Roads Category and Spot Elevation

This is too weird not to write about it. I was asked to take a look at a file that would not let us apply a spot elevation. I did the usual things, check for the floor category visibility, no overrides to the linked floor(s), no filters, no underlay weirdness... no joy.

I compared it against a new view with no view template. The new view worked but the one with a view template assigned didn't. I tried turning back on all the model categories that were off in the view template. The Spot Elevation tool worked again. Hmmm...

I reset the View Template and then I turned back on each category that was off in the template, one at a time. When I turned on the Roads category the spot elevation started working again. WHAT??

That's more than a little bizarre since we've never been able to use the Roads category for anything. They don't even let us create an In-Place family using the Roads category. I imagine that it is something gone awry in this particular project file since this is the only one behaving this way but still...turning on the Roads category fixed it??

Username and Local Files

Revit knows who we are based on a simple piece of data, the Username entry here (Application Menu (Big R) > Options). That is usually defined by who logs on the computer. If we log on our computer, then open Revit AND change the Username...Revit preserves this alternate username until we change it again. If we never change this value then Revit just uses the computer's log on username identity. When we change it Revit captures and preserves it for this particular person's log on credentials on the computer.

Using Worksets (Worksharing) this username provides our unique identity to Revit, the Librarian (not to be confused with the TV show or movies). We can't just arbitrarily change our username while we are working in our Local File. If we do that we'll be greeted with an unpleasant message when we attempt to use Synchronize with Central.

We can become convinced that changing the username is permissible because Revit doesn't complain until we attempt to use Synchronize with Central. It's also easy to think it is reasonable because when the file contains changes that have not been synchronized yet we see this message when we attempt to change the username. When Revit complains and offers the reason that changing the name isn't going to work it implies that there might be an acceptable circumstance.

Fwiw, we CAN change our username freely if we are working in a central file (discouraged). However we won't find that very fulfilling if other users are also working on the project via their own local files. We'll be advised by Revit that it is necessary to use Save As to create a our own Local File first, when we use Synchronize with Central.

We CAN assume any username identity, we just have to change the Username parameter before creating a new Local File.

Damn Revit's Worksets and Worksharing features are fussy!

Importing CAD Files and By Shared Coordinates

When we link/import DWG files with survey data Revit often encounters file extents that are quite large. The developers have always encouraged us to use the Auto - Center to Center positioning option with those files. Revit will forcefully use that option when the extents of the file violate the current 20 mile tolerance it has.

I wish I could write that linking/importing survey files was very simple and error free. The reality couldn't be further from that. I recommend these steps to improve the odds for success:

• Import multiple Survey files individually (don't nest them as xref's)
• Purge everything you don't need, purge again
• Use Wblock if you can't get Zoom Extents to focus on just the relevant portion of the site
• Remove Named UCS (Revit only wants the World Coordinate System)
• Set UCS (User Coordinate System) to WCS and Plan to WCS
• If the survey isn't oriented to WCS, North is "up", have the civil engineer/surveyor change their file first
• Identify a specific location within the relevant part of the survey, put a marker, identify its coordinates, better still make those coordinates easy to use, even clean numbers.
• Make sure everything actually aligns correctly in AutoCAD first, no point setting it up in Revit if it doesn't work there
• Once you get a working first survey file, pass it back to the surveyor so they know what you need in the future

Once we've used Acquire Coordinates on our first survey file and verified the resulting coordinates are correct we can import the rest of the site related files. If Acquire Coordinates didn't work then we need revisit the items above, especially Named UCS. I find that Revit will acquire very large coordinates accurately IF the file is pristine.

In contrast I also like to use Specify Coordinates at Point (SCaP), using the marker I created earlier. Keeping in mind that doing so doesn't establish a shared coordinate relationship between the CAD file and the project. By relationship I mean that Revit records the identity of the linked file in the project when/if Acquire Coordinates is used to align the project with the linked file's WCS origin. SCaP does not.

Now regarding the title of this post, importing the rest of the files. Once shared coordinates are defined based on our first file we can import other site files using the positioning option: by Shared Coordinates. This assumes that each of the site related files are already aligned with each other using the same WCS origin. When we link a file this way a warning will appear while it is loading.

Revit is being precise, warning us that this project doesn't have a shared coordinate relationship with the incoming file. That's true, it is just another CAD file as far as this project is concerned. The only shared coordinate relationship that is established is between the first file and this project.

The last part of the warning is the significant part, The link's World coordinates will be aligned with this project's Shared coordinates". That means it will line up correctly because our project is aligned with the same WCS and both cad files already use the same WCS origin between themselves. Clicking Close accepts the warning and the link should land in the correct location. We can repeat this as many times as we have site related files to use.

When we save our project we may receive this warning. In this circumstance choose the bottom option Disable shared positioning...

We really don't want to create a named UCS in the CAD file the dialog references. It's linked and lined up correctly, its WCS is already correct, there is nothing to be gained by letting Revit store a named UCS in the file. This is what happens if you click Save instead, we end up with the named UCS in the image below.

I don't recall Revit bringing up this dialog in the past, unless I moved the link later, and I don't think it should be doing it in this circumstance. Fwiw, it doesn't in Revit 2015, at least not with the files I've been experimenting with for this post. It may be related to having a Named UCS. In some further testing I was able to link and save without generating the dialog. The inconsistency seems to consistently fall back on the condition of the DWG file though.

If we are careful to link each file and Disable the shared positioning Revit seems to think needs to be established all our linked file should line up very nicely. When they don't I find it necessary to revisit the list above. Skipping over them is very likely to bring on heartache later.

Adding Callout to Quick Access Toolbar in 2014

If you're using Revit 2014 and have tried to add the Callout tool to your Quick Access Toolbar (QAT) you've been turned away, rejected, sorry no you can't do that here... Sorry, applying Web Update 3 doesn't fix it either.

Subtle and minor it may be but stuff like this frustrates users. ...and I was sure it was possible. Oh right, it's working in Revit 2015. One more subtle reason to upgrade.

Enable 2D Setting for Multiple Grid Lines

There are times when we'd like to alter the 2D (view specific) position of Grids. When you select a Grid you can click the 3D icon to toggle it to 2D. That's a one-at-a-time affair though. If you have many grids you won't look forward to doing that.

When a Grid crosses a crop boundary in a view (when the crop boundary is enabled) it switches from 3D to 2D automatically. If you want to enable the 2D setting for all the vertical grids at once turn on the view's crop boundary and make sure it crosses your grids.

Now you can adjust all the Grids end point position together just like they do automatically for the 3D setting. It will work for levels too. If you don't want the crop region long term you can just disable it afterward. The Grids or Levels will retain their alteration until (if) you elect to use the Reset to 3D Extents (right click context menu option).

Relocate Project is Sleight of Hand

Try these steps:

• Create a new empty project
• Open the Site plan View
• Make sure the PBP (Project Base Point-circle) and the SP (Survey Point-triangle) are visible
• Use Relocate Project, "move" the PBP 1 meter to the left
• We'll find the SP is now 1 meter to the right, left behind marking where the origin was
• The SP identifies the origin of an alternate coordinate system, roughly equivalent to AutoCAD's WCS (World Coordinate System) origin, consider that using Acquire Coordinates aligns Revit with the WCS of the source DWG file.
• The previous steps are essentially the same as moving the SP (clipped) to the right 1 meter instead (use Undo and try it)
• Using Relocate Project you see the PBP move but its really the SP that's changed, it just doesn't look like it because the PBP is reporting a different 0,0 coordinate offset now (more on that below).

In a sense Revit just shifted the world over, underneath our building, and the origin never really changed. If we try the steps above and make sure we can see elevation symbols it becomes more apparent when they don't change their relationship to the PBP after using Relocate Project.

The PBP and SP start out at the same location in stock templates, but they are NOT marking the same information.

The Project Base Point always (when clipped) identifies where the project's origin is. The Survey Point identifies one alternate coordinate system's origin location, when it reports 0,0.

I believe it causes confusion when we examine the PBP coordinate values (when selected) because it displays values that are relative to where the SP defines the WCS origin, NOT the project origin. Since the project origin is never really changing it would be more accurate or consistent to continue displaying 0,0 and only begin showing different coordinates when it is moved un-clipped.

The following image shows a SP that has been moved by Acquire Coordinates to mark the WCS origin of a source survey DWG. The PBP now shows coordinates that match the offset from this alternate coordinate system's origin. To be fair it does say Shared Site: just above the values but it isn't as meaningful to most users as we'd hope.

The following image shows both PBP and SP moved while un-clipped. It is tempting to think of them as points when they are moved like this but they are really annotation referencing coordinates that are only meaningful when compared with where the origins they are referencing are, which I believe contributes to the confusion about what they display when selected.

General Comments and Advice

• The Project Base Point never displays coordinates that reference anything but the Shared Coordinate origin location.
• The Survey Point initially identifies an alternate coordinate origin but it can be un-clipped and moved to show coordinates that reference its origin location.
• The Project Base Point and Survey Point start by marking their own origins, at same location in stock templates but they are NOT the same coordinate systems.
• Don't use Relocate Project for X/Y axis project changes, it's really just establishing an offset relative to the Survey Point, not changing the project origin.
• Don't move the Project Base Point clipped
• Relocate Project can be useful in the Z axis when you need to show an arbitrary elevation value without placing the building at the actual elevations, see True Elevation and Position, it is still sleight of hand though, using Shared Coordinates to achieve the difference.
• Moving the PBP un-clipped can be used with the Spot Coordinate annotation. It can reference the Project Base Point location when it is desirable to mark locations, using the Spot Coordinate tool, that all reference where we've placed the un-clipped PBP.
  

Dynamo Tip and Forum

If you open a Dynamo project that is based on a language that is not the same language as the Revit project you are in it can cause Revit/Dynamo to crash. We can avoid the crash if we open a project that shares the same language first. That's how it was described to me at RTC in Dublin this past week. Perhaps it is just a build incompatibility? It seems to me that will make it difficult to mix and match up Dynamo work that is done in various languages?

The best place to stay in the loop about Dynamo info is DynamoBim.org. Better check in with the forum there to be sure.

BTW, regarding forums, AUGI recently created a new forum for Dynamo, to expand their Revit forums to include a place for this rapidly emerging tool. You can VISIT it HERE.

Confirm Acquire Coordinates

I'd like Revit to display a confirmation when I successfully acquire coordinates. It would also be nice if it displayed the coordinate "shift" that occurred in the dialog too. If I failed to select a source then it would be nice if Revit let me know I failed, try try again.

Occupancy Calculations and JavaScript

The other day I read a post at Revit Add-ons about integrating Java Scripts into Revit. I was intrigued by an example it described which provides a connection between a java script calculation (formula) and assigns it to a parameter. A very common request among Revit users is to be able to associate with a formula with a Shared Parameter, and in this case occupancy calculations. Timing is a funny thing because an email came in the same day asking for advice doing these calculations.

The application is called LazJS and is currently offering a beta version 1.0. Fwiw, I created an Occupancy Calculation sample project years ago which you can download HERE. I thought I'd open that project and try LazJS out on it. Since we can't put a calculated value in a tag the example uses a schedule so we can transfer values manually. With the advent of the API there are more options but for anyone who is leery of programming it's still a bit intimidating.

I found it was really easy to get this installed and configure LazJS to fill in the values for me automatically and keep them updated if I make any changes. This is the dialog that appears for their ParamJS tool. I started by choosing the Rooms category. Then I chose the parameter that is in my room tag. Then I dragged the parameter whose value I wanted to be in the tag up to the code editor window. Once the code was present I clicked Run, seeing values in the results window I clicked Save.

Now whenever I add a room and assign a occupancy type its tag fills in the appropriate Occupancy Factor for me (the script does). Same for any editing I do of existing rooms.

Worth a closer look if only for this piece of their whole application.

Visible Parameter and Associate Family Parameter

When we work with Forms, Symbolic and Model lines and nested families they each have a parameter called Visible and we can use Associate Family Parameter to control their visibility.

If you decide to remove this relationship Revit applies the current state of the parameter that was controlling it to the Visible parameter. If it was checked (visible on) then removing the parameter relationship leaves it checked. If the reverse is true (visible off) then the opposite happens.

It's subtle and can cause a few minutes of confusion when you reload a family and find it isn't visible.

Including a Sheet File Name and Path

Ever since we started using computers to generate architectural and engineering drawings we've been inclined to provide a place on a title block to help people find the file. Sometimes it is just the file name and other times it is necessary to have both the file name and path to the folder it is in.

The path is useful to the team working on the files but if those files are passed along to someone else it may be meaningless to them, or confusing at the very least. The file name is useful to anyone who happens to be looking at the drawings as long as they are in a position to access the digital version of the file too.

In a Revit model, which usually contains all the sheets for a project, the file name doesn't have the same usefulness when compared to a file based system like AutoCAD. That's true unless you are printing multiple layouts from a single DWG file, then it's not all that different than Revit. When someone is looking at a printed sheet and sees the file name and path it doesn't help them find the digital version, like a PDF file for Sheet A100 for example, because the file name is the Revit model, not the resulting PDF export.

As such Revit misses the mark in helping us carrying on that tradition. Since there are a number of ways our sheets can end up as individual files it is hard for Revit to anticipate or provide a suitable way to plug in a unique value until the data is exported outside of Revit. I'm sure there are some things that they could do to help us with this but it hasn't happened yet.

Revit's API could be used to capture the sheet information and store a contrived file name in a parameter for each sheet. When we print or export we might end up with the correct file names matching the resulting files or bearing a slight difference. I don't recall an existing application that deals with this specifically but one might exist, like Xrev Tools for example.

If we forget limitations within Revit for the moment, since the output format of a set of documents is where the appropriate file data is really needed it might make sense to consider focusing on how we handle the output files instead, at least for now. For example, the company Bluebeam offers software to process, review, and markup PDF documents. It includes the ability to add custom headers and footers, which can be the file name (among other things). It can also Batch Process files to include the file name. The file path is another available choice to put in a header or footer so we can combine them if we want to include both.

If it is necessary to provide the specific file name (and path) for exports to DWG it is probably best to add it those files after exporting, this way they'll point to an actual file instead of the Revit project file. Again some customization could add the necessary fields pretty effectively.

It seems like post processing this information is probably as effective as trying to come up with a way to deal with it internally in Revit.

Filter Filtering Gotcha

When you create or edit a view Filter we can apply a Filter to the list of categories based on discipline.

Filtering the list of categories has a direct impact on the Filter Rules > Filter by: list too. If you tell Revit to only show you Architecture categories then you'll find the available parameters listed in the Filter by: criteria drop down will not include parameters that are related to other disciplines. For example, if you were hoping to use the filter to alter the way MEP elements look when they are linked into your model then you might be confused until you realize that earlier you told Revit to only show you Architectural stuff.

Remember the Filter's Filter. Same thing can happen in the View Templates, Visibility/Graphics dialog and Object Styles dialogs.

Local File Error on Open

Have you run into this error message before?

One possible reason is that the folder you are storing local files is running out of allowable space. A folder can have restrictions placed on it. If so Revit can't properly create the local file in a folder that has hit its quota.

When we create a new local file we can often avoid this if we use the option to Overwrite the existing local file versus the Append Timestamp option. Chances are there are just a great many older local files hanging around in the folder.

Revit MEP Pipe Appearance in Sections

I met Freddie at the BIM Workshop in Anaheim recently. We chatted for awhile about Revit (shock I know) and then a little about music. It was great to meet someone who wasn't necessarily required to know Revit but decided he wanted to learn Revit and has become quite good at it. The company he works for (TJP Engineering) specializes in water treatment systems for aquatic attractions.

He passed along a graphic that Chris Aquino (Autodesk support specialist) marked up for him when he was trying to sort out piping graphics in section views. Sometimes writing this blog only requires sharing what other people tell me, thanks Freddie!

Here's the image which has markups that explain the various conditions they discussed.

Quick Summary of Issues:

• No rise/drop symbol? Most likely the pipe is sloping "through" the section.
• If you see a "crosshair" or "target" it is probably the pipe beyond the fitting but within the Far Clip Plane of the view.

Btw, my Uncle Ben called me Freddie when I was a kid. I. Don't. Know. Why... :)

Revit 2015 - Closing a Workset and Linked File Ownership Conflict

This post describes an awkward issue with Revit 2015 when using a specific workset(s) to manage a linked file(s).

Project File A has a separate workset for Project File B and that file is assigned to it. Both the linked file's instance and type parameters are assigned to the same workset. User A is the Owner of Project File B's workset. Now User B is working in their own local file and decides to close the Project File B workset (instead of using the Manage Links > Unload method). User B gets a warning that User A owns the element.

When we expand the warning we see that the file is the issue.

User B clicks Cancel and the workset closes, the link is no longer visible (the desired result despite the message). If User B Opens the workset, no error. The error only occurs when the workset is closed.

Closing a workset that has a linked file associated with it now is equivalent to using Manage Links > Unload, because using unload generates this error message now too.

This error dialog is very confusing because it claims that we can't do something, without creating an Editing Request, that clicking Cancel does let us do. We now have a normal error message that we have to tell users they can ignore, click cancel please. That's just ridiculous.

Demand loading and unloading worksets is fundamental and critical for large projects. Large projects have many people contributing so now we'll have many people getting a pointless message.

Parameters with Math Characters

Kudos to GMcDowellJr at RevitForum.org for paying attention. I missed it entirely. We've been careful to warn people not to include math characters in their parameters names for so long that I just don't ever try to do it.

At some point in the recent past (my testing shows beginning with Revit 2014) Revit started reconciling the issue for us with these brackets [ ]. Just wrap your rogue parameter name using math characters with those brackets and Revit won't mind anymore.

Revit will even add them (the brackets) for us if we rename a parameter to include math symbol(s). For example, in the following image these parameters and the formula are fine.

Then I changed my parameter name and Revit put the brackets in the formula for me.

When I try this in Revit 2013 it doesn't mind changing a parameter name to include a math symbol if it didn't have one originally. If I try to create a new parameter with a math character and use it in a formula then I get the familiar warning. If I add the brackets myself, no difference. In 2014 and 2015 the brackets start working and get added to a formula for us, when necessary.

I don't recall The Factory ever taking credit for this change, a nice subtle compensation for parameter naming.

Stage Curtains

Back in January of 2004, about eleven months before I started blogging and a couple months before moving to California, I shared a couple stage curtain families at AUGI. They were made using Revit 6.0. I recently got a message thanking me for them which made me curious how well they'd upgrade to Revit 2015. I downloaded them from AUGI too since I'd lost track of the files since then. They upgraded fine. Well, without a warning message but they didn't retain all their parametric behavior unfortunately.

If you're like me, you can't help but second guess the things you did when you get to take another look at something you did in the past. This is no different. I didn't like my choice of parameter names and the logic I used to allow for them to be reconfigured. So I spent some time re-working them in Revit 2015.

Here's what they look like in play now, the main setting is a burgundy color, the olio setting is a lighter shade and the cyclorama legs, borders and rear traveler are just black (though they look gray). If you aren't familiar with theater terminology, the olio setting is traditionally fancy or at least a different color. It is typically used (closed in front of the stage set) as the background for the opening act of a show, comedian, magician etc., far enough forward to leave most of the stage for the primary production (hidden from view), close behind the main curtain setting but leaving some stage space for the intro act.

And in plan view

And in Section

If you'd like to download them here you go:

2015 Stage Curtain Border
2015 Stage Curtain Traveler

If you need them in an earlier version than 2015 these are the Revit 6.0 files. You'll probably have to tweak them a bit to retain their parametric relationships, such as changing the height of the curtain or length of the batten etc.

Revit 6.0 Border Curtain
Revit 6.0 Traveler Curtain

I'll close with a rendered view using some stage lighting fixtures that Andrew K shared at RevitForum.org (works with ARCAT) and a couple saxophones that Michael Anonuevo shared with me back when he was working on his family editor book.

I did consider rebuilding these using the new Adaptive Point divide and repeat concept. Perhaps another day. It would be interesting to compare the performance of that technique against these. These do put a bit of a drag on a model because of the blend array that makes the curtain.

Okay, now I'm just having fun...

Revit 2015 R2 - Background Color

Continuing in the theme of filling long standing wishes, it is now possible to choose your own background color instead just using Invert Background to use a black background. Years ago I did attempt to live with a black background but found that I preferred the white background after a short transition. I find trying to use a black background quite disorienting now.

Regardless lots of users have a preference for something other than white. In particular, for some people, staring at a white screen all day bothers their eyes. Adjusting their monitor's brightness and contrast only goes so far to mitigate their discomfort. Now they/we can choose nearly any color we'd like to use instead of white, via the Graphics page of the Options dialog.

It is a bit quirky depending on what is visible in the view. You'll have to experiment some to find both a color you really like and can live with how information is presented in different views with it in play. Here's what I call Word Perfect background with some rooms using a color fill (well I remember a blue background in Word Perfect).

And this is casual attempt to mimic "butter" tracing paper background.

I'm probably going to stick with a white background but I'm sure there are many users who will enjoying having a little more control over what they stare at for 8+ hours a day.

Revit 2015 R2 - Default Setting for Import Positioning

This is a welcome change, one many users have been asking for a long time.

The default positioning setting is now Auto - Origin to Origin, pause for the sound of applause (and comments like "finally") in offices around the globe...

If you change the default setting, the option you select for Positioning becomes the default instead for your current Revit session. Revit will also remember a different setting for Revit models and CAD files. For example, this will make it easier to use Auto-Origin to Origin for Revit models and Auto - Center to Center for CAD files.

Glad to see this subtle but heavily wished for change.

Revit 2015 R2 - Double Click Open an Older File

I wrote on Monday that Revit 2015 R2 warns us if we are opening an older file that will need to be upgraded first. Daniel Stine let me know that a different dialog appears if you double click a file to open it. Now I don't do that and don't recommend you do that either. Here's the dialog that appears if you do though and this one waits till you respond.