Month: November 2013

Point Cloud Feature Extraction for AutoCAD

Luke Johnson

While the free Labs Point Cloud Feature Extraction for Revit 2012 is very hard to find these days, there is a version of this tool available for AutoCAD:
Point Cloud Feature Extraction | AutoCAD | Autodesk Exchange Apps

Use this plug-in to create geometry and primitive shapes that align with the features of the point cloud. To help isolate the shapes, planes, and sections you want to extract, you can crop, or hide, one or more areas of the point cloud.

EDIT  It looks like this in AutoCAD 2014:

Just import a point cloud, select it, and the tools become visible in the Ribbon.

Launching Scripts and Programs directly from Revit

Luke Johnson

This technique allows file operations and programs to be initiated from an in-canvas Revit modelling session, without the need to switch to Windows Explorer.

Basically, you just need a Symbol family with URL instance parameter.  In the URL parameter, paste a fully resolved path to the script or exe file (you can use Shift + rightclick to quickly get this from Explrorer in Windows 7).  Now, when you select the Symbol family, click on the dots in the Properties Palette  – the exe or script will run, directly from Revit

Potential uses:

  • Launch any program
  • Launch a program that may be useful in-canvas (like Colorette)
  • Launch a search program like Locate32, that can be used to search for Revit content and drag-drop into the Revit session
  • Copy point clouds to local drive
  • Map network drives
  • Archive RVT folder script, perhaps using 7-zip
  • Run Autodesk program update packages (some of these may require Revit to be shutdown)
  • Run add-in installers (that will probably require Revit to be updated)
  • Copy macro updates
  • Delete Revit backup files script
  • Clean up Journal folder
  • Make a backup of Keynote file or Shared Parameter file (perhaps used before editing)
  • Run Windows Task Scheduler tasks
  • Shutdown the computer

Once you have the Annotation family loaded and placed, just add the suitable path, and then select the element and click where the little dots should be:

The command is instantly triggered.

In a worksharing environment, you could set up a Drafting View where you placed different instances of this “linker” family to trigger various project-related scripts.

This idea grew from this post and this one about copying Point Clouds.

Tekla and Revit 2014

Luke Johnson

Some up-to-date info on data exchange between Tekla and Revit, including IFC and SDNF workflows (from revit structure blog):
The main purpose of the IFC import into Tekla is to allow the fabricator to accurately build a model from the consultants Revit model. However, you can convert certain objects from the IFC file to native Tekla objects such as beams, columns, footings etc. This is clearly useful rather than building a model from scratch. I tried this on a few beams and columns and again found no discrepancies with the original Revit Structure 2014 model, however, as you would expect the stairs translated to a bounding box. See the below image including the report.
…
I also imported an IFC model from Tekla to Revit with some fairly good results that are fine for coordination purposes. I would imagine that this may be better in a product such as Navisworks… 
…
The best way to incorporate the analytical model from Tekla to Revit is to transfer the model as CIMsteel (Note that you will need to install the SDNF Import/Export for Autodesk Revit 2014). This gives you the option of transferring the analytical model

Read more:
Revit Structure 2014 and Tekla Structures 19.1 | Autodesk Revit Structure

In-project Type Catalogue editing and reloading

Luke Johnson

From Darren Snook:
Essentially, 2 URL parameters are added to the family. The first is pathed to a csv file, which allows much easier editing than the text file. The second points to a batch script, which will copy the csv files to text files for Revit to use as the catalogue to load from.

Video:

Read more / via:
Revit @ Waterman: Type Catalogue Tips

Here’s a question though:  In 2014-world, does this scenario become a little different – as Type Catalogs can exist in the family?

Revit Tips from Twitter – November 2013 edition

Luke Johnson

Using Xvid as an Encoder for Revit and Navisworks Animations (and How to Fix corrupted AVI files)

Luke Johnson

You may have tried installing various codecs so that you don’t have to resort to Microsoft Video 1 when exporting and compressing animations from Revit and Navisworks.  However, many of these will not work, partly due to the complication of 32 bit vs 64 bit environments.

Happily, this Xvid compressor will work when installed on Windows 7 64 bit, even with 2014 version Autodesk products:
Xvid.org: Downloads

The Xvid Home profile works nicely – good compression and still good quality.  The result is far better than having to deal with huge uncompressed AVI files, or the poor looking Microsoft Video 1 versions.

I know that some of you use Cinepak Codec by Radius – I have a feeling that the aforementioned Xvid codec would offer better compression, but perhaps you will need to ensure the “audience” of your animation has the necessary codec installed.  Alternatively, you could open the Xvid-encoded AVI file in Windows Movie Maker and export as a WMV – something that almost every Windows user will be able to view.

Further reading on codecs:
Why does the System Device Enumerator report different list for the Video Compressor Category on a Windows 7 x64 for the 32 and 64 bit versions?

Configuring Session Recording – Thycotic Software

If you are using a 64 bit system, simply loading the DivX/XviD codecs does not seem to work. I suspect they’re not supported but have yet to research this, so above only applies to 32bit installations. If anyone knows more about this please post.

Update: the 64 bit DivX codec works in Navisworks if you install it to the C:Program Files (x86) folder instead of the C:Program Files. (Presenter gives the best quality, but divX give good results much much faster)
via
Animation Resolution
Fixing Walkthrough Corruption for very large AVI files produced from Revit and Navisworks
When exporting very large (like 4gb) uncompressed AVI files as a Walkthrough from Revit, the index for the AVI will likely become corrupted and will appear to split and duplicate itself when you play the file.

It may be possible to salvage some of the file using VirtualDub.  Just open the file in VirtualDub and it will detect the error and try to rebuild the file index.  Then, Save As an AVI file again.

Otherwise, you need to use another compression codec (as shown above), or break the walkthrough up into bits and then join it back together later.

An old thread at RevitCity discusses some of these issues:
RevitCity.com | Rendering Walkthroughs

I previously discussed VirtualDub in this post:
What Revit Wants: How To Create a Revit Walkthrough and then Upload it to Youtube

On a lighter note, this Autodesk help page references a very old piece of software called Autodesk Cleaner.  Heard of it?
Autodesk – Autodesk Revit Architecture Services & Support – Improving AVI video quality of walkthroughs