Tools4Revit–New Sort Mark Tool

The guys at Tool4Revit let me know that they have released a new application called Sort Mark that allows new possibilities in sorting and renumbering Revit elements.

“We made it as “easy-to-use” as possible. Sort Mark will help you to get rid of some daily pains and save your time. Trust me, it has never been so simple!”

Sort Mark Features:

• Detect grid geometry and renumber it;
• Renumber grids automatically after they have been changed in the project;
• Powerful and flexible functions allow to renumber any Revit element in different ways;
• Write swing direction for the doors;
• Write flip/mirror orientation for the selected elements;
• Recalculate shared X, Y, Z coordinates;
• Create new shared parameters etc.

Checkout the link to these videos, which explains the various features.

http://www.tools4revit.com/SortMark/E-Help-001/

More Project Vasari 2.5 info

What’s new in project Vasari……..

http://wikihelp.autodesk.com/Vasari/enu/TP25/Help/0000-New_in_P0

http://wikihelp.autodesk.com/Vasari/enu/TP25

Project Vasari 2.5

Those chaps over at Project Vasari have been working hard to produce an update to their now famed conceptual modelling & analysis tool.

Vasari 2.5 is set to be released on Autodesk labs very soon. Release 2.5 includes a number of exciting enhancements, these include:-

• Perspective View
• Extrude Face
• Improvements to auto-zoning
• Ecotect Solar Radiation – automatically update on export

The major focus for Vasari 2.5 is around modelling & general usability enhancements.

Perspective View

The new Perspective view type allows you to edit in Perspective.This is different to a camera view, where you place a camera to generate the view. When enabled, a new view type is placed in the project browser. To create a Perspective working view, go to the manage tab & select the Perspective icon. Alternatively, go to the QAT & select Perspective.

Working in Perspective can also be enabled in the rfa environment by once again creating a view via the manage>view and QAT access points.The ability to work in perspective is something I have been crying out for ages & its brilliant in my humble opinion.

Extrude Face

The new extrude face tool is very similar to push/pull tools of other 3d modelling packages. To access the tool just select a face inside the Mass editor and hit the space bar to toggle to the extrude face control.  Use the rectangular handle to extrude without edges and the circular handle to extrude while keeping edges. You can also control the extrude face between the local & global coordinate system. There are some limitations on this functionality, these are listed below, but don’t be put off, just be aware.

• Only faces of Form Elements with planar and parallel top and bottom faces can be extruded
• Only faces that lie between profiles can be extruded If the extrude direction is not in the plane of the top/bottom face, the face cannot be extruded
• If the face is moved so that it intersects other faces of the form, the operation will fail gracefully
• If the face is highly curved in the profile plane (normal cone is larger than 90 degrees), it can't be extruded

The code base is still based around Revit 2012, so Vasari 2.5 files are still compatible with the current release of Revit. So keep an eye on twitter as well as Autodesk Labs for the Vasari 2.5 release date.

Baku Images

I got these images from the HOK project manager today; these are the latest images from Baku Flame Towers!

TEDxBerkeley - Carl Bass - The New Rules of Innovation

Be sure to checkout Carl Bass’ TEDx talk.

Are architects doing enough to be bim leaders?

I few weeks back I was asked to write a comment piece on whether I thought architects in general were stepping up to the plate and making themselves BIM leaders. It maybe a UK centric issued, but I am dismayed by the fact the architectural industry doesn’t recognise BIM as a potential opportunity. The extract from this article is below. I hope I can revisit this in years to come & me be proven wrong!

“Are architects doing enough to be bim leaders?”

It would love to say yes, but it pains me to say that I don’t think that is the case. I am privileged that I am employed by a forward thinking firm who recognises the business benefit for using BIM. Within HOK, BIM leadership is driven right from the top by our CEO Patrick McCleamy & the rest of the HOK board. BIM & buildingSMART is one of HOK’s five main business drivers.

There are certainly other architectural firms who also driving the BIM leadership message. However, on the whole, architects are just thinking that BIM is 3d, a quicker way to do a coordinated set of drawings or high quality visualisations. There are others who are sceptical, thinking that BIM is just a fad, it stifles creativity and is doomed failure. But then I remember, people said the same about CAD & before that the fax machine.

Sure enough 3d modelling is one component, but the possibilities extend far beyond that. It has been said many times before; it is the “I” in the BIM that is one of the most important components of this new collaborative process. Information & knowledge, empowers you. Being able to manage & take a lead in the BIM collaboration process potentially allows the architect to once again become the master builder, the integrator.

I understand the challenges with investing in the BIM processes & the necessary supporting technology in these turbulent times. Nether the less, BIM is an opportunity & that opportunity will not last for ever. If architects don’t embrace it & take a lead, there will be plenty in the wings who will certainly step up & grab the BIM leadership crown.