Wednesday, August 29, 2007

View Reference - Customization

If you want to create your own view reference family you can start by editing the one that is provided with Revit. You can also start with a Generic Annotation family template and then assign it to the View Reference Category via Settings menu > Family Category and Parameters.


The View Reference family is a system family that can have different annotation families assigned as a type parameter. To use your own view reference annotation you can alter the existing one to use your family or duplicate the existing type and then assign your new family to the new type you just created.

To actually make the change you need to start the View Reference tool > click Properties > click Edit/New then either change the View Reference assigned or click Duplicate to create a second type to use.


Now you can use either the original or your new view reference.

Personally I think that a View Reference tag should show up in the Settings menu > > Annotations > Loaded Tags dialog just for the sake of consistency.

Thursday, August 23, 2007

New Build - Revit Structure 2008

New Build Number: 20070810_1700

This is the text from a pdf posted at Autodesk's download page for Revit Structure, download it from THIS LINK.

Improvements made in the current Web Update SP2 build (20070810_1700):

Straight beam joins and cuts back properly when supported by vertical curved beams.
Improves stability after receiving a corrupt element warning when opening a project.
Improves stability when saving a Project with a linked DWG™ file that contains an image.
Improves stability when applying a view template to a sheet view.
In Windows Vista™ operating system, allows the ability to write to revit.ini, licpath.lic, KeyboardShortcuts.txt, and the Journals folder.
Line based families contained in a group are no longer flipped when the group is mirrored.
Improves stability when importing group into Titleblock family.
Allows the ability to export renderings to TIFF format.
When temporary dimension text too small to read, user can adjust the size of the font through Revit.ini.
Linked DWG added by another user will now show up in Manage Links after reload latest.
“Relative” spot elevation updates automatically with the change in Level elevation.
When exporting to DWG file, overlapping lines that share a point are no longer missing in the resulting DWG.

There is also some new content available via THIS LINK.


Improvements made in the previous Web Update SP1 build (20070607_1700):

Track Changes toolbar works properly with third-party application.
Fixes very small dimension rounding error inaccuracy for the levels in the default structural project
templates.
Duplication of structural steel framing and column .rfa content in UK Library no longer occurs.
Enhances the ability to open .rvt file containing imported/linked .dwg with incorrect boundary hatch.
Estimated Reinforcement Volume of rebar is calculated correctly.
Beam’s analytical model auto-adjusted to slab updates automatically when slab is deleted.
Column’s analytical model auto-adjusted to slab updates automatically when moved out of tolerance.
Manual analytical adjustment of a beam to the end of a wall functions properly.
Beam whose vertical z-Direction Justification was set to "Other" makes the analytical model in the correct position.
Improves stability when importing .dwg or .dxf with the presence of an older version of DWG TrueView™
installed on the computer.
For a selected Line, Hide Category in View no longer affects all Categories of Lines.
Some Detail, Plan, or Section Callouts are no longer erroneously hidden in cropped views.
Masking Regions in Tag Families will now obscure elements in project and in exports.
Filled Regions containing Solid Fills, which are overridden to be Transparent, now print consistently between Vector and Raster modes.
Improves stability with Overlay Planes turned off in Graphics Settings.
Crop Regions which were previously missing are now visible in Views in upgraded files and templates.
Display problems in a view no longer occur when zooming with OpenGL® hardware acceleration turned on.
Copying nested links from the Project Browser places the Link and its nested components.

Last, be sure to visit the BIM & BEAM Blog

Increase Size of Temporary Dimensions

From a post by Scott Latch, the new Technical Product Manager for Revit Architecture, at AUGI's Revit community forums.

Open Revit.ini file in Notepad.
The file is typically located in C:\Program Files\Revit Architecture 2008\Program.

Add the following line to Revit.ini in [Graphics] section:
TempDimFontSizeInPoints=N

Where N is a number larger than 8 (default hardcoded value). Good starting point is twice the default size (i.e. 16-17).

Save Revit.ini.
Restart Revit.

If the size of temporary dimensions is still small, repeat from step 1 with larger number.

Please note, the [Graphics] section may not exist. If this is the case add a line that contains [Graphics].

New Build - Revit Architecture 2008

Build Number 20070810_1700

The following is the text from a pdf file posted at the Autodesk Site, click THIS LINK to visit the "choose your language download page".

Improvements made in the current Web Update SP2 build (20070810_1700):

Improves stability after receiving a corrupt element warning when opening a project.
Publish to DWF™ functions when Rooms are present and are clipped by the viewport.
Improves stability when saving a Project with a linked DWG™ file that contains an image.
Improves stability when applying a view template to a sheet view.
In Windows Vista™ operating system, allows the ability to write to revit.ini, licpath.lic, KeyboardShortcuts.txt, and the Journals folder.
Line based families contained in a group are no longer flipped when the group is mirrored.
Improves stability when importing group into Titleblock family.
Allows the ability to export renderings to TIFF format.
When temporary dimension text is too small to read, user can adjust the size of the font through Revit.ini.
Linked DWG added by another user will now show up in Manage Links after reload latest.
“Relative” spot elevation updates automatically with the change in Level elevation.
When exporting to DWG, overlapping lines that share a point are no longer missing in the resulting DWG file.

Improvements made in the previous Web Update SP1 build (20070607_1700):

Improves stability when importing .dwg or .dxf with the presence of an older version of DWG TrueView™ installed on the computer.
For a selected Line, Hide Category in View no longer affects all Categories of Lines.
Some Detail, Plan, or Section Callouts are no longer erroneously hidden in cropped views.
Masking Regions in Tag Families will now obscure elements in project and in exports.
Filled Regions containing Solid Fills, which are overridden to be Transparent, now print consistently between Vector and Raster modes.
Improves stability with Overlay Planes turned off in Graphics Settings.
Crop Regions which were previously missing are now visible in Views in upgraded files and templates.
Display problems in a view no longer occur when zooming with OpenGL® hardware acceleration turned on.
Copying nested links from the Project Browser places the Link and its nested components.
Elements refresh in views when deselected.
Product Registration for multiple products in Subscription no longer returns “Invalid Serial Number.”

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Space Bar Subtle Effect - Temporary Dimensions

As you know the Space Bar will rotate components when you have one or more selected. This proves quite handy, further if an element is held above an angled element the Space Bar action will pick up on the angle and align the rotating element with this angled reference.

A collateral effect of the use of the Space Bar is that the temporary dimensions relocate themselves according to different references as the element rotates.This can be used to good effect on cylindrical elements like pipe fittings or sprinklers as well as circular or similar annotation that doesn't really matter when they are "spun". For these particular situations pressing the Space Bar results in the flipping of temporary dimensions to other elements. A temporary dimension that was referencing a wall on the right will now reference a wall on the left.

Usually this result is stumbled on and easily forgotten so I thought I'd mention it again.

Sunday, August 19, 2007

Update to U.K.'s Revit blog by David Light

David Light in the U.K. has been working hard at keeping his blog, simply titled "Revit", fresh lately. He started his blog quite awhile ago but fell victim the realities of having a day job and a life and he found his posting to be less than frequent. I can definitely relate to that myself. I'm pleased to say that he's either put aside his day job and/or life and found more time for the blog or he's managed to squeeze it in between everything else going on.

You might enjoy his Star Wars modeling exercise? His personal answer to the "but Revit can't do this or that" comment.

I met David briefly at Autodesk University 2006 and he told me that he was concerned that my "English" sense of humor might have been lost on the attendees of my lecture. His comment confirmed my fear that all those years of watching British comedy on public television here in the States, and my odd ability to remember lines in the Monty Python movies but not remember my children's birthdays, ultimately has had a negative effect on me. However, I'm not a total lost cause because in fact a couple of reviews of last year's lecture said, "could do without the humor" which proves that he is wrong because clearly some could tell I was trying to be humorous...unless they too were from the U.K.? Hadn't thought of that till now...hmmm

Be sure to keep the pressure on him to post by visiting his blog often!!

HOK Blogs Share the Wealth

HOK has two new blogs that join the Revit blogosphere. HOK Green BIM and HOK Cad Solutions are the vehicle they've decided to use to share the wealth so to speak.

They have been hard at work on lots of cool projects using Revit and pushing what BIM and BuildingSMART means to their firm and now they are sharing some of that hard earned knowledge. Be sure to keep an eye on them. Also don't forget their website 4BIM which went live some months back.

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Visibility of grips

"Short and sweet department"

The Control "grips", the little blue dots that appear when you select a line or wall for example, may not appear if the active workset is not visible in your view. This assumes you are using worksets of course...so you are not crazy, at least not about that.

Activate Dimensions

As you work in Revit you get used to seeing temporary dimensions appearing every time you select an element. Then as your project progresses and more and more things fill your screen you eventually notice that those temporary dimensions aren't showing up as much. At first you might think that something has gone terribly wrong. The truth is that Revit has reached a point where it has decided that showing temporary dimensions would negatively affect performance.

So now what? Do you have to add your own permanent dimensions to manipulate your design? Well...you could, nothing wrong with that but you don't HAVE to... Enter the Options Bar, when this occurs take a quick look on the Options Bar and click the nice Activate Dimensions button.

Why doesn't Revit tell you it isn't going to display the temporary dimensions anymore? Well...we probably would get annoyed with that message popping up all the time too?

Thursday, August 02, 2007

Autodesk University 2007

As the planning for this event is in full swing and nearly time for registration I'll mention that I will be speaking at two lab sessions. We have a Revit Family Editor - Beginner and a Revit Family Editor - Intermediate scheduled, but the day and time aren't pinned down even though a preliminary schedule has them both on Friday, the last day when everyone is burned out and bleary eyed. Wow that was a long sentence!

Notice no advanced! In the exit survey's of my sessions last year the critical comments nearly all focused on the time dedicated to topics and the lack of truly beginner discussion. It seems I get pulled to more intermediate/advanced topics very easily and then don't dote on the beginner enough. No more! One class dedicated to you, the beginner, fledgling, novice... The second is geared for someone who has done a bit but not feeling that strong or confident yet either.

I hope to make arrangements to have an Ad Hoc advanced discussion in a room that is equipped with basic AV. The idea is that anyone who is interested in such a discussion could attend and share their ideas and ask questions. The group would provide answers and if possible even exercise a bit of R&D. I'm not certain this will happen but will be pleased if it can be pulled together. I'm hopeful.

Also want to mention that Matt Dillon has a lecture scheduled to discuss the broader subject of Revit Families.

See you there!

Wednesday, August 01, 2007

Shaft Opening and View Range

Cool tool the Shaft Opening, it cuts floors, ceilings and roofs that it comes into contact with. It also provides a way to display symbolic lines within the sketch so you can generate graphics to indicate openings more efficiently than drawing them separately or using detail components.

This post is concerned with the display of symbolic lines when you don't expect them to appear. If the View Range setting for Top-Offset of a level below a Shaft Opening has a Top-Offset setting that is high enough to intersect with the Shaft Opening the symbolic lines will appear. They will appear even if the shaft itself doesn't interesect with the cut plane of the lower level. Here's the view Range dialog and the Top Offset is set higher than the level above (11'-0" above Level 1).

This is the resulting Shaft Opening in the view of the level below, just symbolic lines, no opening in the floor.




In my perfect world a shaft would not show symbolic lines unless the cut plane of the view intersected the shaft, not the primary range itself. Fortunately the instances I've encountered are usually due to unnecessarily high settings of the Top-Offset value.

Added THIS POST to the HOK CAD Solutions Blog.