Quad monitor setup using Geforce and Quadro mixture

Luke Johnson

My main video card is a Nvidia Quadro FX 580.  However, I wanted to run more than two monitors.  So I borrowed a old GeForce 7300 LE and installed it into one of the other PCI-E slots on my Gigabyte EX58-UD4 motherboard.

This is NOT an SLI rig.  But I can run it in a ‘hybrid mode’ where I’m essentially getting access to 4 monitors.  I try to make sure that I always run my main Revit instance on the monitor that is plugged into the ‘good’ FX 580 video card.

The main lesson here is that you need to install GeForce drivers to make this all happen properly.  The Quadro drivers do not seem to work very well in this hybrid setup. 

I am running 275.33 drivers, which you can download from here:
GeForce 275.33 Driver

This GeForce driver also includes cool stuff like overclocking options in the Nvidia Control Panel.

PC on a USB Stick for $25

Luke Johnson

Game developer David Braben has developed a $25 PC, in a USB stick with a HDMI port on one end and a USB port on the other.  The hardware inside is a 700MHz ARM11 processor with 128MB of RAM, together with 1080p graphics output and Linux operation.

This solution would put a slightly different spin on ‘mobile and affordable Revit-ing’ šŸ™‚  It sure would take some coaxing to get Revit to run on this hardware though!

via
PC on a USB Stick for $25 | Geek with Laptop

Placing a Spot Dimension in a Detail Group

Luke Johnson

When in Edit Mode for a given Detail Group, the Spot Dimension tools are grayed out.

However, if you place the Spot Dimension OUTSIDE the Detail Group, and then ‘Add’ it to the Group – Revit is quite happy.  You can even place a Spot Coordinate in a Detail Group (in Plan View), copy the Group instance, and then drag the copied Group around with the Spot Coordinate continuously updating!

Here is a quick step-by-step:

  1. Exit the editing mode for the Detail Group
  2. Place the Spot Dimension (referencing an element inside the Detail Group)
  3. Edit the Group
  4. Use the ‘Add’ tool to add the Spot Dimension to the Detail Group
  5. Finish Group

 This works for Spot Coordinates in Plan View Detail Groups, and it works for Spot Elevations and Spot Slopes in Section / Elevation Detail Groups…

    Vault can be used to search Revit families

    Luke Johnson

    Do you know much about Autodesk Vault?  Watch this quick video to see how powerful it can be in searching through your Revit family library:

     
    Video via

    ā€ŖAutodesk Revit and Autodesk Vault Collaboration AECā€¬ā€ – YouTube

    A few links to help you:

    1. You can download Vault if you are on Subscription at this link.
    2. To get started installing and configuring Vault, check out the wiki.
    3. Autodesk Vault 2012 updates can be found at this page.

    Here are some links to the current updates for Vault 2011 and Vault 2012:
    AutodeskĀ® Vault 2012
    Autoloader Compatibility Update
    Vault 2012 Client Update for AutoCAD 2010
    AutoCAD Civil 3D 2011 – Autodesk Vault 2012 (Server) Support Patch
    Vault 2012 Client Update for AutoCAD 2011
    Copy Design Hotfix
    API Log In Hotfix
    Check In Performance Hotfix
    Custom Numbering Scheme Hotfix
    Multi Issue Hotfix
    Vault 2012 Documentation
    Civil 3D Object Based Security Removal – Server

    AutodeskĀ® Vault 2011
    Migrated Inventor 2010 Content Center Libraries, for use with:
    AutoCAD Civil 3D, Vault Add-In Hotfix
    Security/Property Hotfix
    Multi Issue Hotfix
    Multi Issue Hotfix
    Autoloader Hotfix
    Multi Issue Update
    Move File Hotfix
    MSG File Property Extraction
    Hotfix – To Get Untranslated Software Strings Translated (Vault)
    Autodesk Vault 2011 Update 2
    Office 2010 Vault Add-in
    Hotfix – “show all version” checkbox unavailable in explorer (simplified chinese only)
    Hotfix – Civil 3D MAPIINSERT
    Hotfix – Multi Issue Hotfix
    Hotfix – Title Block Property Hotfix
    Vault 2011 Client Update for AutoCAD 2010
    Hotfix – Localization Check Out Hotfix
    Autodesk Vault 2011 Update 1
    Hotfix – CIP Hotfix

    Save an In-Place Family as an RFA for use in another project

    Luke Johnson

    Do you have some awesome in-place families that you would like to convert to normal Component families, so that you can load them into other projects?

    Here’s how:

    1. Open the Project containing the In-Place family
    2. Edit the In-Place family
    3. Select all of the elements in the family
    4. Group all of these elements using the Create Group tool.  Give the Group a name.
    5. Select the Group
    6. Do not Finish Editing the In-Place family yet!
    7. Go to the ‘R’ button (Application Menu) – Save As – Library – Group
    8. You will notice that the filetype is RFA!
    9. Save the Group somewhere.
    10. You Component Family IS the file that you just saved.

     I’m sure there are limitation to this method, but I think it is very cool.

    Here is a quick video:

     
    Credit for this tip – KarelCAD support document

    Two frames for the price of one – cut walkthrough rendering time in half

    Luke Johnson

    Are you sick of waiting ages for a Revit walkthrough to render?  Using this technique, you can cut your walkthrough rendering time in half!  Essentially, we make half the frames we need in Revit, and then use some post-processing software to interpolate extra frames.  Here is how:

    1. Create a rendered AVI walkthrough from Revit with HALF the frames you actually want.  In other words, this walkthrough will be twice as fast as the walkthrough you will end up with.
    2. Install Adobe After Effects trial
    3. Open Adobe After Effects.
    4. New – Project
    5. Drag the Revit walkthrough file into the ‘Project’ area
    6. Right click on the file in the Project Area – Interpret Footage
    7. Set Loop = 2 times
    8. Drag the file from the Project Area to the Composition Area
    9. Right click on the file in the Composition Area
    10. Effect – Time – Timewarp
    11. Ensure speed is set at 50 (that is 50%, or half speed)
    12. Composition – Make Movie…
    13. Adjust the Output settings to suit.
    14. Click ‘Render’
    15. View your new ‘slow motion’ walkthrough

    I have found this technique to be effective on a very large, 1800 frame walkthrough.  You could further tweak some settings in the Timewarp effect to get better results.  You could even try slowing the walkthrough down further – although I anticipate that the output will degrade quite quickly once you go lower than 50% Timewarp speed.

    Here is a video that describes the process:

    Here are a few associated posts:
    Distributed Parallel Rendering in Revit

    Using Avisynth and VirtualDub to join BMP to AVI

    How to temporarily fix Revit 2012 stall on startup at secsplashwnd

    Luke Johnson

    If you try to open Revit 2012 and it stalls at the splash screen, you can try ending the process WSCommCntr3.exe by accessing it in the Task Manager and clicking ‘End Process’.

    The video below shows the issue:

    I think that the problem is definitely related to the WSCommCntr.  This is the Autodesk Infocenter, and it should be located at:
    C:Program FilesCommon FilesAutodesk SharedWSCommCntr3lib

    As I state in the title, stopping the offending process is only a temporary solution.  There may be some issue that you need to correct.  For instance, my Task Manager also showed WSCommCntr2.exe and I essentially also had to stop this process to get the Autodesk Infocenter to behave.

    Feel free to comment if you would like your experience with the Autodesk Infocenter.

    I have previously had other issues with Revit stalling at the splash screen:
    SECSplashWnd error – Revit 2010 stalls on loading

    How to match a Revit 3D view to a real life Camera Photo

    Luke Johnson

    Awesome post from Klaus over at:
    Revit and Camera Match / FOV and Focal Length

    He provides a family file and a step-by-step process for how to match a Revit 3D perspective view with a real life camera photo. There are some nice implications to this, especially if you want to use a real life photo as a background for a rendering or other visualisation. Thanks Klaus!

    Note:  his post relates especially to a Canon EOS1000D (some tweaking may be required for other cameras).

    via
    RevitForum Blog: Best posts of the month of May 2011

    Trimble Acquires Tekla

    Luke Johnson

    Trimble Finland Oy, a subsidiary of Trimble Navigation Limited, has acquired Tekla.  This could result in some interesting products, as Trimble has a real focus on mobile technologies.  Watch this space…and read on for some more information.

    Here is a quote from the press release on the Tekla website.

    The extended offer period in the public tender offer by Trimble Finland Oy, a wholly owned indirect subsidiary of Trimble Navigation Limited, for all of the issued and outstanding shares in Tekla Corporation that are not owned by Tekla, expired on June 27, 2011.

    via
    Notification of a change in shareholding according to Securities Markets Act 2:9 – Tekla

    And here is a pretty big claim made by Tekla at the above link:

    Tekla Corporation drives the evolution of digital information models with its software, providing a growing competitive advantage to customers in the construction, infrastructure and energy industries.

    So, who or what is Trimble?  Here is some more information:

    Trimble applies technology to make field and mobile workers in businesses and government significantly more productive. Solutions are focused on applications requiring position or location: including surveying, construction, agriculture, fleet and asset management, public safety and mapping. In addition to utilizing positioning technologies, such as GPS, lasers and optics, Trimble solutions may include software content specific to the needs of the user. Wireless technologies are utilized to deliver the solution to the user and to ensure a tight coupling of the field and the back office. Founded in 1978, Trimble is headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif.

    via
    Trimble Navigation Limited – Trimble Completes Tender Offer for Tekla Corporation