Over 2017 Development

The year 2017 is almost coming to an end. As you notice, there are no new articles published since last, simply because I am too busy with things I love to do.

As you know, Revit is still the best modeling software I ever encounterd in my life and hopefully the same is true for you too. There are still much work that one can do to be more productive using this software. To be honest, I am not a very ambitious person in the first place to develop some tools that can help boost Revit productivity. I am not saying there is anything wrong with ambition. My ambition is to do things that I am happy with and I am very happy doing volunteer work this time and I'll always be very happy with it.

To my followers and readers, I wish you a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year 2018.

Future Developments 2017

Thanks everyone for following this blog and for your feedback. It really means a lot to me hearing that you are getting value out of the articles that I published here. I will try to continue this again as soon as new unique developments around Revit arises.

If you have some questions about the use of Revit, just drop me a line.

Sunken Floor

Problem: How do I correctly model a sunken floor construction?


Steps:

1. Create the floor geometry required at the highest level.

2. Create the edge beam needed along the floor just made.

3. Lastly, create the lower floor against the edge beam.

Guide Grid in Revit

Since the introduction of Autodesk Revit 2011, there is the possibility of inserting a guide grid to align views across the sheet set. This "Guide Grid" command is available under the View tab and on the Sheet Composition panel. By selecting this option a light blue grid object will be inserted on your sheet. You can choose to give it an unique name such as "A1" Guide Grid, and under Properties, you can set the spacing to your requirement such as 25mm.

To insert the same grid with the same location on another sheet, simply open that Sheet View and from the Properties menu, under Guide Grid, select the "A1" Guide Grid that you just created.

With the Revit Guide Grid, you can align your all floor plans, by using the same intersection of the guide grid lines you created. You can resize the Guide Grid bounds to suit your needs. Several guide grid types can be created to align different type of views, such as sections, plans, details, elevations, etc.

Please take note that the alignment snapping works only for Grids, Levels, Reference Planes and view Crop boundaries. It will not work for other entities.

Override a Dimension to show it as a blank value

Have you ever needed to show a dimension string without a value or text? To achieve this, select the dimension and then proceed to override it with text. In the text field; Hold down the "Alt" key and type 030, then select OK. 

You now have a blank dimension.

Note: ALT030 will not show in the text field when you type it. The field will remain blank.

US Structural Content Extension for Autodesk Revit 2015, Autodesk Revit Architecture 2015, and Autodesk Revit Structure 2015

Reprint from Autodesk Subscription
Release Date: 2014-11-19

The US Structural Content Extension for Autodesk® Revit® 2015*, Autodesk® Revit® Architecture 2015, and Autodesk® Revit® Structure 2015 provides the latest AISC standard 14.1 hot rolled structural steel shapes. 

Content is available in English only. 

Autodesk Revit 2015 software is only available as part of the Autodesk® Building Design Suite 2015 Premium and Ultimate Editions and Autodesk® Infrastructure Design Suite 2015 Ultimate Edition.

Autodesk Site Designer Extension for Revit 2015

Release Date: 2014-09-17

The Autodesk® Site Designer Extension for Revit® 2015 software helps architects, designers, and planners convey building site planning concepts to engineers. Site Designer runs inside Revit software and uses native families, components, and toposurfaces, so site designs become part of the overall model. You can model alternatives for mass grading, building pads, streets, sidewalks, parking lots, and retaining walls all within the Revit environment. More easily convert a sketched line into a street, sidewalk, curb and gutter, retaining wall or parking lot in the model. You can manipulate Site Designer components using editing tools to change their location, elevation, grade or geometry, and Site Designer automatically updates and maintains the underlying toposurface.

- Report and schedule areas, volumes, and cut and fill volumes to better understand the impact of site design changes on requirements to move or add fill.

- Iterate conceptual designs and create more realistic visuals of the building site by incorporating grading features directly into the Revit model.

Better communicate conceptual design ideas about the building site to engineers who can then complete the detailed site design using professional civil engineering tools like Autodesk® AutoCAD® Civil 3D® software.

Share the appearance of site plan designs for better communication with everyone involved in the project, including owners, architects, designers, planners and civil engineering firms.

- Share a site model between Revit and Civil 3D through Land XML files, improving collaboration between architects and engineers working on a project.

- More quickly add design elements to your site such as berms and drainage swales, minimizing the time required to mass grade a site and to try alternatives at the design development stage.

- Special terrain families within Site Designer provide you with parameters that control widths, cut and fill slopes and other projection settings.

- Locate hardscape components such as streets, intersections, sidewalks, curbs and walls that can follow the existing terrain and have controlled elevations and slopes - all while the toposurface is automatically maintained.

Content is available in English only.

Source: Autodesk Subscription

Graphics Settings in Revit.ini

This is a reprint from Autodesk Site.

In the Revit.ini file, settings in the [Graphics] section control the display of graphics in the drawing area.

Antialiasing:
Corresponds to the Use Anti-Aliasing option on the Graphics tab of the Options dialog.
Type = integer
Valid values: 0 = disable (default), 1 = enable

HiddenSlabEdge:
Determines how hidden lines of slab edges display in plan views of "Structural" discipline.
Type = string
Valid values:
All = show all hidden lines for slab edges
Itself = show the bearing or hidden edges (default)
Other = show the edge intersecting the slab
None = show no hidden lines for slab edges

InvertBackground:
Corresponds to the Invert Background option in the Colors section of the Graphics tab on the Options dialog.
Type = integer
Valid values: 0 = disable (default), 1 = enable

OptimizedViewNavigation:
Corresponds to the Use Optimized View Navigation option in the Graphics Mode section of the Graphics tab on the Options dialog.
Type = integer
Valid values: 0 = disable, 1 = enable

SemiTransparent:
Corresponds to the Semi-transparent option in the Colors section of the Graphics tab on the Options dialog.
Type = integer
Valid values: 0 = disable, 1 = enable (default)

TempDimFontSizeInPoints:
Specifies the point size of text in temporary dimensions. This setting corresponds to the Size option in the Temporary Dimension Text Appearance section on the Graphics tab of the Options dialog.
Type = integer
Valid values: between 8 (the default) and 20

TempDimTextBackground:
Corresponds to the Background option in the Temporary Dimension Text Appearance section on the Graphics tab of the Options dialog.
Type = integer
Valid values: 0 = transparent (default), 1 = opaque

UseGraphicsHardware:
Corresponds to the Use Hardware Acceleration option on the Graphics tab of the Options dialog.
Type = integer
Valid values: 1= enable hardware acceleration (default), 0 = disable hardware acceleration


Example:

[Graphics]
InvertBackground=0
Antialiasing=0
SemiTransparent=1
TempDimTextBackground=1
HiddenSlabEdge=all
TempDimFontSizeInPoints=12
UseGraphicsHardware=0
OptimizedViewNavigation=1


Source: Autodesk Site

Autodesk Revit 2015 R2

Release Date: 2014-09-17

With Autodesk® Revit® 2015 R2, Autodesk Maintenance and Desktop Subscription customers get access now to new features that add powerful capabilities, make Revit perform faster, and can improve modeling productivity. Fully compatible with Revit 2015 releases, Revit 2015 R2 installs without disrupting ongoing work in Revit 2015.

Power: Revit 2015 R2 includes new features that enable you to do more with Revit.

- Share more accurately predicted energy performance information in custom dashboards with Project Solon integrated into Revit.
- Use existing geometry in a linked IFC model as a reference for dimensions, alignment, snapping, and hosting of some families in a Revit model.
- Troubleshoot models better with the Reveal Constraints mode making all dimension alignment constraints in a view visible.
- Explore visual programming with the Dynamo interface for computational design which now installs with Revit so you can more easily enhance and extend the power of the Revit API.

Performance: Autodesk Revit R2 meets requests for faster software performance with the goal of making your work easier.

- Edit and regenerate complex toposurfaces, subregions, and building pads.
- Get better performance of the energy analytical model in Revit, with Revit R2 using less memory when analyzing large models.
- Experience faster updates to views that contain multiple instances of families.
- See faster display of Revit links within views.

Productivity: You’ll welcome multiple enhancements in Revit R2 designed to improve your modeling and work productivity.

- Work in perspective views, making quick adjustments without having to change views with some modeling capabilities now available in perspective views.
- Save more time by editing multiple wall joins together
- Find content more quickly with Search capabilities in the Type Selector and all drop-down lists.
- Navigate PDFs exported from Revit more quickly with hyperlinked views.
- Experience easier interaction with structural elements through user interface improvements.
- Improve productivity with more streamlined Rebar modeling and shop drawings creation.


For a complete list of enhancements to your product, refer to the Autodesk Revit 2015 Update Enhancements List or Autodesk Revit LT 2015 Update Enhancements List.

*Autodesk Revit 2015 software is only available as part of the Autodesk® Building Design Suite 2015 Premium and Ultimate Editions and Autodesk® Infrastructure Design Suite 2015 Ultimate Edition.

Source: Autodesk Subscription

Roombook-Areabook-Buildingbook Extension for Autodesk Revit 2015

Release Date: 2014-06-16

The Roombook Areabook Buildingbook Extension for Autodesk® Revit® 2015, Autodesk® Revit® Architecture 2015, Autodesk® Revit® Structure 2015, Autodesk® Revit® MEP 2015, and Autodesk® Revit LT™ 2015 software helps you with the quantification of your projects:

- Roombook calculates the room-related surface areas of walls, floors and ceiling elements as well as room circumferences and furnishing elements for a complete material calculation of the interior finish.

- Areabook calculates living and net areas by rooms and room groups as well as net, gross and construction floor areas by projects for a comprehensive floor area calculation.

- Buildingbook calculates the material-related quantities of constructive building parts for a detailed quantification of materials under consideration of layers, parts and components.

In addition to the automated detection of surfaces, areas and volumes, this extension helps users configure these elements manually to local requirements and country-specific standards (International and DIN/VOB), as well as achieve more accurate model take-offs. Quantified results can be exported to Microsoft® Excel® software, comma-separated CSV text files, native Revit® schedule tables and to DWF files for further quantification like Autodesk® Quantity Takeoff and Autodesk® Navisworks®.

*Autodesk Revit 2015 software is only available as part of the Autodesk® Building Design Suite 2015 Premium and Ultimate Editions and Autodesk® Infrastructure Design Suite 2015 Ultimate Edition.

Source: Autodesk Subscription

Curved ramp sloping in two directions

You want to model an underground Parking Garage in a cylindrical form sloping in two directions.
Floor Parameters: slope angle towards the centroid, ramp thickness, ramp width and material.

For further information please follow the link: Curved Ramp Sloping in Two Directions

Central European Content Extension for Autodesk Revit MEP 2015

Release Date: 2014-06-24

The Central European Content Extension for Autodesk® Revit® MEP 2015 software provides an English language version of the German content pack, helping to reduce the need for users to seek alternative sources of content where country-specific packs aren't available.

Content is available in English only as a product enchancement for Autodesk Subscription holders.

Source: Autodesk Subscription

Batch Print for Autodesk Revit 2015

Batch Print provides an easy way to print a large number of drawings (views and sheets) from a Autodesk® Revit® 2015, Autodesk® Revit® Architecture 2015, Autodesk® Revit® Structure 2015, or Autodesk® Revit® MEP 2015 software project.  

After preparing the default printer and the Revit software project, use Batch Print to send any number of drawings to the printer and to control the order in which they print. When you start the print job, Batch Print manages the printing of the drawings, requiring no further interaction from you. If desired, you can monitor the progress of the print job using a status dialog.

*Autodesk Revit 2015 software is only available as part of the Autodesk® Building Design Suite 2015 Premium and Ultimate Editions and Autodesk® Infrastructure Design Suite 2015 Ultimate Edition.

Source: Autodesk Site

The use of Scope Box in Revit

Maybe you will think I am old school.
Do you know that most of the newbies do not know the purpose of scope box, the most powerful Revit tools in editing for a document presentation?
I recommend that you use scope box instead of a callout for documenting a portion of your project. Scope box will control the extent of any datum element such as grids, reference planes and levels. It is very handy to control the extents of the views, speaking in 3D wise.

Autodesk Vault Basic 2014 add-in for MS Office 2013

Release Date: 2014-03-14

Autodesk Vault is fully integrated into Microsoft Office 2013 ( Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook).

The integration provides the ability to manage all of the supporting information for your Digital Prototype.
This includes email correspondence, specifications, calculations, and presentations enabling the entire workgroup to collaborate more effectively and get to market faster.

Available as Product Enhancements in Autodesk Subscription.

Source: Autodesk Site

Synchronizing problem with Revit Server

Have you ever experience synchronizing problem with your Revit Server and you get this pop-up message "Operation could not be completed" -> "File not saved"?

There are many reasons that can cause this issue, to name a few:

- it can be due to network access. Ping your Central Server and check if the latency is more than 200ms. Probably the process could be timing out.
- file access issues.
- model changes may create conflict too.
- connectivity issues between office networks.
- network bandwidth issue and the network is saturated due to video conferencing, YouTube etc.
- Revit server needs a dedicated 1 mbps for a good performance.
- local hardware can also be an issue like docking station malfunctioning creating disruption between Revit and the Revit Server.

File Naming Conventions

One of the basic requirement in Data Management is a good standard File Naming. It is a good idea to name and organize your files in a descriptive and consistent manner in order that other users can find the specific data they are looking for.

I suggest that you consider including in your project file names:

- Project Number
- Document type (preliminary design, CD-contract doc., etc.)
- Plan, section or detail
- Other unique identifier

Tip :
Try not to make file names too long since long file names might pose some problem in other type of software.

When using a sequential numbering system, use leading zeros for clarity and to make sure files sort in sequential order. For example, use "001, 002, ...010, 011 ... 100, 101, 200, 201 etc." instead of "1, 2, ...10, 11 ... 100, 101, etc."

Do not use spaces. Instead, use underscores between words, e.g. file_name. Camel case may also be used to avoid spaces and make file names easier to read, e.g. FileName.

Be consistent with the number of characters in the file name for your drawings.

Avoid using special characters such as $ % * etc.

Drawing Sheet duplication

You need to duplicate a Sheet for a project with Title block information and you do not want to create it from scratch.

Steps:

Select the sheet you want to duplicate in the Project Browser.

Right click and select “Copy to Clipboard” from the menu.

Go to Modify tab > Paste > Paste from Clipboard.

Repeat the “Pasting” procedure as needed. In this example, duplication is executed 4 times using the original sheet CK28_10 001 – Beganegrond.

Sheet numbering will be incremented as shown in the above figure, CK28_10 2 till CK28_10 5.

Note:

If  ”Copy to Clipboard” is grey out in the “right click menu”, it means that the Sheet you are trying to copy has a View and/or Legend in it. This trick will not work.

To tag, or not to tag

To tag, or not to tag, that is your problem in a Revit session. This is analogue to "To be, or not to be", the famous opening phrase of a soliloquy in William Shakespeare's play Hamlet, and the fundamental question and answer is there.

Most of the Revit users will agree that tagging an object will give more benefits rather than using the Revit command Annotation, Text. Once an object needs be revised, the annotation will be automatically changed while using Text, you got to do it manually, a tedious work in the long run.

My recommendation: Always do tagging an object. There are several built-in parameters present in all Family Category. Why not take sometime to review your families and start adding your favorite tags.

I hope this will inspire you to work more efficient in annotating your Revit drawings.

Section Symbols Disappear

A sophisticated program like Revit has many options and settings and you can expect sometimes that a user will get lost and be frustrated in controlling the visibility graphics for a particular view. One of our design team members asked me why his Section Symbols disappeared suddenly in one of his plan views. There are many reasons why a Section Symbol may not show up in a view. Below are some pointers you can follow to solve this visibility issue.

- Check if Section category is on.
- Check Hidden Elements and unhide them if the Elements are hidden thru the Option Bar.
- Section Mark will not show up in a plan view in case the Crop Region for a section view does not “intersect” a plan view’s Cut Plane.

- Inspect the section view, select View Properties, and adjust the Hide at scales coarser than a given value.

- If you are applying Phases in a later design stage, most probably the Section Symbols reside in phase New Construction and this is no longer an active phase.