Revit Start-up

There are things I wish I could set as default in Revit. Popular ones such as text justification settings and option bar settings to various modify tools come to mind. Having to reset these preferences everyday can be annoying, especially when you are modelling away and have to pause to fix a setting that is constantly reset every time you open Revit. 

So I decided to incorporate a few things into my start-up routine each morning. There are only 4 things on the list, but it makes for a smoother, uninterrupted run in my day. 

I start Revit every morning and these are the first things I do before I start my work:

1. Check my workset (You should do this throughout the day as well)
2. Place some text and set the leader justification for 'top right'. (Unfortunately the default is bottom right. Top left is always fine, but if you're like me and justify your leaders to the 'top right', for notes that are on the left side of your details, then this one can be annoying to fix)
3. Use the copy command and tick 'multiple' in the options bar. This will set it as multiple for the rest of the day. 
4. Drag the properties divider to the left. (I have my properties palette setup on my second screen. The palette is quite wide and by default, Revit divides this evenly. I want to see the properties in full so I drag it to the left so I can read & type in the palette in full).

That's it, takes me less than 30 seconds and it sets me up nicely for the days work ahead. 

Is there anything in Revit you wish you could set as default?

BIM World

I wanted to follow up on my last post (What the BIM are we Talking About?!?) with a couple of recommendations on BIM orientated blogs that I keep up-to-date with myself. 

There are many out there, and I certainly haven't seen them all, but two that keep me coming back are 'Practical BIM' by Anthony McPhee & 'BIM Fix' by Brian Renehan. 

Both blogs have posted recently about what is behind Level of Development (LOD) too if your looking to explore this & many other aspects to BIM in more depth. 

For an extensive list of many more BIM blogs out there, I would recommend visiting Revit OpEd. Steve has put together a fairly healthy list of what is currently out there. 

What The BIM Are We Talking About?!?

I don't like the term BIM. It means too many things and is often misunderstood. How many versions of "BIM" are you aware of? You wouldn't be blamed for thinking "BIM" was a person if you heard about "little BIM", apparently quite lonely. Maybe you know their brother "Big BIM"? Do you know what all the LOD's stands for? Yes, there is more than one. What about LOI, IFC, BCF, AIM, IPD or BEP?!? 

With all these acronyms in our own industry, we are suffering the same fate as the automotive industry, dozens and dozens of acronyms, that only causes confusion and provides little understanding of what they actually mean. 

This got me thinking. So I decided to have a little bit of fun with just how confusing this is all getting. So sit back, relax and try to keep up! (For a more amusing read, ignore the expanded form shown in italics).

Disclaimer: If you are a Business Implementation Manager or work in the Business Information Management sector, this has nothing to do with your industry "BIM".

Have you heard of the term BIM? (Building Information Modelling) Everyone is always talking about BIM (Building Information Modelling). The problem is we hear it so much we don't know if they are referring to a BIM (Building Information model) or BIM (Building Information Modelling). It stands for both really, so then you have to keep reading to understand which BIM they are really referring too. The problem? They are not the only two "BIM's". They could also be referring to a BIM (Building Integrated Model), that's right... 3 BIM's!!! You continue reading, now understanding the 3 BIM's only to find sentences like "the BIM model". Wait... do they mean building information modelling model or building information model model? It doesn't really matter, neither makes sense. So to be correct, they really should write the BIM (or BI Model)?

Now if you're thinking, something along the lines of "so many BIM's, so little time", then don't stress too much, there is plenty of information to explain it all, easily found on the web (just as clear as this!). That reminds me, I should also mention Little BIM & Big BIM too, (they are BIM's as well apparently), referring to which part of the BIM cycle you are in. (I guess the term 'milestone' or 'phase' just didn't cut it in today's BIM world). Oh yeah, and there is "OpenBIM", "lonely BIM" & "Social BIM" too...and no, I am not kidding....I wish I was.

Just when you think you're at the limit of confusion, we are introduced to the differences between LOD (Level of Detail), LOD (Level of Development) & LOD (Level of definition), not to mention LOI (Level of Information). Yup, another 3 LOD's to add to the 3 BIM's. (Although LOD (Level of development) is more often being referred to as LOMD (Level of Model Development) in the UK to reduce confusion).

The LOD (Level of Development), (refer to documents like the BIM Forum Specification or AIA G202 - 2013 for more information) is typically found in what is sometimes referred to as the BxP or more commonly BEP. (The 'X' doesn't technically stand for anything! It's "clever" writing apparently, the 'X' stands for 'execution', ahh see what they did there!). So it's really BEP (BIM Execution Plan) but even BEP and similar acronyms amuse me, because the "B" in BEP stands for an acronym, not a word. Shouldn't it be BIM-EP?

Anyway, I digress... where were we? Ah yes, BEP (Building Information Modelling Execution Plans). The BEP (Building Information Modelling Execution Plan) is a document your project team should use to keep everyone on the same path and to clearly outline the team's expectations during the projects life. (I admit, that's a fairly simplified explanation). Decisions on the CDE (Common Data Environment), could be a project server, an extranet or a cloud-based system and method of interoperability between the various consultants should also be outlined in this document.

Interoperability is important as your project team will likely be using various software packages. (Visit the BuildingSmart website to learn more about OpenBIM standards). Open file formats such as IFC (Integrated Foundation Class) & BCF (Building Information Modelling Collaboration Format) may be considered to assist in interoperability during the project documentation and construction process.  

So that's some of the letters, any numbers you may ask? Well, yes, as a matter of fact, there is. Understanding what your BIM (Building Information Model) is going to be used for brings you to 4D (Time), 5D (Cost) and 6D (Facilities Management). (The "D" stands for Dimension)  Each of these has different impacts on the project team and should be clearly outlined. Speaking of these "D's", it would be remiss of me not to mention the discrepancy I have come across with 6D (Facilities Management). I have noticed the typical 6D, being referred to as 7D and sustainability being referred to as 6D.

(Side note: No idea why we refer to them as "dimensions", it makes as much sense to me as black holes and the space time continuum, which is what they really sound like they are referring to). 

Some advice before you go crazy. If you are a business who is venturing into the world of BIM (Building Information Modelling), I would recommend your business employees a BIM (Building Information Manager) or BIM Manager (Building Information Modelling Manager) who should understand all this. (That's "BIM" number 4...). They would then be part of the conversations & meetings regarding the above and help to manage & keep things on track during the project phases, making your teams job far less daunting. 

In summary, yes, it would be easier if BIM & BIM was referred to as just BIM, but that's what a BIM is hired for. Understanding the difference between LOD, LOD, & LOD will simplify things, but don't forget about the D's (4D, 5D & 6D) because they can affect the LOD, that is all outlined in the BEP or BxP.

Keeping up or have I lost you?

If you are still unsure as to what all this "BIM'ing" is, then I will share with you the preferred description of the term 'BIM' I have heard so far, that is; Building Information Management...... and suddenly it is a little clearer as to what the focus really should be on, don't you think? (By the way, that's BIM number 5...) 

On a more serious note, as you can see things have gotten just a little out of control and sadly, I haven't even scratched the surface. I didn't mention AIM (Asset Information Model), PIM (Project Information Model) or IPD (Integrated Project Delivery). And I spared you the pain of explaining COBie (Construction Operations Building Information Exchange).

It's no wonder there is such confusion. It is no wonder BIM managers are cringing at every "BIM Meeting".

You can call it what you want, but I am sticking with what I believe it is actually all about, our industry needing to reduce waste, by working together. To do that, we need to be more effective at managing our Information & our Communication, (And don't you dare call it IC!!!) which is something another 3 letter acronym won't achieve.  

I guess we will one day look back at all this and think, that really was Bulls*** In the Making. Oh look at that, I made another BIM!

Finding Your Families in Revit

When Revit 2015 ‘R2’ update was released (subscription only) it gave us an extremely productive tool, “Search”. The search tools are now available as standard in Revit 2016 giving us the ability to search in the following areas:

• Type selector
• Properties palette
• Drop down list from the 'Reference Other View' option
• Drop down lists for values in tables such as object styles

This is great as it makes looking through a very expansive group of families and views (especially on larger projects) so much easier and faster. (Recently I have been working on a project on Revit 2015 without the R2 update and its been a real drainer trying to find families without it).

Did you know though, over on the Systems ribbon, you can isolate this list to a select few categories thanks to some tools available to the HVAC team. On the Systems ribbon you will notice Mechanical Equipment (ME), Plumbing Fixtures (PX), Electrical Equipment (EE) & Lighting Fixtures (LF) as separate tools. So if you choose plumbing fixtures, then you will only see a list of families that have been designated under that particular category.

You can also select and place your families using the 'family browser'. (The family browser I am referring to is the list of families in the project browser). Here you will see all the types available and I often go to this area of the project browser to modify type properties for multiple families.

If you are still not satisfied, you may be interested in an add-on fit for purpose. Kiwi Codes having been releasing their own family browser for a number of years now. The beauty of their product is the ability to customise palettes of families. You can create project specific tabs, favourites, as well see the family thumbnail. 

There is plenty of other functionality as well, to learn more visit their website. They also have other tools that may be of use to your everyday work including a completely custom project browser.

Using the 'CTRL' Key in Revit

The ‘CTRL’ key on your keyboard can be a very useful tool in Revit. One of the first things we learn is how to use the CTRL & SHIFT keys to add or minus from selections.

You can also use the CTRL key to temporarily toggle option bar choices when using various modify tools in Revit.

For example, when using the align tool, you will notice in the options bar ‘multiple align’. If we were to tick this, Revit would remember this choice for the next time you were to use the tool, and if you didn’t want to 'multiple align' again, you would have to once more, untick this next time you used the tool. Instead, you can temporarily activate this option by holding down the CTRL key while using the tool. This will avoid your choice being saved to memory during your session.

This also works for other modify tools that have a ‘copy’ option, such as offset, rotate & mirror.  

A nice little trick for smoother operation while using Revit.

Revit Selection Box vs Coins Auto-Section Box

I have said it once, and I will say it again, I love my add-ons. Top of the list would have to be COINS Auto-Section Box. I recently had to go without this tool for a week and let me tell you, I really noticed it.

It makes sense that in a 3D environment, we are able to quickly and easily view any aspect of the model to analyse & navigate up close and Coins Auto-section box allows you to do just that.

For Revit 2016, Autodesk has had an attempt at the same idea with the new ‘Selection Box’ (SB) tool found on the Modify ribbon, View Panel. So I thought a comparison was in order…my verdict…install COINS.

The reason is simple, versatility, and in the case of Autodesk’s attempt, it has none. Don’t get me wrong, the tool does work, but there are no options to speak of and you’re left feeling a little underwhelmed.

Revit 2016 Selection Box Tool

The tool works by simply selecting a component in a Revit view and clicking selection box (SB) on the view panel. It then surrounds the object/s using a section box much the same way COINS version does. In Revit 2016, the SB tool uses the default {3D} view and it appears there is no choice in the matter, which is sort of inconvenient because it means multiple uses will have to share the same view. Coins on the other hand, allow you to name a view, which Coins remembers and will always use this view until you rename a new one. This allows you to setup visibility graphics specifically for this view and each team member can make one if desired.

Autodesk’s SB provides a section box offset around the object of around 300 – 400mm (I took a few measurements and they all varied, from top to side) again, no options to configure this. Coins refers to this offset as ‘buffer’ and allows you to configure this buffer to just about anything you want from 1 unit to more than you will practically ever need (I tested what equates to 100 metres).

In terms of options for Autodesk’s SB, that’s it, hence that underwhelming feeling where you sort of ask yourself, why did you bother? With Coins, it just keeps on going with the ability to create multiple views allowing you to select them from a drop down list. You could then configure multiple views with varying visibility graphics and filters, (think coordination and presentation reviews all at the same time). You can set windows to arrange side by side that window tiles the plan and 3D views next to each other. Coins provides you with a toggle for the section box too so you can jump between the full 3D (to help you gauge your surroundings) and the previously selected, as well as a ‘Quick Auto Section’ which bypasses the options dialog and jumps straight to a section box using the previously configured settings.

Add in the ability of Coins to allow you to section box elements inside a link as well as grids and other annotation elements (for example you can select an internal elevation tag and Coins will create a section box around the view extents) and it becomes blatantly obvious that this really is a no contest.

Internal elevation tag produces the selected views extents

I have no doubt Autodesk have planted a seed and overtime this tool will likely expand, but for the foreseeable future I will still be installing Coins Auto-section box tool.

If you would like to download COINS Auto-Section Box, visit the Autodesk app store to add this 5 star app for free.

Revit Link is not affiliated with COINS in any way shape or form and I have not been approached by COINS to write this review. I simply think COINS have done an excellent job with this tool and give credit where credit is due.  

Happy New Year!!!

Photo by Cameron SpencerCity of Sydney

Happy New Year everyone!!! Are you excited?! I sure am…. super excited! Why you may ask? Well if you’re at all into technology & communication then you may have noticed 2016 is shaping up to be the year of some really exciting technology, including virtual & augmented reality. Both Oculus Rift & Microsoft’s HoloLens headsets are scheduled to be released in the first quarter of 2016. 

Microsoft latest demonstration of the HoloLens is very cool and the gaming community must surely be on the edge of their seats.

We are only 9 days into the year and already we have had our first major technology show with The International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) recently taking place in Las Vegas which show cased some very cool tech coming to the market.

Let’s not forget about drones either. The end of 2015 saw an explosion of drones onto the market of all shapes and sizes and capabilities (you may have got one for Christmas!) & 2016 should be no different. I myself plan on making my first purchase of one of these nifty tools.

What will I be bringing you this year on Revit Link I hear you asking? Well in Australia, it is Summer at the moment, so whilst I spent a bit of time at the beach over the break, I have also been busy exploring various software packages including Lumion, Autodesk’s Showcase, Vray for Revit(Beta), a few new Revit add-ons and of course Dynamo! I have also finally gotten around to watching a few Autodesk University presentations that have been on my list.  

For me though, using Dynamo to complete practical tasks in Revit will be top of the list and I will keep you in the loop as I learn more about this seemingly simple, yet complex coding world.

Another thing I will be focusing more on is the theme “Revit tools repurposed”. Before the end of last year, I posted about the structure ribbon and the structural beam system tool being used to create decked floors. Well I will continue to explore tools on the other discipline ribbons because the great thing about Revit is that tools may be designed for one thing, but nothing is stopping you from repurposing these tools for your own benefits.

My love of a good add-on is no secret, having posted about it a few times now, so I will leave you with this final thought to kick off 2016…

Think of Revit as your base operating system, much like your mobile phone. Your phone off the shelf is great, but what really makes it a productive tool is the countless apps you install on your device, right? Well Revit is no different. To really get the best out of it, you need to add to it (installing add-ons/Dynamo/Macros). Only then, will you start to get Revit working just how you want it & begin to see the real productive power behind this 3D modelling tool.