IMAGINiT Building Solutions Blog

Looking for Revit Point Cloud Modelers With Pipe and Plant Data

Our Scan To BIM dev team is looking for a few one-on-ones with customers this week who have Revit experience and point clouds with pipe and/or plant data to sit with us via Webex to review a new feature with you for feedback.

EDIT: Thanks all, BETA period for this release is now closed. Stay tuned for future opportunities.

If you fit the bill we have amazon gift certificates for those we meet with as our way of saying thank you (and of course making Scan To BIM an even better product). Interested, E-mail Me.

Requirements: Revit 2015, Existing Point Cloud with Pipes and/or Plant Data (already recapped into Revit). This should take 35 minutes to complete.

Model On!

Revit 2015 R2. Site Designer for Revit. What's it really mean to you?

By now you may have heard about a "new release" of Revit that is being called "Revit 2015 R2". This release of Revit adds new features and functionality to Revit 2015 and was released at the same time as a new extension for Revit, Autodesk Site Designer Extension for Revit 2015. The first thing you have to know about the R2 versions of Revit (Revit R2, Revit MEP R2, Revit Architecture R2, Revit Structure R2 Revit LT R2) is:

You have to have an active relevant Autodesk subscription to access the updates. If you have Revit 2015 but your subscription lapsed, you will not be able to get to the update and extension.

That primary piece of information is followed very quickly by this one (call them #1a and #1b):

The R2 release of Revit is fully compatible with regular Revit 2015 software products - the file format did not change.

So... how do you get these updates and enhancements and what can they do to your Revit? I'm glad you asked. To access the downloads, you need to log into the Autodesk Subscription site (subscription.autodesk.com) and find the link to get to your available Product Enhancements. Here is one of the places you can click:

From there, you should be able to scroll down and find links to download the two new enhancements:

The Revit 2015 R2 "application" installs like a service pack - it modifies your existing installation, it does not need an uninstall/reinstall process. (yay!) So what does it add?  Well, the improvements can be categorized into three categories, Power, Performance, and Productivity.

Power: 

• Share more accurately predicted energy performance information in custom dashboards with Project Solon integrated into Revit.
• Use existing geometry in a linked IFC model as a reference for dimensions, alignment, snapping, and hosting of some families in a Revit model.
• Troubleshoot models better with the Reveal Constraints mode making all dimension alignment constraints in a view visible.
• Explore visual programming with the Dynamo interface for computational design which now installs with Revit so you can more easily enhance and extend the power of the Revit API.

Performance:

• Edit and regenerate complex toposurfaces, subregions, and building pads.
• Get better performance of the energy analytical model in Revit, with Revit R2 using less memory when analyzing large models.
• Experience faster updates to views that contain multiple instances of families.
• See faster display of Revit links within views.

Productivity:

• Work in perspective views, making quick adjustments without having to change views with some modeling capabilities now available in perspective views.
• Save more time by editing multiple wall joins together
• Find content more quickly with Search capabilities in the Type Selector and all drop-down lists.
• Navigate PDFs exported from Revit more quickly with hyperlinked views.
• Experience easier interaction with structural elements through user interface improvements.
• Improve productivity with more streamlined Rebar modeling and shop drawings creation.

The full list is too large for me to want to place in this blog, so here's a link to a PDF with all the specifics:

Revit 2015 R2 Enhancement List

Now what about the Site Designer? If you were familiar with EaglePoint's SiteWorks product... well... you know what this extension is all about. Autodesk acquired that technology and is distributing it under this new extension name. Click on the image below for a full size version of the Site Designer Ribbon:

And here's a quick list of what you'll be able to do with this extension:

• Report and schedule areas, volumes, and cut and fill volumes to better understand the impact of site design changes on requirements to move or add fill.
• Iterate conceptual designs and create more realistic visuals of the building site by incorporating grading features directly into the Revit model.
• Better communicate conceptual design ideas about the building site to engineers who can then complete the detailed site design using professional civil engineering tools like Autodesk® AutoCAD® Civil 3D® software.
• Share the appearance of site plan designs for better communication with everyone involved in the project, including owners, architects, designers, planners and civil engineering firms.
• Share a site model between Revit and Civil 3D through Land XML files, improving collaboration between architects and engineers working on a project.
• More quickly add design elements to your site such as berms and drainage swales, minimizing the time required to mass grade a site and to try alternatives at the design development stage.
• Special terrain families within Site Designer provide you with parameters that control widths, cut and fill slopes and other projection settings.
• Locate hardscape components such as streets, intersections, sidewalks, curbs and walls that can follow the existing terrain and have controlled elevations and slopes - all while the toposurface is automatically maintained.

There's a lot of information to absorb here - hopefully it is enough to get you informed and know if you want or need either of these recent updates!

Have fun!

joe

Adaptive Components Part 1

Welcome to part 1 of a 4-post series by IMAGINiT's Veredith Keller on Revit Adaptive Components! Veredith is wicked awesome and I'm sure you'll enjoy. So without further ado, here is the first post leading into Adaptive Components... Adaptive Points.

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Adaptive points are created by modifying reference points. The geometry drawn by snapping to these flexible points results in an adaptive component. Adaptive components can be used in pattern panel families, adaptive component families, conceptual massing environment, and projects.

In this blog post we'll show you how to create by using Adaptive Points, starting with a Generic Model Adaptive family. This is the first step in getting you started. Here's a quick tutorial on how to create your first adaptive points and component:

From the application menu choose New> Family.

 

Choose Template File, Generic Model Adaptive.rft.

From the Modify|Place Reference Lines tab>Draw panel, pick Reference>Point Element

From the option bar>Placement Plane dropdown, choose Level : Ref. Level

Place 4 Reference Point Elements.

Select all 4 Reference Points.

From the Modify|Reference Points Tab> Adaptive Component panel, pick Make Adaptive.

Now all 4 Reference Points are Adaptive. You should notice a change in graphics and numbers next to the points. These numbers came up in the order that you placed them.

If you need to change the order of the numbering you can pick on a number, change it, and the others will adjust accordingly.

Example:  change 4 to 2 and you will now see the others numbers have changed automatically. Change 2 back to 4.

Next, you need to create a surface off of the points. Please note that it is very important to work on the correct work plane when creating surfaces.

Extra note: each adaptive point has an X, Y and Z work plane.

To start creating the surface, make sure 3D snapping is turned on and draw a Reference Line from point to point. To do this, pick the Modify|Place Reference Lines tab>Draw panel>Reference>Line button.

From the options bar turn on 3D Snapping            

           

Draw a line in the order of the reference point numbers.

Now we need to test and make sure that the Lines are attached to the Reference points by moving the Points in the Z direction.

Pick on a point and drag the blue Z arrow up and verify that the reference lines move with the point. Then Undo to bring it back.

Pick on one of the Reference Lines. Note: when you choose one Reference Line all 4 are chosen automatically.

From the Modify|Reference Lines tab> Form panel, pick on Create Form>Solid Form.

You will see a choice of Solid of Surface. Choose Surface.

Save this family.

Now, start a new project and draw a wall. From the quick access toolbar pick on the Default 3D View button.

Open the Adaptive family and from the Family Editor panel pick on Load into Project.

Notice that the Placement type is Place on Face. You can also make associations to specific levels in the model by changing the Placement Plane option from the options bar or you can also pick on the surface of the wall.

In this example you will pick 4 pick points. Note: this is the number of adaptive points made in the family.

1^st pick will be on Placement Plane: Level 1.

2^nd pick on the surface on the wall.

3^rd pick top midpoint of the wall.

4^th pick will be on Placement Plane: Level 2.

If you change the height of the wall or move the wall the points will change with it. You can also tab to the points and drag the XYZ arrows to change points to another location.

Here's another example:

Make the Placement Plane Level 2, changing it from the likely default of:

... and make sure that Place on Face is selected

1^st pick on Bottom left of wall

2^nd pick is on Placement Plane

3^rd pick is on Bottom right of wall

4^th pick is on Top midpoint of wall.

These are the first steps on making Adaptive Components. The next blog post in this series will cover using formulas with Adaptive Components.

Have Fun!

- Veredith