Family Critique - Overhead Storage Bin

In a past post I was critical of how it was made and described what could be done to fix it. With that in mind, let's examine another family and see how very minor changes will improve the user experience.

First a little background noise, I've been participating in a program that Autodesk started called Revit Mentors. It is focused on people that are using the trial version of Revit, trying it on for size before buying. They been running the same thing for AutoCAD for much longer and recently decided to do the same for Revit. The mentoring takes place in the form of a chat window and this family was the subject of one such session.

The family in my sights today belongs to the Furniture System category and is called Overhead Storage Module.rfa (see image).

You can see two instances are highlighted in red in the above image. What's wrong with the family?

1. When we try to place the family Revit does not recognize its sides so it is difficult to place it accurately on the first try.
2. It also isn't visible during placement unless we have already assigned the Underlay parameter to the same level the view is associated with.
3. It remains invisible after placement and that means we have to resort to tricks to make it visible in the view too.

The reference planes are the cause of our first issue. They are assigned to an IsReference value of Weak. This means Revit doesn't pay attention to them during placement. They need to be Strong or one of the preset named IsReference settings. This is what they look like now.

In the image below we can see (no highlighting visible) that Revit doesn't acknowledge the edge of the family so it can't snap into the correct position easily. When I'm confronted with this issue I usually place such families wrong and then use Align to fix them. Then I copy them around instead of placing them. If I was really smart I'd edit the family and fix the problem.

This is what the family looks like after I've fixed the IsReference parameters. I've also named the Reference Planes using the same words.

Now placing the family is easy because Revit sees the Strong Reference Planes. The nice IsReference names like Front, Back, Left and Right are Strong too.

The second issue is that the geometry of the family is entirely above the cut-plane of the family and most project views. To fix this we can use the Old Invisible Line Trick. I've placed a Symbolic Line using the invisible lines linestyle. It spans from the Reference Level up to the top of the cabinet. I've locked the end points to the top and bottom references so it tracks with the cabinet if its parameters are changed later. It looks like this now. I've also named and assigned the IsReference parameters using Top and Bottom.

The third issue is resolved by editing the Masking Region that has been used in the family. I changed the front linestyle to Hidden Lines so that it will use that linestyle in the project too.

Now the cabinets are visible immediately and without worrying about using the view's Underlay parameter at all.

If I want to make it obvious that there is a difference between hidden items below and above then I'd use (and create if necessary) a different linestyle for each such situation. The Project templates that Autodesk provides have a linestyle called Overhead. I'd just need to add this to my family and assign it to the masking region boundary segment instead.

The presence of these subtle issues demonstrate to me that nobody really tries to use these families in a meaningful way when they are created. In this case the family is quite old. It has probably just been upgraded every year for at least a decade. There are a lot of existing families. It would be nice if someone was routinely taking a closer look at all this content. With our wishlist getting longer and louder every year I'm not going to hold my breath.

It is subtle stuff like this that helps make each user's experience just a little bit better!

Revit 2016 - Copy Monitor - Wall Location Line

I don't recall any mention of this appearing in the What's New documentation or presentations. I stumbled into it the other day and meant to write about it but my aging Dell finally bit the dust and that distracted me. I find this new parameter and options appears when I examine the Walls tab in the Copy/Monitor Options dialog.

Interesting isn't it? I experimented with using the option. This image depicts a linked file with compound architectural walls being used to create Stud Only walls in a structural model.

I specified that C/M should create a Stud Only wall type instead of the compound wall type being used by the architectural model. I then used the Location Line: Core Face:Exterior.

I didn't find any help documentation to support this new feature. What I did find declares that C/M just uses the Wall Centerline for alignment, which was true until now!

Also, fwiw the openings created at the doors and windows are the correct sizes but only because the families don't have any additional geometry beyond the extent of their frames. I placed openings in the walls at the curtain walls manually using the Wall Opening tool (Architecture or Structure tab > Opening panel > Wall).

Withdraw your Editing Requests

In the past I wrote about how you can become the unwitting or accidental borrower of elements when you create an Editing Request but then close your local file before the request is resolved.

Therefore it is a good habit to Retract (withdraw) any Editing Requests you create before closing your Local file. If you form a habit of creating Editing Requests then also form the habit of Retracting any that are still pending when you leave for the project for any reason.

This is not a request...

Detail Item and Reference Plane Settings

The stock Revit family Nominal Cut Lumber-Section isn't built very well. Here's an example of it being used in a Drafting View. Notice the dimension style I've used shows a center-line symbol when it comes into contact with a so called center line, which is determined by the use of the IsReference settings; Center (Front/Back) and Center (Left/Right).

In the family editor, this explains why the center-line symbol is showing up. When this family was made they paid no attention to the IsReference setting for the reference planes. The Center (Left/Right) IsReference setting is assigned to what should be the Left reference plane. In fact the none of the other reference planes have appropriate names or IsReference settings either.

The symbolic lines that form the "X" in the detail item are assigned to Weak Reference and that means dimensions will see them as well as the Align tool. That doesn't make much sense either. There is nothing to allow us to dimension to the center of the lumber section either.

This is what it ought to look like, I've revised all the reference plane settings and added two new reference planes to permit adding a dimension to the actual center of the lumber.

By the way, the intersection of the Left and Front reference planes are assigned to the Defines Origin parameter so that corner is the origin of the family, which is the same as it was originally. After reloading the family into my Drafting View the center-line symbol and dimension witness line references have shifted over to properly identify the center-line of the lumber section instead. They did that automatically because of the new reference planes using the correct IsReference values. The first dimension on the left is no longer showing the center-line symbol because it is still referencing the side of the lumber section. It shifted over too but I reassigned it to the side of the lumber section.

I also changed the "X" Symbolic Lines to use a IsReference setting of Not a Reference and now Revit won't see them when I use the dimension or align tools. In the following image my cursor is hovering over them but Revit only sees the Center (Left/Right) reference plane.

I wish I could tell you that this is the only one like this...

Perhaps this is just one more reason to attend the Building Content Summit just before RTC in DC this July?

Revit 2016 - Rendering Engines

Some years ago we went through a changeover from Accurender to Mental Ray as Autodesk focused on Mental Ray as their preferred rendering engine for several of their products. If you didn't know it already Mental Ray belongs to Nvidia. Autodesk has purchased companies, and their products, more recently that allows them to focus on using what is now their own rendering engine; which is being called Raytracer. Don’t confuse it with the Visual Style called Raytrace.

This means we find ourselves in another period of rendering engine transition from Mental Ray to Autodesk Raytracer instead. Revit 2016 has both Mental Ray and Autodesk Raytracer options available to us when we decide to render via our desktop (not using Cloud Rendering).

As I understand it they are motivated to go through this in order to provide what they believe will be simpler yet higher quality and faster rendering options because they will have more control over the engine being used; it’s theirs, not someone else’s. Unfortunately it takes quite some time to plug in and unplug something so intrinsic to how Revit works. I believe that, if things go according to plan, we’ll probably just find the one option (Raytracer) in the next full release of Revit.

Considering the visualization products available today like Revizto, Lumion, Fuzor and Enscape, which all offer a very impressive real time rendering environment as well as integrating well with Revit, I can’t help but wonder if the development team is really in tune with the market. Maybe they have something up their sleeves we just can’t see yet? I hope so. For a very basic comparison I took a model I made recently during a training session and used both rendering engines with just exterior lighting. I used the same location each time, southern CA (where I live).

This is using Mental Ray (3:27 seconds at Medium)

This is using Raytracer (2:53 at medium)

This time I switched to rending the same model and view using the Draft setting. This is using Mental Ray (51 seconds at Draft)

This time using Raytracer (39 seconds at draft)

For each rendering Raytracer was the faster engine. The quality difference between the draft renderings was much more noticeable with Raytracer’s result being cleaner and clearer. Raytracer’s Draft and Medium was much more consistent than for Mental Ray. If rendering is your passion then I encourage you to read Daniel Stine’s article about this new development in Revit. It was published at AECBytes.

A quirky outcome of this transition is how the two engines deal with the Adjust Exposure feature.

With Mental Ray we can render and then click Adjust Exposure and tweak the result, seeing the changes in the image immediately. With Raytracer we can't do that. We CAN use Adjust Exposure first and then render, which makes no sense to me at all. This means we have to render first, make some adjustments to the exposure (which is adjusting blindly), render again to see if it provides a better result...repeat.

It's my understanding that it is what it is...for now...

Placing Columns - At Grids Option does not Work

When we are placing structural columns you'll find that there is a button for the At Grids option.

All we have to do is select at least one pair of grids to define intersection locations for Revit to place columns for us quickly. If we select all our grids we get a column at every intersection, FAST. Sometimes it is faster to do that and delete a couple we might not really need than to carefully place a column at grid intersections one at a time.

When we use this option there is a condition that renders it numb or ambivalent to our wishes. Put another way we can select the option, select grids yet when we click Finish to create the columns nothing happens, no columns.

If we place columns from level 1 to level 2 but then increase the height of the columns to allow for additional height to accommodate a splice above the floor slab Revit will think there are already columns at these grid intersections when we attempt to create columns from Level 2 to 3. When a column is found by Revit within the primary range of the view Revit disregards the intersection where this column is, it isn't a valid location for a new column.

To get around this it is probably best to alter their offsets after they are all in place. Place all the columns and then reconcile where the splices should occur.

Upgrade Projects from 2015 C4R to 2016 C4R

The Revit Clinic offered a post describing the steps to move a project from 2015 to 2016 versions of Collaboration for Revit. It isn't as straight forward as we might think. It isn't as simple as opening a 2015 project via A360 with 2016 and waiting for it to be upgraded to 2016.

Take these steps:

• Open Revit 2015 (with C4R installed)
• Browse to the A360 project that you want to upgrade
• Open each Revit model and save it to your local workstation
• Create a new project to be used with A360 Collaboration for Revit 2016 in your A360 team hub
• Open Revit 2016 (need C4R installed for 2016 first of course)
• Open each Revit model that you saved to your local workstation save it after it upgrades to 2016
• Initiate Collaboration on each model and specify the 2016 project name that was created on A360 earlier
• The model is associated with the new A360 Collaboration for Revit 2016 project
• Re-link any Revit models as required
• Let everyone know that they should use the 2016 project now

There are now two separate and distinct projects (2015 format and 2016 format). Everyone must use the upgraded (2016) project and models now. Remember to rename the 2015 version of the project or deactivate it via A360.

Autodesk Hardware Selection Support Site

This site was created with the intention to make it easier to make sure our computer and graphic card choices are supported by Autodesk's software. Unfortunately the site has died...with 2014 version support or at the very least, the appearance of a lack of support for 2015/16 versions.

It's time to update it?!?

Revit 2016 - Collaboration for Revit 2016 is Available

The 2016 version of C4R (Collaboration for Revit) is available now.

Click this to download or click the image for an overview

You'll need to visit your Subscription page to access the download to install it. Look at the Services page and it should be listed among whatever services you are entitled to. If you don't see it then you'll have to sort out your A360 account first.

This is the video they offer at the online help documentation site to explain how to initiate a project with C4R

Revit 2015 Update Release 8 and New Project

When I click New under the Projects (or Family) list on the Recent Files page Revit is opening a new strange page instead of opening the New Project dialog.

That's a bit ridiculous...

If I rely on the Application Menu > New (Project/Family) the normal dialog appears. So for now avoid relying on the Recent Files page...

Revit 2016 Updates Redux

This morning I gave Autodesk Application Manager (AAM) another chance by removing it and installing it again. It reports a number of things requiring my attention; A360, Navisworks, Revit 2016 Extensions and AutoCAD OSNAP support. That's a bit more encouraging, it seems to be awake at least. In the past it just stopped caring about updates and didn't seem to find any despite Luke telling me otherwise on his blog.

The Revit Clinic has since provided a post with information regarding 2015 and 2016 updates.

I noticed that Revit 2016 now has Service Pack 1 installed. After a year of Release Updates we are now returning to language of old with Service Pack. Okay...

In a comment for yesterday's post Phillip asks why isn't there one update application that installs the necessary features based on what is installed...for each Revit version? Good question! They must be able to figure out what is installed and hopefully they know what is needed, better than me trying to figure it out from the information they aren't putting on the website at least.

Luke also followed up his previous posts with another regarding Revit 2016 Extensions (he's observed they are now being deployed via AAM), Space Naming Utility (now generically "version-less" wrapped up and delivered at Autodesk Exchange Apps). I'm still not sure where to expect to find Worksharing Monitor or the Collaboration for Revit (C4R) 2016.

After installing the 2015 update I find C4R is broken, it triggers the usual message that only a programmer's mother can love.

I'm glad that AAM seems to be working now but it is soooo slooooowwww installing updates. The Navis updates just report "installing" with no indication for the degree of progress while some of the others do. Consistent inconsistency. The updates for Navis and ReCap put fresh icons on my desktop where there were none. It's not hard to delete them but its rude to put something on the desktop that wasn't there prior to the update.

Grumpy but not as grumpy as yesterday...

Revit 2016 and 2015 Updates via What Revit Wants

Once again Luke has written posts about updates for Autodesk software before their own web site offers them...?!?

Thanks Luke!

I'd really like to see this stuff posted on their own bloody website(s) in a timely fashion!

Yes, Autodesk Application Manager is supposed to let us know (and it did for Luke apparently) but it hasn't worked on my computer except the first month it was installed. Oh and the Revit 2016 versions of necessary tools like Space Naming Utility and Worksharing Monitor are still missing in action. It's not like they didn't know a new release is out??!!?? Gosh I'm grumpy right now.

Luke's post about Revit 2016 Release Update 1
Luke's post about Revit 2015 Release Update 8 for R2 (note that's not the regular Revit 2015, he does provide a link to download that update though)
Luke's post about Collaboration for Revit (C4R) v5 for Revit 2015

I guess I shouldn't ask where C4R for 2016 is?

Create View Template - Tool Description

Oh so...subtle...

The command via the ribbon is called Create Template from Current View.

The right-click context menu offers this version of the command instead (Create View Template From View).

It's subtle because the right-click version is based on the fact that we've selected a view and used right-click. The context doesn't demand using the language Current View because it's based on the view we selected in the first place. The ribbon version leaves out the word View because it is listed as part of the View Templates button already. It also declares that it will create the template based on the Current View since it is possible to have accidentally changed which view has focus prior to using the command; for example if views are tiled or cascading in the drawing window.

My initial reaction was that they were inconsistent and wrong to use a different description for a command that will produce the same result. After mulling it over I think it is a reasonable subtlety since their use is different and the phrasing is intended to help us know what to expect in each situation.

Revit 2016 - IFC Observations

Autodesk recommends that we visit Autodesk Exchange|Apps to download the latest IFC application before starting to work with IFC data.

While testing these features I exported some walls and doors to IFC 2x3 so I could import them as IFC geometry. When I used Link IFC there were Generic Model openings filling the door openings to provide room bounding geometry.

There is a bit more going on behind the scenes when we import IFC. In the past we had to open an IFC which created a Revit project file we could then link. Those extra steps are done for us now as a background operation. There are three files that Revit creates based on the source IFC we link.

If I get obnoxious and delete these files and then open my active project file I get a warning message that Revit couldn’t find a linked file. When I use Reload From and select the IFC file I linked in the first place Revit creates those three files all over again. In the background it’s really just referencing the IFC file named "Linking.ifc.RVT".

I then opened the .RVT file that Revit created during the Link IFC process and deleted the openings and replaced them with Room Separator lines. Rather than doing that we can just leave the Generic Model elements but we need to use a Filter to turn them off. Revit creates a shared parameter file based on the IFC data. We can create a Project Parameter using one of its parameters (ObjectTypeOverrides) so we can create a Filter focused on the Generic Model category.

Once we understand that we can use the same approach to override the appearance of the existing walls, doors and windows so they look more like existing elements.

Revit 2016 - IFC Snap Align and Dimensions

We can snap to IFC link elements to create new elements and we can also dimension to elements in the link. We can also Align Revit elements to IFC-based elements as well as Host some face-based families, such as electrical devices. Dimensions will only recognize the faces of linked IFC geometry and not any center lines, reference planes, or other non-geometry elements.

This is a plan view of linked IFC walls and doors along with a few local walls and doors. Rooms were added to the overall plan, using the room bounding setting for the linked IFC file.

If the IFC file changes and it is reloaded into the Revit model, previously established references may not be maintained. We’ll have to make sure they are intact. It is difficult to ensure that changes to IFC geometry will retain relationships between any dimensions that reference it.

Revit 2016 - IFC Links and Rooms

A linked IFC file can provide room boundaries.

Revit 2016 - Truss Chord Rotation

When we rotate a truss we can either allow the chords to rotate with the truss or stay aligned with the truss placement plane (usually vertical).

Revit 2016 - Loss Method and ASHRAE Tables

Fittings and loss errors have been annoying in Revit MEP for quite some time. If we were striving for a warning free model then we'd be confounded at every turn by fittings and their loss for loss. In Revit 2015 R2 and 2016 we've got the option to assign fitting's Loss Method parameter to Coefficient from ASHRAE Table.

The ASHRAE Table Settings dialog displays graphical information that is associated with duct fittings table. We can choose from among the fitting descriptions in the table or accept the default one that is already selected.

If you select a fitting randomly and check this out you may find the dialog set to None. It only starts to work when components are well connected. That means, if you see warnings associated with fittings, its likely those fittings are not part of a well connected network yet.

Revit 2016 - Piping Units Addition

Plumbing engineers must feel a bit like Rodney Dangerfield's "I'm tellin' you, I don't get no respect!". Here's one for them, subtle though it may be. We can specify Liters per minute (L/min) for piping project units. (woot)

Revit 2016 - Selection Box

You’re already familiar with this new tool, conceptually at least, if you’ve used the 3rd party applications COINS Section Box or Xrev View Box. Just select elements and click the button to generate a 3D view with a section box cropped around those elements.

You may not want to give up those other tools just yet because they may offer more control of the resulting view than this tool does. It carries out the action with your default 3D view so if you didn’t want to mess that one up you need to remember to save it before you use it. It is easy and fast, you decide if you agree.

Type Catalog - Just say NO to Load Into Project

If you are working on a family that uses a type catalog then these two buttons are bad!

Bad buttons!

Youz buttons are buttons non grata.

The same is true for the Edit Family button and right-click Edit Family option. Don't use them on families that use a Type Catalog because all the types that are in use get loaded into the version of the family that opens in the Family Editor. That's kind of counter productive.

Temporary Dimension Size and Reference Plane Names

The name that appears on a selected Reference Plane is based on its name parameter. If you find their names a bit small to read we can take advantage of the Temporary Dimensions Text Appearance setting to increase it. This is what it looks like at 8 point text.

This is what it looks like at 14 point text.

Ah, more betterer...

Curtain Wall Panel Template - Reporting Parameter Error

If we attempt to attached a Reporting Parameter to a Curtain Panel Template we might see this error message.

It's the result of attaching the dimension to the reference level in the view.

If we are careful to attach the dimension to the reference plane that is lurking underneath it (the reference level) the reporting parameter will attach without complaint. I pulled the Level and the reference plane apart a bit so they can be seen more easily in the image.

Wish - Create Similar for Lines

I primarily find myself wishing for Create Similar when I'm creating symbolic or model lines in the family editor. I try hard to not use just lines in a project, favoring line-based families instead...yes even in Drafting View details. That written if Create Similar worked on them in the project I wouldn't complain.

Revit 2016 - Rotate Project North

Technically this isn't a new feature. It’s an improvement of the existing tool. In the past this tool did not faithfully rotate all annotation elements consistently. We’d often find some annotation was either not rotated at all or moved into different positions. They've revisited the code to ensure more consistent results. It’s not a guarantee they've resolved everything since they can only tackle issues that have been identified as problems. We are pretty ingenious at doing things with Revit that the developers didn't imagine. Hopefully we’ll find that it is more reliable when/if we need to use it.

Let me take this opportunity to remind you that Revit’s bias has always been to create a model or building with Project North in mind FIRST. FORGET about the real orientation on site, initially (please). That’s what using Rotate True North is for and Acquiring Coordinates.

Those tools existed long before Rotate Project North. In fact it was only added because people can’t seem to remember to start their project using a Project North orientation. If you’re interested in more of my writing about using Shared Coordinates you can check out my blog post summary.

Optional Instance Override Example Two

My post last Saturday reminded Daniel Stine of a situation where he used a similar technique.

Dan writes:

In an Electrical Equipment schedule, we want the Room/Space number to be listed automatically. However some items are not located within a room. So we use a Yes/No parameter (in the family) and a calculated value (in the schedule) to switch from automatic to manual. In the example below, the rooftop equipment is not within a room and would produce a blank cell if the schedule column just listed Space:Number. With the toggle, we can type in a custom value; a word in this case.

These are the two manual parameters associated with the content:

Calculated value in Electrical Equipment schedule:
if(Enter Manual Room Number Name, Manual Room Number Name, Space: Number)

The follow parameters need to be added to the schedule, but hidden:
Space: Number
Enter Manual Room Number Name
Manual Room Number Name

Thanks Daniel!

Link Positioning Manual - Base Point

AutoCAD has a feature called Base which allows us to specify an alternate insertion point that will be referenced (instead of the origin) when that file is inserted into another DWG file, either as an external reference or a block. Revit has a positioning option called Manual - Base Point. Sounds good except it doesn't work.

I created a DWG file (AutoCAD 2016) and sketched two squares, one at the actual origin and another one elsewhere. I used Base to reassign the insertion point to the bottom left corner of the other square, the one that isn't actually at the origin.

This is what I see when I use the Manual - Base Point option.

Help still says...

Short story...sounds good but doesn't work.

Optional Instance Override

Twice in one week I've seen people asking about using a Type Parameter for a door swing and wishing they could occasionally override it without making a new type for the door. That jogged my memory a bit and I remembered that Aaron Maller had told me about a technique he's used on the content he has built for Beck Group. It's quite clever, thanks Aaron!

These are the parameters you need (parameter names are italic - pick better names if you want):

• Type parameter (Angle: Swing - this the standard angle you want to use)
• Instance parameter (Angle: Swing Override - this is the default value for the override)
• Instance or type parameter (Yes/No: Override Swing - this is the switch to flip)
• Instance parameter (Angle: Swing Applied - Formula: if (yes, instance, type)

It looks like this in the Family Types dialog.

This is what it looks like applied to two door types; two are set according to their type and the other two are overridden to different angles.

This is what it looks like in the Properties Palette when a door is selected. Check the option and change the value or leave the default value.

Yes! You can have your Type and Instance too!

Group Editing and Ceiling Hosted Elements

Aaron Maller let me know about an unpleasant bug he's encountered in both Revit 2015 and 2016. If you're thinking, "Boy I'm glad I didn't listen to Steve's rant yesterday." Point taken... It's the exception though, not the rule.

Simple steps to reproduce the issue:

• Create a new project
• Create a ceiling
• Place at least two light fixtures (faced based or ceiling based)
• Create a Group (of the ceiling and both fixtures)
• Copy the Group to create several instances
• Edit the Group
• Swap or move one fixture
• Finish the Group

Where did the other fixture go? It (they) is (are) Excluded. If you select the Group you'll see Restore All Excluded appear on the ribbon. If you use that tool you'll find the fixture is no longer hosted by the ceiling though. It will report in it Host parameter.

If you'd like to avoid this issue then:

• Edit the Group
• Make the changes you need
• Select all the fixtures
• Nudge Up and Nudge Down to put them back in the same spot
• Finish the Group

The copies should be intact, no excluded elements.

I've also found that I can use Save Group, edit the Group in its own file and then use Reload to refresh the Group in the project. This doesn't seem to suffer from the same affliction. Take it slow if your project is using a lot of groups with ceilings. The issue doesn't seem to affect elements hosted to walls, not in the testing I've done so far at least.

Here's a video example of what happens and using Nudge to avoid it.