How about a little Insight...360?

A while ago, I spent some time getting my Autodesk Building Performance Analysis class completed, and learned quite a bit about using programs such as Vasari and Revit to perform whole building analysis - as well as what goes into these tasks, that really should take place on every occupied structure that is designed.

During this time, I had gotten wind that Vasari was a limited shelf life product. I also had written and produced the latest Green Building Studio training videos for CADLearning, where I'm already producing content for AutoCAD MEP, Plant 3D and AutoCAD P&ID.

Then I got this press release from Autodesk about Insight 360, which "which empowers architects with centralized access to their building energy and environmental performance data and the world’s most advanced analysis engines, all within a beautiful and intuitive interface. Through robust bi-directional Building Information Modeling (BIM) integration, direct access to leading analysis tools, and guidance and recommendations from industry benchmarks, architects can approach the design process with more effective understanding of the elements that lead to better building performance outcomes throughout the building lifecycle."
 

We're users of IES Virtual Environment and Trace, and last week covered how to use models developed in Revit to perform energy studies using the Green Building Studio engine, but now it looks like the next generation is here. The top features include:

• Visualize and interact with key industry benchmarks for performance with real-time cause and effect feedback to guide you toward better building performance outcomes. 

• Model with Revit and FormIt 360 Pro to generate insights using robust automatic analytical model creation and visualization of performance information directly in the modeling environment. This capability offers a powerful comparison workflow to run millions of design scenarios and see energy savings with immediate and interactive feedback. 

• Access to trusted industry leading engines for whole building energy, heating, cooling, daylighting, and solar radiation simulations. 

• Organize and share insights with project stakeholders and support geographically dispersed team collaboration from early targeting and feasibility analysis through operation with access anywhere via desktops, tablets, or smartphones.

Stephanie Eggers, who I met at the ASHRAE/IBPSA energy modeling conference a couple of years ago, maintains a blog with details about Insight 360, and how it can help you make better design tools via the BIM interface. Check it out at http://blogs.autodesk.com/insight360/introducing-autodesk-insight-360-2. 

I'll be checking it out at AU next week, and hope to report back with a little more detail.

Happy Thanksgiving, and happy modeling!

db

AU Starts in TWO WEEKS…Are you READY?

It’s that time of year…the leaves are changing, a chill is in the air. Holiday decorations are going up, and turkeys fear for their lives. Stress sets in as you realize that Christmas is only 38 days away…and you have no clue what to get the kids, the dog or your crazy aunt. Fears creeps up as you remember you’ve got to get that donation to the thrift store or make that tax payment…and the in-laws tell you they’re coming to stay from Thanksgiving to New Year…and it’s your turn in the rotation to host the office Christmas Party.

And then, for the geeks in the crowd…Autodesk University is only two weeks away. If you’re a speaker, it’s a special time of year.

A time to reflect on the thoughts and ideals you wanted to share…until you realize you left that key sentence out of your handout, “the opinions expressed in this document are only those of the writer”.

A day to plan out how you want to go through the right series of steps to get a point across…and the Autodesk Application Manager installs Revit 2016 Release 2, which changes the dialogs you captured 6 months ago.

A minute to polish your presentation…and you see a hole in the corner of your sport coat’s armpit…and you’re an arm waver.

A second to consider using the latest model you worked on…and realize you never got permission to use the file from the client.

But putting all the fears aside, you plug through your PowerPoint, make sure your teeth are brushed, that you have plenty of business cards, and get your tablet or iPhone updated with the AU application that will keep you from getting lost for the next several days.

For me, this year’s reflection goes back to the classes I have. The two that Autodesk selected. The ones that were almost an afterthought, fillers for what to use if they didn’t want the ones I really wanted to teach this year. And it got interesting…why did these get picked? What it something that they believe the industry wanted to hear and needed to know? Or was it just eeny-meeny-miney-mo?

There are two, but the first one is the one I wanted to cover the most. We talk about worksharing in a Revit project, and networking, and collaboration solutions the design firm should consider, that offer the best return on investment. And it wound up being the hardest presentation I’ve had to write to date…how do you make this topic interesting? Challenging? Inspirational? And Valuable?

As I was writing it, I realized how intense the topic could become, and how easy it is to get lost “in the weeds” drilling down to too much detail. I had to back myself up, and realize, from my layman’s perspective, that sometimes it’s not about presenting yourself and how “smart” you are.

But rather, it’s about being able to relate to the same problem someone else may be having, and how insight we provide could help them avoid the same problems later. AU isn’t about the classes…it’s about the networking, the personal connection and the shared mindset we all have. It’s about coming to a common place, that we all have the same goals. To get better at what we do, making the most of our time so have more time later to do…something else. Sort of a “love what you do, to get to do what you love” mindset.

I realized that going back to the beginning helped me understand better what it took to get where we are, and just how much life has changed since the garage so many years ago.

And I as was reflecting back on the class, I thought about what I had seen this year. I got to meet the original creators of Revit, and tell them how big of an impact they not only had on my life, but on thousands of others. I got to spend time with some awesome co-workers, who seized the moment, jumped on the bandwagon, and continue to push me – and the firm – to the next level. And we’ve been having a great time doing it, too. But it was cool telling Leonid and Irwin just what we were doing with the software, and seeing their keen interest in how it was being used, so far beyond what the original expectations were.

I turned the speed limit this year, and was able to look back on how much has changed since 1985, when I first got the chance to sit down at a computer and draw, and see the output on an old HP pen plotter. I look at the fascination I had then, and marvel at how far we’ve come, in just a generation. Not just buildings, but systems. Not just offices, but water treatment plants. Not just piping, but distribution stations that aren’t in a building at all. And when I come back to the handout for the class, I realize – it’s important to share where we came from, but just as important to have clear vision for where you want to go…and learn what’s out there for you.

I think ahead about who I would groom to take my place, to carry the banner and lead the charge for the future of design. Would they have the same passion? Would they be willing to commit themselves to being an advocate for getting away from “we’ve always done it that way”? Would they be able to blend common sense in, with the same desire for making their spot in the office and the community a better place?

Let me make a suggestion – spend some time this year looking for the students at AU this year. Go to the exhibit hall, and look for the youngest person in the room. Strike up a conversation – and ask them what they think. And realize…

That’s who we’re working for. That’s who we are teaching the skills we’ve been lucky to learn. That’s who will carry that torch. Share your passion, your knowledge and make sure they know – hey, this can be fun, too. Have a good time in your class – get down off the stage, get out in the audience, and make contact. And walk away with a lifetime of friends…that you’ll never forget.

At least until that average temperature of summer catches up with you…you old folks know what I mean…so get ready. In two weeks, it’ll be time to show the next generation…this is how we roll…and ramble…;-)

See you in Vegas!

Autodesk's New Structural and MEP Fabrication Suites

For those of you who prefer to use our design models for construction, Autodesk has made a couple of new product suites available. Here's a press release from Julie Jacobson and Joy Stark at Autodesk that detail the packages.

Structural engineers, detailers, fabricators, and MEP [mechanical, electrical and plumbing] contractors around the world are realizing that the increasing adoption of Building Information Modeling [BIM] within the AEC industry, coupled with government mandates, is fueling the need to participate in collaborative BIM processes to remain competitive. In response to these trends, we’re announcing two new suites that combine comprehensive tools to support BIM workflows for structural and MEP design, detailing, fabrication, and construction.

The new Autodesk Structural Fabrication Suite provides structural engineers, steel detailers, and fabricators with tools to help streamline the process from design to fabrication with model-based deliverables. The new Autodesk MEP Fabrication Suite provides MEP contractors, detailers, estimators and fabricators with tools to generate better estimates, create more accurate detailed models, and directly drive MEP fabrication while   transitioning to a tailored BIM solution.

The Autodesk Structural Fabrication Suite, which includes Autodesk Advance Steel 2016, AutoCAD 2016, Autodesk Revit 2016 and Navisworks Simulate 2016, offers tools to better connect structural design to detailing by allowing you to work more collaboratively within a BIM environment. Revit, AutoCAD, and Advance Steel together can help users streamline the detailing process by integrating steel detailing expertise alongside the design.  Advance Steel’s model based environment helps users produce accurate detailed drawings faster, helping to speed time to fabrication. The inclusion of Navisworks Simulate helps extend fabrication to the field by supporting estimation, coordination, and 4D simulation of steel projects. Models can be easily shared and viewed with contractors, improving coordination and reducing waste.

The Structural Fabrication Suite is available for an annual desktop subscription price of $3,500.  For more availability and product information, including languages supported, click here. 

The MEP Fabrication Suite is a portfolio of interoperable 3D construction software that enables MEP contractors, detailers, estimators and fabricators to move to BIM based workflows at a lower cost of entry.  The Suite offers tools to streamline your detailing and fabrication workflows, including the latest versions of CADmep, ESTmep, CAMduct, AutoCAD 2016, Autodesk Revit 2016 and Point Layout.   Combined, these tools offer fabrication products that generate better estimates, create more accurate detailed models, and directly drive MEP fabrication.  The Suite can also help you achieve better outcomes with advanced coordination, 5D analysis, and simulation tools that can be used throughout the project lifecycle while bringing model accuracy to the field more efficiently.

The MEP Fabrication Suite is available for an annual desktop subscription price of $4,600.  For more availability and information, including languages supported, click here. 

Update to Windows 10….Is it REALLY this Easy?!?!?!?

Now that I’ve gotten through a lot of Windows 8.1 testing, I updated my test system, I updated to Windows 10…and surprisingly enough it was the easiest update I had been through. Now, don’t get me wrong – I did a lot of prep work – but the amount of post work I had to do was related more to setting up the interface for my preferences than fixing things.

So here’s some notes, if you’re an Autodesk product user (or even Bentley, Adobe, etc.). My system is an HP Envy 17" about two years old.

First, I removed all of the older versions of Autodesk products prior to 2016. I didn’t need them since I had already migrated, but I’ve been hearing from others that 2015 still works fine as well. Autodesk hasn’t come out completely (as of this post) and said everything was compatible, but I’ve test driven everything in the Building Design Ultimate and Plant Design Premium suites and they all work. Keep in mind that it’s a good idea to take the folders off the system if you don’t need them, if any remain. Another note – remove all plug-ins, add-ins and extensions prior to uninstalling the main program, as uninstalling some (like the Revit Extensions 2015) would not uninstall after the main program was removed. Make sure you scroll all the way down in the Programs and Features list, since not all of the product names start with “Autodesk”. My bad…

Second, I used Norton to run a performance test on the drive, allowing it to defragment the disk. I thought about using a registry cleaner tool, but decided not to do this, and see if the install had any issues with extraneous registry keys. So far, nothing has happened, so I’ll come back and clean this up later.

Next, I did a disk cleanup using the drive’s Properties tools, cleaning up temp files, system reports, debug logs, etc. to get a clean slate. This is something you should be doing on a regular basis anyway, but definitely do this first. Here’s what the new tool looks like in Windows 10, and it’s pretty much the same as the earlier versions:

After doing the cleanup, I used System Recovery to set a restore point just in case, and named it Pre-Windows 10 so I’d know which one to use.

Last step was to back everything up that system restore didn’t cover, like my files. I use Western Digital’s backup software with the external hard drives as my backup system (look Ma, no tapes). I also use Beyond Compare for folders that aren’t covered with the backup lists, as mans to sync folders.

Before starting the update, make sure you turn off extra apps in your system tray. I turned off the Autodesk App Manager, since it’s one of the biggest burners, along with my cloud service apps. I temporarily suspended real time scanning since I wasn’t going to be hitting the internet after the installer downloaded. Getting the running apps down to a minimum helps the installer to run faster.

Once the installer was finished, all it took was a few preference settings, and the system came back up looking very similar to Windows 8/8.1. My shortcuts were all the same, my taskbar has the same icons. The only thing I messed with so far was the start menu tile settings – but I’m so glad that guy is back as part of the program, I didn’t care about the rest.

One item you need to check for sure – your System Restore settings may get disabled. Go to Settings, and search for System Restore. Run the configuration tool (I accepted the default amount of maximum disk space to use), and then create a restore point. I named this one Windows 10 Initial so I’d know where I started from.

So the good news is – Microsoft appears to have gotten this right…give yourself an Easy button!

Happy upgrades! – db

Erupting from Chaos…AU, RTC and Catching Up!

Man has it been a busy summer…between work, vacation, getting this fixed and repaired around the house…2015 has shot by like a rocket, and now the fall is on us. The older I get, the faster it goes.

So here’s the catch up time….

RTC First!

I finally got to attend a Revit Technology Conference, and thoroughly enjoyed it. The folks at RTC put on a great show, a little irreverent (just my speed) but populated by a mass of “true believers”. Users attend this conference because it’s the passion. And there was no better way to stoke that passion when Jim Balding, the conference host and talk show wannabe, brought out the founders of Revit. That’s right – Irwin Jungreis and Leonid Raiz, from the original Charles River Software company.

This got me feeling my “Sheldon” coming on (I have the DNA of Leonard Nimoy, er Leonid Raiz), and after the excitement of hearing the history of the program, it was awesome to realize how close I had been to the beginnings of this product. My days started when my old employer, CADRE Systems, became a Revit reseller right when the acquisition took place. That’s where I met Richard Taylor and the others, in the old Waltham office.

I made sure I got their autograph on my badge, and also made sure to tell them both how big of an impact they’ve not only had on my life and career, but on countless thousands around the world. It’s not every day that you meet someone that helped create a paradigm change…and they’re about as down to earth as anyone can be. I had a few conversations with Leonid over the next couple of days, and he always seemed to be amazed at how much enthusiasm and respect people had for him, and his accomplishments.

Back to the conference…I got added as a last minute speaker, and presented a lab on Advanced Content Editing for Revit MEP Users…And More. We took a little time talking about nested families, and how to leverage parameters to get the families to behave the way you want. We also covered my favorite activity of late, converting content from Inventor, which I feel like I’m finally getting better at doing. The room was full, and had a lot of great feedback and conversations after the class. Thanks to all those folks that signed my coffee mug - you're the real stars in the real world!

And I actually got to go to some great classes. Aaron Mailer, who was in a similar boat to me, having to pick up someone else’s class, did a great job with Navisworks Optimization, which we want to use more frequently. Paul Aubin, the Revit maharishi, did a great job of covering Revit materials, which I put to use right away in our 2016 content. And sitting in on Don Bokmiller’s roundtable brought tout some great, open, and honest assessment of the state of content for Revit.

So here’s the takeaway – if you’re a Revit user, and can’t afford AU, save your money and go to RTC. The quality of the conference, the staff, presenters and the people that attend match and exceed AU quality. The comraderie and networking is priceless…and you can really learn a lot at the after party! 

Next year the North American conference is in Scottsdale, Arizona, July 14-16^th. Yep, it’s gonna be a hot one, in more ways than one. For more information, go to www.rtcevents.com.

Autodesk University 2015!

…is just a few months away, and RTC really got me stoked up for it. Sign up now at au.autodesk.com before it gets booked up!

This year, I’m presenting two classes:

ES10022 - How’s BIM Doing in Your Multioffice Pond? – on Thursday, December 3^rd at 8:00am PST, is about optimizing Revit workflows between offices and outside firms. The course overview is listed:

Building Information Modeling (BIM) represents a great deal more than switching from 2D CAD to 3D modeling. Face it; these tools and work processes can be complicated. Throw in multiple office locations, different design partners, and old work methods, and you can have a real mess on your hands. In this session we will take a look at how programs like Revit software disrupt these ponds, and how you can learn to gain efficiencies while you’re in it. We will start by explaining how a basic peer-to-peer type of environment could work, and the pros and cons of this system. Next, we will throw CAD into the mix, and we’ll cover lessons learned. Then we’ll review document management tools such as Vault software, and we will wrap up with a discussion about how the Autodesk 360 software applications can help. If you’re a business owner trying to make sense of all of this, or a designer just looking to get your work done, you need to join us for this fast-paced and sometimes downright funny way to learn how to manage your BIM projects.

Learning objectives

1. Learn basic worksharing methods and best practices for Revit projects in multiple office locations
2. Discover the lines where CAD and BIM are blurred, and how to avoid duplication of tasks with correct application of tools
3. Examine the next level of document and project management with Vault integration into Autodesk’s design applications
4. Learn where the cloud-based A360 software applications can benefit your multioffice projects

Since I’ve been playing a lot with the new Revit Collaboration tool for A360, as well as trying to ge tmor engaged with Vault, this course will cover the pros and cons of both, and will hopefully help you make the best decisions for you firm. We’re also going fishing in this class, complete with poles, a pond, and maybe a hook or two. Bring your waders, you may need them…

Next up:

IT11130 - Seamlessly Integrating CAD and BIM Standards for AEC Projects – Thursday, Dec. 3^rd at 1:00pm PST.

Session description:

If you listened to all the grand predictions a decade ago, you’d think the only thing we’d be doing is modeling everything in 3D. But that reality hasn’t come to pass. The CAD manager and Building Information Modeling (BIM) manager have to know how to get everything to play nice, capitalizing on the power of BIM tools while making sure the 2D work that’s still required is completed correctly. This course will take a look at key settings and work methods, beginning with a comparison of national CAD versus BIM standards. Next, we’ll examine tips for making CAD files such as templates work better in a BIM environment, and then move into sharing files both ways—correctly. The last item examines how to alter the CAD interface to follow BIM tasks, making it easier to move back and forth easily between the applications. Taking this information-packed course will help you maintain your 2D sanity while moving the Design Team forward with today’s 3D modeling tools—so sign up early and often.

Learning objectives

1. Compare National CAD Standards with National BIM Standards
2. Discover key setups for CAD and BIM templates for smooth sharing
3. Learn how to import and export guidelines for 2D and 3D files—both ways!
4. Learn how to alter the AutoCAD CUI to better emulate the BIM environment

Autodesk has changed the format for lectures into Industry Talk, which is what the first class covers, and instructional demos, which is what we do in this session. The difference is Powerpoint versus real world. I do both in both sessions, but the focus is stronger on the demo in this class. It’s the first IT based class I’ve taught at AU, and has filled up enough once that it’s already been moved to a larger venue.

Register soon, as the classes usually fill up the closer we get to the conference. The early bird registration period ends September 24^th, so save some money...and get in on next year's home movies! 

But even more important, we’re back at the Sands Convention Center at the fabulous Venetian/Palazzo Hotel and Casino, where the crowds and atmosphere are great. You won’t want to miss this event, it’ll be a doozy!

See you in Vegas!

Revit Technology Conference is upon us...Sign up today!

The Revit Technology Conference for North America is fast approaching, and Washington, DC will never be the same. RTC is a mini "AU" conference that focuses strictly Revit and its associated programs. This really helps the user get focused on the tasks we need to improve on, and gain more efficiency when using the tools.

The event, scheduled for July 23nd-25th at the Crystal Gateway Marriott, and includes some awesome speakers, including Paul Aubin, Jim Balding, Jason Boehning (one of my co-authors at CADLearning), Don Bokmiller, Matt Murphy, Brian and Desiree Mackey, Kate Morrical, Marcello Sgambelluri, Beau Turner and a whole lot more...that I'm humbled to be a part of.

So here's what I'll be covering, in a lab on Friday morning. We're going to review some advanced Revit family editing tips, focusing on the MEP side of things, but are also applicable to other disciplines as well. We'll spend time reviewing nested families on a rotational basis, as well as 2D annotations. We'll also cover key shared parameters and how to edit vendor content to clean this data up, and manage it as well. Time permitting, we'll show a few tools you can use to help you manage your content more effectively, and cut down on project production time.

There's a lot of great classes that I'm really excited to be attending, and hope you'll be able to join us. sign up early and often, and we'll see you there!

Updating a Revit Family, and you don't get a dialog...Head Scratcher time!

Had a user that had loaded a family with a lot of types in it. He purged his project, but then discovered he needed one of the types he had purged. So, he opens the original family, and tries to use the Load Family tool on the ribbon, but he doesn't get the normal overwrite  dialog (which allows you to either load just the family or load and overwrite the parameters). He also didn't get the original types reloaded into the file. His first thought was to just delete the part(s) and reload the family, but that added a lot of work.

At first I thought it was a bug, but the big man upstairs (my boss, Norb Howell) reminded me of a behavior in Revit. You only get the overwrite dialog if the original model has been changed or saved, since it's the date stamp that kicks this dialog off.

So how do you fix it? Easy - just open the original part and save it. You might have to edit a parameter, or make a minor change (better yet, fix something that's actually broken). Reload the file and you'll get all the types back.

Better yet, add the Smart Browser tool from AGA CAD (Tools4Revit) at http://t4r.aga-cad.com/Smart-Browser-download-page/. We love this app, it's a real time saver.

This add-on, which has free and pro versions, allows you to locate a family, and then load just the types you need, in the event a type catalog (.txt) doesn't accompany the file. You can pick and choose the types you want, and only load what's required. The same rule applies, but if you're thinking ahead and know you'll need more than one type in a family, it's a better way to load these to your project.

Check it out - happy BIM'ing!

David B.

Are You a Bag...or a Box?

Life has an interesting way of throwing you curves…and an occasional epiphany. This past weekend, as families go, we had a dust up about a family event. Too many things were happening at once – a call should have been made, feelings were hurt, voices were raised. That’s usually when things don’t end well. After having a long and sometime contentious talk with my nephew, I had to force myself to sit back and listen, putting my own emotions on the back burner.

As he spun on about how his life was structured, and went into great analytical detail about how I was wrong, I tried to make sense of why this was so difficult for the rest of my family. And as usual, at 5:00am, waking up out of a deep sleep (and great dream, I might add), it hit me. He’s a box.

And that’s when my understanding opened up. For all the people I have to interact with, both professionally and personally, you can really sum up lifestyles into two groups. You’re either a bag, or a box. Each one has its own quirks, rules, behaviors and more. For example, my nephew is definitely a box. He’s defined by his daily life, which is carefully organized, and fits into a nice, neat little box. Every action he takes is planned out in great detail…even down to his “social” time which is carefully allotted to permit interactions with family and friends within the constraints of well documented studies (I swear, he really said that to me). If an interaction is not suitable given the parameters, he simply replaces that event with another box.

And here I am…a wadded up piece of paper. I don’t necessarily fit into this nice orderly system, so he’s immediately ready to begin reworking me into a shape that fits his box. You see, I’m a bag…more specifically, a 55 gallon, plastic, draw string bag…stuffed to gills with all kinds of interactions, tasks, relationships and more. While details are important, I’m not as prone to being upset when something doesn’t fit into a box.

Want to out to dinner? Text me that morning…if I’m open, let’s go. Need help with a cranky BIM model at work? I can sit aside what I’m doing at that moment, jump onto webex, and try to help solve the problem…and go right back to the wadded up piece of paper I was working on before.

Don’t get me wrong – none of this means that you can’t have good, meaningful interactions between the two types. You just have to understand the ground rules, parameters and functions for dealing with each type. For example, my sister was very upset that I waited until the last minute to let her know if dinner was still on. But for the previous week, I was dealing with the loss of a close family friend, and my emotional mind was wrapped up in dealing with both my grief and the family’s pain.

The solutions were vast and simple. I should have called, or emailed, and let them know earlier, but didn’t. They knew what was going on, and should have called, or emailed, and taken the steps to reach out and make contact. And that’s the real gist of this. If you’re dealing with a box type, you have to respect the fact that not following their structure, their rules, does cause them discomfort and pain…no matter how much it seems cold to the bag type, because you’re the source of the discomfort.

And while most box types are analytical, you have to take into account the emotional aspect of the bag types. Our relationships are much more personal and fluid, so priorities can easily get hosed up, so focusing on your own discomfort, and not reaching out on your own, also causes great angst.

One important note – it’s not that box types can’t be spontaneous and loving. With the confines of their lifestyle, they can have many bag characteristics. But it also doesn’t mean that a bag type can’t be organized or committed – in some cases, those passions run deep and are needed to keep the bag from overflowing. It’s all a case of taking the time to understand these characteristics, respecting them and learning how to deal with them. Bags will have a tendency to associate and have strong relationships with other bag types, while boxes will do the same. It’s when the two try to interact, is when the problems occur – but can be easily overcome.

So how does this fit into a technical blog? The more I thought about this, the more it made sense to me why some users pick up software packages like Revit and AutoCAD MEP more easily than others. Both of these programs are boxes for sure – they require an organized approach, with steps taken in a specific order, and with subsequent tasks being impacted by the quality of each step before. But plain AutoCAD is more like a bag. You can throw a bunch of lines in, set them to any layer, color, linetype, and size you want, and then wait until the last minute to clean it all up.

When training your staff, it’s important to learn which traits the user has. I’ve got one user, extremely intelligent, and very Sheldon Cooper like. His work has to be approached in a very analytical manner, so you can’t just explain how – you have to do step by steps, and explain why, and how it fits into his design process. And as a bag, boy, does that take patience for me. I’ll explain it, think I did a great job, and find out I’m explaining the same thing several more times, as he sorts it all out and gets the concepts organized in his box.

Then I have younger users, the Xbox generation, generation Z…you get the drift. They already have the comfort zone and lack of cautiousness when it comes to working with today’s technology. Sometimes the questions come out in random order, and don’t fit into a nice neat little box. So you’ve got to be able to reach in the bag, find the answer quickly, and send them on their way. They can get by with an outline of the process and then pick up the pieces as the go along, so full day training can be wasted on them.

What makes this all work, is that you have to want to be in that relationship. You have to be motivated, on your own, and be willing to understand the differences between them. This can’t be forced – because all it does is cause pain, and makes the walls go up – quickly. So whether you’re dealing with a mad sister, or a user that can’t seem to move forward, take the time to step back, and understand their own lifestyle and habits. It’ll make it much easier to know this, and how you’re supposed to respect and honor your friends, family and co-workers. And it’s important to understand who you are, and where you fit into this. Your reactions could mean the difference between a valuable relationship, or a lost opportunity.

So what are you – a bag or a box?

Attention All 3D Model Creators and Vendors...for Revit Users - Stop making my life a pain...

OK, it's time for a quick soapbox post.

First up, to all the manufacturers that are making content for us pain-in-the-rear Revit users. We're a whiny bunch, especially when we want our models to closely represent real world conditions.

For the most part, your stuff is good. The end of line guys - making the equipment, the targets and sources...We don't need every nut, bolt and clip, so when you put a preliminary model together, you can leave all that stuff out. I'm going to take it out of the model anyway when I get it to Inventor, since I really don't want a 1gb family. But if the overall skin detail is good, and when you get me a model, I make sure you're at the top of the list for the recommended vendors (even when there's three required).

For the other guys...that are using companies like ARCAT, SmartBIM and others. It's time for some ground rules.

1. First and foremost - I will jealously guard your intellectual property -as a designer, that's what defines us as well. But you need to work with your content developers and understand the chaos you cause with your shared parameters.

Every time I get a family that includes copyrights, trademarks, links to your website, your content developer's home phone, webpage, Mom's maiden name, that are defined as shared parameters, I start to use words that will make my preacher blush. STOP DOING THIS! I'm cool with you adding them as family parameters, since those don't show up for schedules and tags. You've got to understand that most of our users don't care what 04 CSI is used for, since we already have schedules defined with our standards anyway. So I wind up wasting a lot of time cleaning your mess up - and looking to either make my own version, or go to another vendor's site - which is not why you do this in the first place. You want to market your products, and we're cool with you doing that, as long as you're not making more wasted work for me and the users.

2. Second of all - I'm cool with you adding design criteria data as well - again, make it family only. And use the right format - like electrical Phase - this is NOT the same as number of poles, so don't create a shared parameter that's named one thing and used another way. Make sure it's related to the category and use as what's defined in Revit.

If I want to use your data in a schedule or as part of a load calculation, I'll use a custom shared parameter that matches my schedule, but is set to equal your data. It's easy to link family data to shared parameter data as long as the formatting is the same. You can do this with a schedule or with a formula in the type properties of a part, and they can be instance or type.

3. USE THE DEFAULT TYPE AND INSTANCE PARAMETERS! Like Model, and Manufacturer - anytime we have a deviation between examples, we make a different type - because, gasp, they ARE different - even if it's something simple as a voltage, or connection size. And stop adding your own model numbers in 3 or 4 different shared parameters. Again, make them family based so the guys making our schedules don't see the word Model show up five times when making a new schedule.

4. And last but not least - be CLEAR when it comes to type names. We edit all of these to include a descriptive name...like, Air Handling Unit. If you haven't heard, we use a really neat tool called Navisworks, that allows us to export our models into a format that can be used for collaboration. When a project is exported, Revit will assign the type name to the solid - if no name is provided, then it uses the family name. But it's equally important in the Revit model to make sure it's clearly named, so we can sort and filter schedules easily. If you name your family type 1234-FRGST-LH-BS-UAUMF-L-2, nobody else knows what the heck that means. Be clear, because my IQ isn't high enough to understand this goobletygook.

Again, I can't thank you enough, but you guys are winding up like the good Samaritan on the side of the road with a toolbox, When they try to help you change the flat tire, they strip your lug nuts when they use a pair of channel locks to loosen them up. Use the right tool for the job, and life is better for everyone.

I'm done, you can all return to your jobs now....and, guys, don't forget that Valentine's Day is in less that two weeks!

Later - db