In the Revit 2015 Project Environment, you can access the tools to Manage Selections from the Manage Ribbon:

However, this Ribbon Panel is not available on the default Manage Ribbon in the Family Environment  (Build 20141119_0715(x64) Update Release 5). What to do? Well, we can just add these tools to the QAT (Quick Access Toolbar), so then at least we can use them while building families. There are a couple of ways we can do this, but here is how you can do it while staying in the Family Editor:

  1. In the Family Environment, select more than one element
  2. Right-click on the Save Selection button that appears in the contextual ribbon (the green one) and “Add to Quick Access Toolbar”
  3. Save a Selection
  4. Select more than one thing
  5. Right-click on the Load Selection button that appears in the contextual ribbon (the green one) and “Add to Quick Access Toolbar”

You can also just add these items from the Project Environment, and as the QAT is shared with both environments, they will show when you edit a family.

However, while you can add the “Edit Selection” button to the QAT, it will not work in the Family Environment 🙁

The next generation of successful designers will have one important thing in common – the ability to quickly build the tool they need to accomplish a given task. Revit macro coding is one way to do this (Dynamo is another, even powerful Excel spreadsheets can qualify as BIM tools). But if you have had limited involvement with Revit macros in the past, you might be wondering “So… What is a macro anyway?”

One good place to start would in this great little article by Troy Gates on AUGI. Here are three tips from the article to get you interested:

  • I highly suggest creating the macros in the application tab so you can reuse the macros in any Revit model. If you store the macro inside the model, then it is only available to that Revit model.
  • The Revit API also allows the use of Microsoft LINQ (Language Integrated Query) functions. LINQ allows you to use a database-like query system to filter the elements contained in a collection. It is much more powerful and easier to use, in my opinion, when working with collections of Revit elements.
  • your code needs to define objects that the Revit API will use to interface with these. These objects are called UIDocument and Document…

Read the whole article:
Introduction to Revit Macros | AUGI

Did you know that you can access Navisworks Options directly from the Start Menu? Just click on Start and type “Options Editor”. Then, if you hover over the entries in that list you can pick the Options Editor for the right version of Navisworks by reading the tooltip.

Why would we want to do this? Well, if you have a Graphics Driver problem, it might cause Navisworks to continually crash when you start the program. If you head into the Options Editor, you can go to Interface – Display – Drivers and disable various options until Navisworks decides to load up again.

For example, try unticking everything except OpenGL – you might find that Navisworks can now load (this tip may particularly help if you are trying to run Navisworks in a virtual machine).

Another stable choice may be to select only the software-mode drivers:

BIM360 Revit 2015 Add-in link:
http://download.autodesk.com/SWDLDDLM/Updates/BIM360Addin/2015/4.35.1209/B3AddinRvt.msi   

Recap 1.4.2.2_to_1.4.2.8 link:
http://download.autodesk.com/SWDLDDLM/Updates/ReCap/1.4.2.8/AutodeskReCap_1.4.2.2_to_1.4.2.8_SP_x64.msp

If you forget to close Revit before trying to install the Glue update, you might get this error. Just close Revit, remove the BIM360 addin and then reinstall it.

    

Check out this free ‘practice’ screencast from Marcello, demonstrating how to extract points from Dynamo to Excel, among other things:
PRACTICAL DYNAMO EXERSIZE 4 EXTRACT POINTS TO EXCEL PRACTICE01 – Screencast | Autodesk Research (Embed)

 via
Simply Complex: Watch a raw uncut Practice Session from my hands on lab at AU2014 “Dynamo For Dummies” Lab Exersize 4

The incompatibility between 32 bit Microsoft Office database systems and 64 bit Revit program architecture have been causing headaches for a while, but this technical solution may provide the answer you have been looking for: how to get 64 bit database drivers running alongside 32 bit Office installation.

Support page:
How to install 64-bit Microsoft Database Drivers alongside 32-bit Microsoft Office | AutoCAD Civil 3D | Autodesk Knowledge Network

The Problem:
“You cannot install the 64-bit version of Microsoft Access Database Engine 2010 because you currently have 32-bit products installed…”

User-added image

Quote and heads-up from LinkedIn:
… a way to get Revit 64 bit systems to export an Access 2010 DB link on a 32 bit version. Here is the link with step by step instructions: http://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad-civil-3d/troubleshooting/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/How-to-install-64-bit-Microsoft-Database-Drivers-alongside-32-bit-Microsoft-Office.html 
 

How to install 64-bit Microsoft Database Drivers alongside 32-bit Microsoft Office knowledge.autodesk.com

via
Finally a solution for DB Link and Access compatibility for 64 bit vs 32 bit systems | LinkedIn

It is no secret that specialization is one key to remaining relevant and valuable. This applies in almost any industry. I would like to put forward the argument that the position description “BIM Manager” is becoming too generic, too non-descript to actually be useful in evaluating or determining what a BIM person actually does.

In fact, most BIM Managers are already jack-of-all-trades, in that they handle many different roles. In my opinion, this is less than ideal. On the other hand, specialization leads to people who can do one or a few things very well, not a bunch of things adequately.

Consider this recent article on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20140807154858-13425691-yes-your-firm-needs-a-bim-manager

It rightly describes some of the abilities of a good BIM Manager, such as:

  • the BIM Manager must be an expert in that software, have the ability to train well, and have a refined sense of patience to ensure the trainees never feel intimidated, insecure or less than capable.
  • BIM Manager must be, or work with, the firm’s IT support performing tasks which range from server maintenance and software licensing to computer builds
  • generating content for the firm to use
  • standards enforcement
  • R&D
  • etc etc

I agree that these qualities are great, and if they all reside in one person, that person can be extremely valuable to a business. But some of those tasks are not 24×7 (for example, specifying and deploying new hardware). Or, there simply isn’t time to do justice to other tasks, like continual R&D. Why am I saying this?

1) If you are a BIM Manager, I think its time for you to pick a few core strengths and really work on them. Make yourself the best-of-the-best at… something.

2) If you are a Director or Manager, you need to consider that there may be gains in the divide-and-conquer rationale. Split up the position description of your BIM Manager and start giving it to specific people or outside-hires who can devote more time and attention at getting things perfect. Look for a company who has taken the role of BIM Manager and made it their core business, in effect, specializing in most of the things that good BIM people can do and offering these as individual services (like Virtual Built).

One other disadvantage to having a BIM Manager who can ‘do it all’ is that he or she becomes almost irreplaceable, or at least extremely difficult to separate from the company proper. I have been in exactly that position, wearing so many hats that I almost had to count them all to make sure I gave them all back when I moved interstate to a different employer.

I realize this post may be somewhat controversial, but I think it stands on solid ground. Specialized companies and individuals almost always create a niche that only they can occupy, meaning that continuity of work is assured.

What do you think? Feel free to comment… especially if you disagree 🙂