Autodesk release Point Layout

Earlier this week Autodesk released Point Layout, a really smart tool which allows you to better integrate BIM coordinate data into the field. You can import & export data from Autodesk® AutoCAD®, Autodesk® Revit®, or Autodesk® Navisworks® Manage for the creation of QC/QA as well as as-built model coordination & checking. Its worth checking out the details here as well as free trial .

http://www.autodesk.com/products/point-layout/overview

Get your views in order – Project Browser

This is going to be obvious to existing Reviteers & Revit implementers, but getting your views organised & configured within your project browser as part of your implementation is an essential. Just accepting the out of the box View setup holds little value. Whilst there are no exact answers to how you should organise your views, typically this should be based on your modelling / documentation process. You should spend time discussing with your teams how you/they want the browser configured. Avoid long debates, as this is not productive, but engaging the teams as part of the process is certainly worth doing.

You may end up with a number of different configurations, which is what I had when when I worked at HOK. What I would say, is once you have it setup, train your teams in its use. Recently where I have been helping firms to implement Revit, we like to use their template as part of the training. This way they know no difference, for them its just the way they have to work.

The process of configurations is actually very straight to do. I like to follow a BS.1192 methodology, whilst not exactly matching this standard, it does at least start to help you structure the browser in a fashion. So my advice to firms is to work on the principle that you start at the top of the browser with WIP or work in progress, then you have PUBLISHED, these are the views that go on sheets. Then finally you have the actually sheets with the views placed on them. So progressing down the browser. Now you can also add in other groups as well such as EXPORT or COORDINATION, but in this example tutorial we will just limit the browser structure to WIP & PUBLISHED. I hope you find it useful.

RTC comment piece in World Architecture News

For those that are still sat on the fence on whether they should are shouldn’t go to RTC Europe, which will be held in Delft, Netherlands at the end of September; hopefully my comment piece in World Architecture News will persuade you it will be a good decision.

http://backstage.worldarchitecturenews.com/index.php?fuseaction=wanappln.commentview&comment_id=328

Switch Join Order

This one passed me by in Revit 2014, but may have been picked up by others; you can now switch the join order of elements. This is probably best demonstrated when needing to join like minded materials together, such as concrete beams & slabs

Here we have 3 pre-cast concrete beams & a slab. We obviously want to join the elements together to create nice clean joins.

If we choose Join Geometry from the modify tab, we can select the slab & join it to the beams.

Now if we don’t want to show the beams projected into the slab as indicated in the image above, select the Switch Join Order tool, & the select the slab & then each individual beam to switch the way the concrete cleans up.

The cutting rules are recognised when you create a section box through the model as well. Here I have joined one beam so it projects into the slab, the other 2 remain flush to the underside of the slab.

New version of IFC Exporter for Revit

I got this email message forwarded from one of my colleagues, BIM superstar, Michael McCune. Basically it was in reference to a new version of the IFC EXporter for Revit. Details are listed below:-

IFC Exporter for Revit 2013 (v2.12):

http://apps.exchange.autodesk.com/RVT/Detail/Index?id=appstore.exchange.autodesk.com%3aifcexporterforrevit%3aen

IFC Export Alternate UI for Revit 2013 (v1.12):

http://apps.exchange.autodesk.com/RVT/Detail/Index?id=appstore.exchange.autodesk.com%3arevitifcexportalternateui%3aen

IFC Exporter for Revit 2014 (v3.4):

http://apps.exchange.autodesk.com/RVT/Detail/Index?id=appstore.exchange.autodesk.com%3aifcexporterforrevit2014%3aen

IFC Export Alternate UI for Revit 2014 (v2.4):

http://apps.exchange.autodesk.com/RVT/Detail/Index?id=appstore.exchange.autodesk.com%3arevitifcexportalternateui2014%3aen

What’s new for IFC Exporter for Revit v2.12/v3.4:

General (Revit 2014 UR1 Only):

Added basic support for IFC4 export, corresponding to the Coordination View 2.0 MVD. Please see the Wiki for more details. This requires Revit 2014 Update Release 1 to be installed. Note that currently the ifcXML format for IFC4 is not supported.

General:

• Minor performance improvement by reducing the number of calls to the IFC export mapping table.
• This version is the Revit MEP certified version of the exporter. Revit is now certified for all 3 possible export certifications: Architectural, Structural, and MEP.

New Functionality:

• Add new MEP property sets: Pset_SanitaryTerminalBath, Pset_SanitaryTerminalShower, Pset_SanitaryTerminalSink, Pset_SanitaryTerminalWashBasin.
• Add support for IfcRelCoversBldgElements for ducts and pipes. - Allow association of property set descriptions to a specific pre-defined type of an entity.
• Allow exporting foundation and retaining walls as IfcFooting, if set in the IFC export mapping table, or using "IfcExportAs" for the particular wall.
• Export "SiteLandTitleNumber" and "SiteLongName" shared parameters from Project Information to IfcSite, if they are set.
• Optionally allow storing the generated IFC GUIDs into the project file after export. This will add "IFC GUID" parameters to elements, their types, and Project Information for Project, Site, and Building GUIDs. This requires version v2.4 of the alternate UI to set the option, and requires a manual save.
• Read in ParameterMappingTable.txt, which allows users to specify a mapping from Revit properties to IFC common parameter sets. Please see the Wiki on custom parameter mapping for more information. - Special thanks to: Tom Pesman (http://nl.linkedin.com/in/tompesman) and the Dutch Revit User Group (www.revitgg.nl / www.dutchrevitstandards.com) for their contribution of this improvement to the Open Source.

Bug Fixes:

• Add base equipment to the IfcSystem.
• Correct export of true north for IfcSite.
• Correct scaling of Voltage values on export.
• Move more local coordinate systems closer to the entity's geometry.
• Properly export space containment for equipment.

What’s new for IFC Export Alternate UI for Revit v1.12/v2.4:

New Functionality (Revit 2014 UR1 Only):

• Added IFC4 Basic Coordination View 2.0 configuration, and IFC4 as a pull-down option for IFC version. This requires Revit 2014 Update Release 1 to be installed.

New Functionality:

• Optionally allow storing the generated IFC GUIDs into the project file after export. This will add "IFC GUID" parameters to elements, their types, and Project Information for Project, Site, and Building GUIDs. This requires v3.4 of the exporter to add the parameter values, and also requires a manual save.
• Report which property sets are being exported on a single line in the detail section of the first export screen.

Update is done

So I have finally completed all the edits & tweaks I planned for the blog. Hopefully you find the format sharper, cleaner & not too clutter. Let me know what you think….