Monday 30 June 2014

Sheet View in a Titleblock Family

Open a Titleblock family and then double click on the schedule in the project browser to open it in a separate view. With the schedule as the current view, close all the other active views. Notice that the view with the titlebock itself closes and now there’s no way to open it again, since it’s not listed in the Project Browser.

The subtle bit is that the view is still there in the project browser, it's just hiding under Sheets instead of Views where we'd expect to find it. It's that even more subtle dash listed beneath Sheets.

Sunday 29 June 2014

New Feature List for Revit 2015

Here's a list of the items that are new to Revit 2015. I've put them into my own grouping.

Big Stuff
Sketchy lines - yep, create sketchy alteration to views
Family parameter order adjustments - reorder/control parameter position
Schedules/material takeoffs - Access to Additional parameters and Grand Total customization
Revision improvements - Delete Revisions and more sketching options
View references - Reassign view reference to different view
IFC linking - Import IFC on Insert ribbon, IFC tab in Manage Links, no RFA process
Pinned element enhancements - Harder to delete pinned elements
Reinforcements for parts - Parts can host rebar (Structure)
Enhanced multi-rebar annotation - Grouping, sorting and updating of annotations (Structure)
Structural Disallow Join - Disallow/allow Joins framing and Braces (Structure)
Calculation methods for pressure drop - Haaland or Colebrook Equations, custom equations (MEP)
Tapped duct and pipe tags - Tag airflow along ducts (MEP)

Other Stuff
IFC imports - Better visual fidelity and performance and Options dialog revisions
Anti-aliasing improvements (related to Sketchy Lines)
Images in schedules - Instance and Type Image parameters can be used in schedules
Shared parameters in view titles - We can add our own parameters to view titles
Manage links dialog - Add links from Manage Links
Assembly code settings - 2010 Classification file provided or use our own
Enhanced hidden lines - View setting to govern hidden line display (Structure and MEP)
Building element analysis - Improved surface analysis and calculations (Subscription Only)
Tag improvements - Leader behavior mimics text leaders
Presentation rebar sets - Create sets to document rebar conditions better (Structure)
Reinforcement numbering - new numbering options (Structure)
Single fabric sheet placement - easy to place one sheet (Structure)
Shape Handles and Snapping - Improvements (Structure)
Setback for Structural Members - Improved adjustment (Structure)

Subtle Stuff
Ray trace usability improvements - faster, better quality and smoother
Views on sheets - Double click to Deactivate View (compliments 2014's Activate View)
Duplicate views - New naming of duplicate views
Keynoting settings - Keynote settings access easier, more obvious
Trim - Use selection box to trim extend multiple elements
Tool tips for family parameters - Create our own tool tips for parameters (max 250 char.)
Formulas - Logarithm syntax and calculation - New ln(x) Old exp(x)]
Assembly code setting - Use alternate assembly code files
Attached Detail Groups - Clipped now, not pinned due to pinning enhancements
Tags can include new Elevation at Top Parameter (for Foundations)
Enhanced analytical model - Local Coordinate System, Loads and analytical links (Structure)
Location Line Visibility - New Graphics (Structure)
Graphical Justification - New control (Structure)
Structural section properties - Catalog for profiles allows for easier analysis(Structure)
Electrical API enhancements - Create wires, add/modify wire properties and remove vertices (MEP)
US AWWA content - New Waste Water project content(MEP)
Japan Localised electrical content (MEP)

Friday 23 May 2014

Starting my Project after Receiving a Model

From a Revit MEP or Structure perspective getting a project started, without delving into subtlety, should look something like this.
  • Link the architecture model - Auto - Origin to Origin
  • Examine an elevation - Make sure your levels match theirs (it's also helpful to get a better sense of the scope vertically)
  • Use Copy/Monitor to create (levels you don't have) and watch the levels for coordination (optional but a good idea)
  • Room Bounding (MEP) - The arch link has a Type Parameter called Room Bounding, this should be checked if/when you are using Spaces
  • Create views for each level after you've made sure yours match theirs
  • Repeat this for each discipline, HVAC, Plumbing etc...
  • If you need your own grids to adjust how your documents look - use Copy/Monitor to get a watched set of your own grids
As I alluded to in the beginning, there are other subtle things like worksets that can factor in as well, but assuming the above is all done, you're ready to start adding your own work.


Monday 18 November 2013

To compute Voltage Drop, why does Revit use the formula VD=(L*R*I)/1000?

... "I’m used to using Table 9 in the NEC for R, and using the formula VD=F*(L*R*I)/1000, where F is 1.73 for three phase circuits, and 2 is for single phase circuits."
Referring to the question in the prior post, you can see that the F factor is already accounted for in the tabular data that Revit uses.  Thus, it is not necessary to multiply by such a factor.
Why does the voltage drop for single phase (single-pole) circuits in Revit seem to be about half what I’m calculating using the NEC R factor, and the formula 2*(L*R*I)/1000?
The 2 in the formula is used to compute Line-to-Line voltage drop.  For a single pole circuit, typically, you account for the Line-to-Neutral voltage drop, which is half of the Line-to-Line voltage drop (and thus, no 2 factor is necessary). the voltage drop for each circuit is reported as line-to-line for 2-pole (single phase) and 3-pole (three phase) circuits. The voltage drop is reported as line-to-neutral for 1-pole circuits.


Tuesday 27 August 2013

How to Identify Uncircuited Connections with Filters

You can quickly find uncircuited elements using System Browser.  Under the Unassigned > Electrical section, you can find connections that are not circuited.
Under the Electrical section, you can find connections that are circuited, but not connected to a panel... these will have the circuit indication of <unnamed>.
Connections that are circuited will show the circuit number.
You can select any connection in System Browser, right click, and select Show to 'zoom' to the associated object in the model.

If you want to visually identify this in the model canvas as you are working more dynamically, you can use View Filters to color these conditions.
On the ribbon View tab, Graphics panel, click Filters.
I've defined three filters for three conditions as shown below.

Uncircuited


Circuited




No Panel


With these filters defined, you can now apply them to a view as shown below.

The resulting view will look something like that shown below.

The System Browser can reliably be used to find uncircuited connections, however, since only the primary electrical connector in the familly is tracked by the Panel / Circuit properties of the instance, the View Filter may not accurately show the circuited color state of all connectors for elements with more than one connector.

Tuesday 20 August 2013

Revit Electrical Workflow


Create bim execution plan


  






Monday 19 August 2013

Worksharing Monitor for Autodesk Revit 2012


The Worksharing Monitor for Revit 2012 facilitates the use of Revit software in a file-based worksharing environment, in which multiple people work on one project. For workshared projects, the Worksharing Monitor answers questions like the following:
  • Who is currently working on this project?
  • Is my local copy of the project up to date?
  • When will my Synchronize with Central operation finish?
  • Has my request to borrow elements been granted?
  • Are any issues interfering with my work on a Revit project?
NoteThe Worksharing Monitor is not useful for standalone Revit projects, which do not use worksharing to divide the work for a project among several people.
The Worksharing Monitor works with all Revit products, including Revit Architecture, Revit MEP, and Revit Structure. If you are working on one or more workshared Revit projects, install the Worksharing Monitor on your computer. When you open a workshared project in the Revit software, also start the Worksharing Monitor. (Using the Worksharing Monitor with worksharing projects is not required, but it is strongly recommended.)
For information about setting up, using, and managing workshared projects, as well as terminology and concepts related to worksharing, see “Working in a Team” in the Revit Help.