We've been patiently eagerly awaiting the release of 64 bit versions of Revit. This represents the removal of the barricade preventing access to additional RAM. Large projects will benefit from this primarily and obviously only those using a 64 bit operating system like Vista or XP as well as hardware that permits more RAM.
It is only available for subscription customers at this time. (too bad I can't access subscription)
Don't expect increased speed, it makes more ram available to Revit but does not inherently change how Revit processes data (this is a technically inept statement, don't expect giant strides in performance...just access to nearly as much ram as you can afford)
It works side by side with 32 bit Revit on a 64 bit computer as the 32 bit version is installed in a special folder for 32 bit applications "Program Files (x86)".
You can open files with either version. The Revit application is changed to support 64 bit not the file format itself.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Revit Architecture Customer Council wants You!
If you are not aware of this program I invite you to check it out, perhaps you'd like to be a part of it? This is what the site looks like on the Revit Architecture Customer Council Welcome page:
Program Benefits Listed are:
You join an exclusive group of customers who will have more communication with the RevitArchitecture team and better visibility into our development process.
You have the opportunity to provide direct feedback about RevitArchitecture to the product team which will help us deliver a higher quality product that is more relevant to your needs.
You will receive exclusive access to survey results that will enable you to see how other professionals from around the world are using Revit Architecture.
This site was created some time ago and its use by both users and Autodesk dwindled due to other priorities. Autodesk wishes to renew its use and effectiveness. You can help!
Program Benefits Listed are:
You join an exclusive group of customers who will have more communication with the RevitArchitecture team and better visibility into our development process.
You have the opportunity to provide direct feedback about RevitArchitecture to the product team which will help us deliver a higher quality product that is more relevant to your needs.
You will receive exclusive access to survey results that will enable you to see how other professionals from around the world are using Revit Architecture.
This site was created some time ago and its use by both users and Autodesk dwindled due to other priorities. Autodesk wishes to renew its use and effectiveness. You can help!
Monday, September 29, 2008
Autodesk Subscription Site
One word at a time...Frustrating, depressing, pop-ups, awful...
This is the only site I visit regularly with such reliable poor performance. Multiple pop up screens, multiple error messages in IE7, Firefox and Chrome... just bloody awful. I would NEVER visit it if it weren't for the fact that I must. Why can't they figure out how to code a site without pop-ups?
I supply my credentials, click Submit and the little blue boxes travel across the screen with a nice message about loading my information and large accounts may take some time....to end with the IE "white screen of death".
In Firefox it is:
When I tell Firefox to proceed anyway I get this message.
And in Google's Chrome:
No cookies...lots of cookies...no difference same error.
I give up...I've used the Email for more help option to see if an actual person can figure out what is wrong.
Okay...so now I can log in to the newsgroups and Autodesk University but not the subscription site. Brilliant! I get this message when I click on the link for subscription now!
My guess at this point is when they did the consolidation on my account(s) they "oops", worst case, deleted my records relating to my software purchases. I'm hoping they've just misplaced them...
I'm just grateful that I got to participate in the beta so I don't really "need" to download the new software...yet.
Tuesday update: Aaah the irony...I get this message this morning!
Update Tuesday night: Support is working on it...hoping for the best.
This is the only site I visit regularly with such reliable poor performance. Multiple pop up screens, multiple error messages in IE7, Firefox and Chrome... just bloody awful. I would NEVER visit it if it weren't for the fact that I must. Why can't they figure out how to code a site without pop-ups?
I supply my credentials, click Submit and the little blue boxes travel across the screen with a nice message about loading my information and large accounts may take some time....to end with the IE "white screen of death".
In Firefox it is:
When I tell Firefox to proceed anyway I get this message.
And in Google's Chrome:
No cookies...lots of cookies...no difference same error.
I give up...I've used the Email for more help option to see if an actual person can figure out what is wrong.
Okay...so now I can log in to the newsgroups and Autodesk University but not the subscription site. Brilliant! I get this message when I click on the link for subscription now!
My guess at this point is when they did the consolidation on my account(s) they "oops", worst case, deleted my records relating to my software purchases. I'm hoping they've just misplaced them...
I'm just grateful that I got to participate in the beta so I don't really "need" to download the new software...yet.
Tuesday update: Aaah the irony...I get this message this morning!
Update Tuesday night: Support is working on it...hoping for the best.
Walls - The Learning Slope
Harlan Brumm of The Revit Clinic blog and Autodesk wrote on Sept. 26th about walls.
We get these questions about walls a lot and it is no wonder. What do Architects do? They define spaces, 99% of the time what defines that space? – A Wall. I would bet that creating and modifying walls is probably one of the most used functions in the application besides, panning, zooming, and using the esc key to cancel.
Here's the key part that he wrote a few lines later...
Creating a sloped wall is not very difficult, once you realize that you can’t just use the Wall tool to draw it.
The last thing he probably expected was me taking this and twisting it around to say something else? Uh oh...
He goes on to explain how with a video.
When I read the portion of his post that I quoted above my reaction was, "Well why is it such an effort to do this then?" If walls really are used as much as he says then walls should be one of the most effectively implemented features in the software and yes it should be capable of representing "any" wall we need. I like the massing feature and what it offers but to require it to slope/tilt an otherwise normal wall seems like requiring me to go from average driver to formula 1 driver in one step.
We can edit the profile of a wall easily enough. Perhaps we ought to be able to edit the sketch in more planes such as edit top profile, edit base profile? Maybe we just need a shape editing capability akin to the floor/roof tools? We could add points, define offset forward/backward...?
I'm not trying to define a specification of what to do. I'd encourage the team to challenge the status quo of "well to do a sloping wall, just do....". Again I'm not picking on Harlan, he is dealing with the reality of "now" with support. How do I get it done now with the features as they are. But in his role he can helps us also get the message across that it is too "hard", too many steps, too too something...? Just my reaction.
Oh and thanks for the video!!
We get these questions about walls a lot and it is no wonder. What do Architects do? They define spaces, 99% of the time what defines that space? – A Wall. I would bet that creating and modifying walls is probably one of the most used functions in the application besides, panning, zooming, and using the esc key to cancel.
Here's the key part that he wrote a few lines later...
Creating a sloped wall is not very difficult, once you realize that you can’t just use the Wall tool to draw it.
The last thing he probably expected was me taking this and twisting it around to say something else? Uh oh...
He goes on to explain how with a video.
When I read the portion of his post that I quoted above my reaction was, "Well why is it such an effort to do this then?" If walls really are used as much as he says then walls should be one of the most effectively implemented features in the software and yes it should be capable of representing "any" wall we need. I like the massing feature and what it offers but to require it to slope/tilt an otherwise normal wall seems like requiring me to go from average driver to formula 1 driver in one step.
We can edit the profile of a wall easily enough. Perhaps we ought to be able to edit the sketch in more planes such as edit top profile, edit base profile? Maybe we just need a shape editing capability akin to the floor/roof tools? We could add points, define offset forward/backward...?
I'm not trying to define a specification of what to do. I'd encourage the team to challenge the status quo of "well to do a sloping wall, just do....". Again I'm not picking on Harlan, he is dealing with the reality of "now" with support. How do I get it done now with the features as they are. But in his role he can helps us also get the message across that it is too "hard", too many steps, too too something...? Just my reaction.
Oh and thanks for the video!!
Sunday, September 28, 2008
What don't you want with that? - Off Topic
A very long time ago I worked at Wendy's, for three months right after I turned sixteen. It was a proud moment, my first job, independence, my own money all that stuff. It wasn't so much that it was Wendy's as it was a JOB! I went to a team meeting at one point where all the area restaurants gathered one evening to hear the marketing spiel. It was just as salad bars were all the craze and the honcho stated emphatically that, "Wendy's wouldn't be catering to that sort of silliness...we're going to stick to what we do best, burgers."
Okay maybe he didn't say it exactly that way but like I said before, my memory ain't what I used to remember it to be. So imagine my suprise when a few months later after moving on to a real restaurant job I find my old employer undergoing a renovation to put in a salad bar!
Fast forward a few decades...
I was at Houston's Bush International Airport (IAH) the other night waiting for my flight home. Just missed the earlier flight by a nose but was pleasantly surprised to find that when I used my phone to board "electronically" that I'd been upgraded to first class! But I digress...
The only fast food place (burger joints) I go to these days when I do is Wendy's. The others all make me ill within an hour of eating or at least I feel poorly enough to wish I hadn't eaten there. Used to be a time when I could eat a Burger King meal everyday, cast iron roadie stomach. But age and better diet habits change you. I still visit Subway and Quizno's routinely without ill effect.
Soooo with almost three hours to kill I decide I want a Wendy's burger and fries and most especially the treasonous vanilla frosty (as we all know they are supposed to be chocolate! Tradition says so!). I walk up to the cashier and utter what I've been saying to Wendy's cashiers for practically forever (at least a decade), "Number 1 combo, cheese, catsup & pickle ONLY, medium frosty, vanilla, please." Now you know my simple taste in a burger...
His response, "What don't you want on it?"
So I repeated my order thinking maybe I'd get a different result (I know...insanity). He repeats his mantra... I say, "I have no idea what you CAN put on the burger, I just know what I WANT on it." "Why do I have to tell you what I DON'T WANT on it??????" His response was, "Because that's the way the cash register is set up."
Things have changed at Wendy's, some for the better...like vanilla frosty's. Some for the worse, like having to know everything that I don't want them to put on my burger instead of what I want.
Next time I'll be ready though. I'll say, "Number 1 combo, no chili fries, no A1 Sauce, no spaghetti, no meatballs, no liverwurst, no chocolate syrup, no hot sauce, no avocado, no marmalade..." I could go on forever!
Btw, the only thing this post has to do with Revit is that I was in Houston doing Revit training. For some more observant comments about travel check out Seth Godin's blog post...as a fellow traveler I can relate.
Okay maybe he didn't say it exactly that way but like I said before, my memory ain't what I used to remember it to be. So imagine my suprise when a few months later after moving on to a real restaurant job I find my old employer undergoing a renovation to put in a salad bar!
Fast forward a few decades...
I was at Houston's Bush International Airport (IAH) the other night waiting for my flight home. Just missed the earlier flight by a nose but was pleasantly surprised to find that when I used my phone to board "electronically" that I'd been upgraded to first class! But I digress...
The only fast food place (burger joints) I go to these days when I do is Wendy's. The others all make me ill within an hour of eating or at least I feel poorly enough to wish I hadn't eaten there. Used to be a time when I could eat a Burger King meal everyday, cast iron roadie stomach. But age and better diet habits change you. I still visit Subway and Quizno's routinely without ill effect.
Soooo with almost three hours to kill I decide I want a Wendy's burger and fries and most especially the treasonous vanilla frosty (as we all know they are supposed to be chocolate! Tradition says so!). I walk up to the cashier and utter what I've been saying to Wendy's cashiers for practically forever (at least a decade), "Number 1 combo, cheese, catsup & pickle ONLY, medium frosty, vanilla, please." Now you know my simple taste in a burger...
His response, "What don't you want on it?"
So I repeated my order thinking maybe I'd get a different result (I know...insanity). He repeats his mantra... I say, "I have no idea what you CAN put on the burger, I just know what I WANT on it." "Why do I have to tell you what I DON'T WANT on it??????" His response was, "Because that's the way the cash register is set up."
Things have changed at Wendy's, some for the better...like vanilla frosty's. Some for the worse, like having to know everything that I don't want them to put on my burger instead of what I want.
Next time I'll be ready though. I'll say, "Number 1 combo, no chili fries, no A1 Sauce, no spaghetti, no meatballs, no liverwurst, no chocolate syrup, no hot sauce, no avocado, no marmalade..." I could go on forever!
Btw, the only thing this post has to do with Revit is that I was in Houston doing Revit training. For some more observant comments about travel check out Seth Godin's blog post...as a fellow traveler I can relate.
Revit MEP - "One Line" Riser Diagrams
There is no purpose built workflow in RME for this task unless you consider detail lines and symbols (that don't exist in the library) as purpose built. I picture a concept where I can use a symbol representation of loaded families in a riser diagram view to define the overall relationship of the design elements.
We can do this now with a Legend View. Hold on, don't get excited...face based based symbols don't work very well in legends because they won't orient to the view correctly and you can't rotate the symbol into the correct orientation. Legend views do not support "rotate view on sheet" either so scratch Legends as a viable approach.
I imagine using "real" symbols of these components at first and then later worrying about placing the "real" element in the model. These real symbols would be complimented with annotation symbols that depict the inner workings of switch gear and fuses for example as well other such detail as needed. Then good old detail lines round out the feature. This way the symbols are not disconnected from the real elements and if they change in either location they will update the model. This makes perfect sense in my head...I'm just not sure it is coming out here...
Now that I've babbled about that here's another thought I've been tossing around for the interim. I can create interior elevation views of electrical equipment rooms. These views can be stripped down to just show the electrical stuff. They can be arranged on a sheet with a basic no frills view title. Once all the required equipment is visible on the sheet detail lines can interconnect all the various equipment "close enough"..."eyeball"... so that when the sheet is printed it looks convincing.
We can eliminate the elevation symbols from cluttering real project views by placing them in a floor plan view that uses a ridiculous scale like 6"=1'-0" since it would never fit on a sheet. The elevation symbol will use the "Hide at scales coarser than" parameter and not show up at any scale coarser than the "nutty" scale I used. Here's an over simplication of the concept...
To compliment this basic layout using the actual model we could create drafting views of the internal workings of fuses and breaker assignments etc, place them on the sheet near by and use detail lines to sketch a "balloon" and leader back to the riser diagram to indicate where the enlarged diagram is referring to. Like this technically incorrect oversimplification.
If needed a 3D view can supplement the diagram but you can't tag the elements in this view (madness!) so text would have to be coordinated against the tags used in the other view(s).
We can do this now with a Legend View. Hold on, don't get excited...face based based symbols don't work very well in legends because they won't orient to the view correctly and you can't rotate the symbol into the correct orientation. Legend views do not support "rotate view on sheet" either so scratch Legends as a viable approach.
I imagine using "real" symbols of these components at first and then later worrying about placing the "real" element in the model. These real symbols would be complimented with annotation symbols that depict the inner workings of switch gear and fuses for example as well other such detail as needed. Then good old detail lines round out the feature. This way the symbols are not disconnected from the real elements and if they change in either location they will update the model. This makes perfect sense in my head...I'm just not sure it is coming out here...
Now that I've babbled about that here's another thought I've been tossing around for the interim. I can create interior elevation views of electrical equipment rooms. These views can be stripped down to just show the electrical stuff. They can be arranged on a sheet with a basic no frills view title. Once all the required equipment is visible on the sheet detail lines can interconnect all the various equipment "close enough"..."eyeball"... so that when the sheet is printed it looks convincing.
We can eliminate the elevation symbols from cluttering real project views by placing them in a floor plan view that uses a ridiculous scale like 6"=1'-0" since it would never fit on a sheet. The elevation symbol will use the "Hide at scales coarser than" parameter and not show up at any scale coarser than the "nutty" scale I used. Here's an over simplication of the concept...
To compliment this basic layout using the actual model we could create drafting views of the internal workings of fuses and breaker assignments etc, place them on the sheet near by and use detail lines to sketch a "balloon" and leader back to the riser diagram to indicate where the enlarged diagram is referring to. Like this technically incorrect oversimplification.
If needed a 3D view can supplement the diagram but you can't tag the elements in this view (madness!) so text would have to be coordinated against the tags used in the other view(s).
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Service Packs versus New Builds
I could be a "glass half empty" person and complain that it took so long to change to a service pack distribution method. I try to be "half full" as well as avoiding the conclusion that the "glass" is too big.
Let's contrast...new build x three versions took an afternoon to download and install last time. This time with service pack distribution. Download and install done while I listened to just three songs on Pandora.
Hmmm...I'll take the service pack distribution thank you!!
I am unanimous in that!
Let's contrast...new build x three versions took an afternoon to download and install last time. This time with service pack distribution. Download and install done while I listened to just three songs on Pandora.
Hmmm...I'll take the service pack distribution thank you!!
I am unanimous in that!
Revit MEP - Panel Schedules "Location"
[EDIT: This issue has been fixed in new versions of Revit MEP]
The graphic issues related with panel schedules and the needs of electrical engineers has been pretty well documented in various discussions at AUGI so I won't pick on them too. This issue however I don't recall seeing brought up yet.
We now have Spaces instead of Rooms so "we" have more flexibility over where and how they are used, not to mention that Zones are aware of Spaces too (the subject of another post). Panel schedules (Distribution Board Schedules to others) however do not derive their location from Spaces rather they only derive this information from a Room. This seems an oversight to me since otherwise I have no reason to create any actual rooms in the RME model. Especially since the Heating and Cooling Loads tool only detects Spaces now and that Copy/Monitor no longer includes Rooms.
Here's what I'm referring to on a panel schedule.
Speaking graphically, I think that I can get a panel schedule looking "decent" now apart from some more information that most engineers indicate they want included (conduit size, wire size specifics etc.). The width of the overall schedule is controlled by one important grip.
This grip will adjust all the columns together and keep things more or less orderly. It would be good if this width was easily defined so each schedule could be consistent as well as snapping to each other like other schedules do. View templates don't extend to them either. Of course we can sketch some detail lines to use as a guide to get them "close enough" but it would be nice not to have to jump to so many little hoops. All right I did say I wasn't going to pick on them...but it is sooo easy. *-)
The graphic issues related with panel schedules and the needs of electrical engineers has been pretty well documented in various discussions at AUGI so I won't pick on them too. This issue however I don't recall seeing brought up yet.
We now have Spaces instead of Rooms so "we" have more flexibility over where and how they are used, not to mention that Zones are aware of Spaces too (the subject of another post). Panel schedules (Distribution Board Schedules to others) however do not derive their location from Spaces rather they only derive this information from a Room. This seems an oversight to me since otherwise I have no reason to create any actual rooms in the RME model. Especially since the Heating and Cooling Loads tool only detects Spaces now and that Copy/Monitor no longer includes Rooms.
Here's what I'm referring to on a panel schedule.
Speaking graphically, I think that I can get a panel schedule looking "decent" now apart from some more information that most engineers indicate they want included (conduit size, wire size specifics etc.). The width of the overall schedule is controlled by one important grip.
This grip will adjust all the columns together and keep things more or less orderly. It would be good if this width was easily defined so each schedule could be consistent as well as snapping to each other like other schedules do. View templates don't extend to them either. Of course we can sketch some detail lines to use as a guide to get them "close enough" but it would be nice not to have to jump to so many little hoops. All right I did say I wasn't going to pick on them...but it is sooo easy. *-)Friday, September 26, 2008
Revit Service Pack Issued - New Build 20080915_2100
Scott Latch announced the following in the AUGI Revit forums:
All,
[I am pleased to announce that the Revit product teams have just released the English version of Web Update 2 for Revit Architecture 2009 (Build 20080915_2100).
(NEW) Service Pack technology
For the first time in the Revit product line history, we have implemented Service Pack technology similar to the AutoCAD based products. This will greatly reduce the effort needed to update the Revit products to the newest build by allowing our users to update their existing installations without having to reinstall Revit. Because of this change, we recommend that you read the Service Pack Readme before installing.
The Web Update 2 can be found under the Revit Architecture product download page:
DOWNLOAD NOW
For a list of improvements, please refer to the “Web Update Enhancement List” located on the product download pages.
Localized versions of Web Update 2 will be available over the next few weeks. The localized versions will be released as full installs, due to some technical limitations. We are working to resolve the issues in order to provide Service Packs for all languages in the future.
Regards,
__________________
Scott Latch
Technical Product Manager,
Revit Architecture
The service pack approach is a very welcome! We wish it happpened sooner but you know what they say, "Better late than never".
Download REVIT STRUCTURE WU2
Download Revit MEP
All,
[I am pleased to announce that the Revit product teams have just released the English version of Web Update 2 for Revit Architecture 2009 (Build 20080915_2100).
(NEW) Service Pack technology
For the first time in the Revit product line history, we have implemented Service Pack technology similar to the AutoCAD based products. This will greatly reduce the effort needed to update the Revit products to the newest build by allowing our users to update their existing installations without having to reinstall Revit. Because of this change, we recommend that you read the Service Pack Readme before installing.
The Web Update 2 can be found under the Revit Architecture product download page:
DOWNLOAD NOW
For a list of improvements, please refer to the “Web Update Enhancement List” located on the product download pages.
Localized versions of Web Update 2 will be available over the next few weeks. The localized versions will be released as full installs, due to some technical limitations. We are working to resolve the issues in order to provide Service Packs for all languages in the future.
Regards,
__________________
Scott Latch
Technical Product Manager,
Revit Architecture
The service pack approach is a very welcome! We wish it happpened sooner but you know what they say, "Better late than never".
Download REVIT STRUCTURE WU2
Download Revit MEP
Revit MEP - Panel Schedule Export
Panel schedules are a very special schedule. It is really multiple "schedules" compiled into one. In fact they aren't even called or located with schedules, they are Reports. These reports and their data are pretty well "trapped" in Revit. Thus far I know that you can:
Export to a cad file (from a sheet)
Publish to a 2D DWF (from a sheet)
Print to a PDF (if you have a pdf driver)
Capture an image (if you have software or just print screen)
A cad file format will result in a 2D lines and text.
A 2D DWF will...well, be in dwf or dwfx format. It doesn't offer much from this point unless another application can do "something" with the DWFx format.
Printing to a PDF will result in a pdf but you may also find that Revit stores an html formatted version first in this folder location:
C:\Documents and Settings\YourUserName\Local Settings\Temp
Here's where it might get interesting. I was able to open this html file in the Open Office Writer application and it looked like this.
It is a table of data. Fwiw, I'm not currently using Office applications so I couldn't test bringing it into Excel or Word but I imagine you could have some success getting the data from the temp html file into them. When I tried to open the html file in Open Office Calc I got this.
You might also have some data extraction options if you use Adobe products but I'm not familiar with which one you'd need for the best options. I use Snag IT and there are some nice text capture add-ins for it that will permit you to select a panel view to extract the text but then you've got to spend some time reformatting.
They could make this easier?
Export to a cad file (from a sheet)
Publish to a 2D DWF (from a sheet)
Print to a PDF (if you have a pdf driver)
Capture an image (if you have software or just print screen)
A cad file format will result in a 2D lines and text.
A 2D DWF will...well, be in dwf or dwfx format. It doesn't offer much from this point unless another application can do "something" with the DWFx format.
Printing to a PDF will result in a pdf but you may also find that Revit stores an html formatted version first in this folder location:C:\Documents and Settings\YourUserName\Local Settings\Temp
Here's where it might get interesting. I was able to open this html file in the Open Office Writer application and it looked like this.
It is a table of data. Fwiw, I'm not currently using Office applications so I couldn't test bringing it into Excel or Word but I imagine you could have some success getting the data from the temp html file into them. When I tried to open the html file in Open Office Calc I got this.
You might also have some data extraction options if you use Adobe products but I'm not familiar with which one you'd need for the best options. I use Snag IT and there are some nice text capture add-ins for it that will permit you to select a panel view to extract the text but then you've got to spend some time reformatting.They could make this easier?
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Revit MEP - Tick Marks
For those of you who don't use wiring and show tick marks in your electrical plans...nevermind, sorry!
Tick marks are based upon external tick mark families. The stock families are found in this folder.
On the off chance you don't know what these are here's what they look like in use.
There is a separate category of family usage called Wire Tick Marks.
This means you can use a different tick mark than those supplied. Such as "the squiggle".
Or "the ground".
If you haven't noticed these options they are found under Settings menu > Electrical Settings > Wire.
Hope this "tickles" your fancy...
Tick marks are based upon external tick mark families. The stock families are found in this folder.
On the off chance you don't know what these are here's what they look like in use.
There is a separate category of family usage called Wire Tick Marks.
This means you can use a different tick mark than those supplied. Such as "the squiggle".
Or "the ground".
If you haven't noticed these options they are found under Settings menu > Electrical Settings > Wire.
Hope this "tickles" your fancy...
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Egress Family Video
Michael Bass with Microdesk started a blog called Building Informed Models that contains videos for a variety of Revit related tasks. He just posted a video explaining the basic concepts involved with making the tag and the line based family that I used with my Egress Family examples that I've posted here at various times. Videos are great vehicle for explaining concepts, check them out.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Revit MEP - Change in Management
Kyle Bernhardt let us know via his blog and a post at AUGI that he's accepted a new position within Autodesk, Product Manager, AEC Sustainable Design. This means that Autodesk is looking for someone to take on the position, you can refer to the offer HERE.
Kyle set a great standard for blogging and his commitment to Revit MEP and I for one will miss it. I hope that they find someone equally committed!
Thanks Kyle for the hard work and all the best in your new position...once they let you start it!
Kyle set a great standard for blogging and his commitment to Revit MEP and I for one will miss it. I hope that they find someone equally committed!
Thanks Kyle for the hard work and all the best in your new position...once they let you start it!
Monday, September 22, 2008
Curtain Walls - Fun Stuff by Other Bloggers
It is considered ill form to just blog about stuff other bloggers are saying or doing but in this case I don't care! I find the stuff that people "cook up" in Revit to be interesting and I'm motivated to call attention to these three, two "Dave's" and a Craig.
Craig started it all with his POST at iRevit.
His inspiration was:
I recently attended a panel discussion at Siggraph 2008, where Enrique Rosado discussed his work with Viennese Sculptor Erwin Hauer. Hauer explored continuous perforated modular structures that as architectural panels, expanded into infinite surfaces with escher-esque qualities.
David Baldacchino picked up the ball with his POST at Do u Revit?
David Light then picked up the ball and ran with his POST at his Revit blog.
Then he ran a bit more with this POST.
Check out their posts and see what inspiration they provide? If me just writing about them doesn't inspire you to visit their blogs then does this little collage do it for you?
Craig started it all with his POST at iRevit.
His inspiration was:
I recently attended a panel discussion at Siggraph 2008, where Enrique Rosado discussed his work with Viennese Sculptor Erwin Hauer. Hauer explored continuous perforated modular structures that as architectural panels, expanded into infinite surfaces with escher-esque qualities.
David Baldacchino picked up the ball with his POST at Do u Revit?
David Light then picked up the ball and ran with his POST at his Revit blog.
Then he ran a bit more with this POST.
Check out their posts and see what inspiration they provide? If me just writing about them doesn't inspire you to visit their blogs then does this little collage do it for you?
Sunday, September 21, 2008
DWG Import - Lines Nearly Vertical/Horizontal are Changed
Revit alters the lines in a imported cad file if they are very nearly horizontal or vertical. It has done this for quite some time. It isn't clear if it isn't a problem very often or if it isn't noticed very often. I'm reminded of this issue by a recent post at AUGI naturally.
In this instance a member wrote that a property line (in a cad import) whose bearing is 89 degrees 57 minutes and 56 seconds is altered by Revit to simply 90 degrees even. The cad file isn't "changed" but what we see of it in Revit is.
If you use Revit's Property Line tool and opt for the Table of Distances and Bearings method you'll find you can create a property boundary that is faithful to the documented bearing data.
And the dialog itself with the resulting property line.
Aah...Trust...a database or cad file is only as reliable as we believe we can trust it to be. Once upon a time people trusted that the earth was flat. That proved to be false, I think. I haven't been in space myself so I have to trust that the astronauts and scientists who say they have been are telling me the truth. Now I know that the moon is round but I don't know that it is in fact a globe because I've never seen the "back" of it. I've never seen it spinning. My life experience and acquired knowledge tells me it is a globe but assumption and belief doesn't prove it. Anyone who enjoys Robert Heinlein's books would recognize that last little bit.
Importing cad files and "seeing" nothing to cause us to doubt the accuracy of the import permits us to work with the belief that everything is fine, trustworthy. But when we discover an inaccuracy regardless how meaningful or meaningless the issue really is it places doubt in our minds. This doubt is usually worse than the actual problem we've found.
As we transition from 2D methods to 3D methods and embrace the promise of Building Information Modeling (BIM) we need to be able to trust the data. This is much bigger than just software. It has to do with each person that comes into contact with the data, the model. Our contact must be done with this issue of trust in mind so that we don't invite doubt. When doubt exists our work must stand up under close scrutiny.
In this instance a member wrote that a property line (in a cad import) whose bearing is 89 degrees 57 minutes and 56 seconds is altered by Revit to simply 90 degrees even. The cad file isn't "changed" but what we see of it in Revit is.
If you use Revit's Property Line tool and opt for the Table of Distances and Bearings method you'll find you can create a property boundary that is faithful to the documented bearing data.
And the dialog itself with the resulting property line.
Aah...Trust...a database or cad file is only as reliable as we believe we can trust it to be. Once upon a time people trusted that the earth was flat. That proved to be false, I think. I haven't been in space myself so I have to trust that the astronauts and scientists who say they have been are telling me the truth. Now I know that the moon is round but I don't know that it is in fact a globe because I've never seen the "back" of it. I've never seen it spinning. My life experience and acquired knowledge tells me it is a globe but assumption and belief doesn't prove it. Anyone who enjoys Robert Heinlein's books would recognize that last little bit.
Importing cad files and "seeing" nothing to cause us to doubt the accuracy of the import permits us to work with the belief that everything is fine, trustworthy. But when we discover an inaccuracy regardless how meaningful or meaningless the issue really is it places doubt in our minds. This doubt is usually worse than the actual problem we've found.
As we transition from 2D methods to 3D methods and embrace the promise of Building Information Modeling (BIM) we need to be able to trust the data. This is much bigger than just software. It has to do with each person that comes into contact with the data, the model. Our contact must be done with this issue of trust in mind so that we don't invite doubt. When doubt exists our work must stand up under close scrutiny.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Percentage of Gross
In a database environment we can create a query that asks questions of data stored in tables or other queries. In this Revit is a little different. We can ask questions (queries) of tables (element categories) all day long but we can't ask questions of the answers to previous questions...or in database terms a query of a query.
There is one example in Revit that is already wired to permit such a result, a percentage of another value, such as Room Area. In this example I've made a little tiny project, created a schedule and added a calculated value to the schedule. This is the final result of the schedule.
This is the properties of the calculated value.
Any parameter's data type, based on what you include in the schedule, and tell Revit to Calculate Totals will be an option for consideration with "Percentage" selected. For example these are my choices if I also include Perimeter and Volume in the schedule.
There is one example in Revit that is already wired to permit such a result, a percentage of another value, such as Room Area. In this example I've made a little tiny project, created a schedule and added a calculated value to the schedule. This is the final result of the schedule.
This is the properties of the calculated value.
Any parameter's data type, based on what you include in the schedule, and tell Revit to Calculate Totals will be an option for consideration with "Percentage" selected. For example these are my choices if I also include Perimeter and Volume in the schedule.
Shared Coordinates and the "other" trades
My posts in the past on this subject have focused on the use of Revit Architecture. The architect tends to get started down this road first so it makes some sense, to me at least. The natural evolution of this issue is, "What does a Revit Structure or Revit MEP team do when confronted with the use of these features (Shared Coordinates)?
First of all let's explain that there are two methods available to describe the true elevation and position of a project. The first is abstract, simply telling Revit that the building is really at a different elevation and/or rotation relative to true north and sea level. The second is not abstract, we actually move the building to the actual elevation and location on a site.
The abstract method allows us to "tell" Revit what we want to display for elevation and orientation while the other requires us to actually put the building at the correct elevation and orientation. I've written about the process that is used for either in previous posts.
Let's define the steps that RST and RME users ought to use to properly coordinate their project file with the RAC model(s).
First of all let's explain that there are two methods available to describe the true elevation and position of a project. The first is abstract, simply telling Revit that the building is really at a different elevation and/or rotation relative to true north and sea level. The second is not abstract, we actually move the building to the actual elevation and location on a site.
The abstract method allows us to "tell" Revit what we want to display for elevation and orientation while the other requires us to actually put the building at the correct elevation and orientation. I've written about the process that is used for either in previous posts.
Let's define the steps that RST and RME users ought to use to properly coordinate their project file with the RAC model(s).
Friday, September 19, 2008
Family Editor Tutorials - Autodesk's Latest
With the release of Revit 2009 there is a revamped compliment of tutorials and datasets. You can download them from HERE.
This is screen capture of the portion of the page you'll be visiting.
This is screen capture of the portion of the page you'll be visiting.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Recommendation - Avoid Save to Central Error
In this POST I mentioned a recurring error that Autodesk finally sorted out. The AUGI Topic that prompted my earlier post received a contribution from Andre Carvalho that demands repeating.
If you'd like to avoid the error completely, Externally Reference any file you need in your Revit project into a blank AutoCAD file first as an attached external reference. This means that the file that Revit links does not change, only its external reference.
If you'd like to avoid the error completely, Externally Reference any file you need in your Revit project into a blank AutoCAD file first as an attached external reference. This means that the file that Revit links does not change, only its external reference.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Managing Links - Menu versus Project Browser
This pertains to Revit model files only. One relatively new feature that I've been slow to recognize myself and during training is the Link information available within the Project Browser. I seem to prefer the dialog. I suppose my excuse might be that I'm often dealing with linked DWG (sometimes DGN) files too and those aren't available on the Project Browser, though that was my original wish...not for Revit links (not that it is bad to have them).
To be specific I'm referring to the File menu > Manage Links dialog.
Versus
The Project Browser and Right Click approach when you select the "Top of the Tree", Revit Links will yield an option to open the Manage Links dialog.
When you Right click on a listed Linked File instead and you get this menu.
The tools are the same only the route taken varies. Take the road you prefer...?
[FWIW, For this post I used a model (and its links) belonging to a client that asked me to poke around and give them some advice. That's why I've blurred the "sensitive" file names etc...to protect the "innocent".]
To be specific I'm referring to the File menu > Manage Links dialog.
Versus
The Project Browser and Right Click approach when you select the "Top of the Tree", Revit Links will yield an option to open the Manage Links dialog.
When you Right click on a listed Linked File instead and you get this menu.
The tools are the same only the route taken varies. Take the road you prefer...?
[FWIW, For this post I used a model (and its links) belonging to a client that asked me to poke around and give them some advice. That's why I've blurred the "sensitive" file names etc...to protect the "innocent".]
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