Point Clouds and Worksets

From the Autodesk Wiki Help site for Revit, regarding using point cloud data and worksharing:

...snip (bold emphasis is mine)
Using point clouds in a worksharing environment: To improve performance and reduce network traffic, the recommended workflow for users who need to work with the same point cloud files is to copy the files locally. As long as the relative path to the local copies of the point cloud files is the same for each user, the link will remain valid when you synchronize with Central. The relative path is displayed as the Saved Path in the Manage Links dialog and is relative to the Point Cloud Root Path specified on the File Locations tab of the Options dialog.
...snip

Said another way, put copies of the point cloud files in the same place as your local files. Have each team member do the same thing, same "place", so they'll seem to be in the same location for each person's local file.

For example if you put your local files in a folder like this one:

C:\RevitProjects\ProjectName

Then put the point cloud files here too.

Help?

Observations about the new Wiki Help for Revit and other Autodesk products:

Internet Explorer 8 - some things just don't work. The controls to scroll move in the opposite direction and the cursor icon seems stuck on the "hand" for some reason. Okay I'm a bit behind, haven't installed IE9 yet.

[Edit: This bit is "knucklehead syndrome", my tablet device is the culprit for the interface change and me not being very observant. I'm leaving this because perhaps there is something in it that their web developer might find useful.]

Switch to Firefox 4 - all better...at least from the UI standpoint. Odd because Autodesk's web stuff almost always seems to have a preference to the IE browser.

As it turns out I never noticed the little "hand" cursor on my IE8 toolbar. I noticed it after recording the video. Clicking on it turns "on the hand" and that's when the page misbehaves. Turn it off and back to normal. There is no tooltip but turning it on allows you to use the mouse to scroll a web page. Turning it back off allows you to select text. I never noticed it before and have no idea how I turned it on earlier. Microsoft Word calls it "Panning Hand" so I imagine that IE8 should too? A bit more research yields, the "panning hand" becomes available in IE with tablet PC's, so my Wacom Intous 4 must be "adding" it.

I'd like one thing to always be true for help documentation. If I type in the name of a feature in the product I'd like the help search to return an actual topic, not this:

It's not like I made up the text string I chose, I pulled it from here:

Tried "Sun Path", also found in the Properties Palette for a view, no results found.
Tried "Title on Sheet" - I get a link to a tip to create a small 3D view submitted by a member of the User Experience Team

From my perspective I'd like to be able to take something that I'm curious about and find what help has to "say" about it. Since the Display Analysis Styles feature was new to 2011 and there is something more to look at with 2012 I was curious to see what the Help documentation had to "say". I wasn't surprised that I got my result. I'm used to it happening unfortunately. With the Wiki concept it nows becomes a question of whether or not I dare to start a section for it or not...or wait till "someone" else decides to.

Back to the thing that started this post, Display Styles for Analysis. There is a section for THIS. Since I searched for the text found in the Properties Palette I thought I'd use a simpler string now that I know that the topic exists. I tried "Display Style"... "Your search query did not return any results". Nuts! When I try entering the exact title for the topic displayed below...same result, zip nada.

Hoping for the day that the search functionality works!

Freeform Roof via WikiHow

James Vandezande, with SOM, has shared how to use a freeform roof made in software other than Revit (Rhino) and then use it in Revit. He's shared how on WikiHow. Take a look! Thanks James! (note: I believe this was part of his Autodesk University lecture last year)

Wiki See Wiki Do

The Revit Wiki at Beau Turner's Triple D Design is active now, ready for each of you to contribute your writing, editing (SPELLING) and research skills. We've got a rough draft started but it needs much more information. It is living document and we will see it grow, as Beau says, "One edit at a time". Also the current structure is not written in stone so please add your ideas.

REVIT WIKI

Read a more recent POST

To Wiki or not to Wiki?

Beau Turner has started a Wiki project for ADT and Revit Building. If you aren't familiar with Beau he has a catchy titled blog, "Will Render For Food". There's a link to his blog on the sidebar of this blog.

I recall the notion of making a wiki for Revit came up just before the Zoogdesign based Revit community joined with AUGI. A member using the moniker, MAWI, suggested it first. As far as I know nothing came of that discussion. The subject came up again recently in the forums and it still sounded like an interesting project, but no traction again.

That is till now, apparently Beau is the kind of guy to do things instead of talking about them. Nice one Beau! Kind of like another guy I know, Chris Zoog. Gotta admire "can do" spirit! Even though I CAN feel jealous he actually started it, right? That's okay isn't it? Get over it you say...I'll try!

His site says if you are interested in helping to get it going to email him. If you are, what are you waiting for? Always wanted to be a writer? Here's your chance!

Here's a link: ADT/REVIT WIKI

It will be interesting to see how quickly everyone can build it? Maybe we should challenge the ADT Wiki? Hehe...


Read a more recent POST