Category Archives: Revit

Revit Posts

Dimensioning Sloped Framing

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I have had some questions come up about dimensioning sloped framing, so I thought it deserved a blog post.

Question: Why can’t I dimension to framing members when they are associated to a sloped work plane?

  • This question comes up when attempting to dimension in plan, in a coarse level of detail, when the framing member is Normal to the work plane, and when using the Linear Dimension option.  Beams can be selected using the linear option, however the user won’t be selecting a face, since it isn’t perpendicular to the view, they will be selecting the end point of the graphic line.
  • Make sure when dimensioning the endpoint of the beam is being selected and not a face.  It is sometimes hard to see but a grip will come up, along with a tool tip, when the end of the beam is selected.

SlopedFramingEndpoint

 

Question: Why aren’t my dimensions equal in plan and section?

SlopedFramingDimensions

  • This issue is due to the location of the symbolic line of the framing member.  In the elevation above the beam was dimensioned to the Top Midline, however the default setting for “Stick Symbol Location” is set to “Center of Geometry”, thus making the stick symbol location in plan different then in elevation.  Depending on how the family is created this property may only affect the plan and not any of the other views.
  • Selecting the framing member and changing the “Stick Symbol Location” value to “Top of Geometry” will insure that the plan dimension is the same as the elevation dimension.  However, it will need to be changed for all of the elements being dimensioned.

SlopedFramingFixed

 

I hope this helps clear up these two common questions.  If anyone has other tips about these please comment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Synchronize Now vs Synchronize and Modify

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I thought I would write this post to clarify the difference between the two options for Synchronizing a Revit file since I often see users not understanding the difference between the two.  I see this issue come up often when a user publishes coordinates to a linked file they now own part of the Project Standard Worksets and the Synch Now will not give up the rights.

 

When going to the synchronize drop down you may notice there are two options, Synchronize and Modify Settings and Synchronize Now.  A lot of users like to use the Synchronize Now button because it is a single click operation without the pop up of another dialog box.  This is not recommended practice.  This button does not allow a user to change what worksets and/or elements they are relinquishing their rights to.  This becomes an issue when a user edits a family, changes project standards, creates a new workset etc.  thus not allowing team member to work on elements that have not be relinquished.


Synch

The preferred method is to use the Synchronize and Modify Settings.  This option will allow the user to make sure they are giving up all rights by selecting any and all checkboxes available when the dialog box opens.  Alternately comments can be added such that these can be seen when looking at the history of the file or when trying to recover backups.

Synch_Settings

If there is something that needs to be locked down that is on a workset then unchecking the checkboxes will keep those locked to the users who has them checked out.

 

Revit Structural Deck Line Types

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For a few releases now Revit has had the capability to model composite decks with 2D graphics to display the metal deck when in sections.  While working with a client the question came up on what determines the line weights / line types in views.  After some trial and error I was able to determine what is happening with these lines.  When the section is perpendicular the deck, nothing special the line weights are simply controlled by the Floor category and the Section styles, however it is a different story when cutting parallel to the deck.

The line that shows the transition from the layer above to the metal deck (shown orange below) is the subcategory Common Edges under Floors

The line that is representing the underside of the top of the metal deck (shown magenta below) uses the subcategory Thin Lines under the Lines category

The line that represents the top of the lower portion of the metal deck (shown green below) uses the subcategory Overhead under the Lines category

Composite_Deck_LineStyles

Converting .exe for Autodesk deployment

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When Autodesk releases a new service pack it is usually only available, at least with out massive searching, as a .exe file. The downside to this is the fact that if this wants to be added to a deployment they will only allow .msp files to be used.  On the bright side there is a simple way to convert them, however they must not be a self extracting zip file that has the .exe extension.

1. Start the Windows Command Prompt (DOS Window) by starting CMD in the start bar
2. Navigate to the directory where the patch resides. (I’ll use C:\Temp for this example) by typing CD\temp
3. Enter the file name followed by /e and then an output path along with file name for the MSP file (I usually keep the same name and folder location)

Example: (patch name is Autodesk_Revit_2015-x64_Update3.exe) Type in what is between the ” ” and spaces before and after the /e switch

C:\temp>”\Autodesk_Revit_2015-x64_Update3.exe /e c:\temp\Autodesk_Revit_2015-x64_Update3.msp”

RTC 2014

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My blog has gone dark for a while in case you didn’t know my family was blessed with a beautiful baby girl, aka #BIMbino. I was planning on taking a break for a while and then start blogging again once she started sleeping through the night.  Since this hasn’t happened yet and I don’t envision this happening anytime soon I decided it was time to start up again, however I doubt I will be blogging as often as before the BIMbino.  What better of an excuse to get me started than Revit Technology Conference.

This year at RTC I was privileged to speak in three sessions.  This isn’t the reason I am blogging I also attended some great sessions taught by excellent well known speakers.

One of the sessions I enjoyed was based on Navisworks and quatification taught by Jason Dodds.  This session covered the takeoff tools, creating and importing catalogs.  Jason also did a great job explaining the difference from when these tools were in Autodesk QTO.

Another session was taught by Andy Milburn where he covered mass families where he has developed a few different ways of making rigs to create content.  I personally like his box theory and using an invisible box as a rig platform.

Havard Vasshaug taught a two part lab on computational logic in structure.  Unfortunately I was only able to attend half of this session but what I saw was great.

I got to finish up the conference on the main stage for the redesigned Tips & Trick led by Desiree Mackey.  In the past a they have presented slides based on tips from different sessions taught, this year they decided to a battle of the tips, complete with a gong.  There were two teams myself, Amy Manning and Matt Nelson vs Zack Kron, Scot Brown and Nick Hugley and we had to present some tips from the sessions while being able to add in some of our own.  If the panel, Jim Balding or Wesley Benn decided you were stumbling, didn’t like the tip or just wanted to hear a loud noise they would with the 3 foot (91cm) GONG and you had to move on.  I thought it was a new fun way to present the tips and it did get the audience involved which for me was very fun.  Although we did win some considered bringing two babies on stage was a bit of cheat.

With that said the North American conference was well worth the time and the information one can get from it makes it a must attend event.  I am looking forward to speaking and attending RTC Europe in Dublin over Halloween.