MP2503 Preview - AU Class - Workset Display Options

Since we've all grown up in the fast food nation, sometimes an image is worth 57 words...Revit 2012 includes a new feature we're going to review at AU this year - the workset diplay options. When you're in a view, you can display worksets graphically in your view.

On the view control bar, pick the Workset Display option tool - you can pick from four options:

- Checkout Status
- Owners
- Model Updates
- Worksets

Here's an image that includes the display by workset option:

You can set these options to be any color you want - but Autodesk did such a lovely job picking them out for me...

If you want to see more, squeeze into my class MP2503, Supercharge Your Revit MEP 2012 - and if you can't it'll be available to download after AU is over.

Later - David B.

How deep do your Levels go in a Revit MEP model?

Ran into an interesting problem...we're working on a couple of different ways to approach projects - one them involved several buildings that make up a single project. Originally, we have modeled all of the buildings in a single Revit project (yes, they were all small), based on a common coordinate at one building. For specific reasons, we had to break the project up so the buildings were in their own file.

Since the MEP project was already defined with the overall file linked in, and the levels copied and monitored from that file, breaking it down into several pieces created a problem. We also want to keep all of the MEP in a single model, so little things like schedules, panel schedules, electrical circuits, shared process systems, etc. all stay connected together nicely (since we still can't connect to items in linked files without a connector - hint, hint). There's two answers, so here's the easy one first.

Since the individual buildings (4 total) were all placed from a common origin point, all we had to do was create 4 copies of the original master, then open them up and delete anything not related to each specific building - that included levels, walls, views etc.

From this point, we could link each individual model directly into the MEP model - but now we had four links instead of one, and load times suffered. There's also a fear that a novice user could try to move or rotate the buildings to plan north and the original project base point (at which point, my hand would reach out of their monitor and wring their neck).

Here was a different tack - we kept the original composite model and attached all four buildings as linked files (not overlay - attach). Next up - copy monitor the levels from each building into the master. Once this was done, we can just load the master file in the MEP model. The levels that were copied and monitored into the composite can also be copied and monitored into the MEP model , and maintain all of the levels from separate models with one step. Imagine...copied and monitored levels being copied and monitored again...but it works, nice and clean - with all levels in the MEP file still coming from a single source.

I talked about using scope boxes to limit the extents of levels in an elevation or section view, and in this case, it's good idea to do this in the master file, so the levels coming into the MEP model don't stretch all the way across the project.

So - which approach do you think will work better for you?

Later - David B.

The Clock for AU 2011 is ticking...

This will be my eighth (I believe) AU...but I'm nowhere close to some of the great instructors and leaders that have made this event the best anywhere for its software.

Shaan Hurley is one of these guys - and he's a great historian, too. A while back, he put together the AutoCAD timeline - now he's add the AU timeline. Check it out:

http://autodesk.blogs.com/between_the_lines/2011/07/autodesk-university-history.html

My first year, I got to be a lab assistant for Matt Dillon and Randy Burnette and caught the bug - the next year, I did my first class on my own, titled Interference? Verify and Analyze This, about checking for interferences in a project. And during the class, I tripped over the legs to the screen - twice...guess I didn't check for that interference first!

This year, I've got three labs - the two on Revit MEP 2012 filled up quickly, so as usual there will be a wait - but there's still a little room in my AutoCAD MEP lab (yes, I still love that product). And the annual tips and tricks class on Revit MEP (Supercharge your Revit MEP 2012) is approaching 200 - so let's get that one over the top!

 What was your first year, and what do you remember the most?

Later - David B.

Transitioning to BIM - A Guide for MEP Firms

Autodesk has published a whitepaper, Transitioning to BIM - A Guide for MEP Firms, that was written by Norb Howell and myself - it describes how our implementation has been progressing, and offers suggestions to those that are looking to implement BIM in their firm. Read it when you get the chance, and let me know what you think!

http://images.autodesk.com/adsk/files/transition_to_revit_mep_whitepaper_final.pdf

Thanks to Autodesk for initiating this, and to the entire design team at Gannett Fleming that is making this work everyday.

Later - David B.

Working in Civil 3D - From Revit to the Site Plan

Brett Settles from Hagermann added a post on the Revit Community blog (you have to sign up to read it) that takes the Revit model the other way (form my previous post). Check out his post here:

http://www.revitcommunity.com/feature_full.php?read=1&cpfeatureid=62530&page=all

Nice!

LOONNNNGGGG Datum Levels - Use Scope Boxes to Limit!

We had a problem where we had imported some sites that were pretty spread out - so when my using maximized his levels to 3D extents, they went WAAAAY off in space. After a half hour of stretching the grips, it started to get pretty frustrating, so I did what I should always be doing - go to the Autodesk support discussion groups (support.autodesk.com). I found this solution from Cliff B. Collins, a Registered Architect/BIM Manager at Thalden Boyd Emery Architects in St. Louis, MO .....on the Revit Architecture page...go figure, an MEP guy looking to the architect page for help (thanks and kudos to Cliff, BTW).

He recommending using scope boxes to limit the extents of the datum levels. You'll need to do this in the file that the original levels are placed (in our case, the architectural model) From the view tab, pick the scope box tool:

Next, pick two points in a plan view around the building you want to restrict the levels to:

Once the box is placed, you can stretch and rotate the boundaries as needed. Before you switch to an elevation or section view, you need to make sure the scope box is visible. While it's still selected, go to the properties and pick the Edit tool for Views Visible:

Change the elevations from invisible to visible in the view you want to use (I'm picking South - Mech as the override).

Go to that view. You'll see the scope box, and can edit the boundary from here as well. Pick the level you want to pull back to the scope box - when the level is selected, go to Properties, and change to the Scope Box 1 as the extents.

Now the level matches the scope box boundary. This tool comes in handy when you have more than one building on a site, and want to just show the levels relative to the specific structures. If you have more than one structure, name the scope box after the structure so it's clear. When the MEP engineers get your architectural model this way, we'll promise to love you forever...until you ask us to make some other flaky change...

Now we can all play nice - David B.

Working with Sites in Revit...and avoiding Pain!

This one's a pain no matter what you do...it's caused by a limit in Revit, which has a 20 mile radius of accuracy away from a project base point. If you are trying to bring in site files, and the site files are defined at their real-world northing/easting coordinates, you have to move the site to Revit. It's not the other way around, so here's what you need to do.

First, if you're in Civil 3D our AutoCAD, make a duplicate of your site model drawing. In the duplicate, turn on, thaw and unlock any layers you want to include or manipulate. We need to have the contours, TIN, surface, existing and proposed structures at the least.

You're not going to rotate the site (we'll take care of this in Revit model by rotating a view). You're also not going to flatten anything - make sure the surface, existing building layouts, etc. are at their 3D elevation (BTW - if you're a plain AutoCAD user, and you're flattening sites to have no elevation, you're not allowed to play in this park).

Second, you're going to have move everything (yes everything) to 0,0 (not 0,0,0). Use a known point - like the corner of a proposed building, corner of a lot, etc. so that the model is within 20 miles of 0,0. That's why you want to open up all the layers - so you don't leave anything stranded, and out in spaces. One of our users adds a location marker that he uses as a reference, so he knows where he's coming from and going to.

Third, if needed, run the export to AutoCAD command from the Civil 3D application menu - this dumbs everything down to 3D models and plines - this converts it to non-Civil 3D objects while maintaining elevation. You only do this if the geometry doesn't come into the model as expected.

Another option is to create a rectangle around your site, and use the AutoCAD trim command to get rid off long linework that runs out into space - you're doing this if you have long lot lines, roadway profiles, etc. Keep it focused on the area of the site you're working on,and keep the model small.

Once you do this, you can use the Link CAD tool to bring in the file as a reference - don't import it, as these still get changed over the course of a project. We're mainly doing this for sites that have more than one structure or building - if they're small, it makes it easier to keep all items relative. It also helps to do your project this way when you have a lot of connecting components in a model, and are running pipe, etc. between the buildings - or connecting power circuits to panels in remote locations.

The CAD file will come in at elevation - so it will help you add your levels at the correct relative elevation to the site.

I'd include images, but since a lot of these projects I'd use are active, I need to refrain...but hopefully this helps you to streamline your workflow.