Revit Sundial and Inside the Factory

The Autodesk blog called Inside the Factory went dormant for a couple years. It takes effort to blog and apparently the time and energy was waxing then. Well a new post appeared today with an invitation to something new they are calling Revit Sundial. It's an advance view on things that might be coming (or might not) in the future.

Snipped from the blog:

To get things started, we’re providing everyone within reach of this blog the opportunity to test drive a hosted release preview of Revit called Sundial.

Autodesk Revit Sundial provides enhancements to Revit that are not currently included in the commercial release. We will be highlighting the many improvements in blog posts over the next days and weeks.

For those of you who try the release preview, please drop in here at Inside the Factory and let us know what you think. The hosting technology we’re using for the preview is itself experimental, so if you run into issues accessing the test, we’d like to know about those as well.

The quantity of available simultaneous sessions is limited, so you may run into delays if there are many people trying to access the preview at once. We'll keep the preview available for a few weeks, so please try again if you can't initially gain access.

Because this is an early in-progress release, there are no guarantees all the features you might see or read about will appear in a future release of Revit. Please keep this in mind when making any future purchasing decisions.

Worth having a read.

2014 Revit Technology Conference Plug

If you've been reading this blog for long you've probably heard of the Revit Technology Conference. It's blossomed from an event happening far away in Australia each year to an event that happens three times a year on three continents. I've been fortunate to be part of the crew that helps see that it does.

I'd like to encourage you to make it to RTC again this year. If you are already, Excellent! I look forward to seeing you there. If you can't, I'm disappointed, maybe next year. If you have friends, associates or anyone that you think would enjoy and benefit from attending RTC please pass along the good word to them. Let me know if you need some help telling them.

Below are the cursory details (click the links in the name for more info) for each event this year, Melbourne's RTC is NEXT WEEK!! RTC in Schaumburg, Il (near Chicago) is NEXT MONTH! If you feel like some royal treatment RTC Europe is being held in Dublin Castle. Something for everyone this year! See you there!?!

RTC Australasia 2014
Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Venue: Pullman Melbourne Albert Park (same as VisCon)
Dates: May 29 (Thursday) - May 31 (Saturday), 2014

RTC DTS JUNE 2014 (Design Technology Summit)
(Invitation Only)
Location: Schaumburg, IL (Greater Chicago)
Venue: Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel (same at RTC NA)
Dates: June 16 (Monday) - June 17 (Tuesday), 2014

RTC North America 2014
Location: Schaumburg, IL (Greater Chicago)
Venue: Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel (same as RTC DTS II)
Dates: June 19 (Thursday) - June 21 (Saturday), 2014

RTC Europe 2014
Location: Dublin, Ireland
Venue: Dublin Castle
Dates: October 30 (Thursday) - November 1 (Saturday), 2014

Revit 2015 Help is Online

I saw a tweet this morning that said the Revit 2015 Online help is ready to go. I noticed this bit regarding the eTransmit for Revit add-in.

When you transmit a model, you can now select to:

• Include supporting files such as documents and spreadsheets
• Disable worksets
• Delete sheets
• Include only views that are placed on sheets
• Include or exclude types of views such as detail views or sections

Luke (What Revit Wants) provided links to download the various versions of Revit 2015 as well as the fact that there is already a web update 1 for Revit 2015. If you want to use a custom Assembly Code file you'll want to make sure you install the update (per Aaron Maller).

Revit 2015 Subtle Changes

Reading through the AUGIWorld issue for April I saw two new feature items that haven't been published or acknowledged formally by Autodesk yet. First is a change to the formula options and syntax for Logarithm. Here's what it looked like in Revit 2014 and how Revit interpreted/applied the formula to a value.

Here's what it looks like in 2015. Note the new syntax to express a natural logarithm with ln(x), shown for Value3.

The second is really subtle, more a change that was necessary because of the changes to pinned elements. When you create Attached Detail Groups they used to display a Pin to indicate their relationship to a Model Group. They've changed them to display a Paperclip instead. This is what it looks like now.

There are two articles (in AUGIWorld) that discuss the new Revit features. They also mention items that were not included in the final release, a separate Family Browser and MEP to FAB Fabrication Parts workflow. It's my understanding that it was decided that both are not quite ready so they've been pulled for now.

David Light recently wrote down his thoughts about the new release as well as a summary of other posts about the new features (including mine here).

Revit 2015 Feature Review

Daniel Stine contributed a feature review on AECbytes the other day. Be sure to check it out as well. His comments are geared toward getting better acquainted during implementation of the new features.

Read his Article There

Open File Project Version Warning

I wrote a post in November that complained about Revit not asking if I really wanted to upgrade a project before going forward. In response Harry Mattison wrote some code (and I wrote another post) and made a solution available through his Udemy API class.

Since then I've used it so much that I've been starting to think it's part of Revit. I was using another computer the other day and was confused for moment when Revit didn't ask first, puzzled until I remembered..."oh, yeah...Harry's app isn't this computer". (sad face)

Well Harry has made a new version of the app available HERE and has decided to use a Pay What you Want approach as a test to see how well that works for him and us. You can read Harry's blog post and explanation of features HERE and here's his YouTube video.

Autodesk Robot Structural Analysis Book is Available

Ken Marsh published his first book dedicated to Autodesk' Robot Structural Analysis Professional 2013 (it's also the first book for it). He intends it to be your essential introduction to its features, functions, and workflow. He's confident that you will be able to master the tools you'll need to make Robot work for you.

Some of its highlights include:

• Demystify the interface
• Manipulate and manage Robot tables like a pro
• Learn how to use Robot's modeling tools
• Master loading techniques
• Harness Robot automated load combinations
• Decipher simplified seismic loading
• Discover workflows for steel and concrete design
• Gain insights to help troubleshoot issues

He's prepared easy guided exercises to help get you up to speed quickly.

Ken is a structural engineer and was, until recently, the Revit Structure Quality Assurance Analyst at Autodesk. He works hard to be a champion of Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology for the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction industry. In addition to writing this book he is currently working to promote fully integrated structural analysis, design, and documentation by developing custom Revit API add-ons, providing software training, and consulting services for firms as they transition to a more fully BIM-centric process.

I appreciate and admire his willingness to write about a topic, that must be a niche among niches, catering to structural engineers. I was also curious about whether a 2014 edition is going to be available, he replied that he's working on the 2014 edition now.

All the best with the book Ken!

RTC Events Calendar for 2014

The dates and locations for the next three primary conferences and three adjunct events are as follows in the order they will occur in 2014.

RTC DTS FEB 2014 (Design Technology Summit)
(Invitation Only)
Location: Denver, CO, USA
Venue: Westin downtown Denver
Dates: February 5 (Wednesday) - 7 February (Friday), 2014

RTC VisCON 2014
Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Venue: Pullman Melbourne Albert Park (same as RTCAUS)
Dates: May 26 (Monday) - May 27 (Tuesday), 2014

RTC Australasia 2014
Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Venue: Pullman Melbourne Albert Park (same as VisCon)
Dates: May 29 (Thursday) - May 31 (Saturday), 2014

RTC DTS JUNE 2014 (Design Technology Summit)
(Invitation Only)
Location: Schaumburg, IL (Greater Chicago)
Venue: Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel (same as RTC NA)
Dates: June 16 (Monday) - June 17 (Tuesday), 2014

RTC North America 2014
Location: Schaumburg, IL (Greater Chicago)
Venue: Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel (same as RTC DTS June)
Dates: June 19 (Thursday) - June 21 (Saturday), 2014

RTC Europe 2014
Location: Dublin, Ireland
Venue: (a royal venue, tba soon)
Dates: October 30 (Thursday) - November 1 (Saturday), 2014

Please mark your calendars accordingly. Hopefully you will be able to attend one, a couple, several or even all of them. I'm looking forward to seeing old friends and making new ones at these events in 2014!

Last Minute Christmas Gift Suggestion - BIM. After. Dark.

Yesterday I mentioned a great last minute Christmas gift, a book called Renaissance Revit by Paul Aubin. I thought I'd mention another last minute suggestion that like Paul's book will help you stretch, get more out Revit.

Jeffrey Pinheiro (aka The Revit Kid and his blog by the same name) has begun a project he's called Bim. After. Dark. His tagline is "Learn how to make your BIM sexy..."

I got a sneak preview of the videos just before he released them on December 10th. I think he's delivered on his promise. If you're just starting out with Revit then you should consider adding this to your learning library too. If you've been frustrated thinking that your Revit project(s) just lack a little presentation Edge then his video may be just what you need to see to open your eyes to what is possible, that your Revit project presentations CAN be sexy...

I particularly liked how he tweaked the stock content and tools to get what he wanted for his presentations. He's clearly got a talent and opinion about documentation style that's worth sharing and worth you taking the time to listen. I also enjoyed his conversational approach to demonstrating his techniques.

Too often a video is too obviously scripted or worse comes off as if the presenter thinks his/her audience is a school child. With Jeffrey you feel like he's just sitting next to you and asking if he can "borrow the mouse" for a moment. In fact I think a few times he gets a bit too excited and rushes his delivery as though he can't wait to tell you this, and this...and oh, this too!

One other reviewer's comment that I agree with is that he left in subtle changes as he presented topics, or "mistakes" if you will. They helped contribute to the conversational feeling and also mimicked the same sort of thing you'd experience while trying to work through an idea. It's all good!

He's offering a simple structure: Buy just videos for $39, buy videos and samples for $79, or buy The Complete Package (you also get videos for Revit to Max to V-Ray and Prezi for Architects) for $129. Several price points for your cost conscious last minute gift shopping. Like I said for Paul's book, you may find it necessary to buy yourself a gift in the process.

Check out his promo video and see what you think. May your Christmas also be "sexy"...

Last Minute Christmas Gift Suggestion - Renaissance Revit

Still looking for one more great unexpected gift for your office library, co-worker, nutty Revit pal, boss, BIM mentor, Revit Family Advisor, brother, sister, "in-law", or in some rare (perhaps dangerous combination) cases your architect spouse?

Let me recommend Paul Aubin's new book, Renaissance Revit: Creating Classical Architecture with modern Software. It's a bit personal spiritual journey as well as his quest for Revit knowledge and enlightenment captured in his newest self published tome. He secured a fine Foreword by Andy Milburn too. I enjoy every post that Andy takes the time to share with us on his blog Shades of Grey. His writing sets a nice tone for the rest of the book.

When you get to read it you'll find you sense how important writing this book was to Paul. Granted he says so in the text but you can also perceive a sense of excitement or energy in his writing in each of the chapters. If you've ever met him and talked about Revit you'd also know that it's been many years in the making, even before he was particularly focused on Revit he was doing things that set the stage for writing this one.

It's offered in two versions; Black & White or Color. Naturally the color version is a bit more expensive to buy (and produce) but for your gift's recipient doesn't color say "I care about you" more than black and white? This is a capture of the Table of Contents from his book's page on his own website.

As a Revit author and blogger I'm both jealous and relieved he wrote this book. Jealous that it's so good I wish I'd written it and relieved that he DID so I don't have to, not that I could communicate his passion for classical architectural forms as he has done. Especially relieved because now I don't have to figure out how to model this from scratch all on my own!

Paul, congratulations for a job well done!!

As for you dear reader, it BELONGS on your shelf (or desk) complete with dog ear'd pages and highlighter smudges. Hmm, maybe that's a special edition version you could buy, rusticated or pre-worn like jeans? Nah, you should wear it out yourself. Come to think of it you should buy two now. One for your collection and one to abuse at work on your desk.

Oh, that's right I was recommending you buy it as a gift for someone else, now you need to buy three!

Learn to Program the Revit API

If you are interested in learning the Revit API Harry Mattison (Boost Your BIM) created an online course hosted at Udemy (The Academy of You).

It's delivered in 33 video segments which vary from a few minutes to a little over fifteen minutes. It's also very reasonably priced at $149.00. Maybe I'll see you on campus?

Learn to Program the Revit API

Paul Aubin Book Survey Seeks Input

Paul Aubin recently mentioned that he's working on a new book, title TBA. The title is one of the things he's asking about in the survey.

If you are interested in the subject and can spare a few minutes to

Click to Take the Survey

Blog Plug - Steven Shell

Just a short post tonight to plug a new blog that my friend Steven Shell decided to start called BIM: Integrating Art & Technology He is a practicing architect in Tuscon (sole practitioner) that skipped over the whole "CAD thing" and went straight to Revit from hand drafting. He's a self taught Revit aficionado that will tell you he's learned from the Revit community's willingness to help and share with each other. That and his own irrepressible style and creativity...

He's also a lover of music and expresses it through his guitar and the band he fronts called Shell Shock. That's why I call him the "rock-n-roll architect". I've had the pleasure of sitting in with his band (on drums) a couple times in the past. I'm grateful for the guys tolerating me bringing their quality down briefly.

As a solo architect making his way in this new "BIM World" I think he has something to offer others. Often we just need some confidence based on the knowledge that someone like "me" is out there doing it and so can I. He's considered starting a blog before but worried about what he wanted to say. He seems to think he's sorted that out and has begun. The easy part is done, starting it. I'm hopeful he continues to find a reason to write, to share his thoughts with us!

Go Steve!

A Door's Life at Central States Revit Workshop

I'll be presenting a session next Friday called "A Door's Life" at the second annual Central States Revit Workshop.

Central States Revit Workshop Details
August 15 (Thursday) and August 16 (Friday), 2013
Scott Conference Center - Omaha, Nebraska
Registration: $250 (does not include accommodations)

BIM/Construction Speakers
Bill Allen, Scott Chatterton, Megan Johnson, Matthew Lewis, Cauitta Robeson, Connor Christian, and Aaron Baker

Architecture/General Speakers
Bryan Cowles, Steven Shell, Ryan Cameron, Nathan Miller, and Jason Gardner

Interior Speakers
Kelli Lubeley and Carla Edwards

MEP Speakers
Shawn Zirbes, William Spier, Kelli Lubeley, Todd Shackelford, Brett Grell, and Dave Benscoter

Structural Speakers
Aaron Krovance and Luke Stevenson

Special Guest Speakers
Paul Aubin, Brian Mackey, Dezi Mackey, Birgitta Foster, Andy Jizba, Chuck Mies, and me


As for my session, it's not literally about the life of a door. Since this is about Revit it's biased toward dealing with doors as a concept, some doors that look like these.

The handout that attendees will receive is structured as a lab with step by step activities. The session is 70 minutes in a lecture format so rather than going step by step in the lecture I'll be touching on each of the ideas involved with each exercise. I prefer to let people see how I approached the subject by working in Revit, instead of "PowerPointing" my way through. My goal is to leave enough "space between notes" to permit "inquisitive interference".

If you are nearby then you've got to make sure you get to the workshop. Even if you aren't it's still a great deal for two days of Revity goodness.

See you there!

Revit Technology Conference - Europe

If you've been reading this blog you've heard me plug many RTC conferences before. Yes I'm a fan, enough so that I got involved with the committee to help bring it to North America beginning in 2011. This September RTC will land in Europe for the first time, in Delft, Holland. Holland and the Dutch have held a special place in my heart ever since I lived there when I was nine. So naturally when the RTC Events staff and the European committee decided the first location should be there I was IN! If you're like me, living anywhere but Holland, it's a great excuse to go to Europe! The RTC experience and Revity goodness is just gravy on top!

The first event in Europe will be two days, Friday and Saturday (September 27 & 28, 2013) versus the three days of the other events in Australasia and North America. The venue arrangement is a little different too. RTC's have traditionally been held at a resort hotel that also has meeting facilities. Since Europe as a whole approaches this sort of thing differently the event needs to as well. I'm looking forward to the experience!

Here are links to consider if you are on the fence about attending:

RTC Europe 2013 Site
Schedule of Sessions

Registration Costs
Register Now

RTC Videos (get a taste of RTC)
RTC Commentary (attendees/bloggers)

I'm practicing my Dutch!

Hallo! Goedenavond! Ja nog een biertje neem! and later... Waar is mijn hotel?

Parts and Linked Files

When Parts as a feature appeared in 2012 it didn't support creating them from elements in a linked file. When 2013 came out it casually mentioned that it could do so in the last line of the "what's new..." text regarding Parts.

Parts can now be made from loaded families (such as Columns, Structural Columns, Structural Framing, and Generic Model) and from originals in a Revit link. (my emphasis added)

Perhaps this willingness to work with link elements could be leveraged for some sort of coordination approach as compared with the Copy/Monitor tool?

As it happens, Desirée Mackey with Martin/Martin is presenting a class (lab format) at RTC next week called "The Prolific Potential of Parts". I'm looking forward to hearing what she has to say!

Revit 2014 API Languages

Revit 2014 has added a couple new language options for people who can speak to Revit through its API (application programming interface). If you have a long history with CAD you might have spent more than a few hours "Lost in parenthesis" (LISP)? In Revit we can get lost in them when we deal with conditional formulas in the family editor.

In Revit 2013 the API supported two languages C++ and C# (technically any VB.net language). Revit 2014 has added Ruby (aka Ruby on Rails) and Python. If you have no programming experience they are not gems or reptiles, just alternatives to the far more widely used C++ and the much newer C# (and supposedly "easier to learn").

The dialog is a little smaller too (really subtle eh?).

If you are looking to get started with the Revit API you might consider Don Rudder's book:

Instant Autodesk Revit 2013 Customization with .NET How-to

Looking for some hands-on training with a sherpa? Get in touch with Harry Mattison (Boost Your BIM), he's gone from deep within Autodesk working on Revit and its API to the life of a freelancer who shares his knowledge on his blog and creates applications for hire. He's started offering some online training too.

Don Rudder and Case-inc have also offered API focused training in the past and are always considering hosting another so keep an eye on their site for a future class offering.

I've also written a couple blog posts before about getting started with the API (though I'm still remiss in taking it seriously myself).

Getting Started with the Revit API
My First Revit Plug-in

Years ago when I did some programming more seriously I found the book "Code Complete" by Steve McConnell quite helpful to help understand the process and concepts.

Happy coding!

RTC AUS 2013 Auckland

Today I am heading to Auckland, New Zealand to attend the Revit Technology Conference. On Tuesday night I'll be hanging out with fellow American Aaron Maller in Christchurch at a local Revit User Group meeting. It's my first trip to NZ so I'm looking forward to it naturally!

Next week I'll be writing via the RTC Blog. I've managed to get some OpEd stuff scheduled to post while I'm away, just on the off chance somebody might miss my rambling. :)

If you haven't committed to attending the conference in Auckland yet...reconsider there is still time. There are a number of options for registration if time and/or budget are concerns. Hope to see you there!!

If NZ can't be part of your plans... remember, there are two other RTC's to consider, North America's event in Vancouver (July) and Europe's in Delft, Holland (September). Don't be a stranger!!

2013 Central States Revit Workshop Registration

Registration for the next workshop opened 9 days ago, very sorry to be so slow to mention it.

Please let me encourage you to consider spending a couple days (August 15-16, 2013) at the Scott Conference Center in Omaha soaking up Revit information and wisdom. I attended and participated in a couple sessions last year. It was good fun, well worth your time and a great bargain.

Here are a few important links:
Welcome
Location
Schedule
Speakers

REGISTRATION

Come mingle with and hear special guest speakers Paul Aubin, Brian and Desirée Mackey (and maybe their BIMbino), Birgitta Foster, Andrew Jizba and Chuck Mies.

Revit Technology Conference Info

This is an echo of my earlier post, which was quickly overshadowed by news about Revit 2014 features, just to give it a little more attention.


If you read this blog (regularly) then I think/hope that RTC is no surprise to you. I'm writing this as a reminder to those who already know about it as well as to introduce them to anyone who hasn't already heard about them. After all May and RTC AUS isn't far away now...

These are the events in the order that they occur this year:

RTC Australasia - May 16-18, 2013 - Auckland, NZ
RTC North America - July 11-13, 2013 - Vancouver, Canada
RTC Europe - September 27-28, 2013 - Delft, Holland

Each event gives you an opportunity to listen, learn, talk and mingle with many of the best and brightest people that our planet has to offer, seriously!

I attended my first RTC in 2006 in Australia, where it all started (in 2005). I've been a fan ever since and even became a committee member to help start the first RTC in North America in 2011. It isn't any single thing that made me a fan. It was the whole of the experience.

For example, I knew that every person I saw around me was like me, fascinated by Revit, just Revit then and now by what it has expanded into. I knew that no matter who I listened to, talked with or saw in a hallway that I'd see them again...in a session, in a few minutes or during a break or during dinner and drinks. The value of the social side of the event can't be overstated. People have cultivated great friendships, formed at each event, and these last and prove mutually satisfying for years to come. I can vouch for this personally.

If you struggle with getting your firm to support sending you, or if you are the firm, or if you are trying to justify sending your staff consider just the classes alone. If you or someone in your firm was charged with putting together a class of equal quality, compared with any you'll find at RTC, you can reasonably expect a 10-20 hour commitment. That's time spent preparing themselves, making sure they've covered every angle of Revit knowledge they need, then organizing it all, preparing to share it with other staff and finally actually sharing it with them. It might take longer if it is the first time they've had to do something like this, or they might not be knowledgeable enough yet to tackle it all themselves. If this same person attends RTC and returns home not only with the material from the dozens of sessions they attend but access to all the material for each and every class offered at RTC you'll have a wealth of material for FAR less cash outlay than devoting them to developing the same material in-house.

It isn't just the classes either. It's the interaction, the setting, the focus, the passion and excitement expressed by others and witnessed by everyone. You can't help but feel reinvigorated. You'll recharge your batteries so to speak. When you leave RTC you leave ready, ready for anything and eager to take it all back to the office. It's just a shame that you can't bring your whole office along to experience it for themselves...well you can...just not many offices will dare to. There are a few firms that do send as many as 10-15 staff as they see it as their annual training for key people. Do your best to attend the nearest conference, you and your firm won't regret it!

P.S. If you represent a Local User Group focused on Revit I'd like to help you get the word out to your members. Get in touch with me so I can pass along information that you can use to make it easier to talk about it at your next meeting.