Autodesk using Scoop.it

Luke Johnson

Currently most of the content is focused on AutoCAD and 3DSMax.  This initiative is somewhat similar to Mosaic.  However, Mosaic does require you to use your Autodesk SSO (single sign on).  You can also check out the Revit Wikihelp Twitter feed.

The Autodesk / scoop.it links to watch out for are below:

“service and support tips, tricks, updates, news, and solutions “
Support News Network

From a learning / training perspective:
Learn | Create | Make

Blender Python resource by Nathan Miller

Luke Johnson

If you are interested in learning Blender from an API (Python) perspective, check out:
Nathan’s Blender Python Notebook – THE PROVING GROUND

At the moment, the content is primarily along the lines of ‘getting started’ and basic modelling.  I’m sure it will get more advanced very soon…

I played with Blender back in mid-2008.  At the time I was using some of the randomization capability to make some organic forms for ultimate use in Revit.  I used a plugin called Blender World Forge (ver 0.1.0).  I had some success, but it wasn’t total.  Here is an example:

I have since had more success with organic forms in Revit using meshmixer:
Using meshmixer to morph your Revit Topography

From a devoted follower…

Luke Johnson

I wanted to share this with you, because it certainly brought a smile to my face:
Troy Whitehas sent you a message.

Date: 1/16/2013
Subject: Thanks for the add.
I have been a devoted follower of your blog for a few years now.
Excellent stuff! Your posts have helped me to streamline my workflow, and enhance my understanding of the revit back end. Appreciate all of your work! Thanks again.
…

Luke is a true Revit guru. His informative blog “What Revit Wants” is the last stop on my weekly review. As an operator who spends 50-plus living in the Revit-led BIM ecosystem, the importance of understanding the structure and logic of the software is key to developing an agile and efficient workflow. This is what Luke offers, a computational guide to the inner workings of this exceptional and complex program. His results are always interesting, sometimes paradigm shaking, and never lacking in thought.
-Troy White, BIM Modeler

 

Its good to be reminded that the blog is appreciated.  Thanks Troy!  (you can check his profile on LinkedIn)

PS.  I love it that Troy states “understanding the structure and logic of the software is key…”  This is the essence and purpose of knowing What Revit Wants and making it work for You.

Some followups from Twitter (also see the Comments):

Deleting a Design Option Set may prompt to delete View Templates

Luke Johnson

If a View Template includes a Design Option visibility setting, and then the associated Design Option Set is deleted, Revit will prompt you to delete the View Template:

Obviously, you can untick the box to retain your View Template.

Here is another post along similar lines:
Accepting a Primary Option results in Deletion of Drafting Views – explanation

Revit is 5% faster with Hyper-Threading disabled

Luke Johnson

Until we have full multi-core implementation on Revit, it is essentially looking at one core at a time (except for certain uses, such as Rendering).  Mark Cronin has tested whether Hyper Threading helps standard Revit – and his benchmarks indicate that it does not… the number to look at below is 318 (no HT) vs 335 (with HT).

He “averaged the results from the workstation, and the scores can be seen below:
RFO Averaged Results
They clearly show that there is at least a marginal improvement in the model creation portion of the testing, and a substantial performance reduction in the rendering section with Hyper-Threading disabled.”
via
Hyper-Threading for Revit? | betterREVIT

How far has multi-core implementation come in Revit?  Gordon Price on RFO:
File and view open are both multi-threaded, as are exporting of DWGs and images. Pretty sure printing is multi-threaded now too. And I am sure that updating a curtain wall is, just not sure yet if that is a function of curtain walls specifically, or if updating any family in a project is multi-threaded. Pretty sure it is not everything, as I just tested changing a wall thickness and it pegged my dual core VM at 50%. Edits to doors hit 49-50% for just a second. I suspect curtain walls got the optimized code because 1: it was easier and 2: really complex curtain walls kill performance

I recall that the revit.ini used to have a setting for multi-core wall join cleanup.  Steve mentions it in quoting a Revit technical note:
In Revit 2010, multi-threaded methods for printing and wall join cleanup have been made available. Multi-threaded hidden line removal for printing has been enabled by default.
via
Revit OpEd: Multi Core/Processors – Tech Note

So the revit.ini used to have ParallelWallJoins and ParallelPrintProcessing switches.  I’m not sure if these are still implemented in Revit 2013 (my .ini was at “C:UsersLukeAppDataRoamingAutodeskRevitAutodesk Revit 2013Revit.ini” but didn’t include any lines for these multi-core switches … However, it might still be possible to add them.)

Force Design Review to open PDF files using Vector information

Luke Johnson

If you open PDF files using the embedded vector data (ie. lines), you can then use ADR (Autodesk Design Review) to snap to PDF lines in order to measure them.

This may be useful to you if you are using ADR for markup tasks.  In our office, we are still very much PDF-centric, and various PDF readers allow you to measure PDFs anyway, so … you get the idea.

If you want to force ADR to open PDFs as vectors, follow the steps on the following post at RevitForum:
Design Review Tutorial

Some direct links (you will need to login to download):

Attached Files Attached Files

Thanks to Tim West for the post, the training guide and the registry tweak.  Nice job!

From Tim West’s PDF linked above

Manual steps from Instructions.txt:
XP
    Open your system registry editor with command ‘regedit’
    ‘HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareAutodeskDesign ReviewPreferences’
    If there is not a key called ‘PDFImport’ please create it.
    Create a DWORD value whose name is ‘PDF Conversion Method’ and set its value as 2.
    Close your registry editor.
    Open your PDF files with ADR2012
    PDF will be converted to DWF as vector; you can save this DWF file by then.

Vista/7
    Open your system registry editor with command ‘regedit’
    Expand ‘HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareAppDataLowSoftwareAutodeskDesign ReviewPreferences’ or ‘HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareAutodeskDesign ReviewPreferences’
    If there is not a key called ‘PDFImport’ please create it.
    Create a DWORD value whose name is ‘PDF Conversion Method’ and set its value as 2.
    Close your registry editor.
    Open your PDF files with ADR2012
    PDF will be converted to DWF as vector; you can save this DWF file by then.

10 funny quotes from "the 5 most important BIM questions"

Luke Johnson

A recent post from Eat Your CAD that has been getting some interest on Twitter … I think more than a bit of it is tongue-in-cheek:
EYC – Addressing the 5 most important BIM questions

Here are a few quotes that tickled me:

  1. Adopting BIM is a difficult and often unrewarding task.
  2. “Open BIM” is what people on the leading edge are aspiring to and solves all your problems.
  3. You’ll be expected to do extra work at a much earlier stage than you would have traditionally at a much lower fee.
  4. BIM is based on a 3D model and therefore requires everything to be modelled as an exact copy of the final manufactured building component.
  5. the quicker your architects can become qualified in structural engineering, the more benefit you’ll gain from BIM.
  6. Mention that your closest competitors have all migrated to Revit and within a short space of time you’ll be promoted and your bosses will be able to smile smugly over their 5-iron and confidently state “We do BIM. What do you think about them apples?”
  7. You cannot do BIM if you are a civil engineer, as civil engineers don’t build buildings.
  8. To be safe, always leave an empty space at least 300mm clear of another discipline’s object.
  9. Model as much detail as you can
  10. Add every property that you can to every object

Funny stuff 🙂