Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Projects with Shared Details

These projects typically have "standard/common/shared" details AND "specific/custom" details. It's a pretty common question, "How do I manage the shared details?". In an earlier post I wrote about the Insert Views from File tool that Revit added several years ago. The overall strategy I like boils down to this list:

  • Do all the detailing that they share in "one" project
  • Do all the detailing that is shared in Drafting Views, not model "live" views
  • Use Insert Views from File to pass them to the other projects.
    • This allows for local view referencing of callouts/sections etc
  • Do all shared detailing in the "master" project
  • Only worry about keeping the sheet and detail numbering updated between all sheets
  • Don't bother to update the details in each other project, the views could be blank for that matter (except for a piece of text, has to be something in the view)
  • Print all shared details from the master
    • Strategically use a separate sheet numbering scheme for shared details so they don't compete with project specific details.
    • Only necessary to manage sheet reference and detail numbers during the course of the project and add new shared details if they arise.
    • Easiest when detailing is done in later stages of documentation naturally

I think that it's easy to miss that it isn't really necessary to put "finished" details in all the other project files to keep them "up-to-date". The only thing we need to keep "up-to-date" is the sheet number and detail numbers, assuming that detail sheets are printed from the master project instead of from each individual project. That's why I suggest a separate sheet numbering scheme for these shared details, so they don't compete with the rest of the set.

14 comments:

Unknown said...

I've described my proposed solution here at AUGI: http://forums.augi.com/showthread.php?139087-Detailing-a-multi-building-%28campus%29-project&p=1170962#post1170962

Steve said...

My post describes a workflow that lives within the confines of Revit processes, intentional process. Revit was never meant to do documentation in a separate project from the geometry.

Over time it has expanded on what is possible through links but it is never as integrated as a single model. Fundamentally Revit is meant to do one building in one file (per discipline).

The effort required to pull off what is described in the AUGI post will be much more tedious and finicky than the process I describe.

Unknown said...

I appreciate that what I've described is more complex to set up. But once it is set up (by one or two people) - then Callouts to details in each building are placed via the linked view without having to open each project. I don't have to make a placeholder view to refer to, and I don't have to check & recheck that where I have placed it in my model is the same as where it was placed where it's been drawn. References just appear in the right place as long as RVT link to 'Details_project' on Level x is shown by linked view to Level x.

Unknown said...

Steve,

Your blog is great resource. This post is almost 3 years old, but it deals with the issue I am trying to solve. I agree, attempting to document (details) outside of a single model goes against the principles of Revit.

Obviously this desire comes from a CAD mentality - wanting to pull blocks from a master detail library as needed into your project.

That said, projects are getting bigger and bigger and more complex. Do you have any new insights on using "live" details across multiple projects (rvt files)?

Ideally, where a detail can be modified in master file and it will update in other linked models. I know, it goes against the principle of Revit...but I thought I would refresh the question to see if there is a new way.

thanks!

Boyd

Unknown said...

Steve,

I agree with the principle of Revit being a single model and attempting to link a detail "master file(details.rvt)" goes against core principles of Revit.

This desire stems from years of linking/viewing detail blocks from a master detail dwg file into projects as needed.

Since this post in just over three years, I thought I would see if you had any new insights on this process or is it the same workflow you have described above?

Thanks - your blog is a great resource.

Boyd

Tim M. said...

Our firm made the jump to Revit from AAD two years ago. That being said we are still in the "learning" phase. What frustrates me (a Autocad user since 1994) is that the KISS principle is completely missed in Revit. For example, it took how long to have a callout shape other than a rectangle? And to hear "sharing details between projects violates the core principles of Revit"? Really? The whole idea of construction documents is to work smarter and not harder. The quicker a set of CDs can be completed the quicker you can move onto the next project. In this day and age time is still money....And from what Im hearing, if I cant share sections and details on a multi- building project in Revit (a simple principle), than why should I continue to use the "square wheel" instead of the "round wheel", i.e. Revit vs AAD? This is the major frustraition in our office, tasks which should be simple, take hours or "cant be done" in Revit and therefore require workarounds. Ridiculous.

ambrozote said...

Hello, not sure if this helps.

We have a different situation where we need to reference views from another linked Revit model.

In the process, we created a Dummy Callout Boundary and Dummy Tag to suffice.

Link to screencast provided.
https://screencast.autodesk.com/main...1-f6187d23bf41

Cheers
Joaquim

Steve said...

This post pre-dates the more recent tools that Revit Workflow offers to manage external references to details. Check out Revolution Design's Revit Workflow.

ambrozote said...

looks good.

thanks for the tip.

Unknown said...

hi Steve i can't seem to find revolution designs revit workflow for this issue. i really appreciated your above suggestions. would you be able to link or outline the workflow you would recommend for this issue as per current revit tools? I have been looking for the best solution for a couple of hours now and feel like im going around in circles.

Steve said...

See my new post this evening for my response, good luck!

Unknown said...

Great, thanks Steve. I suppose the first question i should have asked though is whether you support the idea of having two files linked to one another when working on a project with two buildings on the site. i have one project at concept stage and the file has 3d survey information linked in, with a survey point etc. i need to now build the second building - House B - (of two) on site - the proposed neighbouring house. the floor levels differ slightly from house A as the site has a slight slope. should i create a new file and link in House A's file? house A then becomes the host model? and presumably i can edit the drawing list on Project A to include linked revit elements?... I'm sorry if this is confusing/incorrect. this is my first revit project and im trying to establish proper workflows from the beginning.

Steve said...

For a project with two buildings I'd have a site model and two building model, one for each building. I'd link the buildings to the site so I can deal with their site relationship and Publish Coordinates from Site to the Buildings. Afterward I can link either building into the other using By Shared Coordinates. I can also link the site into either building the same way.

In the site model I link a survey in and use Acquire Coordinates so it matches the survey's "world". Then I deal with the buildings and Publish Coordinates. The survey should use North is "up" in the World Coordinate System (WCS). I link it in and leave its "North" and Revit's North the same (top of the view is up/north).

In the buildings I model them using Project North to begin, make it easy to "draw". Then once I use Publish Coordinates from Site I can choose to show either Project North or True North in views in each building model, if necessary.

Good luck!

Unknown said...

Wow,thanks Steve! Very much appreciate the detail in that message!!! Very very helpful for a new Revit user.