You can download the FILE HERE!
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Keynote Editor = New Cool Application
I must have been sleeping under a rock when this one surfaced back on March 13, 2009 in a POST at AUGI. Steve Faust with emc2 has made a Keynote Manager application whose goal is improving the lot of the person(s) who deals with Revit's keynote feature. Here's a screen capture.
You can download the FILE HERE!
You can download the FILE HERE!
Local File Generator - Another Option
Paul Kirill, a Revit MEP user with HCYU and Associates created a new tool to create local files and the firm has decided to make it available to anyone else that is interested. I tried it out this morning and it is pretty slick. Here's a screen shot.
It is "branded" by including their firm name but that is a small price to get the work for free? If you want your own branding I'm sure they'd be open to some arrangement. Just give them a shout.
You're probably interested in getting a look at it by now? They've shared it on the Richmond AutoCAD Manifest user group website (RAM). DOWNLOAD IT HERE! or visit the WEB PAGE.
Paul also posted an announcement at AUGI in THIS THREAD.
What I find compelling about this solution is its small "footprint"...it doesn't require much from the user other than installing it and making a few setting choices. The other solutions, I've mentioned before or this ONE, using Auto Hot Key are cool too but they do require a bit more "effort" from us.
Here's the Local File Options dialog:
A dialog to define Revit versions.
Another example of a resourceful Revit user/firm sharing "wot they dun". Thanks!!
It is "branded" by including their firm name but that is a small price to get the work for free? If you want your own branding I'm sure they'd be open to some arrangement. Just give them a shout.You're probably interested in getting a look at it by now? They've shared it on the Richmond AutoCAD Manifest user group website (RAM). DOWNLOAD IT HERE! or visit the WEB PAGE.
Paul also posted an announcement at AUGI in THIS THREAD.
What I find compelling about this solution is its small "footprint"...it doesn't require much from the user other than installing it and making a few setting choices. The other solutions, I've mentioned before or this ONE, using Auto Hot Key are cool too but they do require a bit more "effort" from us.
Here's the Local File Options dialog:
A dialog to define Revit versions.
Another example of a resourceful Revit user/firm sharing "wot they dun". Thanks!!Wednesday, April 22, 2009
What's with the Year in the Name??
Revit 2010 released in 2009, Revit 2009 released in 2008 and so on. It boils down to this, Autodesk's fiscal year is currently 2010 so therefore is the software it makes. I guess it is kind-a-sort-a like the car industry, selling a 2009 model in the fall of 2008??
At least it is better than trying to make sense of the Revit compatibility between the previous naming scheme; Revit Building 9.0, Revit Structure 3.0 and Revit Systems 2.
At least it is better than trying to make sense of the Revit compatibility between the previous naming scheme; Revit Building 9.0, Revit Structure 3.0 and Revit Systems 2.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Revit 2010 - Unresolved References
When Revit opens a project and can't find files it has always told us so. The dialog that it presented in the past and now are different. With 2010 we get this instead.
The language used is better and provides a bit more information. If you click on the Show Details button you get a much more readable listing of the offending files (refrained from that screen capture to protect the "guilty"). The addition of the option to immediately deal with them is also welcome though I suspect most users will just defer that to someone else?
[Added: 4/23/09] For more discussion on the subject of this Task Dialog you can visit a post that was apparently inspired by this post.
The language used is better and provides a bit more information. If you click on the Show Details button you get a much more readable listing of the offending files (refrained from that screen capture to protect the "guilty"). The addition of the option to immediately deal with them is also welcome though I suspect most users will just defer that to someone else?[Added: 4/23/09] For more discussion on the subject of this Task Dialog you can visit a post that was apparently inspired by this post.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Form Follows Function
Walls, floors, ceilings and roofs all permit us to define multiple layers to represent a system of parts that define the whole. One part of this is the Function of a layer. I'm referring to these as shown in this image of the layers in a wall type.
There are Five numbered/bracketed functions and a placeholder that doesn't really contribute to the wall (or other elements) thickness...yet. I can be hopeful can't I?
What do they mean and what do they do?
First...notice the numbers? Why are they numbered? The number represents a pecking order, the order that they occur during construction.
[1] Structure - last time I checked the structure of a building comes first so it is numero uno!
[2] Substrate - Yes plywood gets applied to the exterior side of a wood framed house next, similar for other substrates.
[3] Thermal/Air Layer - Insulation goes in now, on the face of CMU and in the stud cavities.
[4] Finish 1 - This is EXTERIOR, yes exterior so make your wall types with this and only use it for the exterior side of EXTERIOR wall types. Don't use it for your interior walls types.
[5] Finish 2 - This must be for INTERIOR finishes, YES, use it for interior partitions. Yes it is okay to use this function both on the "exterior" side and the "interior" side of INTERIOR partitions. It IS important to define which side is "exterior" on your partitions.
For example a shaft wall that has two layers of finish material on one side and a single layer of another on the inside. Which side should get the double layer? Exterior...interior? You decide and then stick to it, don't waffle, waver, equivocate or prevaricate!
[ ] Membrane - Poor membrane, doesn't rate a number but this is for Tyvek and others. In many cases it goes on both sides, vapor barrier on one side and air barrier on the other. I can never remember which so I'm sure somewhere a house is sweating when it should be breathing!?!?
[1] Structural Deck - It shares the number one with Structure because it is special. Floors have this one which is just teasing Revit Architecture (RAC) users, more on that in a bit. For Revit Structure (RST) users it is no tease. This allows you to have a pretty accurate representation of concrete over metal deck. You know, the profile is "real" and actually has "flutes" and the concrete fills the "flutes" and doesn't involve adding repeating details to sections and details.
They also play a role in how these layers in various walls relate to one another when they meet at an intersection. We don't really want a finish layer to punch through a structural layer. It ought to stop and respect the boundary of the structure, sorry...you cannot pass GO, do not collect $200. If you are careless with these you may end up with some interesting wall cleanup conditions.
As for Roofs I don't typically encourage people to build up multiple layer families for these. I've come to realize that most of these are better as individual elements so they can have different extents, imagine a Spanish tile roof for example. The tile nearly always finishes a bit forward of the roof rafter tails and substrate below. Separate elements means I can create a better representation of the roof.
No, these images are not the same roof. The first is from a project I was involved in a long time ago now and the second is just quick mock-up of two roofs with a separate offset for the upper "layer". I used join geometry to "blend" them together.
I have the same opinion for floors. I really like to encourage the RST team (everyone has a structural consultant using RST now right?!) to create the structural slab because the poor RAC user can't create the metal deck profile themselves, only the RST software can. RAC can show it however if it was built in RST. This way the RST firm "owns" the structural slab and I model the finishes with RAC. Now we can do material schedules for floor finishes easily and not worry about the extra layers in the floors. I do have to communicate with the RST firm about openings/depressions and the like but I should have been doing that all along anyway. Now I have a bit more motivation?
Having written this I have no objection to compound roofs and floors during schematic design. They actually shine then because you can create basic sections of the building and these preliminary roofs and floors define that "untouchable" space for structure and plenum which helps us plan our floor to floor relationships better.
There are Five numbered/bracketed functions and a placeholder that doesn't really contribute to the wall (or other elements) thickness...yet. I can be hopeful can't I?
What do they mean and what do they do?
First...notice the numbers? Why are they numbered? The number represents a pecking order, the order that they occur during construction.
[1] Structure - last time I checked the structure of a building comes first so it is numero uno!
[2] Substrate - Yes plywood gets applied to the exterior side of a wood framed house next, similar for other substrates.
[3] Thermal/Air Layer - Insulation goes in now, on the face of CMU and in the stud cavities.
[4] Finish 1 - This is EXTERIOR, yes exterior so make your wall types with this and only use it for the exterior side of EXTERIOR wall types. Don't use it for your interior walls types.
[5] Finish 2 - This must be for INTERIOR finishes, YES, use it for interior partitions. Yes it is okay to use this function both on the "exterior" side and the "interior" side of INTERIOR partitions. It IS important to define which side is "exterior" on your partitions.
For example a shaft wall that has two layers of finish material on one side and a single layer of another on the inside. Which side should get the double layer? Exterior...interior? You decide and then stick to it, don't waffle, waver, equivocate or prevaricate!
[ ] Membrane - Poor membrane, doesn't rate a number but this is for Tyvek and others. In many cases it goes on both sides, vapor barrier on one side and air barrier on the other. I can never remember which so I'm sure somewhere a house is sweating when it should be breathing!?!?
[1] Structural Deck - It shares the number one with Structure because it is special. Floors have this one which is just teasing Revit Architecture (RAC) users, more on that in a bit. For Revit Structure (RST) users it is no tease. This allows you to have a pretty accurate representation of concrete over metal deck. You know, the profile is "real" and actually has "flutes" and the concrete fills the "flutes" and doesn't involve adding repeating details to sections and details.
They also play a role in how these layers in various walls relate to one another when they meet at an intersection. We don't really want a finish layer to punch through a structural layer. It ought to stop and respect the boundary of the structure, sorry...you cannot pass GO, do not collect $200. If you are careless with these you may end up with some interesting wall cleanup conditions.
As for Roofs I don't typically encourage people to build up multiple layer families for these. I've come to realize that most of these are better as individual elements so they can have different extents, imagine a Spanish tile roof for example. The tile nearly always finishes a bit forward of the roof rafter tails and substrate below. Separate elements means I can create a better representation of the roof.
No, these images are not the same roof. The first is from a project I was involved in a long time ago now and the second is just quick mock-up of two roofs with a separate offset for the upper "layer". I used join geometry to "blend" them together.I have the same opinion for floors. I really like to encourage the RST team (everyone has a structural consultant using RST now right?!) to create the structural slab because the poor RAC user can't create the metal deck profile themselves, only the RST software can. RAC can show it however if it was built in RST. This way the RST firm "owns" the structural slab and I model the finishes with RAC. Now we can do material schedules for floor finishes easily and not worry about the extra layers in the floors. I do have to communicate with the RST firm about openings/depressions and the like but I should have been doing that all along anyway. Now I have a bit more motivation?
Having written this I have no objection to compound roofs and floors during schematic design. They actually shine then because you can create basic sections of the building and these preliminary roofs and floors define that "untouchable" space for structure and plenum which helps us plan our floor to floor relationships better.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Where did my Mass go?
More than one Revit user has started a project with massing, saved and closed the file, moved on to something else for awhile only to return and suffer a brief scary moment when they see nothing in their model!! No mass!! Did I forget to save my work? Did Revit kill my work? Panic begins to set in...oh wait!! Show Mass!! Aaahhh...calm begins to return.
You can also find it under the View menu > Show Mass.
When you first use the massing tools Revit displays this message.
It boils down to this, Revit is saying, "Steve, the massing category is not on, you can't see it!! So I'll turn massing on for you globally (all views) without you having to manually turn massing on in every view using visibility/Graphics overrides. Okay?"
The alternative is to use Visibility/Graphic overrides in each view to turn on the mass category. By default it is off in each view.
The message also tells that you'll have to do this in order to print/export your massing work.
Now...in Revit 2010 you'll find things the same only different. Instead of a menu or toolbar button you'll find a "Menoolbar"...I'm sorry I meant Ribbon tab called Massing & Site.
Instead of the little message I got earlier from Revit I get this one.
Says the "same" thing only differently. Of course the massing capabilities have changed significantly with 2010 but that's a different post...or many posts.
Next time...don't panic!!...and remember your towel!
You can also find it under the View menu > Show Mass.
When you first use the massing tools Revit displays this message.
It boils down to this, Revit is saying, "Steve, the massing category is not on, you can't see it!! So I'll turn massing on for you globally (all views) without you having to manually turn massing on in every view using visibility/Graphics overrides. Okay?"
The alternative is to use Visibility/Graphic overrides in each view to turn on the mass category. By default it is off in each view.
The message also tells that you'll have to do this in order to print/export your massing work.
Now...in Revit 2010 you'll find things the same only different. Instead of a menu or toolbar button you'll find a "Menoolbar"...I'm sorry I meant Ribbon tab called Massing & Site.
Instead of the little message I got earlier from Revit I get this one.
Says the "same" thing only differently. Of course the massing capabilities have changed significantly with 2010 but that's a different post...or many posts.Next time...don't panic!!...and remember your towel!
Friday, April 17, 2009
Where to Start? Revit 2010
Since Revit 2010 has been formally released and began shipping over the last couple days it makes sense to begin addressing it formally here too. I've held off doing so to honor the disclosure requirements I agreed to with Autodesk even though numerous others have managed to skirt them for sometime now.
The first thing that will "hit you" obviously is the new graphical user interface (GUI). You'll want to visit the Help documentation and there are several items of interest there.
Skipping over the first item, Help, check out the "User Interface Overview".
It is a "mouse over" document where you move your cursor over the numbered portions of the interface and a description appears. It lacks descriptions for a couple contextual items that appear from time to time. For instance there is a Draw/Pick Gallery that appears when you are working with a feature that permits sketching, like walls, lines etc.
Subtle yes but it is useful to learn their terminology too.
I also highlighted a document you'll definitely want to get familiar with too. It is called, not surprisingly, "Where is my Command?".
This is organized around the original menu structure and provides a description that explains where this "missing" command can now be found. Here's an example that will cause a little stress initially unless you are already quite indoctrinated by other "wibbonized" applications. Where did they hide Settings menu > Options? Sorry, that was a trick question, they don't tell you where it is!! It is found here.
Initially I expected to find it on the Manage Ribbon tab however I soon remembered that in other applications the Options or User Settings are configured under the Application menu. This is the BIG round button in the upper left corner of the application. In Revit's case, the BIG "R".
If you are interested in some background on the rationale for the new interface design you can check out the new Autodesk blog "Inside the Factory". There are also quite a few videos posted on youtube and other sites. Some critical of it and others just a demonstration. It's amazing how much stuff "we" create on the "internets".
Just be sure to check out the available information lurking under Help!
The first thing that will "hit you" obviously is the new graphical user interface (GUI). You'll want to visit the Help documentation and there are several items of interest there.
Skipping over the first item, Help, check out the "User Interface Overview".
It is a "mouse over" document where you move your cursor over the numbered portions of the interface and a description appears. It lacks descriptions for a couple contextual items that appear from time to time. For instance there is a Draw/Pick Gallery that appears when you are working with a feature that permits sketching, like walls, lines etc.
Subtle yes but it is useful to learn their terminology too.
I also highlighted a document you'll definitely want to get familiar with too. It is called, not surprisingly, "Where is my Command?".
This is organized around the original menu structure and provides a description that explains where this "missing" command can now be found. Here's an example that will cause a little stress initially unless you are already quite indoctrinated by other "wibbonized" applications. Where did they hide Settings menu > Options? Sorry, that was a trick question, they don't tell you where it is!! It is found here.
Initially I expected to find it on the Manage Ribbon tab however I soon remembered that in other applications the Options or User Settings are configured under the Application menu. This is the BIG round button in the upper left corner of the application. In Revit's case, the BIG "R".
If you are interested in some background on the rationale for the new interface design you can check out the new Autodesk blog "Inside the Factory". There are also quite a few videos posted on youtube and other sites. Some critical of it and others just a demonstration. It's amazing how much stuff "we" create on the "internets".
Just be sure to check out the available information lurking under Help!
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Key Tips - Revit 2010
A few people have commented on a "new" feature in Revit 2010, called Key Tips. They display when you press the ALT key on the keyboard. They make it possible to use the keyboard to access Ribbon tabs and panel items while working feverishly.
While they are displayed differently are they really "new"? Windows has always supported this technique to access menu items. The premise for them was, "what if your mouse stopped working or worse, you don't have a mouse?". These gave us a way to save and gracefully get out of an application without a pointing device. Literally a hold over from DOS pre-mouse computing.
Yes Key Tips are a good thing...but "new"? What is the saying? "Everything old is new again"?
While they are displayed differently are they really "new"? Windows has always supported this technique to access menu items. The premise for them was, "what if your mouse stopped working or worse, you don't have a mouse?". These gave us a way to save and gracefully get out of an application without a pointing device. Literally a hold over from DOS pre-mouse computing.
Yes Key Tips are a good thing...but "new"? What is the saying? "Everything old is new again"?
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Conditional Formatting - was unfair!
Too good to wait to till tomorrow to share!
In the past I commented about the fact that Revit MEP has conditional formatting while Revit Architecture and Structure do not. That is still technically true but... fast forward to now...
Conditional Formatting in schedules regardless of the version of Revit still does not show up when a schedule is added to a sheet however. This means the tool is useful primarily for internal checking or as an analysis tool but fails to deliver for presenting the information to others. Always leave us wanting more do they?
P.S. This works in Revit 2009 and 2010. Keep in mind that undocumented finds like these may mean that the factory didn't know it was possible and therefore it is technically unsupported. Use it at your own peril?
In the past I commented about the fact that Revit MEP has conditional formatting while Revit Architecture and Structure do not. That is still technically true but... fast forward to now...
David Baldacchino and I were exchanging some emails about work arounds and I was lamenting about the conditional formatting again. He remembered that he discovered a real good trick!
When you are creating/editing a schedule and select a value that can be formatted, like Area or a Number value for example, are you listening? Press the ALT & N keys at the same time and this dialog appears. Yes in Revit Architecture and Structure!
Conditional Formatting in schedules regardless of the version of Revit still does not show up when a schedule is added to a sheet however. This means the tool is useful primarily for internal checking or as an analysis tool but fails to deliver for presenting the information to others. Always leave us wanting more do they?
P.S. This works in Revit 2009 and 2010. Keep in mind that undocumented finds like these may mean that the factory didn't know it was possible and therefore it is technically unsupported. Use it at your own peril?
Revit 2010 Fixes Floor Void Issue
I'm happy to report that an earlier post that I made about floors and void elements is no longer an issue with the new release of Revit Architecture 2010 and the other versions too.
In the new release a floor will show a reduction in volume when an in-place void, a face based void family or a floor based void family is used. An undocumented fix that is welcome! Thanks!
In the new release a floor will show a reduction in volume when an in-place void, a face based void family or a floor based void family is used. An undocumented fix that is welcome! Thanks!
Thursday, April 02, 2009
The Family Editor: Bones, Muscle & Skin
I have heard the term "bones" and phrase "build the bones" used in the context of the family editor in the past. In fact some of the earlier Revit Technology Corporation (RTC) and Autodesk Family Editor documents have used the term too, perhaps for the first time even. Lately over the last year or two I've been expanding on the metaphor.
Bones = Reference Planes
Muscle = Dimensions, Labels/Parameters, Automatic Sketch Dimensions
Skin = Solids/Voids and Symbolic Linework
If you properly define the "bones" first and then connect the "muscle(s)" to them you'll find that your "skin", once anchored to the bones, will go wherever the muscle tell the bones to go. I just picture my arm and in fact I usually hold it up and move it at the elbow while I mention it in classes. A properly defined family will behave as consistently as your arm does, unless you manage to do it harm skiing?
Too clinical? Squeamish? Sorry!
Bones = Reference Planes
Muscle = Dimensions, Labels/Parameters, Automatic Sketch Dimensions
Skin = Solids/Voids and Symbolic Linework
If you properly define the "bones" first and then connect the "muscle(s)" to them you'll find that your "skin", once anchored to the bones, will go wherever the muscle tell the bones to go. I just picture my arm and in fact I usually hold it up and move it at the elbow while I mention it in classes. A properly defined family will behave as consistently as your arm does, unless you manage to do it harm skiing?
Too clinical? Squeamish? Sorry!
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
H E "double hockey sticks" Freezes Over
According to Gregory Arkin's blog, Bim Boom Autodesk has just announced the end of ADT/ACA. Autodesk will no longer continue to produce it as a stand-alone product.
I remember distinctly fearing exactly the opposite when Autodesk bought my "beloved" Revit back in 2002, worried instead that it would vanish. Times change, though I guess we could say that the writing was "on the wall".
Not good news to ADT/ACA fans worldwide and I can empathize with their concerns. I'm glad I bet on the "correct horse", for once.
P.S. Did you notice the date...again? A mean but good one, Greg!
I remember distinctly fearing exactly the opposite when Autodesk bought my "beloved" Revit back in 2002, worried instead that it would vanish. Times change, though I guess we could say that the writing was "on the wall".
Not good news to ADT/ACA fans worldwide and I can empathize with their concerns. I'm glad I bet on the "correct horse", for once.
P.S. Did you notice the date...again? A mean but good one, Greg!
Mr. OpEd Retires
This is Freddy Latherdon, Mr. OpEd's ace reporter. I have received word today, that in a sudden decision, he has elected to stop consulting and writing Revit OpEd. Yes I know, very sudden!!
While working in Abu Dhabi he received an offer to purchase several franchise locations of Subway, the sandwich shop familiar to many people, a frequent lunch stop for him. In addition to that he met a few folks who run a ballooning operation and he now intends to plan and train for a round the world balloon adventure to begin sometime next September.
This came as shock to me, not to mention his wife and children, as I'm sure it does for some of his readers. I know that I'll miss his contributions here and perhaps, with his permission I can try to keep it running somehow though I really don't know Revit that well myself. Perhaps with some help from others I can do it.
Effective today - no more Revit OpEd, unless I can ressurect it somehow! Sorry folks!
P.S. What day is today? gotcha?
This came as shock to me, not to mention his wife and children, as I'm sure it does for some of his readers. I know that I'll miss his contributions here and perhaps, with his permission I can try to keep it running somehow though I really don't know Revit that well myself. Perhaps with some help from others I can do it.Effective today - no more Revit OpEd, unless I can ressurect it somehow! Sorry folks!
P.S. What day is today? gotcha?
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Abu Dhabi - More
Got to visit the Marina Mall the other night courtesy of the client who was heading that way on another errand and I tagged along! BIG!
Every mall has a little sculpture in key places, this one is no different!
And a nicely made scale model!
This is a model of the Formula 1 racing park under development. They are starting to sell tickets to the first race ranging from 1200 dh to 2400 dh and up.
A poster in the same exhibit and advance ticket sales area.
Every mall has a little sculpture in key places, this one is no different!
And a nicely made scale model!
This is a model of the Formula 1 racing park under development. They are starting to sell tickets to the first race ranging from 1200 dh to 2400 dh and up.
A poster in the same exhibit and advance ticket sales area.
Dept. of Why? Grids Don't Mind Piling On
I often wonder why some objects can't be placed on top of another while others just don't mind at all? Grids are one of these that really shouldn't be placed on top of one another but don't seem to annoy Revit at all when they are. Then we are left to figure out why a Grid number isn't available but we thought it was. Then it turns out that someone accidentally added a grid on top of another one and we can't see the grid value of the one hidden beneath it. A little head scratching and we are back on track.
Still, wouldn't it be more effective if Revit at least said, "Umm Steve, I hate to distract you but you just put a grid on top of another grid. Would you mind getting a clue and a life and fix it for me?, Cheers mate!". Better yet if it said it out loud in the voice of Mrs. Emma Peel (Diana Rigg). I can take criticism from her surely!
Still, wouldn't it be more effective if Revit at least said, "Umm Steve, I hate to distract you but you just put a grid on top of another grid. Would you mind getting a clue and a life and fix it for me?, Cheers mate!". Better yet if it said it out loud in the voice of Mrs. Emma Peel (Diana Rigg). I can take criticism from her surely!
Monday, March 30, 2009
Dept. of Why? Auto Ceiling and Multiple Ceilings
I should start an informal poll on how many users have created multiple ceilings in a room because the Auto Ceiling function does not discriminate against multiple ceilings in the same location. When you try to put other elements in the same location as another Revit howl's in pain but not the ceiling tool. It's says, "Go for it dude...make as many as you like! It'll just confuse you later and it'll be like..kewl...I'm so like sitting back here and chuckling at you!"
I think something like twenty was the worst I've encountered. It goes something like this..."Steve, why can't I delete this ceiling?" I use a crossing selection window and filter out the other elements and find 20 ceiling elements. I tell them they placed 20 ceilings and they WERE deleting them just not ALL of them. I then wonder how many he deleted and how many there were originally?!?
He says,"How did I do that...oh wait? I placed the ceiling but I didn't see it at first so I tried again, and again and again and again..." This happens the most with the GWB ceiling type that doesn't have a material assigned to the GWB which means you can't "see" it. You aren't convinced there is a ceiling so you keep clicking! Remember a definition of insanity is doing the same thing repeatedly expecting different results.
I'd like the ceiling tool get a bit smarter, a bit more discriminating. Which reminds me the ceiling tool ought to be able to detect columns just like rooms!!
I think something like twenty was the worst I've encountered. It goes something like this..."Steve, why can't I delete this ceiling?" I use a crossing selection window and filter out the other elements and find 20 ceiling elements. I tell them they placed 20 ceilings and they WERE deleting them just not ALL of them. I then wonder how many he deleted and how many there were originally?!?
He says,"How did I do that...oh wait? I placed the ceiling but I didn't see it at first so I tried again, and again and again and again..." This happens the most with the GWB ceiling type that doesn't have a material assigned to the GWB which means you can't "see" it. You aren't convinced there is a ceiling so you keep clicking! Remember a definition of insanity is doing the same thing repeatedly expecting different results.
I'd like the ceiling tool get a bit smarter, a bit more discriminating. Which reminds me the ceiling tool ought to be able to detect columns just like rooms!!
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Are you a Good Sketch or a Bad Sketch?
Aah sketch mode. What a picky feature! It wants nice clean perfect sketches. It is a pass/fail proposition, it works, it doesn't. I think of electrical circuits when I think of sketch mode, as in "open circuit" and "short circuit". I also think of tool paths for a CNC machine or the laser cutter/etcher you use for model making (some of you). I also think of Jeffrey McGrew and his Shopbot "Frank". Yes he named his machine. Anyway these devices like clean endpoint to endpoint sketches. A bad sketch means damaged work or in some cases even a small fire?
In yet another life of Mr. OpEd I worked for the theater equipment manufacturer J.R. Clancy and we had a sub-contractor that used a CNC machine to cut the side plates, out of steel, for the rigging loft and head blocks (pulley assemblies), among other things. They used to be fairly casual about who could create the drawing for them to use to cut these steel plates until someone sent one with a "Bad sketch". After the shop foreman and management apologized profusely for the trouble it caused only ONE person could do the job thereafter. No...thank goodness it wasn't me that caused the problem, I think?!?
Here's a graphic of good and bad sketches. Be a good sketcher, keep Revit happy!
It would be nice if Revit would fix bad sketches since it is smart enough to detect that a bad sketch exists! See? One of a few versions of this complaint.
It does however try to show us where the problem is and then waits for us to figure out how to resolve it. That's something I suppose.
In yet another life of Mr. OpEd I worked for the theater equipment manufacturer J.R. Clancy and we had a sub-contractor that used a CNC machine to cut the side plates, out of steel, for the rigging loft and head blocks (pulley assemblies), among other things. They used to be fairly casual about who could create the drawing for them to use to cut these steel plates until someone sent one with a "Bad sketch". After the shop foreman and management apologized profusely for the trouble it caused only ONE person could do the job thereafter. No...thank goodness it wasn't me that caused the problem, I think?!?
Here's a graphic of good and bad sketches. Be a good sketcher, keep Revit happy!
It would be nice if Revit would fix bad sketches since it is smart enough to detect that a bad sketch exists! See? One of a few versions of this complaint.
It does however try to show us where the problem is and then waits for us to figure out how to resolve it. That's something I suppose.Saturday, March 28, 2009
Abu Dhabi at Night
I took this shot last night from the beach at the hotel before wandering over to the Pub for dinner. The food and drink was great but the service was, well, slow. It took twenty five minutes to get my bill and have it processed. It would have taken longer but I finally tracked down the waiter and handed the bill to him to process. I shouldn't complain but it was the "highlight" of an otherwise quiet evening.
This a construction site and is the same site as the shot I took from a slightly different angle from my room during the day and shared in a earlier post.
This a construction site and is the same site as the shot I took from a slightly different angle from my room during the day and shared in a earlier post.
Revit 2010 Musings
I haven't said much about the upcoming release of Revit. That's because I'm not supposed to disclose that I've been involved in a program that I'm not supposed to disclose that I'm part of. I've also been busy doing some technical editing for the Mastering Revit Structure 2010 book for authors Tom Weir, Jamie Richardson and David Harrington and their publisher Wiley/Sybex. So much for my true dream of being a professional "Couch Potato".
Much has been said lately in blog posts, youtube and AUGI about the upcoming release's user interface and the new "wascally wevit wibbon" (Elmer Fudd saying it). Most of it blasting the new UI. Rather than pile on I have these thoughts.
I can't help but experience some irony having watched the Revit user community grow since 2003 at Zoogdesign and since 2004 at AUGI as well as during the RUGI and alt.cad.revit years "Before Zoog" (B.Z. = 2000-2003)
- Users and potential users complained relentlessly about the "rendering engine" - The last release has a new rendering engine and for the most part users are ambivalent about it.
- Users and potential users complained relentlessly about the "modeling tools" - now new modelling tools and now users are saying most of us don't actually need them.
- Users and potential users complained relentlessly about the "dated and clunky GUI" - A new GUI is here and now users are saying that the old one was better and more efficient.
Those are three pretty big items. Revit has been pretty consistently beaten up about these by users and competitors alike yet when they've finally taken steps to address them. They are met with ambivalence, animosity and even rejection...
I wonder will Revit users ever be happy?
Rhetorical question, the answer is no. We'll always want more. Besides our subscription theoretically entitles us to something more in every release.
It's possible, if you've read this far, that you think I'm making excuses for Autodesk...being an "apologist". It is just an observation and for the most part, accurate. If it is unreasonable to have "some" empathy for the developers who've spent the last couple years working on these things...then I'm unreasonable.
I do understand that each of my statements has a back story, a side story and multi-level tangentially related stories that help explain the user "reaction". On a simplistic level I can't help but wonder what Autodesk's reaction ought to be?
One could be, "See we gave them a new rendering engine and they don't really use it either". Another could be "See, they've been hounding us for more free form modelling capabilities and now they are admitting that a very small portion of the real world will use them." My fear is that they are "learning" from "us" that we have no idea what "we" really need!?! They've been listening to the cacophony related to those three items and are now potentially facing the ugliest of times as a result?
I'm glad they've been tackling some of the issues that they've been getting beaten up about over the years. There definitely are, however, a lot of "little" and "big" projects that I wish Autodesk would just take care of. The agenda for this release doesn't begin to live up to what my own agenda would have been, assuming I had a say. What concerns me the most is that I'm hearing for the first time ever that people are willing to "take a pass" on this release. This is bad for BIM, bad for collaboration, bad for Revit.
The sky is falling, the sky is falling... Only it isn't, I'll take what this release offers and find a way to make the most of it. Some might say, "Steve's a trainer, this release will be awesome for business!". Maybe...but I doubt it, at least not because of the UI. Experienced users will certainly have some anxiety about the transition and feel frustration getting acquainted but it won't last long. A few hours in and it starts to "fit". Keyboard Shortcuts can help you through assuming you use them at all now.
I recall the 2009 release seemed pretty banal when most people's initial reactions were offered up. Yet I found that I was unwilling to use 2008 nearly immediately. I suspect the same will be true of 2010. I just wish there were more subtle things fixed as well, as there was with the 2009 release.
Every release should address a distinct if not large portion of the "points of pain" that have been identified for many years now. It is important that Autodesk not forget this because a year is a long time to wait for the little things that can change a frustrated user into a thrilled, happy user that goes home at the end of the day happy to have been using the product. Oh, right...Revit users will never be happy. Let's shoot for nearly happy?
Much has been said lately in blog posts, youtube and AUGI about the upcoming release's user interface and the new "wascally wevit wibbon" (Elmer Fudd saying it). Most of it blasting the new UI. Rather than pile on I have these thoughts.
I can't help but experience some irony having watched the Revit user community grow since 2003 at Zoogdesign and since 2004 at AUGI as well as during the RUGI and alt.cad.revit years "Before Zoog" (B.Z. = 2000-2003)
- Users and potential users complained relentlessly about the "rendering engine" - The last release has a new rendering engine and for the most part users are ambivalent about it.
- Users and potential users complained relentlessly about the "modeling tools" - now new modelling tools and now users are saying most of us don't actually need them.
- Users and potential users complained relentlessly about the "dated and clunky GUI" - A new GUI is here and now users are saying that the old one was better and more efficient.
Those are three pretty big items. Revit has been pretty consistently beaten up about these by users and competitors alike yet when they've finally taken steps to address them. They are met with ambivalence, animosity and even rejection...
I wonder will Revit users ever be happy?
Rhetorical question, the answer is no. We'll always want more. Besides our subscription theoretically entitles us to something more in every release.
It's possible, if you've read this far, that you think I'm making excuses for Autodesk...being an "apologist". It is just an observation and for the most part, accurate. If it is unreasonable to have "some" empathy for the developers who've spent the last couple years working on these things...then I'm unreasonable.
I do understand that each of my statements has a back story, a side story and multi-level tangentially related stories that help explain the user "reaction". On a simplistic level I can't help but wonder what Autodesk's reaction ought to be?
One could be, "See we gave them a new rendering engine and they don't really use it either". Another could be "See, they've been hounding us for more free form modelling capabilities and now they are admitting that a very small portion of the real world will use them." My fear is that they are "learning" from "us" that we have no idea what "we" really need!?! They've been listening to the cacophony related to those three items and are now potentially facing the ugliest of times as a result?
I'm glad they've been tackling some of the issues that they've been getting beaten up about over the years. There definitely are, however, a lot of "little" and "big" projects that I wish Autodesk would just take care of. The agenda for this release doesn't begin to live up to what my own agenda would have been, assuming I had a say. What concerns me the most is that I'm hearing for the first time ever that people are willing to "take a pass" on this release. This is bad for BIM, bad for collaboration, bad for Revit.
The sky is falling, the sky is falling... Only it isn't, I'll take what this release offers and find a way to make the most of it. Some might say, "Steve's a trainer, this release will be awesome for business!". Maybe...but I doubt it, at least not because of the UI. Experienced users will certainly have some anxiety about the transition and feel frustration getting acquainted but it won't last long. A few hours in and it starts to "fit". Keyboard Shortcuts can help you through assuming you use them at all now.
I recall the 2009 release seemed pretty banal when most people's initial reactions were offered up. Yet I found that I was unwilling to use 2008 nearly immediately. I suspect the same will be true of 2010. I just wish there were more subtle things fixed as well, as there was with the 2009 release.
Every release should address a distinct if not large portion of the "points of pain" that have been identified for many years now. It is important that Autodesk not forget this because a year is a long time to wait for the little things that can change a frustrated user into a thrilled, happy user that goes home at the end of the day happy to have been using the product. Oh, right...Revit users will never be happy. Let's shoot for nearly happy?
Friday, March 27, 2009
Save Locations and a little more Abu Dhabi
When you examine the Manage Links dialog you'll find the Save Locations button at the far bottom left side. I find that most people assume that this has something to do with the path of the file. It actually is related to Shared Coordinates instead.
When you change the position of a file that is using shared coordinates Revit will generate a warning.
If you click Save Now then you don't need the Save Location button this post refers to. If you click OK you can continue to massage the location of your link until you are satisfied. If you want to update the location now you can just Save the file and Revit will pop up the following.
Click OK and you still don't need the Save Location button. If you happen to be using the Manage Links dialog, or don't want to save your current project yet, now the Save Location button becomes useful. Click Save Locations in this state and you'll get the same dialog above which gives you the chance to publish the changed location to the linked file. Keep in mind that you can't save this data to the linked file if someone else is already working on the file.
In the spirit of "location" and since I'm far from my home location, here's a photo of the Abu Dhabi Mall, a pair of bridges that span the open air space between floors and the roof glazing system above.
I started out using my iPhone to take pictures, at the airports for example, but my computer refuses to let me extract them from the phone now. A problem to solve later so I've resorted to using the camera, which I actually remembered to bring. I still have to kick myself to remember to carry it with me. I envy others who seem to have the "I must take pictures" gene.
There are a lot of construction projects underway in the Middle East these days, though some are slowing or in some cases even halting in light of the economic pressure everywhere. These following images are of a quite large project that I can see from my hotel room window. These pictures are of the Al Reem Island development project, quite major development!!
When you change the position of a file that is using shared coordinates Revit will generate a warning.
If you click Save Now then you don't need the Save Location button this post refers to. If you click OK you can continue to massage the location of your link until you are satisfied. If you want to update the location now you can just Save the file and Revit will pop up the following.
Click OK and you still don't need the Save Location button. If you happen to be using the Manage Links dialog, or don't want to save your current project yet, now the Save Location button becomes useful. Click Save Locations in this state and you'll get the same dialog above which gives you the chance to publish the changed location to the linked file. Keep in mind that you can't save this data to the linked file if someone else is already working on the file.In the spirit of "location" and since I'm far from my home location, here's a photo of the Abu Dhabi Mall, a pair of bridges that span the open air space between floors and the roof glazing system above.
I started out using my iPhone to take pictures, at the airports for example, but my computer refuses to let me extract them from the phone now. A problem to solve later so I've resorted to using the camera, which I actually remembered to bring. I still have to kick myself to remember to carry it with me. I envy others who seem to have the "I must take pictures" gene.
There are a lot of construction projects underway in the Middle East these days, though some are slowing or in some cases even halting in light of the economic pressure everywhere. These following images are of a quite large project that I can see from my hotel room window. These pictures are of the Al Reem Island development project, quite major development!!
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Meetings - Change Them
I read a blog post by Seth Godin today. I think you probably should too. That's assuming you spend a lot of time in meetings, meetings that sometimes fail to live up to expectations?
I know an architect who's first meeting agenda item was "when is the next meeting?". I also once worked at a place that I had two mandatory meetings a week that the first hour I spent in it I contributed nothing and gained nothing. Fortunate for me after a few months of that I succesfully argued to be able to discuss my agenda items first so I could get the heck outta there and get back to the pile of voicemail that inevitably was waiting for me.
Seth's got some sage advice to literally change how your meetings are conducted, how effective they are and whether they happen at all.
I know an architect who's first meeting agenda item was "when is the next meeting?". I also once worked at a place that I had two mandatory meetings a week that the first hour I spent in it I contributed nothing and gained nothing. Fortunate for me after a few months of that I succesfully argued to be able to discuss my agenda items first so I could get the heck outta there and get back to the pile of voicemail that inevitably was waiting for me.
Seth's got some sage advice to literally change how your meetings are conducted, how effective they are and whether they happen at all.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
On the Road Again - Abu Dhabi
Being a Revit fan and consultant has taken me further from home than anything else I've done in my lifetime. In 2006 I went to Sydney, Australia (to attend and speak at the Revit Technology Conference which is scheduled for June this year) and this week I am in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. I'm working with a CDV Systems client to help with their implementation and training. The closest I've been to here before was Turkey when I was a nine year old and that was a few years back. These two images are what I can see from an office window.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Location Line - Walls
The Location Line Options for wall placement is important in two ways. Initially when you place a wall and later when you decide that wall needs to be replaced with a different wall. Here is an example of generic (single layer) walls used to define "the third pigs" house (from the story of "The Three Pigs").
I've selected one wall to show where the Location Line is or appears to be at least. It is on the "outside" edge of the wall. Closer examination, if you had the file, would show that it is really assigned to the Core Face: Exterior. What is the difference? In this next image the walls are swapped for a more complex type that has multiple layers.
Note that the dimensions I placed are intact, did not change. That's because I was careful to choose the Location Line first. Consider this image where I was not so careful and let Revit use Wall Centerline instead.
These walls did not change as nicely and I now have some rework to do, or Undo. If I was careless or ambivalent about the Location Line initially I still have a second chance, just change it before you swap the walls.
When you change the Location Line setting it doesn't actually do anything agressive to your wall, it doesn't move anywhere. Revit just adjusts its understanding of the wall's setting and when you swap it out it will abide by the new rule.
I've selected one wall to show where the Location Line is or appears to be at least. It is on the "outside" edge of the wall. Closer examination, if you had the file, would show that it is really assigned to the Core Face: Exterior. What is the difference? In this next image the walls are swapped for a more complex type that has multiple layers.
Note that the dimensions I placed are intact, did not change. That's because I was careful to choose the Location Line first. Consider this image where I was not so careful and let Revit use Wall Centerline instead.
These walls did not change as nicely and I now have some rework to do, or Undo. If I was careless or ambivalent about the Location Line initially I still have a second chance, just change it before you swap the walls.
When you change the Location Line setting it doesn't actually do anything agressive to your wall, it doesn't move anywhere. Revit just adjusts its understanding of the wall's setting and when you swap it out it will abide by the new rule.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Off Topic - Memory Lane
I've posted a couple times now about my past life as a lighting roadie. As it happens we moved in January and last night I was finally getting to the last couple boxes of things in my office and behold...some of my old tour stuff fell into my hands! So I shuffled a few laminated tour passes onto my comfy chair (no one expects the Spanish Inquisition!) and snapped a photo.
Proof! That this old roadie isn't imagining things, I actually did that stuff...I think. Now if I could just figure out what I did with my old itineraries and daily gig diary?!? What's in the picture?
My first tour working for R.A. Roth (Atlanta based lighting company) was with Frankie Beverly and Maze (bottom right).When I got home from that one I did some one nighters until 38 Special (middle row, third from left) left for eight months (six weeks on 1 week off roughly). During that tour I got to work with Huey Lewis and the News, Michael Stanley Band, Joan Jett, Eddie Money, Golden Earring, Night Ranger, Cheap Trick, Ratt...probably a few more I can't recall.
During a week off from that tour we tweaked the lighting rig and did a Donnie and Marie Osmond concert in Memphis for a convention that also had Barbara Walters as a speaker. During her talk one of the lamps over her head burned out audibly which unnerved her a bit, she looked up and then moved her microphone stand back a little. A few minutes later a circuit breaker in one of our dimmer racks "popped" too which caused her to move back even further, embarrassing as by now people were starting to look back at me as if saying, "what are you doing to her??". It was so quiet with just her speaking that such things really stood out in the room. Awkward!
When I got home from that one we prepped The Fixx (top right corner) tour that left for four months straight, left in August and came home in December. Then some one nighters until the Teena Marie (top row, second from left)tour left for a little over a month. I got to drive a 24 foot truck to California to start that one and at the end I drove it back, non-stop, by myself, from the west coast. Lots of coffee and by the end I was desperate to not drive for awhile! Yes the trucking industry frowns on that sort of nonsense. I was young...you finish the rest...
Somewhere in the midst of those was a brief stint with Rick James (top row, third from left). Next up was a short tour with Scandal featuring Patty Smythe (bottom row, first one), we toured the north east a bit and ended with a few nights at the Ritz in NYC.
Then we prepped for the Fresh Festival (middle row, fourth from left), which included nearly all the major rappers (Run DMC, Whodini, Grand Master Flash, Fat Boys etc) of the day as well as a dance duo called Shabadoo and Shrimp and a double dutch jump rope group. There wer two stages that cycled back and forth as groups switched out. The dance duo was fun because I did their lighting on the center house stage, an island in the middle of the audience. Their routine was a fast and furious demo/tour through dance styles for the last century ending with the current, for the 80's, break dancing. The spotlight calls took a lot of mental practice because their routine changed so quickly, sometimes a 10-20 second period.
Once that one wrapped up I did a bunch of one nighters including a very short run with Otis Day and the Nights, yes from the movie Animal House fame! It was a series of college Toga Party gigs! No laminated tour pass from that one though. Another one nighter was delivering some spotlights to a Kiss concert in South Carolina. I was pretty beat by the time I got there and a little before show time I curled up on a road case under the stage and went to sleep. I slept right through the entire concert!! Opening act and Kiss! Slept like a "rock"! I woke up to someone saying, "Has anyone seen that spotlight guy Steve anywhere?".
Then it was off with Kool and the Gang for a few months. They had opening acts The Mary Jane Girls, Ready for the World and a couple others I can't recall now.
During some time off at one point I got to hang out after a recording session in Atlanta with Foghat had wrapped for the day. My friend Lamar was doing their lighting at the time and he invited me along. I was a little more than in awe since as a lad I remembered sitting in my friend's basement listening to "Fool for the City" and thinking what a cool song!!
My last tour for R.A. Roth was Stevie Ray Vaughn (middle row, first from left). The Fabulous Thunderbirds (Stevie's brother Jimmie Lee played guitar for them) opened the show and I got to do their lighting for their show, cool! I got off the road when that tour went overseas. I was shocked and saddened to hear about losing Stevie in 1990 while I was working at a job site in Nyack, NY. In 1992 I got a chance to visit briefly with Chris (drums) and Tommy (bass) at a club where Arc Angels played.
Tens years passed and I found myself looking for a job suddenly. The very next day an opportunity to do a tour with Soul Asylum (bottom row, second from left) came my way so I signed on as their rigger! As it turned out I also got a job offer the following week for a full time job and fortunately they were willing to wait for me till I got back from the tour. One of their opening acts I really enjoyed was Matthew Sweet. The band I had been playing with for a few years covered several of his songs now and then. At the end of that tour the drum tech for Soul Asylum's drummer, Sterling Campbell, gave me some drum heads that he didn't like and some barely used sticks, but too used for him to continue using, to take home with me. I used those for a long, long time!!
The last pass in the picture (bottom row, third from left) is from the Soul Asylum tour too. They played the grand opening party for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, OH. Iggy Pop was there as well as a bunch of others. I got to visit with some of my friends with Clair Brothers Audio who had been there for several days already.Natalie Merchant performed too which reminds me that I once gave her a soccer lesson at St. Lawrence University in upstate NY.
I did a lot of stage hand work over the years after I stopped touring and I did the rigging for her show at the college as well as deliver some spot lights from the stage lighting company I was working for. A friend from the earlier Fresh Festival tour I did, the sound engineer, and I were catching up on things and at lunch he mentioned to her that I played soccer. She said she needed a lesson because a nephew/niece was starting to play and she wanted to be able to "talk the talk and walk the walk" so to speak. We spent about a half hour in the field behind the theater kicking a ball around. Surreal...
Surreal seems like as good a place to stop as any...thanks for letting me indulge my reminiscing!
Proof! That this old roadie isn't imagining things, I actually did that stuff...I think. Now if I could just figure out what I did with my old itineraries and daily gig diary?!? What's in the picture?
My first tour working for R.A. Roth (Atlanta based lighting company) was with Frankie Beverly and Maze (bottom right).When I got home from that one I did some one nighters until 38 Special (middle row, third from left) left for eight months (six weeks on 1 week off roughly). During that tour I got to work with Huey Lewis and the News, Michael Stanley Band, Joan Jett, Eddie Money, Golden Earring, Night Ranger, Cheap Trick, Ratt...probably a few more I can't recall.
During a week off from that tour we tweaked the lighting rig and did a Donnie and Marie Osmond concert in Memphis for a convention that also had Barbara Walters as a speaker. During her talk one of the lamps over her head burned out audibly which unnerved her a bit, she looked up and then moved her microphone stand back a little. A few minutes later a circuit breaker in one of our dimmer racks "popped" too which caused her to move back even further, embarrassing as by now people were starting to look back at me as if saying, "what are you doing to her??". It was so quiet with just her speaking that such things really stood out in the room. Awkward!
When I got home from that one we prepped The Fixx (top right corner) tour that left for four months straight, left in August and came home in December. Then some one nighters until the Teena Marie (top row, second from left)tour left for a little over a month. I got to drive a 24 foot truck to California to start that one and at the end I drove it back, non-stop, by myself, from the west coast. Lots of coffee and by the end I was desperate to not drive for awhile! Yes the trucking industry frowns on that sort of nonsense. I was young...you finish the rest...
Somewhere in the midst of those was a brief stint with Rick James (top row, third from left). Next up was a short tour with Scandal featuring Patty Smythe (bottom row, first one), we toured the north east a bit and ended with a few nights at the Ritz in NYC.
Then we prepped for the Fresh Festival (middle row, fourth from left), which included nearly all the major rappers (Run DMC, Whodini, Grand Master Flash, Fat Boys etc) of the day as well as a dance duo called Shabadoo and Shrimp and a double dutch jump rope group. There wer two stages that cycled back and forth as groups switched out. The dance duo was fun because I did their lighting on the center house stage, an island in the middle of the audience. Their routine was a fast and furious demo/tour through dance styles for the last century ending with the current, for the 80's, break dancing. The spotlight calls took a lot of mental practice because their routine changed so quickly, sometimes a 10-20 second period.
Once that one wrapped up I did a bunch of one nighters including a very short run with Otis Day and the Nights, yes from the movie Animal House fame! It was a series of college Toga Party gigs! No laminated tour pass from that one though. Another one nighter was delivering some spotlights to a Kiss concert in South Carolina. I was pretty beat by the time I got there and a little before show time I curled up on a road case under the stage and went to sleep. I slept right through the entire concert!! Opening act and Kiss! Slept like a "rock"! I woke up to someone saying, "Has anyone seen that spotlight guy Steve anywhere?".
Then it was off with Kool and the Gang for a few months. They had opening acts The Mary Jane Girls, Ready for the World and a couple others I can't recall now.
During some time off at one point I got to hang out after a recording session in Atlanta with Foghat had wrapped for the day. My friend Lamar was doing their lighting at the time and he invited me along. I was a little more than in awe since as a lad I remembered sitting in my friend's basement listening to "Fool for the City" and thinking what a cool song!!
My last tour for R.A. Roth was Stevie Ray Vaughn (middle row, first from left). The Fabulous Thunderbirds (Stevie's brother Jimmie Lee played guitar for them) opened the show and I got to do their lighting for their show, cool! I got off the road when that tour went overseas. I was shocked and saddened to hear about losing Stevie in 1990 while I was working at a job site in Nyack, NY. In 1992 I got a chance to visit briefly with Chris (drums) and Tommy (bass) at a club where Arc Angels played.
Tens years passed and I found myself looking for a job suddenly. The very next day an opportunity to do a tour with Soul Asylum (bottom row, second from left) came my way so I signed on as their rigger! As it turned out I also got a job offer the following week for a full time job and fortunately they were willing to wait for me till I got back from the tour. One of their opening acts I really enjoyed was Matthew Sweet. The band I had been playing with for a few years covered several of his songs now and then. At the end of that tour the drum tech for Soul Asylum's drummer, Sterling Campbell, gave me some drum heads that he didn't like and some barely used sticks, but too used for him to continue using, to take home with me. I used those for a long, long time!!
The last pass in the picture (bottom row, third from left) is from the Soul Asylum tour too. They played the grand opening party for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, OH. Iggy Pop was there as well as a bunch of others. I got to visit with some of my friends with Clair Brothers Audio who had been there for several days already.Natalie Merchant performed too which reminds me that I once gave her a soccer lesson at St. Lawrence University in upstate NY.
I did a lot of stage hand work over the years after I stopped touring and I did the rigging for her show at the college as well as deliver some spot lights from the stage lighting company I was working for. A friend from the earlier Fresh Festival tour I did, the sound engineer, and I were catching up on things and at lunch he mentioned to her that I played soccer. She said she needed a lesson because a nephew/niece was starting to play and she wanted to be able to "talk the talk and walk the walk" so to speak. We spent about a half hour in the field behind the theater kicking a ball around. Surreal...
Surreal seems like as good a place to stop as any...thanks for letting me indulge my reminiscing!
Friday, March 20, 2009
That Other Side of Mr. OpEd - The Rod's
Once upon a time...back in those 80's I did some work with a group called The Rod's. The "internets" (a "Bushism") is/are great for dredging up stuff!
This album above is the one that I was familiar with at the time. This group was, then wasn't (broke up) and now is again, a three piece act based in Cortland, NY. If you've never heard of Cortland, it is 20ish miles south of Syracuse, NY...did that help? The color or lack of color on the cover always reminds me of the Led Zepplin album cover of the same title.
I worked for a lighting company called S.K. Lights for almost a year (flash forward 10+ years and I did another tour for SK Lights, new owner, with Soul Asylum as the rigger) and these guys were a relatively regular client that hired us to do their lighting. I don't remember how many clubs we spent time in but it seemed like a bunch. One particular highlight of working for them, for me, was their pretty amazing drummer, Carl Canady. Here's a link to a video of a solo he did during club date during 2008. Their song "Power Lover" is one that I remembered and was pleasantly surprised to see a bunch of their stuff on YouTube now. A year ago there was one video, now there is a bunch.
Some notable trivia - The group's guitarist David "Rock" Feinstein played in a group called "Elf" with his cousin Ronnie James Dio who was lead singer for Black Sabbath in later years and Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow. Does the Rainbow song "Man on the Silver Mountain" resonate?). Also interesting is that they (The Rod's) were scheduled to do a UK tour with Metallica as their opening act in 1984 and the tour was cancelled because of poor ticket sales. Hmmm, is that THE Metallica? Yep...
The heavy metal era doesn't die it just goes grey and gets louDER!
This album above is the one that I was familiar with at the time. This group was, then wasn't (broke up) and now is again, a three piece act based in Cortland, NY. If you've never heard of Cortland, it is 20ish miles south of Syracuse, NY...did that help? The color or lack of color on the cover always reminds me of the Led Zepplin album cover of the same title.I worked for a lighting company called S.K. Lights for almost a year (flash forward 10+ years and I did another tour for SK Lights, new owner, with Soul Asylum as the rigger) and these guys were a relatively regular client that hired us to do their lighting. I don't remember how many clubs we spent time in but it seemed like a bunch. One particular highlight of working for them, for me, was their pretty amazing drummer, Carl Canady. Here's a link to a video of a solo he did during club date during 2008. Their song "Power Lover" is one that I remembered and was pleasantly surprised to see a bunch of their stuff on YouTube now. A year ago there was one video, now there is a bunch.
Some notable trivia - The group's guitarist David "Rock" Feinstein played in a group called "Elf" with his cousin Ronnie James Dio who was lead singer for Black Sabbath in later years and Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow. Does the Rainbow song "Man on the Silver Mountain" resonate?). Also interesting is that they (The Rod's) were scheduled to do a UK tour with Metallica as their opening act in 1984 and the tour was cancelled because of poor ticket sales. Hmmm, is that THE Metallica? Yep...
The heavy metal era doesn't die it just goes grey and gets louDER!
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Off Topic - The Ribbon
Why off topic? I'm not going to write about how wonderful the ribbon is or isn't. I was thinking, about the Ribbon, that some people seem to have some trouble saying Revit. They say Rivet or the sound a frog makes, Ribbet.
Now with the ribbon we have more opportunities like this one:
The "Wevit Wibbon" (Elmer Fudd's voice)...
Now with the ribbon we have more opportunities like this one:
The "Wevit Wibbon" (Elmer Fudd's voice)...
MEP Rough-In Families - Follow On Post
I received the following in a comment to an earlier post
.
The image above that I believe prompted these questions.
I'm trying to decipher the picture and I have a few questions
1) How did you connect the piping to the P-Trap?
2) How did you connect the toilet flange to the toilet?
3) how did you connect the Double-Y w/8th Bend to a vertical pipe?
4) Did you end the hot and cold water supply at a valve for each of the components?
5) Are you using Revit to calculate flow requirements or pipe sizes?
6) Is this process easier or faster than placing a new fixture?
7) How do you create a system with this method?
8) How did you make the rough-in connector.
9) How did you connect it to the fixtures?
I am just beginning to learn Revit and am not using it to it's full potential yet. So far, I'm still just drafting in 3D. I'm looking for anything that will help to speed up the learning curve. Sorry this is so long winded. Thanks for the help.
To start with the answer, this concept is derived from the fact that RME cannot connect to a family in a linked file. If an architect places a toilet in their file the RME engineering must place their own toilet to connect piping. This is an alternative to placing a toilet, instead placing the rough-in fittings where the toilet would require them to be. They still must be coordinated but the rough-in fitting, in my mind, is consistent with the work on-site.
Answers:
1) The piping and p-trap is part of the connector family itself.
2) The toilet is not connected to the toilet flange. They occupy the same location. The toilet flange has the data that RME needs to allow for connection and to create a system.
3) The tutorials that come with RME show how to do that.
4) Yes, the pipes stop at the hot and cold water valves at both the sink and toilet.
5) I am not doing pipe sizing, I am a consultant who does training so I don't "need" to. Engineers are telling me that the sizing is a bit too basic at this time to really rely on. This was a mock-up of an idea that I've pitched to several clients who objected to placing toilets and sinks themselves.
6) Not faster necessarily but, in my view, more consistent with on-site process.
7) A system is connected to the rough-in connector family, the data needed is defined in the family. The fixtures are in the separate file so they are inert, "dumb".
8) In the family editor. RME ships with several connector families to use for this approach, simpler than mine but you can extend the idea to your own needs. You can download my examples; Sink Connector and Water Closet.
9) The rough-in family does not "connect" to the fixtures, it sits next to, above, coordinated with them.
I hope these answers help you on your way!!
Steve
.
The image above that I believe prompted these questions.I'm trying to decipher the picture and I have a few questions
1) How did you connect the piping to the P-Trap?
2) How did you connect the toilet flange to the toilet?
3) how did you connect the Double-Y w/8th Bend to a vertical pipe?
4) Did you end the hot and cold water supply at a valve for each of the components?
5) Are you using Revit to calculate flow requirements or pipe sizes?
6) Is this process easier or faster than placing a new fixture?
7) How do you create a system with this method?
8) How did you make the rough-in connector.
9) How did you connect it to the fixtures?
I am just beginning to learn Revit and am not using it to it's full potential yet. So far, I'm still just drafting in 3D. I'm looking for anything that will help to speed up the learning curve. Sorry this is so long winded. Thanks for the help.
To start with the answer, this concept is derived from the fact that RME cannot connect to a family in a linked file. If an architect places a toilet in their file the RME engineering must place their own toilet to connect piping. This is an alternative to placing a toilet, instead placing the rough-in fittings where the toilet would require them to be. They still must be coordinated but the rough-in fitting, in my mind, is consistent with the work on-site.
Answers:
1) The piping and p-trap is part of the connector family itself.
2) The toilet is not connected to the toilet flange. They occupy the same location. The toilet flange has the data that RME needs to allow for connection and to create a system.
3) The tutorials that come with RME show how to do that.
4) Yes, the pipes stop at the hot and cold water valves at both the sink and toilet.
5) I am not doing pipe sizing, I am a consultant who does training so I don't "need" to. Engineers are telling me that the sizing is a bit too basic at this time to really rely on. This was a mock-up of an idea that I've pitched to several clients who objected to placing toilets and sinks themselves.
6) Not faster necessarily but, in my view, more consistent with on-site process.
7) A system is connected to the rough-in connector family, the data needed is defined in the family. The fixtures are in the separate file so they are inert, "dumb".
8) In the family editor. RME ships with several connector families to use for this approach, simpler than mine but you can extend the idea to your own needs. You can download my examples; Sink Connector and Water Closet.
9) The rough-in family does not "connect" to the fixtures, it sits next to, above, coordinated with them.
I hope these answers help you on your way!!
Steve
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Dept. of Subtle - Family Editor Parameter and Formula
This is an "oldy" but "goody". When you add a new parameter in the Family Types dialog and then immediately attempt to use that parameter in a formula Revit generates this message.
To avoid this message just click APPLY or OK (which closes the Family Types dialog box) to commit the addition of the parameters to the family. Then return to the Family Types dialog and add your formula. You just need to let Revit get used to the new parameters first, then it will happily let you make the formulas you need.
To avoid this message just click APPLY or OK (which closes the Family Types dialog box) to commit the addition of the parameters to the family. Then return to the Family Types dialog and add your formula. You just need to let Revit get used to the new parameters first, then it will happily let you make the formulas you need.
Basic Design Bar Tab - Trivia Test
So why has there been a Basics Design Bar tab all these years?
a - Because user studies said it was needed
b - Because Leonid Raiz said so
c - Because Jim Balding said so
d - Because Basics just sounded good
e - none of the above
Well the true story was shared recently by Erik from Inside the Factory. He wrote:
"Lets take as an example the old Basics tab. Some users we tested indicated they liked Basics. But when pressed, they usually conveyed a story about not being able to find something as they grew with the product. A little known fact: Basics was originally designed to make the product easier to demonstrate; the marketing guy would not have to flip around too much during the demo. In reality, Basics becomes a crutch. After using it for a while, user find themselves asking, "Hmm, Floor is on Basics, but Floor by Face is not. Is it on the Massing tab or the Modeling Menu or somewhere else? " This results in a lot of wasted searching - even after learning where the tool is located."
The above is an excerpt discussing the motivation for the upcoming user interface changes we will see in the Revit 2010 products. I love little stuff like that and had to share it here...so what are you waiting for? Go read the blog yourself!
a - Because user studies said it was needed
b - Because Leonid Raiz said so
c - Because Jim Balding said so
d - Because Basics just sounded good
e - none of the above
Well the true story was shared recently by Erik from Inside the Factory. He wrote:
"Lets take as an example the old Basics tab. Some users we tested indicated they liked Basics. But when pressed, they usually conveyed a story about not being able to find something as they grew with the product. A little known fact: Basics was originally designed to make the product easier to demonstrate; the marketing guy would not have to flip around too much during the demo. In reality, Basics becomes a crutch. After using it for a while, user find themselves asking, "Hmm, Floor is on Basics, but Floor by Face is not. Is it on the Massing tab or the Modeling Menu or somewhere else? " This results in a lot of wasted searching - even after learning where the tool is located."
The above is an excerpt discussing the motivation for the upcoming user interface changes we will see in the Revit 2010 products. I love little stuff like that and had to share it here...so what are you waiting for? Go read the blog yourself!
Saturday, March 07, 2009
Revit Structure - No Ceiling Plan
Revit Structure does not have a tool to create a ceiling plan, not on the Design Bar.
Not on the Menu either...
The reason is that, for the most part, structural engineers don't use them. In another post I suggested that feature for feature we could get away with just owning Revit MEP and Structure and get everything that Architecture has. I mentioned the lack of ceiling plans as one negative and a comment left said that you can create a view oriented like a ceiling plan despite the lack of a specific tool for it. I finally remember to mention how... you create a new Floor Plan type and alter a setting as shown in this image.
"Ceiling Views" are looking "up"!
Not on the Menu either...
The reason is that, for the most part, structural engineers don't use them. In another post I suggested that feature for feature we could get away with just owning Revit MEP and Structure and get everything that Architecture has. I mentioned the lack of ceiling plans as one negative and a comment left said that you can create a view oriented like a ceiling plan despite the lack of a specific tool for it. I finally remember to mention how... you create a new Floor Plan type and alter a setting as shown in this image.
"Ceiling Views" are looking "up"!
Friday, March 06, 2009
Back to Basics: Mark and Type Mark
Language...with Revit's parameter naming the follow is true:
Door Number = "Mark" (not the person but the signature, ID or identifying "mark")
Window "type" = "Type Mark"
Out of the box, Revit's tags are assigned to these as described above. A door number is unique for each door so its tag is using a label assigned to the "Mark" parameter. Windows, for the most part, are defined according to a "type", a common letter or number designation for each window of a given "type" or configuration, therefore a window's tag is assigned to the "Type Mark" parameter.
"Mark" is located in the Element properties dialog while "Type Mark" is located in the Type Properties dialog. Most of Revit elements have both. Some Mark values are automatically supplied based on the "last" value entered and many are not. Type Mark values are not supplied with the assumption that each project will have its own needs and will be defined accordingly.
If you don't approve of the out of the box setting, you can create your own tag so that you can properly identify an element according to your needs.
Door Number = "Mark" (not the person but the signature, ID or identifying "mark")
Window "type" = "Type Mark"
Out of the box, Revit's tags are assigned to these as described above. A door number is unique for each door so its tag is using a label assigned to the "Mark" parameter. Windows, for the most part, are defined according to a "type", a common letter or number designation for each window of a given "type" or configuration, therefore a window's tag is assigned to the "Type Mark" parameter.
"Mark" is located in the Element properties dialog while "Type Mark" is located in the Type Properties dialog. Most of Revit elements have both. Some Mark values are automatically supplied based on the "last" value entered and many are not. Type Mark values are not supplied with the assumption that each project will have its own needs and will be defined accordingly.
If you don't approve of the out of the box setting, you can create your own tag so that you can properly identify an element according to your needs.
Thursday, March 05, 2009
Inside the Factory - New Blog
From the initial post:
Welcome to Inside the Factory – a blog about designing the Revit user experience. I’m Tom Vollaro, Senior User Researcher with AEC Solutions User Experience Team at Autodesk. Myself and other members of the team will be using this blog as a way to connect with you, Revit users. This blog has two goals. First, we want to provide a window into how the Revit user experience is designed (a bit more on that later). Second, we want to establish a conversation with our users to improve the Revit user experience.
The "factory" is the term that users (at the Zoogdesign forums which merged into AUGI's in 2004) affectionately started using to refer to the Revit development team.
The authors at this time are Tom Vollaro, Erik Egbertson and Lilli Smith.
I look forward to reading their posts!
Welcome to Inside the Factory – a blog about designing the Revit user experience. I’m Tom Vollaro, Senior User Researcher with AEC Solutions User Experience Team at Autodesk. Myself and other members of the team will be using this blog as a way to connect with you, Revit users. This blog has two goals. First, we want to provide a window into how the Revit user experience is designed (a bit more on that later). Second, we want to establish a conversation with our users to improve the Revit user experience.
The "factory" is the term that users (at the Zoogdesign forums which merged into AUGI's in 2004) affectionately started using to refer to the Revit development team.
The authors at this time are Tom Vollaro, Erik Egbertson and Lilli Smith.
I look forward to reading their posts!
Wednesday, March 04, 2009
ABL Content - Hydrel and Peerless
I am a little slow but Acuity Brands Lighting blog announced that they have made these two brands available in Revit family form. Peerless was announced back in November and Hydrel more recently in January.
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
Dept. of Subtle - Matchline Constraints
Patrick Paige, an associate with Perkins & Will in Charlotte, NC, wrote to me suggesting this item fits into this department nicely. He wrote:
When adding matchlines something was bothering me about the parameters. I realized that they flipped the locations of the “Base Constraint” and “Top Constraint.” For walls, shafts, etc. the order is bottom-top. For matchlines the order is top-bottom.
I agree...subtle. I recall something else that is different in this way, perhaps it is the wall opening tool. I'll have to check!
When adding matchlines something was bothering me about the parameters. I realized that they flipped the locations of the “Base Constraint” and “Top Constraint.” For walls, shafts, etc. the order is bottom-top. For matchlines the order is top-bottom.
I agree...subtle. I recall something else that is different in this way, perhaps it is the wall opening tool. I'll have to check!
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