIM deliverable let alone achieve the benefits of an IPD approach.

There are many issues to consider and you should not attempt this process alone if you are new to it. You should bring a BIM subject matter expert on board your team to help you be successful in the process.

You can download the AIA Integrated Project Delivery Guide from http://www.aia.org/ipdg. In this document you will find the nine IPD principles along with a wealth of information to guide you along the IPD path.

Who Builds What?

2008-07-05T13:43:00.000-07:00

This is an incredibly important question when working with consultants on an Integrated Project. WHO BUILDS WHAT? is a question that must be addressed early in the Design Process.

WHEN WORKING WITH LINKED FILES:
Who builds the ceiling?
Who places the lighting fixtures?
Plumbing fixtures?
Who places the beams and columns?
What about the slab floor or the joists?
Who adds the furniture?
ETC...

THINK before you build/model.

Several models linking in from different firms into one integrated model can get quite complicated if these decisions are not made up front.
Ideally they are worked out early, so there is little or NO duplication of modeling in the Building Information Model (BIM).

Should I or Should I Not?

2008-07-02T10:59:00.000-07:00

When downloading a Revit web update have you ever pondered whether you should include the content library when downloading?

I do not recall previous web updates including new or improved content for Revit Structure. However, Web Update 1 for RST 2009 does include improvements to joist girder families and tags. These improvements make the joist girder content more consistent with industry standards.

I ALWAYS download the content when downloading a web update just in case there are any improvements or additions to the content library.

Using Revit as AutoCAD

2008-05-28T10:12:00.000-07:00

For all of you who are not ready to make the journey to BIM and use the most powerful, user-friendly, easy peasy program REVIT like it was designed... you can STILL make the jump to Revit and USE IT AS AUTOCAD.

Yep, you can just draw lines, arcs and circles and waste tons of time and money like you are doing RIGHT NOW!!!

In fact - it will kill your productivity and make you cry and go back to hand drafting - so GET OFF YOUR SORRY BUTT and continue throwing money and resources right down the tubes - because you will never do things quicker and easier until you grasp a hold of REVIT and let it do what it was designed to do...
...BUILDING INFORMATION MODELING!!

(YES... I'm on my soapbox again - but I keep getting people telling me it's faster to just use AutoCAD to draft their designs in 2D... they can't seem to see past the end of their noses.)

Hooray! The new versions are out!

2008-05-02T04:53:00.000-07:00

The 2009 versions of Revit have been released! New features and many bug fixes make this an exciting time for those of us who have been working with previous releases. One note of caution (I know, such a party pooper) be careful when upgrading projects from a previous version to the 2009 releases. Especially with Revit MEP. The new Spaces feature may require some reworking of schedules and data analysis, so watch for stuff like that.

Also be sure to Audit your files when you open them with the new versions.

Check back here for more information on all the cool new stuff with the Revit 2009 products, coming soon.

Oh, and HOORAY for Mike and Heather!

Face Hosted vs. Element Hosted

2008-03-29T19:33:00.000-07:00

Trying to decide which is right for your project? This is an important decision that should be made as early in the process as possible. Here are some key factors to consider:

Face hosted components
* will remain in the model when their host is deleted
* can be used to attach to faces in the model or to faces in a linked model
* components hosted by a ceiling face do not move with ceiling grid lines (they will stay attached to ceiling face when elevation changes)

Element hosted components
* are deleted when their host is deleted
* must have a host, therefore requiring Copy/Monitor of linked elements
* components hosted by a ceiling will move both horizontally and vertically with the ceiling, maintaining alignment with grid lines

Your best bet is to use Face hosted when dealing with linked models. In any other case a good rule of thumb is: when in doubt, use Face hosted.

Can your Revit Structure do this?

2008-03-28T08:33:00.000-07:00

With a few clicks of the mouse, can YOUR Revit Structure select the most economical K-Series joists for the loads and spacing that you specify? The Revit API provides a means for you to extract data from your Revit project file so that you can perform the necessary calculations and update your Revit file with the results. Imagine the possibilities for automating many of the routine tasks that you encounter day-to-day. Imagine how you can minimize errors that may otherwise occur when you perform these repetitive tasks manually.

Revit Link Miss-Coordination

2008-03-28T07:03:00.000-07:00

Miss Coordination will show up and make your life miserable.
She shows up when you link in a Revit file that is a CENTRAL file back at your consultants office.
But WAIT... I thought this was BEST PRACTICE?!!!
It is best practice ONLY if you open their file DETACHED from CENTRAL, and SAVE it back on top of itself... BEFORE YOU LINK IT IN!!!
Otherwise - little Miss Coordination will put items in the wrong places and make your life a living HELL.
So to speak.
=)

Tail wagging the Dog

2008-03-27T18:40:00.001-07:00

There is an old joke:
"How can you tell the extroverted engineer? He looks at YOUR shoes when he talks to you instead of his own."

MEP engineers and designers are used to being at the tail end of project design and the sharing of information. Using the tools that Revit provides for effective and efficient project collaboration can ease the pain of late-in-the-game design changes. By sharing a project model, the engineers can quickly see changes and how they affect their design. This should promote communication within the project team. Yes, Mr./Ms. engineer, you're gonna have to talk to them... :)

Chart Your Course to IPD Success

2008-03-27T18:08:00.000-07:00

You can travel many different paths when using BIM in an Integrated Project Delivery process. The paths you and other IPD team members take will depend on many factors. These include the purpose of the model, level of detail to include in the model, procedures for sharing model information and other factors. Meet early and conduct workshops with your IPD team to discuss these factors so you will chart the best course...the success of your project depends on these early discussions. The IPD process is new…don’t assume other team members will know which direction to go.

DWG Integration

2008-03-27T11:05:00.000-07:00

Don't do it.
Trust me... don't EVER import and explode DWG's into your Revit files.
YES.. Revit can Import DWG files - but it is seriously bad practice. They bring with them a myriad of layers/objects that get converted to linetypes and your materials, text styles, filled regions, etc... gets ALL screwed up... Basically your Revit file turns into a major case of FUBAR.

If you absolutely MUST... "LINK" a DWG in, USE it for a temporary underlay to create a toposurface or some other geometry - and then REMOVE it!

Just like a bad habit... It will only cause you heartache if you keep it around.

CIVIL 3D or Revit Civil

2008-03-27T10:06:00.000-07:00

Anyone wonder why they don't come out with a flavor of Revit for Civil Engineers?
I really like the SITE tools that come with Revit, but why not make a REAL solution and give us Revit Civil!

Revit will Eat your Lunch...

2008-03-26T03:08:00.000-07:00

Revit will eat your lunch.. or.. will play nice.
It all depends on how you implement!

Rush right in and figure all your superior AutoCAD knowledge will get you thru.. and trust in the way you USED to do things.
Bye-bye Sandwich.

Approach it with a plan and open mind.. implementing Revit into your company strategically.
You enjoy the benefits and power of fully integrated Project Delivery.

Your choice.
=)