Many Revit users will encourage you to convert your AutoCAD details into Revit details.

However, perhaps this isn’t a valid option for you (due to time constraints). You can find some good information on how to successfully link the AutoCAD details into Revit (some links below). In addition to these, I have found the following to be successful:

  1. In the Revit project, set up lineweights for you detail scale levels (1:5, 1:10 or similar) to equate to the lineweights you would use in AutoCAD.
  2. Setup your ‘Import Line Weights’ (Ribbon – Insert tab, Import panel, little ‘arrow’ for settings). Basically, this maps your AutoCAD colours to Revit lineweights.
  3. In the AutoCAD detail, use Multileaders if possible. In our case, this wasn’t an option (as Multileaders simply didn’t give enough graphic control for one of our architects). If you can’t use Multileaders, explode all MTEXT to DTEXT (this fixes problems with the MTEXT not wrapping correctly in Revit. If you need to come back and edit the text in AutoCAD, then use the Express Tool to convert the DTEXT back into MTEXT before editing. Convert all QLEADERS and LEADERS to MLEADERS with blank text boxes. The arrows didn’t work for us using LEADERS, but MLEADERS showed up fine in Revit. I did this manually – I set up a MLEADER style that didn’t have a landing or text, and then traced over the LEADER objects. I then deleted the original leader objects. So I was left with DTEXT and blank MLEADERS – this displays perfectly in Revit.
  4. Set up your detail DWG files such that there is ONE detail per DWG.
  5. Link into AutoCAD drafting views using ‘black and white’ for colours (the Import Line Weights takes care of the lineweight settings).
  6. In each drafting view, if you need greyscale or colour layers to be linked from AutoCAD, use the Revit Visibility/Graphics to override those layers to the original colour. (You could also do this in reverse – link layers with original colour, and override black layers to black…)

These were just a few things that made this process work for me. I encourage you to check out these links:http://forums.augi.com/showpost.php?p=829155&postcount=6Maximum number of linked files?Using AutoCAD details Best Practices

Okay, we are not all in love with Revit – it can even be frustrating at times.

But check out this link:
http://blog.lpainc.com/lpa-blog/bid/20431/Why-REVIT-Works

In part, the author states “Here at LPA, we’ve begun to bring all of the various integrated sustainable design disciplines in-house, which I think directly relates to the adoption and full utilization of Revit and all its potential.”

I discussed some similar comments in my What Inspires You? post.

We here at Dimond Architects continually strive to keep pace with current and emerging technologies, and have made a significant shift from AutoCAD to Revit as our design and documentation software of choice.

The result of this shift is a better, more comprehensive and coordinated architectural package that can be delivered to the Client in a variety of interesting forms.

EDIT: Steve from Revit OpEd has provided clarification based on his association with some of the founders of the software – see link below:

http://revitoped.blogspot.com/2006/06/what-does-revit-mean.html

David Conant says: “The Revit name is an invented word designed to imply revision and speed.”

ORIGINAL POST BELOW:
Revise Instantly!

You will find this on a few sites after doing a google search:

http://www.simplylinks.co.za/article407_simplicitywithautodeskrevitarchitecture.htm

http://www.revitcity.com/forums.php?action=viewthread&thread_id=8736

http://www.autodesk.co.za/adsk/servlet/item?siteID=9801806&id=9948721&linkID=12212844

As we all know, Revit really wants you to be able to properly visualize your building. You may have experimented with Section Boxes in normal 3D views, but you can also use them in Perspective/Camera views.

  1. Make a new Camera View.
  2. Go to the View Properties of the Camera View, and select ‘Section Box’
  3. To modify it, select the Section Box and then switch to a Plan View. The Section Box should still be selected, and you can modify the grips (you can modify these grips in many views).

Using this technique, you should be able to make some awesome cutaway views. These views can really help you to visualize and optimize your design.

First off, if you are working with Central/Local Files and Worksharing, then I encourage you to head over to Autodesk Subscription, login and get the Worksharing Monitor.

Then, open Revit. Go to the ‘Add-Ins’ tab on the Ribbon, and under the ‘External Tools’ you will find the Worksharing Monitor.

Once you go into the Worksharing Monitor, click the ‘System Performance’ button and a handy little utility will pop up. Enjoy!

Let’s say you have imported an image of an existing floor plan into a Revit view, but it doesn’t quite look right. When you scale the image, it appears to be warped in either the ‘X’ or ‘Y’ direction.

What do you see in the ‘Options’ bar? Untick the box ‘Lock Proportions’ and you can correct the warped image by resizing with the blue grips!

While you’re at it, if you want the ‘Options’ bar to appear at the bottom of your screen, right click on the ‘Options’ bar and select ‘Dock at Bottom’.

Have you ever had to pick up someone else’s project and try to figure out how it all goes together? Or maybe you were trying to delete a level, and Revit just went ahead and deleted all associated elements without telling you?

I found a great tool on the AUGI Forums that actually reports all the elements on a particular level! You can download it at http://forums.augi.com/showpost.php?p=864748&postcount=22 (you need to login to the forums obviously).

To help you install it, check out http://forums.augi.com/showpost.php?p=921396&postcount=36.

I have installed and used it with 2010 and it seems to work fine. Thanks to sfaust!

“In this webcast, we explore the most common problems experienced by Autodesk® Revit® Architecture users. Autodesk experts will teach you techniques for overcoming the most common issues, including:

  • View Problems
  • Memory Usage
  • Journal Files
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  • Crashing / Error Messages
  • Corrupt Files
  • Synchronize with Central
  • Rendering “

Register at:
http://www.pacificcommerce.com.au/autodesk/subscriptionwebcast2010.asp?DCMP=EMC-SUB_WEBINAR_AU or at http://www.autodesk.com.au/subscription-only-webcasts