Revit Server - Heading Off Road

If you are curious about Revit Server and using less server like hardware/software, David just posted the results of his experience doing exactly that. He's been able to get it up and running on extra equipment. Caution though, you'll be stepping outside the "support range" of Autodesk's support crew...

Check out his post now!?!

Dept. of Workarounds - Smaller Grids in Large Scale Views

I responded to a post at AUGI with this text (I did tweak this version a little since the thread isn't here to get the context of the conversation):

I hear this complaint, "I need smaller grid bubbles in site plans, they are toooo BIG!", every now and then in the last couple years. In the early days there was usually a "hallelujah" when we realized we no longer had to deal with keeping them the correct size when printed. Irony!

The fundamental issue is that Revit's mandate is, "All annotation must maintain their intended printed size". If the grid text is assigned 1/8" scale and the circle is 3/8" diameter then no matter what scale is used they will maintain that size. This is why they are "so big" in 1:500 views. The reality is they are not bigger, they are exactly the same...the building has gotten much smaller in comparison.

Text, symbols and dimensions all behave in exactly the same manner...except that they only show up in one view, the one you place them in. Grids, levels and reference planes transcend the view specific nature of other annotation to eliminate the need to draft them repeatedly and therefore coordinate them endlessly.

A solution to show different size grid annotation in large scale views involves using Design Options.

• Create a Design Option called Grid Management and two options: Normal Size and Reduced Size.
• Create a Reduced Size Grid type that uses a grid bubble family with smaller text and circle.
• Rename the normal Grid type: Normal Size.
• Add all the Normal Size grids to the project and then add them to both Design Options.
• Edit the Reduced Size view's Design Option and change the grid types to the matching Reduced Size grid type.
• In the larger scale views set their Design Option (via Visibility/Graphics dialog) to display the Reduced Size Design Option.

Now you have smaller grid bubbles and they "look" better...just keep in mind that they are smaller and now harder to read when printed full size, or half size for that matter.

Caution Dimensioning to these grids in a design option and to the rest of the model can have unpleasant issues. Such as the dimension getting deleted or at least disappearing when the relationship between the Option"ed" grids are no longer relevant. This can happen if you toggle the assigned option to another and back.