What Revit Wants
“It is the biggest project the firm has ever undertaken. There was very little planning with respect to file configuration; as a result, the project has now endured two model splits. We don’t want to do this again.”
(emphasis added)
From Huntington Beach, Here We Come
But isn’t that really at the heart of BIM? We push the limits, get beat up a little along the way, and then come out tougher than ever!
And…what Revit wants is for you to break up models that are huge.
Interesting read about bullying by Mark Kiker…
As Revit users, we spend about 99% of our time behind a computer screen. The brains of a computer are commonly known as a CPU (central processing unit). These days, most CPUs have multiple cores. The Core i7 975 that I use has 4 cores, and Hyperthreading means that Windows actually sees 8 cores.
Previously, I have discussed adjusting affinity and priority to make the best use of the cores you have.
If you are using an Intel chip, there is a high chance that it is using a technology called SpeedStep. This basically ‘slows down’ your processor when its not busy. I don’t know about you, but if I pay for a 3.33 ghz chip, I want it running at 3.33 ghz ALL THE TIME, not just when it thinks it has to…
To disable SpeedStep, head into your BIOS settings. On the Gigabyte X58 I use, there is a section for ‘Advanced CPU Features’ and inside this, you can ‘turn off’ EIST (Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology). There is also a similar feature known as ‘C1E‘ – I disabled this as well.
Now my processor is running at a consistent 3.33 ghz!
Here are a few tools and utilities you may find useful:
To disable SpeedStep WITHIN Windows while using a laptop with an appropriate Core processor, check out ThrottleStop.
To monitor CPU temperatures: CoreTemp
Benchmark and Torture Test: Prime95
Intel Processor Information Utility
Use all of these tools carefully.
If you have lots of materials in a project, it can become a chore to actually ‘choose’ them in the Material dialog box.
Here is a quicker way:
Scroll down for step by step version…
Have ever wondered what is happening in the TwitterSphere in relation to our beloved Revit?
Just check out this link to see the latest updates of tweets containing Revit…
This is a little plug for a new blog called Autodesk Explorer. Its still in its infancy, but if you are anything like me, you will want to add this to your extensive Revit blog reading list. There was a good tip on finding warning related objects in 3D wireframe mode:
Autodesk Explorer: Warnings, Warnings & More Warnings
If you would like to see a list of blogs I follow (with current posts), head over to:
Revit Professionals (aka Revit Blog Directory)
I found an interesting little PDF while using osun.org today.
It basically describes the features and benefits of Revit version 5. Here is the link.
Here are a few gems:
Automatic sheet/drawing references
Ensures that no section, elevation, or callout ever references the wrong drawing or sheet.
Sketch-based hosts
Built-in-place items (wall, floor, roof, and so forth) are defined by simple 2D sketching, delivering flexible but geometrically complex 3D items in the building that can be iteratively changed by altering the sketch.
And my favourite:
Align, split, trim, offset tools
These editing tools are like their CAD equivalents, but better. As you use these tools, they imply constraints between the things you pick so the model knows how to update as your design changes, saving effort and rework.
like their CAD equivalents, but better – what a way to sell it!
And some of the New Features in version 5:
“True North” views
View can be switched between Project North and True North orientation, saving time by eliminating the need to rotate text and symbols.
Temporary hide/show/isolate
Something getting in your way while editing? Now you can isolate your selection or temporarily hide it, reducing editing headaches.
It looks like Revit version 5 was released around December 2002.
I recently received a comment on one of my previous posts about the program Folder Menu. I had actually been meaning to post about it – it currently seems to be the best 64-bit replacement for Folder Guide. It is relatively simple to use, and seems to work in all dialog boxes.
You can download Folder Menu from the Sourceforge page here.
Basically, middle button on the mouse brings up the menu, left-click to ‘navigate’ folders within the menu, right-click to actually Explore a folder. If you want to always just Explore using left-click, change the Use browse mode when capslock is off option on the ‘Menu’ tab of the Options.
Give it a go and feel free to post your comments.
(image from Sourceforge page)
