The Revit Clinic

Symbolic Brace Display in Plan - Above and Below

I have had some questions about controlling whether the symbolic brace representation is above or below the column grids. The location of the brace symbols not modifiable and is determined by whether the bracing meets the columns above or below the Level of the plan view in question. I have put together a couple of screen shots to help illustrate some bracing scenarios that have tended to cause confusion and what their resulting plan representation would be.

Click on images to enlarge:

 
 

 

 

Nested Families & Visibility / Graphic Overrides

When creating families containing nested families with varying family categories [for example the main family is a generic model category with a nested furniture category family] ensure that the nested family is set to shared under Category and Parameters > Family Parameters.

 

Shared families will allow for the following:

1.  Visibility / Graphic Overrides

If the nested family is not set to shared, all instances of the family will be treated as the same category as the host family.  As an example, if the main host family is a generic model and you turn off this category in V/G, all of the nested furniture families will turn off as well.

Video Example

2.  Scheduling

Families set to shared will appear in project schedules where non-shared families will not be included in schedule views.

Video Example

3.  TAB selection

Families set to shared will allow TAB selection through the main family once loaded into the project.

Video Example

Removing beam cutbacks in Medium/Fine

I briefly mentioned how to remove beam cutbacks in Medium/Fine in Tips for Beam Cutbacks in Medium/Fine Detail, but I thought the process could use its own posting to cover it in further detail.

I'll use the out-of-the-box Wide Flange as an example (click on images to enlarge).

1. First, edit the beam family and switch to the Ref. Level plan.
   
   
   
   
   
2. There are two sweeps used to represent the geometry: one for Medium and one for Fine detail. Select one of them and Edit the Sweep.
3. Select the horizontal sweep path line and choose Edit Sketch.
4. The path line is locked to the Member Left and Member Right reference planes. Unlock the constraints, and drag the ends to the Left and Right reference planes instead.
5. Use the Align tool: first select a reference plane and then select the path endpoint. The lock icon should appear. Lock this constraint. Do this for both ends of the path line.
   
   
   
   
   
6. Click Finish Path, then Finish Sweep.
7. Select the modified sweep, and then use the Temporary Hide/Isolate tool > Hide Element to hide the sweep in the view.
8. There should be another sweep present. Follow steps 2-6 again for this sweep.
9. Select that modified sweep and use the Temporary Hide/Isolate tool to hide that one as well. You should then be left with two dashed symbolic lines.
10. Follow steps 4 and 5 for these lines.
11. Use the Temporary Hide/Isolate tool > Reset Temporary Hide/Isolate to bring the geometry back to the view.
    
    
    
    
    
12. Reload this family into your project.
    
    
    

The cutbacks should now be removed. Here's a quick video illustrating this process from my original Beam Cutback Tips post.

Placing exported MEP systems onto separate AutoCAD layers

A known limitation, and often raised issue by Revit MEP users, is the inability to have individual MEP Systems end up on separate layers when exporting to CAD drawings.  Instead, all elements of the same category, regardless of the system that they are part of, wind up on the same layer.  This makes it more difficult for a CAD user to separate and control the visibility of separate MEP systems in AutoCAD.

As an example, a Revit MEP user may have a model consisting of several pipe systems (e.g. Domestic Cold Water, Hot Water, Hot Water Return).  When exporting the information to CAD, all of the pipes, pipe accessories and pipe fittings are placed on a single layer in the AutoCAD drawing, M-PIPE (default specified in Revit MEP).  Therefore, the user has to manually separate these items into layers to turn them on/off or change their appearance.

However, one workaround that I wanted to share may simplify this process somewhat for the AutoCAD user.  The key is to create view filters to physically differentiate between systems in Revit, so that when exported, the items belonging to each system will have unique properties, such as color or linetype.  This will then allow the AutoCAD user to use AutoCAD filters to quickly select and control the objects based on their properties.  An advanced user can even create a macro or script to automate the separation of these elements.

In the video here (no sound), I have shown an example of a Revit model with the three piping systems referred to above.  The view filters are rather simplistic, overriding the color and linetype of the pipes and fittings based on a unique comment (DCW, DHW, or DWHR).  When exported, the objects maintain their color and linetype in AutoCAD.  Once in AutoCAD, the user can use Qselect, filters, or some other function to select the objects that they want.

In short, it would be ideal to be able to export systems to individual layers.  This is a wish request that development is looking at.  For now, this may be an acceptable alternative.

If anyone else has come up with a workaround, please feel free to share.

The case of the deleted elements…

Many of us have been in a situation where we create a new local file, and notice specific elements missing from the file.  It might be tags, keynotes, text, etc...  The question is how did these elements get deleted?

More often than not if a specific object type is missing throughout the entire project, “Select all Instances” may have been used to select them.  Once selected they may have been deleted from all views.

The following journal excerpts will give you a better idea of what to look in a journal file to isolate this scenario.  In this example let’s use “text” as the missing object type…

The user selects a portion of text:

"SEL RESULT: Text Notes : Text : 1/4"" Arial"

User then right-clicks, “Select all Instances”:

Jrn.Command "ContextMenu" , "Select all elements that have the same type as the selected element , ID_PRJBROWSER_SEL_ALL"

User then deletes them:

Jrn.Command "AccelKey" , "Delete the selection , ID_BUTTON_DELETE"

All matching instances of this text deleted from project:

Jrn.Data "Transaction Successful"  , "Delete Selection"

Rendering output shows red & black squares

If when rendering in Revit 2009 or 2010 products, you come across some materials appearing as black & red squares, I want to pass along what to look for in the project.  This issue should look similar to the example image below:

 

This typically occurs with a light fixture family in the project or nested in other families.  Keep in mind they do not have to be in use in the family, but simply loaded in.

Under some circumstances if the light source definition uses an IES shape definition that cannot be located, some of the final rendering materials will be distorted.  This occurs even when no artificial lights are used in the rendered scene.

To resolve this issue:

1.  Edit the light fixture families using the IES shape definition.
2.  Highlight the light source definition, open Element Properties.
3.  Remove the IES definition from the Photometric Web File.

 

Once loaded back into the project the scene should render as expected.

Running on the Edge

I like to run along the edge and when it comes to technology, I don't mind being on my own.  Sometimes, though that leads me into trouble.  A little bit of background...

I am currently using a Macbook Pro 17inch, and running Bootcamp and Parallels Desktop. 

I am running Windows 7.  You may have heard that running Windows 7 and Revit is not a supported environment. 

As a Mac user, I upgraded along with many others to the new Snow Leopard OS, mainly for the Exchange Support since email seems to be my life. 

I am also a Parallels Desktopuser.  I like running in Parallels mainly because my new Magic Mouse works (no Windows drivers yet for the Mouse so I cannot use the scroll functions when running in Bootcamp), and I can do a few more things on the Mac side.

Before I talk about the problem I ran into, I do not recommend running in a unsupported environment.  I do not need to produce construction documents, if I did, I would be running in a Supported Environment.

Everything in my setup was running great up, until last night.  I decided to add one more thing to the list.  We support running Parallels Desktop Version 4 with a VM of XP or Vista and Revit on a Mac using Leopard (not Snow Leopard), but last night I downloaded and installed the newest version of Parallels, Version 5.  I was hopefully that because Parallels supports Windows 7 with Version 5 that things might run a little bit faster now. Hey, it was working with Windows 7 before, why not.   

After upgrading, which wasn't difficult, and updating my copy of Parallels Tools that is running on my Bootcamp partition, I started checking email and going about my business as I normally do.  Everything was fine, and I was liking the new version of Parallels, until I started Revit.  

   

Well, that did not look good.  No access to the Ribbon and no access to the application menu.  I was sure that there was some variable of all these different unsupported Environments that was causing the problem, especially because it was working fine before with Parallels 4.  

I started digging around inside of Windows 7 trying to see if that was the problem.  I disabled the Aero theme and a few other things, but had no luck resolving the problem.  

I started playing around with Parallels settings and then I remembered an old troubleshooting tip.

For problems with graphics, often Hardware Acceleration is key to the problem. 

I can only imagine what hardware acceleration the new version of Parallels was doing differently, but I figured that was a good place to start.  I shutdown the VM, and opened up the Configuration options for Parallels and turned off hardware acceleration.  

 
 
Restarted the VM and Bingo, problem solved.

So, long story short, even if you are running on a bleeding edge, don't forget your basic troubleshooting tips.  It just may get you running again.

AutoCAD Structural Detailing 2010 64-bit

I haven't posted in a while as I've been on vacation for the last two weeks for my younger sister's wedding here in Charleston. It was great spending time with family and friends from across the country and hiding from my computer for a while. :)

At the end of last week the 64 bit version of AutoCAD Structural Detailing 2010 released for Subscription customers with the AutoCAD Revit Structure Suite 2010. This release allows the Structural Detailing application to be installed on 64 bit Operating Systems, and can be obtained through the Subscription Center. More information about the application can be found at the AutoCAD Structural Detailing product page on Autodesk.com.