A year since I’ve written anything. Nuts. I’m not one for resolutions… so I’ll just leave it at that.
I was struggling trying to make some fill patterns manually today. Have you ever tried to do those by hand? Yeah, I think Rainman worked up the syntax for those files. So, making them by hand is obnoxious.
Quick Google search found a piece of software that I could buy for around $180 to make the pat files. Come on! There has to be something free!
Then I came across this post. The post is old, and it forces you to use ACAD, but it gets the job done very nicely. I had to remember how to draw a line, but once I did I made some pattern files to pull into good old Revit. And it was MUCH faster than doing it by hand.
Ideally, I would think that the geniuses at Autodesk Labs would make some online HTML5 application that lets you draw and save a pat file right in your browser, but that’s me dreaming again.
Hey! I’ve dipped my to into C# and done some coding for Revit! I’ll try to share that fun soon!
Yes, yes, I know everyone is excited about the release of Revit 2012, but I have a little 2011 issue that I thought I would share with everyone. And in all honesty, I don’t even know if this is a problem in 2012, but I figured we’d still be using 2011 for some time so here goes.
We have started getting our folks to create a Copy Monitor workset in workshared files. On this workset, we are asking them to put anything in the model that they have Copy/Monitored. This allows the original model to not load in that workset when the second model is linked back in. This helps avoid having elements on top of themselves which, according to TimeCop, would cause some sort of space time continuum mess.
The issue is when an element is Copy/Monitored, it DOESN’T GO IN ON THE CURRENT ACTIVE WORKSET. It goes on the first workset that was created, usually the cleverly named “Workset 1”. Everything else seems to play nice with worksets. Copy/Monitor elements don’t like to play nice. Our (dumb) workaround? In blank files that we are activating worksharing, we make the first workset “Copy Monitor”.
We have verified with Autodesk that this is an issue, and that the developers are “working on it”. Like I said, I need to see if it still happens in 2012, and considering past experience, I have a feelign that we will never see a fix for it in 2011. So heads up on that.
Every so often it’s important to pull out the big guns. I have always said that any kind of graphics or documenting standards are written in mud. Almost stone, but changeable when necessary.
There are some things that we do, and I bet there are some things that you do, that should NOT be done differently. Default materials should not be changed, default annotation should not be messed with, most anything in the Object Styles in a project shouldn’t be touched. This is just bad for other users on a project and can get annoying and waste time. There are some things that just shouldn’t be messed with for other reasons; dimensions come to mind here.
There are ways to override or fudge your dimensions in Revit, and I’ll outline the two most common here. NOT so you do it, simply so you know what to look for. There should be NO REASON to override dimensions, and I will arm wrestle anyone who disagrees. I may lose the arm wrestle match, but I am right. If you place a dimension string and it says 5′ 2 1/32″, and it’s supposed to be 5′ 2″, DON’T change the dimension… FIX THE MODEL. Always always always fix the model. Always. Got it? Great.
The first way to fudge your dimension is to override the accuracy on it. By default, it’s going to take your project settings, but you can get into a dimension type and change that accuracy. I’ve seen several times when someone has a 1/32″ (that’s our default project accuracy) show up in a dimension string, they don’t bother fixing it, they override they change the ROUNDING under UNITS FORMAT to something lower.
CHEATERS!!! What happens? The rounding gets confusing, sometimes rounding up when it should go down. And then an overall dimension string won’t add up. And you will look like you don’t know how to simple arithmetic. And I don’t need to tell you what happens when a contractor finds dimension strings to not add up…
The second, far more devious, way of fudging a dimension string is to override the text. For the last few versions of Revit, you could double-click on the dimension and add some text as a prefix or suffix, or even replace the dimension value with a piece of text. Revit is mostly smart and will not allow you to replace the value with another number. See? Revit doesn’t want you to cheat! But there is a way…
Let’s say your dimension value is 8′-6 1/16″. You want it to be 8′-6″. Double-click on the text and you will see the value in there.
Here’s where the CHEATERS come in. If you toggle “Replace With Text”, and type in 8′-6″. (see that little period after the text?), Revit will allow it. You will have a tiny dot on your dimension string, but it’s changed. Congratulations, you have figured out a way to keep your sloppy modelling skills intact and not bother to make anything accurate. Good job!
Not much infuriates me (that’s not true at all – I’m a pretty bitter person… and Crocs… MAN how I hate those shoes…) but there is no excuse for this sloppiness. This is absurd. Model it right, and if it’s not modeled right, fix it.
So, how do you police this kind of thing? First of all, whenever you see it, point it out to everyone on the project team. Don’t outright mock them for cheating, but come close. And bring up that you know another firm that is still dealing with litigation from a job where they cheated on the dimensions. Even if you don’t.
What I like to do (with apologies to Bruce Campbell) is pull out my BIM Stick. I keep it for special occasions.
Seriously, this is my BIM Stick
We have a weekly Revit meeting where we discuss issues and problems. I have only pulled out my BIM Stick once, and it was to discuss this issue. Will it change the cheaters? I hope so. I also hope it stresses to the interns and younger designers how important this is. I know, I’m so sweet passing on my knowledge to future generations of bitter BIM Monkeys.
So, get yourself a BIM Stick and wave it around only for the big topics. Hopefully it will change the minds of some folks, but it will definitely make you feel better.
I’ve received no fewer than six emails about the announced features for the next release of Newforma Project Center. We use that package at my firm, to varying degrees of success. Some of it we use religiously and some we couldn’t bother with. It’s like that with any software, though. You figure out what part of the tool works for you, and you tip toe around the rest (I’m looking at you, Keynotes).
We’ve always been watching for Newforma to get their hooks into Revit, and we had some ideas about what would make our dream list. This list wasn’t based in any kind of fact or logic, but it was our list. And we liked it.
Lo and behold, finally the clouds have parted, the skies opened up and angels have sung from on high that Newforma Project Center 8 will have Revit integration (to a limited degree, sings that one angel that no one likes)!
I don’t want to comment on it until I actually get to sink my paws into it, but I will say from watching their videos that I am cautiously optimistic. Is it my dream list? No . Does the idea of creating an action item right from Revit seem awesome? Yes. Because I am big nerd? Of course.
So take a peek at the videos and see what you think. I will follow up when we actually get it installed.
Oh, and let’s slow down with all the IMs. Newforma is pushing “PIM” – Project Information Management. So now we have BIM and PIM. I’ll soon have to go to a TIM “Totally Important Meeting” to discuss our CIM “Crappy Initials Manifesto” and we will be eating DIM “Donuts In Marshmallow”
Sorry. Kind of lost steam on that last one.
So, I’ve found myself with some lovely time spent working through the joys of Underlays. We just had some confusing goings ons, and I thought I would try to get to the bottom of it.
Underlays can be very useful for figuring out what is going on above and below. And on top of that, any Linework tweak you do to an element in an Underlay, will stay on when you turn the Underlay off! That’s the kind of thing that gets a geek excited!
From a previous event, I decided I should spend more time in the Help docs, to see if that could lead me the right way. This was the most important thing the Help File had about how they work:
Displays another slice of the model under the current plan view. That slice of the model can be from above or below the current level. The underlay appears dimmed and is visible even in hidden line. The underlay is useful to understand the relation of components on different floors. Normally, you would turn off the underlay before exporting or printing the view. You set an underlay by specifying a level. The slice of the model between that level and the next level up displays. Three of the underlay options (Current Level, Level Above, and Level Below) are relative to the current level. All other choices are absolute. See Halftone/Underlay.
So not much. Had to crack open Revit and play for a while.
I would like to preface, this is all based on minutes and minutes of vast experimentaiton. If someone can point me out as wrong, PLEASE DO. I would love to know this stuff.
First off – Underlays don’t show linked models. I tried copy/monitor levels, tried messing with Visibility Graphics, no way could I get a linked model elements to show in an Underlay. It just didn’t exist as far as the Gods of the Underlay were concerned (Hades, Pluto, Osiris).
Next up is a clarification of the Help File. Both setting the Underlay and the Underlay’s own view range are dependent on levels… but they MUST be levels that have a floor plan or RCP associated with it. I’ll clarify.
When you go to select what Level you want for the Underlay, only levels with plan views will show in the list. In the below snapshot, you see the dropdown for Underlay only showing “Level “1 and “Level 2” (and “None”), when clearly the elevation indicates Level 4, Level 5 and Roof. Level 4, Level 5 and Roof have no plan or RCP associate with them. If I were to create a plan, then that level would show up in the list.
The Help File also indicates that the “slice” of what the Underlay shows is from the level you select to the level above that level. The Help File does NOT indicate that the “level above” must have a plan associated with it.
So, in the example above, if “Level 1” is selected as the Underlay, the “slice” will go from Level 1 to Level 2.
If “Level 2” is selected, then the “slice” will go from Level 2 to… infinity… or wherever Revit decides to stop the model. I didn’t test this. I simply put a wall 100′ above Level 2 and it did indeed show up when the Underlay was set to “Level 2”.
As soon as a plan or RCP are created for a level above Level 2, then the “slice” will shrink. If that plan or RCP is deleted, then the “slice” will grow again.
So, I would propse the Help File be tweaked. First of all, get rid of that line about “Three of the underlay options (Current Level, Level Above, and Level Below) are relative to the current level.” I don’t even think that’s an option. Beyond that:
The slice of the model between that level and the next level up, with an associated plan view, displays.
And maybe add a picture of me giving someone a high five while actually drinking Slice. That would be cool. Does that drink even exist anymore? Now I’m thirsty…
This is hard to understand, so I’ll point you here and here (I especially like how that last one calls it a “feature”) for some different ways of explaining it.
Here are the criteria for this insanity:
You have a wall
The top is UNCONSTRAINED and not attached to anything
Your View Range cuts through the wall
The top of your wall is less than 6′ from the Bottom of the View Range
If your walls meet all these criteria, your wall will NOT show with the CUT style. It will show PROJECTION. Yes, even though you are cutting through it.
If you set the top of your wall to constrain to a level, any level, and then offset it, it will then show as CUT. Or if you drop the bottom of your view range down so the top of the wall is at least 6′ from the bottom of the view range, it will show as CUT.
Seriously, there has to be a secret manual somewhere. Indiana Jones and I will try to track it down soon.
I am starting to feel (somewhat) comfortable about where our firm has gotten with Revit. There are still some individuals and techniques that are WAY off in left field, but for the most part, 2010 has been a really good year in bringing everyone up to a certain speed.
We’ve started to look at expanding the “I” in BIM. Last year we dabbled with using our models for lighting analysis with mixed results. I expect that to continue. We are also starting to play with integrating specs, investigating some FM integration, and just paying attention to any acronym that we haven’t heard of. (Be careful, there are some acronyms out there that you NEVER want to know about).
I hope over the next year I can dial up the usual tips, but also keep everyone posted on our progress with our next steps. They will be baby steps, but they are steps nevertheless.
And the geek part of me is pretty darn excited. Happy new year, all.
Our good buddy Revit uses the Windows installed fonts for all of its font needs. This isn’t just for fonts used in your text and dimensions, but also fonts that the ribbon and help files and other “software-y” stuff needs.
A former co-worker sent me an email recently with an odd problem that he was having on a PC in Revit Arch 2010. The ribbon, the drop downs, even the search text in the help search box was showing up as a bunch of boxes:
What the what?
Having spent some time in the Windows Character Map program (don’t ask – I don’t like to relive those days) I recognized those boxes as characters that a font didn’t have access to. Except in this case, it was ALL the characters.
Must be a bad font, or missing font in Windows. But what font was Windows trying to use to fill out the Revit interface? Time for some digital sleuthing…
A quick Google search turned up nothing worthwhile.
A fast check in the help file brought up nothing as well.
I did a screen capture of my non-boxey interface and uploaded it to http://new.myfonts.com/WhatTheFont/ to see if the “magical cloud” could figure it out.
My searches turned up nothing. So I made a guess.
When we deployed Office 2007 in our firm, I remember reading about Microsoft getting hooked on Calibri for the new default. So, I wrote my coworker back and told him to see if Calibri was installed on that PC; if it wasn’t install it… if it was, delete it and install it again.
That was the trick! Calibri is the magic font that will allow you to actually read your Revit interface. Once he installed the font and restarted Revit, everything showed up fine.
The editing request “feature” in Revit has officially been put on the NEVER EVER USE list in our office. It joins the ranks of “Insert DWG File” and “That one vendor who called and claimed he was calling me about jury duty to try and trick the receptionist” (true story.)
For the most part, worksets and worksharing function far better than they have any right to. It is a complicated and memory intensive process that for the most part just works.
With proper team management, you can coordinate folks to work on different tasks so they aren’t stepping on each others toes. However, every once in a while, you try to get an element to work on, but someone else has it “borrowed”.
Revit offers you the wonderful opportunity to place a request to the owner. Hey! That sounds great! I’ll click this button and that guy will see that I need that wall and he’ll click “Sure, friend! Take it! I’m done with it!” and I’ll get the wall and everything will be great!
Except you click the button and wait. And wait. And wait.
See, there is no magical popup on the other person’s screen, which is what EVERYONE thinks it will do the first time I teach them worksets. You should see their faces when I explain that their request does not create some instant message like blurb on the other person’s screen. That it secretly hides the request in a very hard to find menu. It’s like I showed them a cake, then told them they had to eat this carrot. And not a clean carrot. A dirty one, straight from the ground.
The Revit help files even say that once you place the request, you have to “Ask the owner to approve your request. The owner does not receive automatic notification of your request. You must contact the owner.” You have to ask! The computer can’t ask for me?! What?!
Sorry. It’s been a long week.
Anyway, we had a big issue over the past weekend where Person A placed a request, didn’t talk to the Person B and then left. Because it was Saturday, and who can blame them? College football, man. Person B then sync’ed and left for the weekend. Hooray! Good job, Person B! You sync’ed and checked all your stuff back in!
You know there’s a “but” coming.
BUT, when Person B synced, the unknown requested element automatically reserved the element for Person A. That’s what we call Revit being “helpful”. We have a list of items of Revit being “helpful”. Person C then needed to work on the element. Both Person A and Person B were off doing some weekend stuff, Person C got (justifiably) frustrated, they called Persons IT, and someone had to pretend to be Person A, relinquish all, and then sync.
Obnoxious. And it could have been solved by having Revit pop-up editing requests. Yeah, I know that the Workshare Monitor can help… sort of… but that thing sometimes likes to report that I’m in the model six times, and no one else is in it, even though they are sitting right next to me and I can see their screen, so I look at the Workshare Monitor with a skeptical eye.
So, for now, we tell our folks to never use the place request button. We tell them to use the phone, or to go see the other person, because it just isn’t worth the hassle.
We sometimes (all the time) find ourselves needing to adjust the appearance of our model elements in a view to get stuff to look… well, just plain right. And then there are the times when we cut a detail view and frankly, the model just isn’t looking too good at that scale and we just want to hide it all and draft over top of it. Heartbreaking, but it happens.
You can open Visibility Graphics and select all your families and change the appearance right there, but Revit does offer up a quicker way to make some very basic wholesale changes to your model elements in your view. Under View Properties, there is a parameter called “Display Model”, and frankly, it’s one of those parameter names that scares people. Normally, I’d say it’s good to follow that gut feeling and NOT push the button, but this button is benign. At least, it’s easy to undo.
Hitting the dropdown will show three options, each one hopefully self-explanatory.
“Normal” will not make any changes to your model elements in this view. It will look “normal”
“As underlay” applies your project’s underlay appearance override to every model element in the current view
“Do not display” just turns off every single model element in the view
A very simple function, but very powerful when you need to make this kind of change.
Design Tech Field Guide 
