REVIT 2010 - Parameters and Tags for Materials

Here's the current revision to “Follow the Flow 101 – Materials and Tags.”

20091101-REVIT 2010-Parameters and Tags for Materials

REVIT Family in Project Different from Family.rfa File

Beware! The family named MyMaterialTag in your project may NOT be the same as the family file on your hard drive named MyMaterialTag.rfa!

How does this happen? Well, to use an AutoCAD comparison, Revit Families act like Blocks. You can edit them by selecting them in a Project – which gives you the definition located in the Project – or you can edit the rfa file. If you edit from the Project and load the revised family into the Project without saving to overwrite the rfa file, or if you edit the rfa file and do not load it into the Project, then you may have a discrepancy. Just be aware of the way this works so you can avoid any confusion.

It all comes down to the dreaded STANDARD PROCEDURES and standard family files that need to be in place in any office.

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REVIT Door Family Sill Height

Any door placed in a Project has an Element Property under Constraints called Sill Height. This parameter DOES NOT appear in the Family Editor but only when the door is placed in the Project. If you use this Element Property setting, the space below the sill will be filled in with wall. In the Family Editor, you can add an instance parameter called SillHeight and list it under Dimensions. If you use this Element Property instance setting, the space below the sill will be part of the hole in the wall.

You can use either of these settings. If you want wall under the sill, use the Constraints Sill Height setting and make the instance parameter Dimension SillHeight setting 0. Vice-versa if you want a hole in the wall under the sill. If you fill in both settings, the Constraint Sill Height setting will take precedence.

Check out the following guide from Autodesk:
http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/item?siteID=123112&id=13376394

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Finding Missing Stuff in Revit

Here's a great article about finding elements that have mysteriously disappeared from your Revit views:

http://www.aecbytes.com/tipsandtricks/2009/issue43-revit_pr.html

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Deming and the Construction Industry

The quote posted about Toyota is from an article about Deming, of course. His name has predictably been popping up a lot recently in the wake of the American auto industry problems.

The same can be said about the American construction industry process. For too long we have too often been inefficiently building too many space and energy inefficient buildings out of too many unsustainable materials. It too often takes too many people too long to get a building from start to finish in a strange process that likes to spit good design out the back door as it goes along.

OK, that's all. Who knows what the solution is. There will be no bailouts for architects. It will be interesting to see what the profession looks like after the "recovery."

Another Japanese quote I ran across said "He who buys quality cries only once."

FOLLOW THE FLOW 101

Here’s the first in my “Follow the Flow” series of charts and noted screen prints which will address the questions “Where do I use that?” and “Where did that come from?” It’s all about the myriad of relationships among Revit objects and data and views and so on.

As soon as you start investigating anything in Revit – such as Materials – you find yourself being led all over the place! So, these charts will start and stop at whatever points seem logical. The intention is to help you begin to actually “visualize” how the program works so it will be easier to remember what is what and where it is. Screenshots are from 2010 to show the new UI, but I think all works the same in 2008 and 2009.

“Follow the Flow 101 – Materials and Tags” Summary:

The Materials Identity tab lists the Category Parameters for which you can fill in values.

These Category Parameters show up as a list of data items when you create or edit a Materials Tag, so you can include one or more of them in the Materials Tag.

Then you use the Materials Tag to annotate materials in print views. Changes to the Parameter values can be made GLOBALLY (love that word!) by editing either the Materials Identity list or any Tag Instance. So the exact same note will appear everywhere that a particular Material is tagged in the project!

Click to view or download the PDF. Please let me know if you find this helpful. Thanks!

20090710-REVIT 2010-Follow the Flow 101

NEW MAGAZINE FROM AUGI
If you are not a member of AUGI, join now! Have I said that before? Well, I can't say it enough. AUGI forums provide a wealth of help from both users and Autodesk pros.
Here's a brand new reason - AUGI AEC EDGE - new publication that you can download or read online - you know, turning the pages and all of that other high-tech functionality. Take a look!
http://www.augiaecedge.com/home/default.htm

BTW I'm working on new posts about Revit Materials data. Will be at least a week before I put anything up since I'm about to be traveling for a few days. If you subscribe, you'll get an email notification when I post.

THE SIX PHASES OF REVIT
First posted in 2003, this list comes up from time to time on the AUGI forums:
http://forums.augi.com/showthread.php?t=3335

SUBSCRIBE BY EMAIL
Please note that I've added the option for you to subscribe to this blog by email. Don't be afraid. This will not lead to your getting "Cheap Viagra" or "Find Your Perfect Mate" emails. You will just get an email whenever I do a new post. Easy way to keep up.
Thanks in advance for subscribing!

Thursday, June 18, 2009
INTEGRATED PROJECT DELIVERY

As you develop your Revit skills and processes, think ahead to all of the future advantages this Building Information Modeling tool will provide as a basis for Integrated Project Delivery.

Here's a link to an article which will give you a good summary of all of the issues that are involved in the transition to IPD. It includes a link to the AIA publication "IPD - A Working Definition" which came out in 2007. Quoting from that document:

"The Working Defi nition contains three sections. First, integrated practice is defi ned. At its essence, it is a deeply collaborative process that uses best available technology, but goes beyond merely the application of digital tools, such as Building Information Modeling. Second, the Essential Principles are set forth as necessary assumptions in this collaborative process. Unless all parties are committed to these principles, integrated practice will not succeed. Finally, the Working Defi nition characterizes project workfl ow beginning with Building an Integrated Team and concluding with Integrated Closeout. The primary activities and participants are outlined, and where appropriate, compared with traditional processes. Review of the process sections reveals fundamental changes in participants, timing and intensity. Moreover, the processes are fl exible and iterative. Information transferred between participants guides development
and design optimization.
The Task Force will use the Working Defi nition as the basis for developing recommendations for best practices, business models, and risk allocation. The group invites comment regarding the Working Defi nition, which should be sent to IPD@aiacc.org."

Integrated Project Delivery Contracts, Scope, Risk and Reward: A Webinar Review
http://constructionadvisortoday.com/2009/06/integrated-project-delivery-contracts-scope-risk-and-reward-a-webinar-review.html

REVIT: FIRST PROJECT 101

AutoCAD good. Revit hard! OK, AutoCAD used to be hard too. Revit, BIM, and IPD look like the future though, so you might as well get started. You’ve bought the software and you’ve had the basic training; don’t lose it by refusing to use it.

Revit is all about the 3D model and the data attached to it. AutoCAD is all about that pesky 2D drawing document set that we will continue to have to produce until who knows when. It makes sense to use a combination of the programs so that you can get projects done while you are developing your in-house Revit process and finding consultants and contractors who will work with you toward Integrated Project Delivery.

Just plan your set of sheets well in the beginning and then steadfastly resist the temptation to ditch Revit and write everything out of the model to AutoCAD when you get frustrated with those Revit wall joins jumping around (frustration is part of every project anyway).

Here is a simplified outline (countless words have been written to explain each item) about starting to make the transition.

Read more or download:
20090615-REVIT-FirstProject101

Publish at Scribd or explore others: How-to-Guides & Manu project Autodesk

REVIT KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS
Trying to learn the Revit keyboard shortcuts?
Want to print out a chart for reference?
Want to change some of the defaults and/or add some of your own?
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Excel can help.
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For an Excel file with formula cells that will help you create a new "KeyboardShortcuts.txt" file, check out the following from the AUGI Forums:
http://forums.augi.com/showthread.php?t=100549&highlight=revit+keyboard+shortcuts
Be sure to read the author's instructions and the thread posts about how to use this file.
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Or, here is a simple Excel file with the following three worksheets:
(1) Shortcuts for sorting
(2) Shortcuts in original order
(3) System Accelerators
You can use it to work out revisions and additions, to print reference charts, and then as a guide to more easily and accurately edit the "KeyboardShortcuts.txt" file in the Revit Program folder.

NOTE: This Excel file is NOT a substitute for the "KeyboardShortcuts.txt" file.

Click to preview and download this time saver:

REVIT 2010 Keyboard Shortcuts & Accelerators Spreadsheet

Publish at Scribd or explore others: How-to-Guides & Manu revit accelerators

RIBBON: WHERE'S MY COMMAND?
Switching from 2009 to 2010? Hating the ribbon interface? You aren't alone of course. Try this:
http://www.nichitecture.com/downloads/Where%20is%20my%20command%20in%20Revit%20Architecture%202010.html

RESOURCES
So many Revit resources! So much discussion! So little time!
I'm trying to pick a "few" sites, blogs, etc. to follow - will be adding to my links.
One resource I can highly recommend is Patrick Villella, whom I've been following on Twitter. He's with CADsoft Consulting. That's where today I found a link to an Autodesk Seek document which sets out standards for data in families. They are developing these standards for manufacturers who are producing Revit family files for their products. An update of this guide is in the works, but for now this version will give you much to consider when creating families that you plan to keep and reuse and from which you (and others) can eventually collect all of this data.
http://seek.autodesk.com/AutodeskSeekMetadataStyleGuide.pdf

BOOK REPORT: "BIG BIM little bim" by Finith Jernigan

I read this book in one sitting last week and was a little disappointed because it seemed too general and large in scope to be practically helpful. The second, more deliberate reading this weekend was more satisfying. It is almost like a textbook - I found myself underlining and noting and was not so bothered by what at first seemed to be too much concept repetition. I'm in the process of searching the internet for all of the references - that's going to take a while.

In the meantime, you can read or download my "book report"

20090607-Revit-Book Report-BIG BIM little bim

Publish at Scribd or explore others: finith jernigan revit

CHALLENGES
(1) Blog technicalities
(2) The new "ribbon" interface in AutoCAD and Revit 2010
(3) The more I read, the more I realize that the biggest challenge is in the transition from AutoCAD to Revit. It's a big leap - from 2D to 4D for most - so a lot of thinking and planning is required in order to make that move efficiently.

Looking forward to reading "BIG BIM little bim."

REVIT FAMILIES: Basic Wall Work Plane

This issue came to my attention when I was trying to add trim to a door family and it wasn’t flexing to different sizes of walls in the project. When I looked at another door family with trim that worked, I discovered this “Basic Wall” work plane and figured it was supposed to be a helpful element. There are some differences in versions 2008, 2009, and 2010, but it does come up in all three.

Read more or download pdf . . .
20090312 Revit Families Basic Wall Work Plane

Been looking through articles and other materials related to IPD (Intgegrated Project Delivery) and MPS (Model Progession Specifications) which have to do with defining what level of detail is included in the Revit model and which discipline is responsible for each component and piece of information. AIA has new contract documents to cover this. One big question is always "how detailed is the model?" When do you stop modeling and start using 2d information? Where is data entered and who enters it? Probably still lots of extremely different answers to all of these questions. Is there actually movement toward a consensus in opinion? (Remember Autocad layer standards?)

http://www.aecbytes.com/feature/2008/MPSforBIM_pr.html

After 20+ years of using Autodesk Autocad, I started using Autodesk Revit in 2007. I love it, but I've been frustrated by trying to visualize how it works - where all of the data is coming from and where it's going and how to change it and how to use it, etc. So - I'm working on understanding the flow of the program so I can get into some "flow" when I use it.

http://www.amazon.com/Flow-Psychology-Experience-Mihaly-Csikszentmihalyi/dp/0060920432