A document was recently released that essentially describes differences in the way that Tekla and RST respond to changes in a linked architectural model. This document doesn’t really take into account the other benefits of working in a completely Revit environment – not having to convert to and from IFC, tagging through links, scheduling, bidirectionality, and so on (I don’t feel a need to keep listing reasons 🙂
Interesting post by troywright on AUGI, in relation to setting up segregated links as room bounding in your Revit MEP file: We have this issue frequently, as with major projects we will receive different models for architectural fitout, shell and core and facades etc.
The solution we have (in your example) is to; – Link the structural model into architectural as an overlay, set to room bounding – In your MEP model link in the structural model and the architectural model.
That’s it. Essentially it is an extra step, but it means that the architectural model knows it is bound by the structural model, even though it is only an overlay! I think someone else mentioned this method earlier but with worksets. I can’t see a point in doing this as the nested structural model is an overlay, so it’s irrelevant.
Another issue you may have is that your spaces act up when an architectural model has floor finishes set to room bounding that are higher than the level they are on. To fix this just change all of your levels to have a calculation height above that of the floor finish.
Its possible you are already using one or more of these… This list comes from Revit Modelling India:
Aconex Mobile
As Aconex Mobile app is used for iPads, you can capture photos, audio and videos on project site and access and manage existing project document. It also helps to review the images and drawings as well as view and edit project information offline. Therefore, you are able to sync with the platform, when a connection is available.
BIMx
BIMx is a free construction app and with this we can turn gadgets into 3D communication as well as presentation tools for the architectural designs.
SmartBidNet
This iPhone construction app makes you able to create and track the bidding procedure with your subcontractors. The accessible info that this app offers make it easier and timelier to bid projects.
Wheatland EMT Calc
Wheatland EMT Calc, which helps contractors and engineers, is available for Androids and iPads. For example, with this app, they can canculate the amount they can save on twenty feet of conduit
iBlueprint
iBlueprint is highly useful for real estate agents and contractors, as it has an access to blueprints on job sites. Users can create as well as export custom floor plans with this iPod Touch, iPhone and iPad app.
Architect’s Formulator
Architect;s Formulator with over 200 formulas for plumbing, carpentry and electrical calculations goes for $9.99. Besides the excavation and concrete formulas for calculating the bricks and concrete required for a job, this app also have formulas for steel design, parking areas and even swimming pools.
Green Pro
Green Pro helps engineers, contractors, owners and architects access and follow up leadership in Energy & Design credits for major renovations and new construction projects. With this app, users can access credit requirements and also can find out when a particular requirement has been met.
Procore
This free construction app makes the users able to create and control punch-list items, access contacts and log time card entries and share and store project pictures. In short, It can make the construction management very easy.
iQuick Contract Maker
This app, which costs $2.99, makes the users able to create and email contracts to customers from iPads, iPhones, or the iPod Touch. With this, the users can also customize contracts for a particular industry or trade.
PlanGrid
PlanGrid is a free app and it allows the users to put all their project plans, specs and photos on their iPad. Moreover, cloud-founded annotations that instantaneously sync with colleagues is also allowed with this.
Ustream Broadcaster
Even though Ustream Broad caster is not a necessary app, it can help the construction industry in many ways. For example, It allows users stream alive from their device, while they are on a job site or looking at properties for future development.
Carpenter’s Helper
As the name indicates, this free app helps the users calculate the stair length, roof pitch and rafter lengths etc.
JobTrac
With this app, you can set up email alert, track jobs, get the advanced bidding news and vies from all over the state.
Revit Wants you to use a good, clean, consistent technique when setting up Curtain Wall mullions for high quality detailing. Here is one way to set these up for nice corner joins – the advantage is that the curtain wall can be properly ‘joined’, you do not need to Disallow Joins and hack the glazing position:
When finished, and the endpoints share a common location, the corner looks like the figure below.
Why is this preferable to assigning a single mullion to one curtain wall and leaving the adjacent curtain wall without a mullion? That would require that the edge handle of the CW without the mullion to be manually aligned to the edge of the mullion where it crosses the panel’s path; a feature that should be automatic in Revit. Changes to the mullion profile won’t necessarily be reflected in the open-ended CW and is an opening for errors. via Jon McFarland at CurtainwallBIM: Mullion Halves
I’m looking forward to tighter BIM 360 Glue and Navisworks integration moving forward…
Quote:
All project and enterprise BIM 360 Glue subscriptions now include access to Autodesk® Navisworks® Manage and Autodesk® Point Layout for use by the purchasing company.
Navisworks Manage 2015 and Autodesk Point Layout 2015
With this new entitlement, connected office and field teams can more easily collaborate using streamlined BIM workflows on everything from multidiscipline coordination and material takeoff to component staking and installation. By removing access barriers, teams can improve information accuracy at the point of construction and help accelerate project delivery.
Navisworks Manage and Point Layout may only be used by the purchasing company’s employees who have access to a BIM 360 Glue Project. These products may be used in conjunction with BIM 360 Glue in order to do work on that specific BIM 360 Glue Project.
In order to grant access to a user to either of Navisworks Manage or Point Layout, the employee will need to be a Host or Project Administrator on the BIM 360 Glue project.
Typically when editing Revit families, if you want to deal with arrays and stop them breaking when the count is 1, you set up some IF() formulas in Revit. However, a recent comment by David over on Revit Beginners describes another possible method: Thank you Luke. Another possible solution is to nest the element into an adaptive component family, then nest the adaptive onto a conceptual mass family surface and use the repeater tool which can have an array count of 1.
Moustafa Khalil has freely released an Android app and a Revit listener addin that essentially accomplishes a site-to-Revit connection for RFI input into Revit. Essentially, you install the Revit addin, setup the FTP connection, login on the Android app and then take some pictures of RFIs from site. You then add some comments and data to the photo submission, and this is automatically captured into Revit through the FTP site and Revit addin.
Its an interesting approach to this problem. Amazing what someone can accomplish when they think a little outside the box and connect a few different technologies. Nice work.
There are lots of ways to share and track tasks among teams, and this is probably one of the most rudimentary (ie. least feature packed). But I have tested it, and it does actually work. Basically, you install a script from the instructions below, and it allows you to share a given Google task list with selected people.
