Worksets - Save to Central "Key" Message

From Autodesk's Performance document mentioned in THIS POST:

When attempts to Save to Central (STC) collide, Revit-based applications display a dialog notifying that another user is currently saving to central. Cancelling Save to Central will prevent queuing the save request, allowing the user to continue to edit the local file before another Save to Central command.

Written another way... You can either leave the message alone until Revit returns to deal with your request or you can choose to cancel your STC. I usually leave the message open and wait for Revit to "get back to me". Their suggestions is to choose Cancel which allows me/you to continue working, the other user's STC will complete sooner/quicker and then we can use STC which in turn will complete faster.

Resize - Repeat Scale

You can always learn from students. While discussing the Resize tool a student asked if they could do "something", in other words..would "xxx" work...or do what she expects. Well truthfully I had never thought to do it and I said that I thought it should so we tried it and it worked! Oh...you want to know what it is?

When you use the Resize Tool (Graphical Option), Revit remembers the ratio of the change and it displays it on the Options Bar. If you use Resize again you can change the Option to Numeric and click a reference point on screen and whatever is selected will resize by the same amount.

In this instance we were resizing three copies of the original image in several views. We could have pasted new copies of the first item, correctly resized, but since they were already positioned "correctly", using resize on the same reference point meant they'd all resize and be in the correct spot without any extra work.

Worksharing/Worksets - Hardware Matching

Revit's platform team has compiled a document called:

"revit_platform_2009_model_perfomance_technical_note"

It is available, at least, via the Subscription Center. You'll have to log in to gain access to it there.

I'll mention one specific item in this post for now:

Attempt to keep project team workstation specifications equivalent. A dramatically weaker machine specification used by a single team member can reduce overall project performance.

Moral of the story, don't let support staff access the model with their mid 90's era pc's (exaggeration perhaps) to enter data into schedule for example.

This isn't in the document, I'll add it here, the above reminded me of it:

When Saving to Central (STC) stay until it finishes succesfully. If it fails, any error message that might occur will need to be resolved. If you have wandered away or are in a meeting this error message will very likely prevent others from using STC successfully.

I've posted a copy of the document HERE assuming that Autodesk wouldn't object to any Revit user having it regardless of subscription status. It is possible that they might ask me to remove it however. If so it will be removed.

Revit Curiosity - Revit Civil

A frequent request among Revit users is more site tools. In fact it was the number one AUGI Revit Wishlist item last year, which was submitted to Jay Bhatt (Senior Vice President, Architecture, Engineering and Construction Solutions) at Autodesk University 2007 during the AUGI Annual General Meeting.

The site tools we do have work pretty well at their given task. This begs for the next level. Simple equation, with each improvement in work flow a new greater expectation is created because, "This works so easily...why doesn't it do xxx too?"

So I wonder what we mean by more site tools?

I believe that we want tools that allow us to prepare and "finish" planning exercises as well as fully articulate our design for both documentation and presentation purposes. I don't believe that we (architecture)(okay maybe some do) want tools for hydrology or that we truly intend to compete with the technical expertise of our civil design consultants. We ARE looking for a way to "democratize" the design of these elements so that we can better inform our discussions with our consultants.

I'd like these (at least):

Define road profiles and then describe where they will go relative to our project and at what elevations they will do so.
Curb/kerb tools to describe how these relate to the design of our roads.
Drain representation that alters the site or road/curbs.
Retaining walls and site topography alteration accordingly.
Contour definition by more means than points, such as sketching lines.
Bi-Directional relationship between civil data file and toposurface (if civil data is updated the surface updates)
Solid vs. Surface Topography to support subterranean work such as tunnels.

Ideally the effort applied to drafting such items in a conventional 2D drawing would create a 3D version of same. Autodesk would like us to consider the Civil 3D product as the tool for this work. For a Civil design firm perhaps it is. I respectfully submit that it might be similar to using a scientific calculator to figure your grocery bill. A bit more power than I need.

If we accept or agree that architects usually start projects and the other trades get involved later (hopefully this will change too) then we must recognize that it is therefore necessary for architects to make many decisions (to express ideas) early on and document those decisions/ideas effectively.

Site tools are an important part of this process and for Revit to exclude them diminishes its effectiveness as a complete solution. Revit needs to provide tools to allow architects to get their designs approved in as efficient manner as possible. Adding site tools to the Revit toolbox would be big help!

P.S. We could include parking lot design tools and landscape design in this equation as well. There is existing content (not comprehensive though) for these tasks but it can be argued that there is not a discipline oriented process for them however. We'd be much better off if there was.

Revit Extensions for Revit Architecture 2009

Scott Latch (Revit Architecture Technical Product Manager) Announced the following today at the AUGI Revit forums.

Revit Extensions are a series of easy-to-use applications that extend the capabilities of Revit Architecture 2009 software in key areas, including modeling, coordination, and documentation. Specifically, the extensions provided in this executable file are: Grid Generator, Freeze Drawings, Compare Models, Text Generator, Elements Positioning, and Microsoft Excel®-based Model Generation.

Nice to see these tools shared with Revit Architecture! Be sure to check them out!

In order to access the extensions you must check in at the Autodesk Subscription site, log in.

Dept. of Reviteristics - Edit Button

This is specifically leveled at the new EDIT button that appears when you are working in the family editor and using the sweep & swept blend solids and voids.

I'm referring to this Options Bar arrangement including the Edit button.


In the past releases a sweep only required you to click Sketch Profile and sketch it. Now there is an extra button, the EDIT button to get to sketch. This one:


If you weren't aware of it, you can click to select the profile origin to get access to the Edit button on the Options Bar to start sketching the profile though.


This allows you to ignore the issue of which one is Profile 1 and Profile 2 if you can't remember which way you sketched the path in the first place. It seems likely that the Sweep inherits this functionality because of the swept blend, not because it really needed the extra click.

If we were to plan well we'd make all our profiles first and then just choose to load and apply these profiles instead of clicking the Edit button. But we know how many well laid plans end up. I could do without an extra click, the goal after all is reducing the "clicks". Happy to have the Swept Blend and will endure the extra click.

Dept. of Reviteristics - Sneaky Buttons

I wrote THIS POST ages ago now, August 25, 2007 to be exact. My time flies!

I call any button in Revit that doesn't look like "normal" buttons that we are used to, "Sneaky". The most sneaky of all is the little rascal in the Family Editor that lets you associate parameters to other parameters. This is the one.


Yeah the one with no tool tip...no hint what it might do. For those afraid to click on stuff it can be positively paralyzing. Just try telling someone like that to click and watch the hesistation. They're thinking, "Is Steve trying to make me crash Revit or what?".

I think this sneaky button is definitely a Reviteristic.

Railings and Baluster Patterns

Railings leave much to be desired in terms of truly flexible design. When you need to create a railing that requires different baluster panel sizes, in particular at its ends, things start getting fussy.

This is an example of a railing that has been "designed" to use two different panel sizes. The overall length of the railing must be factored in at the outset. Railings are just like wallpaper which has a defined "repeating" pattern that must be plotted/planned out before beginning work.

Assuming that the pattern requires a repeating 24" typical panel interupted now and then with an 18" panel for a design esthetic as well as finishing up with 18" panels at each end because the overall length "required" is 20'-0". These are nice clean numbers obviously and if the real world defined some messy dimensions, the first and last panel's size(s)would need to be adjusted to match those messy numbers.

This is the final result, a 20'-0" railing with 24" and 18" panels.


This is the Baluster dialog captured in two stages because it wasn't possible to capture a scrolling window for some reason with SnagIT.


This is the rest of the dialog.


This is the sketch length, one long segment @ 20'-0" long.



The key parts of this pattern:
The first panel uses a 9" offset which is half the panel width
The distance from center to center between 18" and 24" panels is 1'-9"

When laying this sort of thing out you need to start with the overall required length. Define how many "normal" panels fit and what is left over. Then decide whether you are splitting this left over amount between start and end or placing it entirely at one end. Once you've figured this out you can start defining the railing baluster pattern.

I've posted the example project file that these images are based on HERE.

An awesome improvement to railings would be to permit a baluster to flex like a curtain panel in a curtain wall. Ironic a bit because if I recall correctly the very early railing tool was the curtain wall tool or vice versa?

Dept. of Subtle - Solid fill

Really subtle...the stock fill pattern "Solid fill" is spelled with a little "f" whereas all or nearly all other names in Revit's stock features uses Titlecase. Therefore it "should" be Solid Fill, capital "F". Subtle, yes but it actually made the ballot at the current AUGI Revit wishlist cycle!

Dept. of Reviteristics - Activate Dimensions

Temporary dimensions just show up when you select an element. As a model matures and there are more elements Revit may "decide" that displaying the temporary dimensions would take too long to calculate and instead present a button on the Options Bar called, not surprisingly, Activate Dimensions.



When you select elements, to copy or move them for example, you should also find the Activate Dimensions tool appears which will allow you to alter permanent dimensions too.

One interesting collateral benefit is you can select multiple elements that all need to move by the same relative distance by altering one dimension value on a string.

Changing of the Guard - AUGI Revit Community

I announced my plan to retire from my AUGI Revit community forum management and moderating roles at the end of the year in this THREAD at AUGI today.

I wrote the following:

Hello All,

I am stepping down from forum management and moderating at the end of this year.

I have had my "turn at bat" so to speak and I think that it is time to give the community an opportunity to have fresh "leadership" as well as to give others a chance to dig in to volunteer in our community in a broader way.

This means we have a little less than six months to sort it out.

I don't know how to do this, it is my first time. I don't know if it should be a voting process or a selection and appointment process. This is where you all come in... We need to figure out how to do this.

Please respond in this thread with suggestions for how this change over might best be done.

We currently have the following members as voluntering in some capacity for some or all of our community forums:

Jim Balding - Links Manager
Steve Stafford - Retiring
Wes Macaulay - Wishlist Manager
David Baldacchino - Tips & Tricks Manager
James Vandezande - Community Chairperson
Mr. Spot (Chris Price) - moderator
Ski South - Moderator
Tom Weir - Moderator RST
Paul Andersen - Moderator RST
Matthew Danowski - Moderator RME (awaiting activation)

BeeGee - still assigned though technically a retired moderator
czoog - still assigned though technically a retired moderator

This is also an opportunity for our existing volunteers to revisit their own needs and plans and decide if they wish to continue on or "pass the hat" as well.

Thanks for the opportunity to serve in this capacity! I hope that I haven't overstayed my welcome and I looked forward to what new leadership brings!!

If you are a member (or should be, join then) please contribute to the thread at AUGI to help guide the transition. THANKS for the opportunity to serve!!

Railing over a Wall

This subject comes up every now and then. An often overlooked feature of railings (yes they do need many more features)and stairs may help a bit. This example shows two railings following the profile of two walls. Railings want to be hosted by either a floor, stair or ramp and they "turn up their nose" at the idea of a top of a wall as a host.

The railings are following the wall profile and they are not hosted by the stair, they are not hosted by anything. Here's an image of the railing using wireframe.

The key to this is in the properties of the sketched line segments of the railing. This image depicts how each has been altered.


Access to these properties can be found on the Options Bar when a segment is selected. You cannot alter multiple selections at one time, select only one.

The bottom segment's settings.


The middle segment's settings.


The top segment's settings.


The middle segment is permitted to slope using its Slope setting and the top segment defines how much to slope. It is necessary to be careful where each segment starts and ends to define the desired slope. The other subtle part of this is that there is a bottom "railing" acting as the base constraint for the balusters so they don't project all the way down to the level.

I've posted an example Project File HERE.

Here's a video I made on November 11, 2009 and added to this post too.

Egress Math Error - Bug Report

For those who have downloaded the latest arc egress example, sorry! David Baldacchino pointed out a math error in my work. I've fixed it and have posted new files at the site again. I also tweaked the schedule formatting a tiny bit.

Download the fixed (project file) 2008 version CLICK HERE 2008 (792 kb)
Download the fixed (project file) 2009 version CLICK HERE 2009. (936 kb)

Download just the 2008 arc Family CLICK HERE. (188 kb)
Download just the 2009 arc Family CLICK HERE. (232 kb)

By the way, David provided me with an example that includes the arrow and dot but they can't resize with scale change so I haven't included that...yet.

Dept. of Reviteristics - Properties

When your cursor is in a view it's View Properties
When you select a view in the Project Browser it's Properties
When you select an element in the view it's Element Properties
When you select an element in the Project Browser it's Properties
When you select a viewport on a sheet it's Properties
When you right click on a sheet it's View Properties
When you are in sketch mode the Properties Button works on Sketch Elements
When you are in sketch mode the Element Properties moves to the Design Bar
When you use Keyboard Shortcuts it's PR
When you use Keyboard Shortcuts it's VP

Properties, Properties, Properties...there are probably more...

Egress Family - Arc Version

I've added a new segment that permits sketching an arc segment. The path length is derived from trigonometric formulas and is "close" enough for its purpose, I assume. You'll have to decide for yourself if you choose to use it.

Thanks to Mr. Raiz for the formula I needed to do the calculation. It is setup to use as a middle segment as I assume that it probably wouldn't be used to start or end. Arbitrary assumption perhaps. The "hard part" (meaning time to work it out is short right now) is getting the arrow to point in the correct direction relative to the arc.


To download the new 2009 version CLICK HERE 2009.
To download the new 2008 version CLICK HERE 2008

Accountability - A Strategy a Customer Could Love?

Read a blog post on this site today that Seth Godin provided on his blog.

There are numerous comments in various user groups, forums and newgroups suggesting that Autodesk could be more transparent, communicate better with it users/customers. The story goes that a publicly traded company must be very careful how it shares future leading communication(s). If done incorrectly it can affect that companies ability to collect and claim revenue earnings. I don't pretend to understand the subtleties of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) rules and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Regardless every customer would appreciate greater insight into what we can expect from future versions of the software we rely on so heavily.

The concept is similar to the the "Take your child to Work Day" where Autodesk would bring a client(s) to their office and let them shadow someone around the office for a day. This would give that customer greater insight into what it takes to make software or whatever sort of person the customer wants to shadow.

The question is would Autodesk do it? Would customers want to? How many customers would get to? Is this something that Autodesk could pull off at Autodesk University in the form of video documentary and worksessions?

Dept. of Scary Science - Beer Drinker Warning

[Surgeon General Warning: Politically incorrect humor follows which may cause increased beer drinking, see close of report]

Scientists have confirmed that men should be concerned about their beer consumption. Last month the National University of Lesotho scientists released the results of a recent study that examined the presence of female hormones in beer. Their theory suggests that because beer contains female hormones (hops contain phytoestrogens) that by drinking too much beer men will become women.

To test their theory, they had 100 men each drink 8 pints of beer within 1 hour.

They observed the following for 100% of their test subjects:

They argued over nothing.
They refused to apologize when obviously wrong.
They put on weight.
They talked excessively without making sense.
They became overly emotional.
They couldn't drive.
They failed to think rationally.
They had to sit down while using the bathroom.

They stated that since this proof is conclusive that no further testing is necessary.

Therefore please consider your beer intake.

Author unknown - shared with me by insensitive males that clearly need to get in touch with their feminine side. Interestingly another study suggests that excessive use of inappropriate sexist humor may cause men to drink more beer....

Using Google a search with the criteria "Hops and Phytoestrogen" yields this ARTICLE:

The female flowers of the hop plant are used as a preservative and as a flavoring agent in beer. However, a recurring suggestion has been that hops have a powerful estrogenic activity and that beer may also be estrogenic. In this study, sensitive and specific in vitro bioassays for estrogens were used for an activity-guided fractionation of hops via selective solvent extraction and appropriate HPLC separation. We have identified a potent phytoestrogen in hops, 8-prenylnaringenin, which has an activity greater than other established plant estrogens. The estrogenic activity of this compound was reflected in its relative binding affinity to estrogen receptors from rat uteri. The presence of 8-prenylnaringenin in hops may provide an explanation for the accounts of menstrual disturbances in female hop workers. This phytoestrogen can also be detected in beer, but the levels are low and should not pose any cause for concern.

Nik Kershaw - Off Topic

Back in the early 80's Nik made the charts with a song called "Wouldn't it be Good". At least that's when I became familiar with his music. He sported the spiky hair typical of some artists back then. Today it is a bit less, he looks like he could be a Revit user even. Reminds me a little bit of David Light, its a compliment David! You be the judge? Nik...then David...David's a younger version?



The point is that Nik has continued to make music over the years even though he has all but vanished from the charts. Apparently a lot of musicians have discovered that they can make a comfortable living by focusing on their true fans. I read an interesting (to me anyway) article on this subject by Seth Godin and he linked to other writers that discuss this in depth.

If you remember his music and lost touch with his work then I invite you to revisit, get reacquainted. If you never heard of him I suggest you check him out. If you are fortunate enough to live in the UK you can still catch him perform live. There are albums available via iTunes in the USA and the UK iTunes (it has different options in the UK which I wish I could purchase, subject of another blog post). You can also get some of his work via The Store for Music (UK)

Save or Options or Options or Save?

Called me confused...RAC 2009 has changed the Save button location on me and well...everyone. I'm not sure how many times I've opened the Options dialog in the file Save or Save As dialog thinking I was clicking Save. I guess this means that I've been "Pavlov Dogged"?

Here's the RAC2008 dialog: (note the location of the SAVE button)


Here's the RAC 2009 dialog: (note the location of the Options button)


I realize this should be in the Dept. of Subtle but was this REALLY NECESSARY? I'm sure I'll adjust eventually. The new dialog box is also a bit larger than the previous one in that it has a minimum size that is smaller than the minimum size of the older on.

Dept. of Reviteristics - "Tab, Hover & Click"

The TAB key is a very important tool! Everyone will tell you so...but not everyone latches on to its use right away either.

For example, you want to select all the exterior walls, you just hover your cursor over one wall, press tab (once, don't hold it down or else you get "disco tabbing"), then click (yes the left button). All selected!

Users are prone to move their cursor away from the element they are hovering over which causes Revit to lose the highlighting they carefully TABBED to acquire. They also get confused about whether they should use the Right Click or Left Click, yes use Left Click.

Definitely truly a quirky Reviteristic.