Deleting Spaces or Rooms in Schedules

Want to delete all the Spaces or Rooms you see in a schedule? Take these steps:

• Scroll the bottom of the schedule
• In one fluid sequence click to select the last row (left mouse button) and...
• Drag your cursor UP until it is over the ribbon (yes, beyond the schedule)
• Let go of the left button
• Click Delete

Revit will prompt with a total number of elements that will be deleted. It should match however many was listed in the grand total. Wherever you put your cursor in the schedule and drag up to the ribbon, Revit will let you delete all rooms from there to the top of the schedule even though it is off screen

If you try the same thing from the top down you only get as many rows as are visible in the schedule window.

2014 Revit OpEd

Stair Cut Mark Zigzag

There are two types of zigzag graphics that we can apply to stairs, single and double zigzag. It is a Type Parameter of a stair. When you click on the parameter (Cut Mark Type) to choose one or the other a little sneaky browse button appears.

You can't just switch from one to another, it's not a drop down list box. You have to open the properties of the zigzag type to choose it. If you do, don't be tempted to change the parameter Cut Line Type at the top of the list under the graphics group. If you do you'll be changing the graphic for the Type, not changing the type. To change the Type you've got to look at the top of the dialog and change the Type with the drop down list box there. If you don't pay attention here you'll end up making your single a double or your double a single. That could get confusing!

Here's a plan view of the pair in action: Single and Double Cut Mark.

It is also possible to edit the Stair Cut Mark types via the Project Browser under Families. It's a category listed under stairs.

If you elect to change the setting for Cut Line Extension here you may notice something weird. If you change the value for the single zigzag it will update immediately (when you close the Type Properties dialog) in the drawing window. Try to do the same for the double zigzag and nothing happens.

You can ensure immediate success if you only alter the settings via a Stair's Type Properties dialog. If you click the Edit Stairs button and then immediately click Finish Edit Mode it will force Revit to refresh the cut mark. It will also update if you close the project and open it again. There may be other conditions that will force it to regenerate the cut mark but I haven't stumbled into one yet.

The Stair Cut Mark is governed by Object Styles. There are separate sub-categories for Cut Marks and Cut Marks.

Here's the same stairs after messing around for a minute.

2014 Revit OpEd

No Print Text

A fairly common request is a special text that won't print. This would let us add comments to various places in the model for other people to act on. Filters don't see annotation categories either, at least not Text.

One approach we can take is to use a Detail Item family because Filters do work on them. This means instead of placing red text, we place a Detail Item family that has a red text formatted label that we can enter whatever comment is necessary. Then we can apply a Filter using the Family Name as its criteria to find all of them and turn them off in Visibility/Graphics.

A bonus is that Detail Items can also be scheduled since the release of Revit 2014. This means we could schedule them to provide a summary of comments or remarks that have been placed in the model for action. Add a parameter for "Resolved, Resolved By and Resolved Date" (and perhaps more) and users can indicate when the comment has been acted on, by whom and when.

It is also possible to create Saved Selection Sets. Select all the Red Text, Save a selection Set. Then that selection set can be used to create a Filter. For example in the following image, I've created a Saved Selection Set of text called No Print Text and then created a Filter to control it in the view.

If you've got a Saved Selection Set you can Load or Edit them via the Manage ribbon > Selection Panel. If you select multiple elements then the Selection panel appears and you can also Save your selection set.

Be sure to check out the Selection Set features and not just for this!

2014 Revit OpEd

Basd on a comment I've edited the post and added the following (March 27, 2015)

If you'd like to experiment with a sample of this click the links to either download the family or a project with the family and a schedule in place to see it wall working together.

Download an EXAMPLE DETAIL ITEM
Download an EXAMPLE PROJECT USING IT

Where are the Constraining Dimensions

When you edit a family that someone else created you may encounter a situation where the constraints that control it aren't readily visible. Yeah, it could even happen to you with content you created. These are a few things to consider when you start hunting for them.

Inside the Sketch - It is possible to add dimensions and parameters to control solids/voids while editing their sketch. If that's been done you won't see them unless you edit the sketch for that solid/void.

Associate Family Parameter - The little sneaky gray button (that has a tool tip since 2014) allows us to constrain some things without an actual dimension in canvas. We just connect the dots between the parameter of the form with a parameter.

Automatic Sketch Dimensions - These kick in when you start creating parameters and elements without tying them to anything specific. Revit guesses what you have in mind. They'll usually only be visible while you are editing a solid/void. They are definitely off by default in Visibility/Graphics. You'll find them under the Annotation Categories tab. I've written about these in the past.

Choice of View - Sometimes the dimension isn't in a view that we'd expect it to be in. For example the stock door template has the width parameter in an elevation view instead of the plan view. I certainly wouldn't expect to find it there. I try hard to put X/Y oriented dimensions in plan views and Z oriented dimensions in elevations, usually Front but occasionally Right.

Visibility/Graphics - Sometimes dimensions are just turned off in the family's views.

2014 Revit OpEd

Post Scraping

I think Revit OpEd is part of a pretty narrow slice of life on the internets. Having that opinion, I find it bewildering how much comment spam it receives. Even more so that there is another blog out there that just scrapes off my stuff here and posts it on their own as their own.

I used to have a link on my list of BIM blogs that pointed to the site, removed it today. Beginning in 2013 it has apparently shifted from writing original work to just using mine. There isn't any older work, copied or original, there now either.

Since the comments are most likely generated by web-bots I imagine this is also true of the blog in question. I'm writing this to see if they scrape this post and add it to their own too. If they do it will prove to me that there isn't an actual person doing the work of creating the replication of my work.

Viewport Title Line

The line that appears along with a Viewport, when you place a view on a sheet, is a property of each viewport type. You get to decide whether you want it to show up or not. It is also the reason you must select the viewport to alter the length of the line, not the view's title annotation, a common mistake or assumption.

Revit will make the line as long as the length (horizontal distance) of the viewport when you place it on a sheet. If you're not careful to clean up a view before adding it to sheet you'll end up with a title line that's far longer than you really wanted.

In some cases people only want the line to be as long as the length of the text in the title. There is no correlation between the title value and the length of the line. It's a close enough situation. You can take a different approach. The font assigned to each view title annotation family can use the Underline option.

Turn off the Viewport title line and alter the viewport's view title family. Reload and you'll get something like this automatically, every time.

Keep in mind the above only deals with the line, not the length of the label itself which affects how soon the text will wrap. You might be able to get away with making the label really long to avoid wrapping at all. More often we need to nest a few labels of different widths to all for short, long and longest title situations where the text should or should not wrap. We then create parameters and types to define which label should be visible. Each type is then associated with a specific Viewport type in the project.

Remember, new to Revit 2015, we can include our own Shared Parameters in Viewport title families. This means we can easily include other kinds of information in a viewport title now. This was a bit more cumbersome in the past.

Testing a plageriser's feed...

2014 Revit OpEd

Space Naming still a Utility

Yes, sadly the Space Naming Utility for Revit MEP 2015 is STILL a utility, as in a separate download AND installation from the Subscription site.

It's just wrong, wrong, wrong...

2014 Revit OpEd

Revit MEP - Wish for a Secondary Option

When we select an electrical panel (Electrical Equipment category) Revit will display the Distribution System parameter on the Options Bar to make it easy to assign one.

I think the Options Bar is suffering from an ongoing case of nobody loves me anymore or at least an identity crisis of sorts. The persistence of the Properties Palette means that there is some redundancy between it and the Options Bar. We can change parameters in either place, Revit doesn't care. It's just a little confusing at first glance, at least for new users...but I digress.

Transformers have a parameter called Secondary Distribution System. I think it is fair to say that this parameter is overlooked easily and often. That's because it is hiding in the Properties Palette in the Electrical - Loads group, along with a bunch of read-only parameters.

Later when we attempt to use Select Panel it pokes us in the eye when we can't choose the transformer. I'd like the Options Bar to respond like this when we select a Transformer. Subtle change but adding it here would make this less subtle.

2014 Revit OpEd

Standards are Unicorns

Pointed to it by Don Rudder (with Case), I read this post titled Programming Sucks on the blog Still Drinking yesterday and loved it, I particularly liked this line:

...The first few weeks of any job are just figuring out how a program works even if you're familiar with every single language, framework, and standard that's involved, because standards are unicorns... (bold is my emphasis)

I can attest to standards are unicorns even in the work I do, let alone programming. I'd be rich if I had a nickel for every time I heard, "Oh, we just use the standard symbol for this".

Another favorite is...

...There's a team at a Google office that hasn't slept in three days. Somewhere there's a database programmer surrounded by empty Mountain Dew bottles whose husband thinks she's dead. And if these people stop, the world burns...

And another, I've not seen this particular approach to WTF, reminds me of my habit of using EyeTee instead of IT.

...You're all up to date, so that's cool, then everything breaks. "Double you tee eff?" you say, and start hunting for the problem...

After reading his essay see if you understand why Revit is different from AutoCAD, and Microstation, and ArchiCAD, and... See if Tom and Harry's feud over units resonates?

I've mentioned it before that Revit and AutoCAD had different biological parents and then Revit got adopted by AutoCAD's parents. Except we need to factor in the world that Still Drinking's author describes.

okay, back to work, here's to hoping those people don't stop and the world doesn't burn!

2014 Revit OpEd

How Many Levels

In Revit 2014 they added Levels to the list of things we can create a schedule for. Working in a project stuck in 2012 I found myself wishing I could use that feature. I really just wanted to know how many levels were actually in the project. I was pretty sure there were more levels than I could see in a section view. I still got my answer but not with a schedule.

I started the process to create a new floor plan view. Revit's dialog has an option to hide levels that already have views. I unchecked the option: Do not duplicate existing views. Now I was sure how many levels were really in the project, more than I suspected.

It really means don't create new views for levels that already have at least one view associated with them. Their phrasing is less wordy but I usually get furrowed brows at first when we discuss the purpose of the option.

Want to speed up creating views? Close all User Created worksets first. Revit will generate the views much quicker when there is nothing to display in them.

2014 Revit OpEd

Installing Revit 2015 Standalone versus Building Design Suite

My friend Simon (works with Autodesk) wrote to let me know he's seen a number of support requests recently regarding the Web Update for Revit 2015. The current situation can be described like this:

• Building Design Suite (BDS) installation does NOT include the Web Update release
• Revit Architect, Structure or MEP installation DOES include the web update release.

If you download BDS and install Revit the update is NOT already part of the installation package and you need to download and apply it separately. Keep in mind that one of the available options for the installation is to download and let the installation apply it as part of the original installation.

If you download Revit Architecture, Structure or MEP separately (not BDS) then the update IS already included in the installation. As I understand it, the version or build that is packaged apart from BDS is different, including the update's changes.

Regardless of the version you install you may get a notice that there is an update available despite having already installed it (like I mentioned in an earlier post). Go with the flow, let the Autodesk Application Manager (APM) try to install the update. It (APM) will fail to do so if the update is installed. It (APM) will be in sync thereafter.

Revit and AutoCAD

It's been 14 years since Revit formally began knocking on the doors of architectural firms. The first response quite often was, "We've already got {insert your software here}, no thanks"! Other responses were, "Really? Let's have a look"! Which was then followed by "Oh gosh, you mean it doesn't do "X" just like {insert your software here}? Well thanks for coming by, good luck"!

As Revit matured there were fewer opportunities for showstopper items. The rejection response or yeah, but response also matured to focus on the practical side of changing an office from this to that. Such as, "We've got all these people who are {insert your software here} experts. We can't justify the time and effort required to move to Revit". Another familiar one, "We've got a decade of {insert your software here} detail and object libraries, we can't possibly be expected to do that all over again." Revit Structure was introduced (2005) and the conversation began again with engineers. A year later Revit Systems (now MEP) started the same dialog for another set of engineers.

When Autodesk decided to buy Revit Technology Corporation they confused many of their own customers who, until then, were using AutoCAD or Architectural Desktop (aka ADT, now AutoCAD Architecture aka ACA). I think Autodesk has a curious relationship with its customers. All too often I meet (and read people's writing) who, regardless how much they like the software they use, are at best ambivalent about being an Autodesk customer, at worst resentful or angry.

Witness some of the comments in response to my earlier post about Revit 2015's new features. Accused of being a monopolistic company or evil empire, we even joke that friends have joined the dark side if/when they are hired by Autodesk. I'm not sure what they can really do to alter this perception, except to suddenly offer their software for free? I suspect the stockholders might object to that move.

With that in mind, it has taken a formidable marketing effort to get Revit where it is today. In my opinion the phrase Building Information Modeling (BIM) was born in part because Autodesk desperately needed to differentiate ADT/ACA from Revit, at least as BIM is defined and expressed by Autodesk. The notion of using computers to help accomplish the broad goals of BIM is nearly as old as computers so it's not a brand new idea.

And yes, other companies lay claim to the doing of BIM and living up to BIM ideals too. It (BIM) just wasn't on the lips of AEC professionals or their clients the way it is today before Autodesk began expressing it in conjunction with Revit. This means Revit was the latest expression of those ideas on a desktop computer instead of a mainframe. Marketing is the telling of a compelling new story to motivate people, to consider changing how they do things, to buy things. Like them or not, Autodesk has done an earnest job of telling the story of BIM and Revit.

One of the many stories we've heard that was meant to help us in our transition was how easily Revit worked with other CAD software's data. Revit was the new kid on the block. What chance did it really have if it couldn't import a DWG or DGN file? Being able to import external data was meant to ease the collaboration with firms that didn't use it as well as the transition from other software.

All these years later I keep reading, "It is necessary to use Revit AND AutoCAD", or "Revit can't be used productively without AutoCAD" or "...since AutoCAD is a superior drafting tool it isn't sensible to use Revit for basic drafting tasks".

It is NOT necessary to use AutoCAD if you use Revit. The error (thinking that it IS necessary) is mistaking necessity with what is merely an available interim approach as we work through the transition from AutoCAD to Revit.

Using AutoCAD to do detailing is NOT optimal because doing it entirely within Revit is integrated within the project more tightly and logically. If you are not efficient drafting in Revit then the implementation is not effective, but it could be. That's not Revit's fault, it is our fault (though it could always ship with a larger stock library). If you'd like some examples of Revit details that are devoid of lines/circles/arcs/text have a look at ARCxl's free samples. If you are looking for a shortcut to build that better implementation then their library might a place to start.

To some degree the perspective, "It's better, faster to draw details in AutoCAD" is a mind over matter issue, not a software issue. We tend to ignore or forget the reality that we've been changed by {insert your software here}, not the other way around. The software doesn't change to suit us. Our use doesn't change the software, we change in response to how it works. If we are fast then it's because we've grown accustomed to it, learned tricks, customized it, built our own library and so on.

It's no different whether we are talking about AutoCAD, Revit, Excel or Word. We do influence what the developers code into the software but we respond to the software and then provide feedback, not the reverse. The only exception is when no code exists and the software is in its infancy. Once code exists we are always dealing with legacy decisions.

When we say that {insert your software here} is faster or better than Revit it really means we know it better, we are more comfortable with it. There was a time that I'd agree I was faster with AutoCAD or Microstation than Revit. That is far from true today. In fact I find AutoCAD to be a very frustrating experience now.

Faster is also a subjective term. What context? Faster sketching a single line? Faster creating an entire detail? Faster for whom? Me myself and I? What about downstream members of the team? What about the hours of design and investigation required to decide what to draw? What if another section is required to figure out what is required to finish that detail? What if the Revit modelling activity helped inform the decisions? What if the ability to create more sections automatically or have a look at the model in 3D provides more insight?

The further we can step back from our experience and bias with a given software the easier it is to see they are all flawed in some way, Revit included. I clearly remember realizing just how convoluted AutoCAD is when I began supporting Microstation users that had to start using it (AutoCAD) instead. They'd just shake their heads at the quirky rules and methodologies that were in stark contrast with Microstation's own quirky rules and methods. They are ALL quirky. Some quirks just happen to match our own thinking or approach better than others.

As for our legacy library of details, we forget or minimize the fact that it didn't happen overnight. It was built project by project. Remember, all the previous details were drawn by hand, right? At this point I think it's a safe bet that, like most libraries I've seen, it could stand some careful weeding or pruning anyway. Maybe it isn't so precious that we can't consider creating Revit native versions now? The sooner we do the sooner each project can be better integrated.

If you take anything away from this post at all I hope it is this:

It is NOT necessary to use AutoCAD to be productive with Revit. Revit does NOT need a software crutch to be useful or a productive good decision for any firm. The longer you pretend that it does or is, the longer you prolong not being as productive as Revit was intended to help you become.

Revit 2015 Web Update 1

With Revit 2015 comes the new Autodesk Application manager. It is intended to help let us know when software updates are available.

When I installed Revit 2015 the other day I downloaded Update Release 1, which is an option during preparatory steps, and let the installation apply the update as soon as Revit 2015 was installed. When that was finished Revit showed the update was installed as expected. This morning the Autodesk Application Manager told me there was an update available and it seemed to think that Update Release 1 should be installed despite my belief otherwise.

I should add that this is the first morning I've been able to use this hard drive in a few days. A hard drive crash derailed some of my progress toward getting things installed last week. That means this is the first day that the Autodesk Application Manager could attempt to tell me about the update. In other words, I'm not saying that it was late telling me about the update. The installation process for Revit offers/shows updates that are already available, so I did already know it existed though.

Since the manager seemed to think I should, I let it attempt to install the update just to see what would happen. After a few minutes it reported that the update was already installed and continuing to install it wasn't necessary. When I acknowledged the message by closing the dialog my New Updates item reported "installed" (as shown in the image above). Quirky but it now appears to be in sync.

As such it seems to me that the Application Manager isn't aware of installation status (not inward looking) just that updates exist (outward looking to Autodesk). If it is really going to live up to the manager name it probably needs to be a bit smarter in this regard.

Revit 2015 Improved Performance

The Revit Clinic's recent post describes how Revit 2015's performance compares with Revit 2014. Here's the graph they provided to compare the results for various operations in both versions.

I find it a bit surprising that Autodesk has not made a bigger deal of this, especially considering the general malaise felt by users to the quantity and specificity of new features. I suppose improving performance isn't a sexy thing to talk about but it seems to matter in racing? Why not with software? It improves the user experience. It's amazing how loooong 1-2 seconds can feel.

Regardless of the number of features I'll always appreciate improved performance...bring it on.

Fun Formulas

Saw this via Twitter. Kirklyn provided an example of practical formulas with Revit. You may not need Revit to make this kind of decision for you but the logic can be applied to other decision making. Do you want a sandwich?

Finding and Loading Content

Dan Stine wrote the other day,more sharing somewhat related to your post…

Finding content: staff often call me asking if we have a “this” or a “that” family. I do a quick search at the highest reasonable folder level in Windows Explorer. Of course, I tell them how I found the content so they can do it themselves next time.

Windows-based previews: Windows Explorer and “File Open” dialogs (see images below) we can Ctrl+Scroll to increase the preview size. [this does not negate the need to clean saved previews as you mention]. Here are some examples.

Reducing Family File Size

We can use Purge Unused on a family as well as a project, assuming Revit finds anything that it thinks can be purged. A family can inherit size from imported CAD data and nested families too. Importing and exploding a CAD source file will add object style sub-categories, line patterns, materials, fill patterns, text styles etc. There may not be any in the family right now but if you didn't create the family from scratch yourself and know everything that it went through until you noticed its size, anything is possible.

I ran into some families recently that were all more than 15 MB each. I first used Save As to create a new family with a new name. This reduced the file size quite a bit. Then I used Purge Unused and between both actions the biggest final file was about 600 KB. If you use Save As on a file and it only decreases in size by about 10 KB then it's about as small as it can get. That's been my observation.

If I really want the original file name to carry on, I just rename it to something like MyFamily-temp.rfa and then rename the original and rename the new one to use the original name again. The key part is the Save As to a different name initially. I've never just overwritten the original though technically I suppose I could do that. I prefer to keep a copy of the original intact, just in case.

Revit 2015 Help is Online

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

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

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

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

Family Thumbnail View

One little thing you can do to improve the user experience when choosing and loading a family is to prepare the thumbnail view nicely. Revit will use the view that is open (has focus) when you save and close the file to generate the preview we see in the Open Family dialog or in Window's Explorer. Here's an example of a preview for a family in the stock pipe fittings folder.

I really can't tell what it is at all. The connector graphics are making it impossible for me to tell what sort of fitting I'll get when it is loaded. Here's how it looks after I tweak it a bit. Now it is a lot easier to tell what it is.

Most of the stock Revit content already has a 3D view called View 1. If I make a family from scratch I create one too. I make sure I open this view and close others before Saving and Closing the file when I'm done working on it. I caution users to be wary of content that does not have a clean preview, at least if they are using anything I've made. Messy means not done or not ready. Ideally content that isn't ready shouldn't be in a live folder at all but sometimes we get distracted and our own rules or habits aren't followed.

To clean up a family's preview:

• Use Temporary Hide/Isolate to control what is visible in the view.
• Use Thin Lines. (I hide host walls and faces for example)
• Use Detail Level setting to show off the family.
• Use Zoom Region to maximize the important geometry we see in the preview.

It's all meant to make it easier to understand what the family is and decide if it is the one they really want.

If you examine the stock door folder you'll see that most of the families have been oriented so that View 1 is a Front or Back elevation so you can see the panel design head on. I usually prefer a 3D axon orientation because it can give me a better sense of the frame and other proportions. Try to pick an orientation that best describes the family from the user's perspective, whatever will help them decide that this family is the correct family to load.

A cool feature of KiwiCodes Family Browser is that you can use your own custom Thumbnail images. This means you can set your custom library up in a project setting and take advantage of Graphic Styles like shadows and ambient shadows. This image is a sample of Aaron Maller's handiwork for Beck Group. His thumbnails include context and it really helps to understand what the family is, what features it has. He's put more effort into this than anyone I know of so far and I really like it.

It's the little things in life, every little bit helps the end user experience.

Hidden Parameters

Hey we missed an undocumented feature in 2015! Hidden Parameters! Notice the column for Hidden in the dialog?

Maybe a product manager will see this and blink? Sorry it isn't real, it is a mock-up. Yes, it's a few days late for an April Fool's joke.

Daniel Stine and I traded a couple emails recently and part of that conversation included the concept of making parameters hidden. He passed along this image to illustrate his idea.

For background, if we edit a Shared Parameter file with a text editor, something that we are warned not to do in the opening paragraph of the file itself (see the link for Walking on Thin Ice below), we can set a value that causes a parameter to be hidden from the user when the family is loaded into a project.

This technique only works for Shared Parameters and is really only practical for loadable (component) families. You have to set the parameter to hidden BEFORE you use it AND you can't reverse your decision without removing and replacing the parameter. The parameter remains visible while editing a family. It is not visible to users in their project. By not visible I mean it does not appear in the Properties Palette or Type Properties dialog.

I think it IS desirable to have more control over user interaction with parameters. I'd like to be able to make it more obvious which parameters are for their input versus derived from other parameters. Color coding, locked, hidden, and many other ideas have all been discussed over the years. It seems to me that adding a Hidden column would be an interesting way to define how a parameter should be regarded by a project. Certainly less secretive than the existing approach.

Related Posts:
Walking on Thin Ice
Ignore Good Advice
Making Shared Parameters Hidden (from What Revit Wants)

Revit and iTunes are not Friends

Guillaume, a friend who works in Montreal, wrote to me to share an issue they encountered recently.

He wrote:

We noticed a weird issue with one of our Revit projects. The expected (normal) time to open this model was about two and half minutes. On some machines it would take as long as eleven minutes and browsing through the project was rather slow. We also noticed that there was a pronounced lag while working in the model, while zooming and panning on sheets for example.

After systematically isolating every possible cause that we could think of, we found and we have no doubt, that the iTunes suite of software (including “Bonjour” process) is the culprit. We suspect the likely cause of this is that “Bonjour” uses the same port and background process as some parts of Revit, for example Worksharing Monitor.

We tried removing iTunes from the computers that took nine minutes to open the model and it always solved the issue. We also did the opposite. We installed iTunes on machines that opened the project normally and then they took about nine minutes to open. It is the first time I've seen this presented to us so obviously. We are using Revit 2014 primarily. We don't know if this is true for older versions of Revit.

If you are going to start using Revit 2014 by upgrading a project you'll want to be aware of it. If you have had a similar experience then check to see if iTunes is installed. You may need to remove it completely. If you don't allow the installation of iTunes on office computers it shouldn't be an issue. If users can install software then you'll want to check. It's not safe to assume simply having a rule against installing software is enough.

Revit 2015 Subtle Changes

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

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

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

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

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

Revit 2015 Feature Review

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

Read his Article There

Upgrade to Revit 2015

Should you upgrade? Yes!

Not enthusiastic about the new features in 2015? I'm not happy with the scope of what's new in 2015 either but when it becomes available I'll still install it and use it for the very next project and/or upgrade ongoing work too. I'll be happy to do so. I've never regretted installing and using a new release no matter how ambivalent I've been about how well specific changes met my needs or client's needs. Besides, my subscription fee entitles me to it and other new versions (Building Design Suites) so I owe to myself to take advantage of using them and getting as much mileage as I can out of them. It seems like cutting my nose off to spite my face to fail to use it.

Fwiw, I've noticed that I get quite grumpy if I have to use last year's version quite soon after installing and using the latest version. Even more so when I have to use an even older version, like 2012 for example. I'm using a five year old laptop with just 8 GB RAM and so far with Revit 2015 it looks like I can elect to continue to use it for another year. Revit's performance keeps improving with each release in contrast to and in spite of the aging tech of my laptop, at least as long as it (my laptop) continues to want to work...here's hoping it's still happy to hang out with me!

My two cents, I'd upgrade, I'd use it...

Revit 2015 Pinned Elements

Revit 2015 won't be as compliant as it used to be when you attempt to delete elements that have been pinned, and that is good!

An exception to this is when you pin a hosted family like a door for example. If you pin a door and delete the host wall Revit will go right ahead and delete the door too. Not even a warning that the door was pinned. Face-Based families like light fixtures don't suffer the same fate as element based (wall, floor, ceiling, or roof) families. I'm not particularly surprised by this. Just be aware of it so you don't rely on it for every circumstance.

Case for Project Parameters Addendum

Daniel Stine sent me an email to offer these additional thoughts regarding my Project Parameter post the other day. Rethinking that post I should have given it the title "A Case for..." instead of "The Case for...". It's really just one example of a decent reason to take advantage of Project Parameters.

Daniel writes:

Project parameters are set as either Instance or Type. This can limit your options later. For example, we have some families that have HP as a Type Parameter, but others (for flexibility) are set to Instance.

Project Parameters trump the Instance/Type setting of the same parameter (if one exists) in the family. I have seen this a few times, where the family has a parameter set to Type, and when it is loaded into the project is becomes an Instance parameter.

We have several Project Parameters for cost estimating in our template, they are assigned to all categories. This ensures all content, no matter where it comes from, will have those parameters. We do limit the number of Project Parameters for the reason you mentioned, that irrelevant information shows up for some families.

I am not sure if you mentioned this before, but it is really great that we can hide Shared Parameters in the project environment using the “visibility” toggle in the SP file.

My reply: Thanks! I thought I've mentioned this (hiding a shared parameter) before but I don't find a post specifically about it. I guess I need to add one or point to someone else's post about it instead at least. It isn't common knowledge so using the technique can really damage a person if they are struggling to figure out why it doesn't show up in their project.

New Feature List for Revit 2015

Here's a list of the items that are new to Revit 2015. I've put them into my own grouping.

Big Stuff
Sketchy lines - yep, create sketchy alteration to views
Family parameter order adjustments - reorder/control parameter position
Schedules/material takeoffs - Access to Additional parameters and Grand Total customization
Revision improvements - Delete Revisions and more sketching options
View references - Reassign view reference to different view
IFC linking - Import IFC on Insert ribbon, IFC tab in Manage Links, no RFA process
Pinned element enhancements - Harder to delete pinned elements
Reinforcements for parts - Parts can host rebar (Structure)
Enhanced multi-rebar annotation - Grouping, sorting and updating of annotations (Structure)
Structural Disallow Join - Disallow/allow Joins framing and Braces (Structure)
Calculation methods for pressure drop - Haaland or Colebrook Equations, custom equations (MEP)
Tapped duct and pipe tags - Tag airflow along ducts (MEP)

Other Stuff
IFC imports - Better visual fidelity and performance and Options dialog revisions
Anti-aliasing improvements (related to Sketchy Lines)
Images in schedules - Instance and Type Image parameters can be used in schedules
Shared parameters in view titles - We can add our own parameters to view titles
Manage links dialog - Add links from Manage Links
Assembly code settings - 2010 Classification file provided or use our own
Enhanced hidden lines - View setting to govern hidden line display (Structure and MEP)
Building element analysis - Improved surface analysis and calculations (Subscription Only)
Tag improvements - Leader behavior mimics text leaders
Presentation rebar sets - Create sets to document rebar conditions better (Structure)
Reinforcement numbering - new numbering options (Structure)
Single fabric sheet placement - easy to place one sheet (Structure)
Shape Handles and Snapping - Improvements (Structure)
Setback for Structural Members - Improved adjustment (Structure)

Subtle Stuff
Ray trace usability improvements - faster, better quality and smoother
Views on sheets - Double click to Deactivate View (compliments 2014's Activate View)
Duplicate views - New naming of duplicate views
Keynoting settings - Keynote settings access easier, more obvious

Trim - Use selection box to trim extend multiple elements
Tool tips for family parameters - Create our own tool tips for parameters (max 250 char.)
Formulas - Logarithm syntax and calculation - New ln(x) Old exp(x)]
Assembly code setting - Use alternate assembly code files
Attached Detail Groups - Clipped now, not pinned due to pinning enhancements
Tags can include new Elevation at Top Parameter (for Foundations)
Enhanced analytical model - Local Coordinate System, Loads and analytical links (Structure)
Location Line Visibility - New Graphics (Structure)
Graphical Justification - New control (Structure)
Structural section properties - Catalog for profiles allows for easier analysis(Structure)
Electrical API enhancements - Create wires, add/modify wire properties and remove vertices (MEP)
US AWWA content - New Waste Water project content(MEP)
Japan Localised electrical content (MEP)

Pick New - Changing a Host

Shawn at RFO shared a cool tip to help deal with orphaned MEP families when their host goes missing in the linked file they were depending on. When a ceiling is deleted and new ceiling is placed in the same location instead of switching ceiling types MEP families will end up as orphaned elements.

If these orphans really need to stay in the same location but be associated with a new ceiling (or other host surface) the Pick New tool is biased toward moving them to another host. When you attempt to click on the same host they often end up changing their position.

Shawn offered a simple fix. Just use the Pin tool to put a stake in them first. Then when you use Pick New they won't move and you can select their new host. Nice!

The Case for Using Project Parameters

Project Parameters are most effective when the information stored with them has no direct geometric impact on the families and categories they are associated with. For example if you expect the information to alter a family's size it can't be a Project Parameter, it needs to be part of the family itself.

One example of a Project Parameter could be the horsepower rating for a motor. A family might get larger when its designed to provide more horsepower but that value alone seldom drives a specific dimension. A manufacturer will provide dimensional parameters for that and HP (horsepower) usually happens to increase as the capacity and physical size of the motor increases.

With this in mind, we can create a Project Parameter for horsepower it can be applied to one or several categories, such as, Mechanical Equipment, Electrical Equipment, Generic Model and others. Every family that we load into our project and belongs to one of those categories will inherit that parameter without first having to edit any families to add it manually. The project adds it to each family that is loaded for us. If we edit a family, apart from the project, the parameter doesn't exist.

This is a benefit but it also has a cost. All loaded Mechanical Equipment, for example, will inherit the parameter (Horsepower for example) even if it is irrelevant to some of the mechanical equipment families. Generally the benefit outweighs the cost though.

A Project Parameter can be created isolated within a project or based on a Shared Parameter. Shared Parameters are like definitions stored in a dictionary. The Shared Parameter file (dictionary) provides a common single location to store parameter definitions we are likely to reuse. That means Project Parameters (and Family Parameters) can be created from a Shared Parameter (definition) stored in the dictionary (shared parameter file) or just created and stored in an individual project.

Whenever we want to create a parameter in families and/or projects AND apply a tag to display the same parameter value and/or include it within a schedule we must create and use a Shared Parameter. If you'd like to read older posts about parameters check out my SUMMARY POST.

Revit Worksets Error - Element has been Deleted

David Baldacchino shared an issue with me that he's run into recently.

Here's how he described the issue.

As a standard, we create our central files with the option "Specify" so users are prompted to pick which workset to open/close when creating a local file. If a user is in a local RVT 2013 file AND THEN another user tries to open a detached copy in Revit 2014 to upgrade it (whether doing this directly from the central file or a local file), the Revit 2013 user/s will start getting errors stating that elements were deleted from the central file when they try to edit. They are also locked out of touching anything until the upgrade process finishes. This issue does not happen if the Specify option is not used. This behavior is not expected and undesirable.

Sounds like it can be avoided, if the file needs to be upgraded, by keeping people out of the active project file. I'm not sure I'd want someone to upgrade a project that someone is actively adding new work to with the previous release. Regardless if it occurs it explains why the error message Elements have been deleted appears.

Revit INI UI Calculator

When Revit 2014 offered a single installation (just called Revit) with all of the discipline specific Revit features included (aka "one box") the development team provided a calculator to determine the correct variable to assign a parameter value in the Revit.ini. This value is used to configure the user interface according to the disciplines that we want users to see listed on the Ribbon tabs. Since there are numerous combinations that are possible they are using "bit" logic to arrive at a single unique value that defines how the ribbons should be configured. The calculator provides a simple way to arrive at that number. Check the boxes and use the value at the bottom.

When the help documentation team began migration to the present online help delivery software (moving from the previous WikiHelp format) they decided to abandon the calculator since it seemed few people were really interested in it or using it. I complained that as software developers they ought to realize that it was already serving a niche among niches in the first place. It remains a niche item and I'm grateful they've recently taken the time to restore/re-code it to work in the new help documentation system. It's subtle but every little bit helps.

It can be seen HERE.

Revit MEP Family Wisdom - Family Origin

Another tip snipped from the Revit Family Editor Tutorial for Revit 2008 as mentioned in the previous post. You can download the PDF copy HERE.

Fittings (duct, pipe, conduit and cable tray fittings) expect the instance origin of the family to be the (projected) intersection of the connectors. In most cases for fittings, there is a point on the fitting where all of the connectors (if extended into the fitting) will collide. Fittings expect this collision to be placed at the original intersection of the Center (Front / Back), Center (Left / Right), and Reference Level work planes. For this reason, it is good practice to pin these reference planes before beginning to build the family.

Revit MEP Family Wisdom - Shape Handles

Another tip snipped from the Revit Family Editor Tutorial for Revit 2008 as mentioned in the previous post. You can download the PDF copy HERE.

Shape handles are not used for Revit MEP system families but they display by default when you create a new family. If shape handles are not hidden and they are inadvertently dragged during your modeling session, the geometry or placement of the family will be adversely affected. This can create unexpected results, especially for duct fittings. This is because, unlike pipe fittings, duct fittings use formulae that reside in the family rather than in an external lookup table file to determine size.

It is highly recommended that you hide all shape handles for Revit MEP families before using them in a project. To hide the shape handles in a system family, you need to open the family in the Family Editor and specify the Is Reference instance parameter as Not a Reference for all reference lines and all reference planes that are used for that family.

Before on the left / After on the right

Revit MEP Family Wisdom - Connector Arrows

Another tip snipped from the Revit Family Editor Tutorial for Revit 2008 as mentioned in the previous post. You can download the PDF copy HERE.

Connector arrows indicate the direction of a duct or pipe (extrusion) when it is being created to complete a connection. It does not indicate flow direction. In most instances, a connector arrow points outward away from the object to which the connector is associated. Otherwise, the duct or pipe when created will pass through the object geometry instead of away from it. You can modify the connector arrow direction by selecting the connector and clicking the flip arrows.

Revit MEP Family Wisdom - Connector Orientation

This is snipped from the Revit Family Editor Tutorial for Revit 2008 as mentioned in yesterday's post. You can download the PDF copy HERE.

Connector rotation is a critical part of connector placement. The connector orientation determines the correct orientation of the objects that are automatically inserted on the part. Although this is not as important for round connectors, it is extremely important for rectangular connectors such as those on rectangular duct fittings. Remember that for rectangular connectors, the rectangular connector must be oriented so that the width is assigned to the face that is on the X and Y axes. The height is not on these axes. If rectangular connectors are not rotated properly, the rectangular duct fitting will be inserted improperly, creating an unexpected result. You may find it easier to rotate connectors in a 3D view, where the part geometry is clearly visible.

Revit MEP Family Wisdom - Connector Placement

This is snipped from the Family Editor (Imperial) Tutorial provided with the Revit MEP 2008 release. I don't believe there is a more recent version of it unless they have incorporated some or all of it into the current help documentation online. Some of it certainly was part of the previous WikiHelp site but I haven't checked to see if everything is now part of the new online help yet.

You can download PDF copy of the tutorial HERE.

When you place fitting connectors, the primary connector must be placed on the face that is on the X-axis. You can verify this by viewing the face in a floor plan view. Unexpected behavior can result if the primary connector is not properly placed relative to the other connectors, and that if all connectors are not properly rotated and linked.

The primary connector is the one that has the crosshair or "X" in the connector graphics. You can also Reassign Primary on the ribbon when the connector is selected.

This pearl of wisdom also appears at the beginning of the Creating an Elbow Family topic:

Fittings are among the most complex families to create. It is recommended that you methodically follow the steps and periodically check your work against the exercise. It may take a longer to complete this exercise as compared to other exercises in this tutorial. Even if you have created parametric families before, creating system families typically takes more time to complete.

Revit MEP Annotation Scale

In the settings dialog for duct, pipe, conduit and cable tray Revit provides a parameter called Use Annot. Scale for Single Line Fittings. There is also a second related parameter called "XXX Fitting Annotation Size" where "XXX" is the element involved. As the parameter names suggest they are related to single line views, where the detail level is either assigned to Coarse or Medium for their category (duct/pipe/conduit/cable tray).

When the first parameter (previous image) is checked Revit will check (turn on) the parameter that each fitting or accessory has, called Use Annotation Scale, each time they are placed in your project.

The purpose of these related settings is to provide a consistent symbol size regardless of view scale (in single line views). This way the symbols don't suddenly become much larger or smaller in different scale views than the symbols we show on our legends. When you see this occur you'll need to double check the settings and the individual parameter values for each affected family.

If the option is off in the Settings dialog then every fitting or accessory you place has its own Use Annotation Scale setting unchecked (off). It's a global on/off switch to enable the feature. You can still interact with each fitting or accessory's own parameter to enable the annotation scaling feature or vice versa. When you change the view's scale you'll find that the annotation symbol graphics will not remain the same printed size.

The following image shows one ball valve accessory that has had its Use Annotation Scale turned off. It's larger than the other fittings and accessories in the view, they adjust their symbol size so they are the same size when the views are printed on a sheet. The lower plan view is using 1/4"=1'-0" scale and the upper one is assigned to 1/8"=1'-0" scale instead.

This image is both views placed on a sheet for comparison.

Each of these MEP element has its own settings; Duct, Pipe, Conduit and Cable Tray. I think the most appropriate setting for each is checked (on). The second parameter XXX Fitting Annotation Size is usually 1/8" ( or 3.0 mm) (stock setting in templates) and that's probably a good starting point. You may find it necessary to adjust it slightly by increasing or decreasing the size to get the ideal symbol graphics.

The other thing to keep in mind is that the single line graphics in these families are defined by Model Lines that are set to be visible in Coarse and Medium Detail Level but to not be visible in Fine Detail Level. This makes it possible to generate the single line diagrams in 3D views too, otherwise there would be nothing to see. It also makes it a bit trickier to get the same graphic size when comparing one fitting or accessory with another.

This is quite different from electrical families by comparison because those primarily use nested annotation symbol families for their symbolic graphics. Those already conform to Revit's annotation behavior of maintaining their printed size. It also explains why, for electrical components, 3D views (and elevations/sections) do not show the plan graphic symbols we are accustomed to seeing.

Which Phase Filter?

There are several phase filters that stock templates come with. Sometimes people aren't certain which ones to use or why they exist. There are three options that affect how elements are influenced by Phase Filters: By Category, Overridden and Not Displayed.

By Category - Project Object Styles and/or view's Visibility/Graphics Overrides govern.
Overridden - Revit will change the appearance of elements based on the Phase Graphics Overrides settings (see next image). Note that a Filter (View not Phase) applied to a view can still influence an element affected by a Phase Filter.
Not Displayed - Yes, this means elements are not displayed in the view.

What does it take for Revit to regard an element as being New, Existing, Demolished or Temporary? It varies according to the Phase of the view we see it in and which Phase Created and Phase Demolished parameters values are assigned to it. The following conditions define which Phase Status an element belongs to in a given view. For the following images assume this view is assigned to Phase New Construction and that we are looking at the Phasing parameters of four different walls.

New - Element's Phase Created parameter is assigned to the phase of this view and the Phase Demolished parameter is set to None.

Existing - Element's Phase Created parameter is assigned to an earlier phase than the phase of this view and the Phase Demolished parameter is set to None.

Demolished - Element's Phase Created parameter is assigned to an earlier phase than the phase of this view AND its Phase Demolished parameter is assigned to the same Phase as this view.

Temporary - Element's Phase Created parameter is the same phase as this view AND its Phase Demolished parameter is also assigned to the same phase as this view.

Any given element can belong to one of these four Phase Status in any given view according to the Phase parameter of that view AND its own Phase Created and Phased Demolished parameter settings. Phase graphics depend entirely on creating views for each appropriate phase and creating elements so they are assigned to the correct phase and then altered so their Phase Demolished parameters are assigned as required, if required.

Getting to the title of this post finally, each view has a Phase Filter parameter. What follows is my take on why I'd use each of the stock Phase Filters.

None - It's not a Phase Filter in the dialog, it's a choice in the list of Phase Filters within a view's properties. We use this when we don't want any Phase settings to affect the elements in the view. Everything is displayed according to either Object Styles or Visibility/Graphics Overrides.

Show All = This filter can't be altered or deleted. It means show us everything WITH Phase graphic alterations applied. NEW elements are governed by Object Styles (or possibly Visibility Graphics overrides) AND it overrides Existing, Demolished and Temporary elements. Use this filter to help see everything mixed together AND altered so each Phase Status is obvious. It is NOT a typical way of producing traditional documents but it CAN help explain relationships very well.

Show Completed = We're done! We don't want to see any graphical bias toward new or existing work, they should look the same. We don't want to see any demolished or temporary elements. We want to use this to show the finished design after construction is done. We could think of it as a view of "As Built" conditions if the model is kept current through construction.

Show Previous and New = We want to show new construction information in context against existing features but without Demolished or Temporary elements. This is ideal for New Construction views.

Show Previous and Demo = This is the filter to use for typical demolition documentation, existing features altered to show where demolition occurs. New work and Temporary work are not shown.

Show New Only = This is useful when we want to give a hint of future work. We can isolate and override graphics in a view to prepare a view for overlaying over another view on a sheet. When we overlay this on top of a new construction plan we'll see how they relate to each other despite the fact that Revit has no "future" phase.

Don't be fazed by phasing!