Linked Details - 3rd Party Tool Options

This is an update to a much earlier post after getting a couple comments on that thread. These are three companies I'm familiar with that are providing solutions that contend with sharing details between projects and multiple model projects.

Revolution Design - Revit Workflow

26 Degrees Software - ViewAQC

Parallax Team - Parallax Linked Details

Check them out!

Downloads Fixed - Some

I have been trying to carve out a little time here and there to fix the paths to downloads I've shared in the past. As of now the most requested stuff is fixed, the egress family and railing files. If you try to download something and hit a page not found warning, drop a comment in the post to bring it to my attention and I'll make it a priority.

Thanks for being patient - The mGmT...

Stage Curtains

Back in January of 2004, about eleven months before I started blogging and a couple months before moving to California, I shared a couple stage curtain families at AUGI. They were made using Revit 6.0. I recently got a message thanking me for them which made me curious how well they'd upgrade to Revit 2015. I downloaded them from AUGI too since I'd lost track of the files since then. They upgraded fine. Well, without a warning message but they didn't retain all their parametric behavior unfortunately.

If you're like me, you can't help but second guess the things you did when you get to take another look at something you did in the past. This is no different. I didn't like my choice of parameter names and the logic I used to allow for them to be reconfigured. So I spent some time re-working them in Revit 2015.

Here's what they look like in play now, the main setting is a burgundy color, the olio setting is a lighter shade and the cyclorama legs, borders and rear traveler are just black (though they look gray). If you aren't familiar with theater terminology, the olio setting is traditionally fancy or at least a different color. It is typically used (closed in front of the stage set) as the background for the opening act of a show, comedian, magician etc., far enough forward to leave most of the stage for the primary production (hidden from view), close behind the main curtain setting but leaving some stage space for the intro act.

And in plan view

And in Section

If you'd like to download them here you go:

2015 Stage Curtain Border
2015 Stage Curtain Traveler

If you need them in an earlier version than 2015 these are the Revit 6.0 files. You'll probably have to tweak them a bit to retain their parametric relationships, such as changing the height of the curtain or length of the batten etc.

Revit 6.0 Border Curtain
Revit 6.0 Traveler Curtain

I'll close with a rendered view using some stage lighting fixtures that Andrew K shared at RevitForum.org (works with ARCAT) and a couple saxophones that Michael Anonuevo shared with me back when he was working on his family editor book.

I did consider rebuilding these using the new Adaptive Point divide and repeat concept. Perhaps another day. It would be interesting to compare the performance of that technique against these. These do put a bit of a drag on a model because of the blend array that makes the curtain.

Okay, now I'm just having fun...

Dutch Revit Standards and Template

Luke mentioned this the other day but it bears repeating to help spread the word for the Dutch Revit community at large.

Dutch Revit standard (template) is now available for download:

Download - RevitGG.nl
A Translated Version
This is made available using Creative Commons licensing.

There is a link to download version 0.8 from Dropbox at this page.

The download includes:

• Project Template
• Families
• Family Templates
• Materials
• Resource Files (CAD import / export maps, Shared Parameters and more)

Working at Risk

This situation occurs when your Revit session can not find the central file. This could happen through no fault of your own. For example it could happen because the project's server is down, a router is malfunctioning, your network cable was unplugged by the cleaning crew and so on. Of course those would present themselves in other more obvious ways like not being able to get your email, see folders on the server or even log onto the network. It could also be caused by someone deleting the central file, the central file's backup folder, someone saving over the central file or some other nefarious circumstance.

It can also be caused by taking your local file home with you. When you open a Revit project, that has had worksets enabled, Revit "talks" with the central file. If it can't find it you'll get an error message.

That's your first warning that things aren't safe to continue working. At this point I encourage you to stop, see if you can find out what's wrong, assuming you don't already know. If you push forward and try to alter something in the file, using element borrowing, you'll get this message.

That message is preventing you from using element borrowing. If you really want to continue to work at risk you'll need to open the Workset dialog and make the workset the element is assigned to editable, which makes you the Owner of the workset. You won't be able to do this either without getting another warning dialog.

If you click Yes you'll be able to do what you want with any elements assigned to the workset you've made editable (you are the owner of the workset). This is where things will go very wrong. If someone else does this too or still has a valid connection to the central file you are working "at risk". As soon as another person does something that Revit has either given them permission to do or creates a conflict of ownership somehow...the first person to resolve it will win...the rest will lose.

If you must go down this road you need to discuss what you need to do with the other people working on the project so they either stay away long enough for you to get things done or agree to be very careful about what they do. Go slowly, methodically...carefully.

Other Workset Topics to Read

Scope Boxes

Dave Baldacchino wrote a post at his blog the other day focusing some attention on these so I dug this information up.

I wrote the following documents in 2004 while I worked for Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo (WATG). It's still relevant today though some improvements in visibility control (such as using filters for managing grids instead for example) have reduced the necessity for using them, somewhat. Their facility at managing consistent views of the model for multi/many story projects probably remains the most compelling reason to use them.

Ironically I didn't focus on that in this document, I guess I took that bit for granted. What I did do is focus on their role managing the visibility of datum in views. There is a sample project file on my site. Below this first embedded document is another that is a guide to experimenting with the file.

RevitCat - Tim Joins the Ranks

Tim Waldock presented a session at RTCUSA last year and posted a teaser video of his session. He's decided to write some of his experimentation and experiences on his new blog RevitCAT. You can watch the videos he's posted in his first few posts so far. He's planning on another video teaser for the next RTC event(s) assuming that acceptance is forthcoming...which I'd be surprised if it wasn't. Another blog for the reader!

Here's my own teaser for his blog, he posted this at You Tube last year too.

No Not Detail Lines

Here's a recent situation for a Revit MEP firm. They download the architect's model. They import the model. They need to coordinate their design with a good number of lab cabinets and equipment. When they open the views to see the labs they don't see any equipment. Curious, they open the pdf's they were sent. Casework and equipment galore. Now they open the file that they downloaded and take a closer look. Sure enough, there are cabinets and equipment. Closer look still...oh, no! They aren't families, they are detail lines, drawn in the view. Some are groups, some aren't.

Now we know why they don't show up in the RME model after linking the architectural model in. Detail lines are view specific so they won't show up unless they override the view to show the same view the detail lines are in within the architectural model. Doing so unfortunately introduces other annotation they don't want to see. Nuts and double nuts!

Moral of the story, if using detail lines seems like the expedient thing to do, just ask yourself, "Who does this affect downstream?". Sometimes you just need to say no. If you can draw it once in plan in the project with detail lines you can expend just about the same effort to make simple plan only families and be nicer to those you hope to collaborate with.

I saw this bumper sticker on a Facebook site called PA of the Day.

They post a picture of various Public Address (PA) systems/equipment each day. It's a site that appeals to a certain group of people. A twist on a familiar drinking and driving bumper sticker and for the purpose of this tale, "Friends don't let friends use detail lines instead of families!".

Shameless Plug - Design West Engineering - Architect's Corner

I had the pleasure of working with Design West Engineering nearly two years ago when they were getting serious about Revit MEP. They had a "can do", "will do" attitude that is essential to being successful with a challenging transition like moving to Revit MEP.

Since then...to steal a phrase my friends back in Atlanta used all the time...they've been "kickin' butt and takin' names". This is polite company (my mom reads this blog now and then, since I don't call her enough) so mentally swap out butt for another term and you've got the essence of the message. 8-)

The other day their Revit Project Manager (Joel Londenberg) shared a link (in a post at AUGI) to a document they've posted on a special page at their company web site called Architect's Corner. They've shared a number of articles that are intended to help their clients work with them as well as information they think might be useful in general. For example one is titled, "How to Swap Models".

Joel (Londenberg) and Jarrod Baumann will be presenting Revit MEP classes at AU this year. If you are attending take another look at your schedule to see if you can catch them in action. Their classes are:

ME318-2 Capturing Design Intent: Building Revit MEP Content that Assists your Engineering Tasks (Joel's class)

ME500-1 From Contract to Construction Documents with Revit MEP (Jarrod's class)