Category: Uncategorized

Quick select groups of objects in Revit (save multiple selection sets)

Luke Johnson

I was going to title this “Even Better Save Selection Workaround for Revit Architecture users”, but that wouldn’t really be accurate.

I am posting about a work method that will allow you to select a group of objects and quickly re-select those same objects.  It will not allow you to use the View Filters like the true Save Selection feature would.

Here’s how:

  1. Select the group of objects
  2. Manage – IDs of Selection
  3. Copy these IDs somewhere (for example, to Notepad or Excel)
  4. When you want to re-select those objects, go:
  5. Manage – Select by ID
  6. Paste the text from step 3 (including commas) and click OK
  7. Your ‘set’ has been selected!

Tip – you could make a spreadsheet for each project that contained these ID selection sets.  One column could have a descriptive name for the selection set.

Here is a quick video:

Thanks to http://www.nazdi.cz/2011/11/pitvame-projekt.html for this heads-up (translated as):
If you enter a list of numbers (separated by commas or semicolons), select the corresponding Revit several objects at once. 

I previously posted about Save Selection here:
What Revit Wants: Save Selection Workaround for Revit Architecture users

And here:
What Revit Wants: RAC Users – lets get the Save Selection feature now!

Embedded Schedule workaround for Revit Architecture

Luke Johnson

Embedded Schedules allow you to display both Room or Space data AND Data on Components that are living in those Rooms or Spaces.  Quite powerful!  They are technically only allowed in Revit MEP, not in Revit Architecture…

However…

If you using RAC and you want to use an Embedded Schedule:

  1. Open your RAC RVT in Revit MEP (if you are a Suite user, you probably already have it installed, otherwise you can install a Trial)
  2. Add an Embedded Schedule (this feature shows up as an extra tab on the Schedule creation / properties dialog for Rooms and Spaces)
  3. Ensure that you format it correctly, because RAC won’t allow you to make any changes to the ’embedded’ part of the Schedule.
  4. Save, and re-open in RAC.
  5. Your Embedded Schedule is still present in Revit Architecture:

For more information on Embedded Schedules, check out:
Applied Software Blog: Embedded Schedules in Revit MEP

Free chapter of Interior Design using Revit book – Materials

Luke Johnson

The overall premise of the book is to learn Revit Architecture while developing the interior of a two story law office. The reader is provided an architectural model with established columns, beams, exterior walls, minimal interior walls and roofs in which to work. This allows more emphasis to be placed on interior design rather than primary architectural elements. The chapters chronology generally follows the typical design process.

Download sample chapter (the sample chapter is chapter 4 – Revit Materials):
978-1-58503-664-6-4.pdf (application/pdf Object)

Link to main book webpage

Heads-up via http://bim.sandvik.bz/2011/11/12/ny-revitartikkel-new-book-for-revit-and-interior-design/

BIM-cronyms are really starting to annoy me

Luke Johnson

I’m kind of getting sick of the Building Information Intelligence Modelling Management Model debate.

I also wonder why Bloggers the world over think that blogs are an AIP (acronym invention platform).

Does anyone really think that the blogger who first used a particular collection of letters that apply to a particular phrase will ever receive true recognition or remuneration for it?

What do you think?  Are you annoyed by the intense proliferation of collections of letters that are more painful than they are useful?

Here is a few more to add to the mix.  I’m not sure whether these have been invented before or not – actually I’m pretty sure that some of them have.  However, I think that ‘BIM’ could be divided up into a plethora of sub-categories, each with their own annoying acronym.  Is this a good idea?  You be the judge.

I think the answer is No.

PSM Photographic Survey Model
LSM Laser Survey Model
CBM Client Brief Model
S3M Schematic 3-D Model
BDM Building Design Model
BAM Building Analysis Model
CCAM Cost Calculation and Analysis Model
DCM Document Coordination Model
BCM Building Coordination Model
FMM Facility Management Model
From http://bim.arch.gatech.edu/?id=402

What is a View Reference in Revit?

Luke Johnson

The term ‘View Reference’ refers to a automatically updating link symbol that can be added to a Primary or Dependent View if the Primary-Dependent Floor Plan situation exists.  That is pretty much its only purpose.  Here is some more info from Wikihelp:

A view reference is a symbol. You can create a view reference family in the Family Editor. View reference families can contain lines, filled regions, text and labels for the view number and sheet number parameter values.

View references display in the primary view and all related dependent views (except for the view that it is referencing). For example, if you have a view split into 2 dependent views (left and right), and you add a view reference to the right view to reference the left, the view reference appears in the primary view and in the right view, but not in the left view.

Info via
Navigating Primary and Dependent Views – WikiHelp

 

Also check out:
View References (excerpt below)
 Now what would be REALLY useful (to anyone trying to read our drawing set) would be a reference near the matchline to tell you what sheet to find the other part of the plan. This is where “View References” come into play….

Downgrade Revit projects and families to previous version

Luke Johnson

OK, the title may be a bit misleading.  But this is how you can try to do it:

For Project RVT files:

  1. Export from higher version of Revit to IFC
  2. Import the IFC file into the lower version of Revit

Tip – use the best available IFC format that both versions of Revit understand

For Family RFA files:
 Either:

  1. Load the family into a project in the higher version
  2. Follow the above steps for Project files
  3. Once you have the project in the lower version of Revit, open the downgraded family from the Project (select in Project Browser – Edit)

or //

  1. Export to DWG or SAT from the higher version
  2. Import the file into the lower version

Tip – you probably can’t explode the resulting import, or everything will disappear.

Basic tip via CAD Forum – How to save Revit project to an older version?

Also check out Sharing a Revit File with a Previous Release