Array in a Revit Family that allows Count of 1 (without IF)

Luke Johnson

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. 

I posted about this method a while back:

Download the example file here

Send Site Photos, Comments and Questions directly to Revit using Mobile app

Luke Johnson

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.

connecting-to-server3-8900198

Download links from Moustafa:
I have uploaded the two applications Mobile and Revit on these 2 sites:
Mobile app: http://a360.co/1yZfNDb
Revit APP: http://a360.co/1vWKFhW

2014-10-11-07-16-05-33777692014-10-11-07-17-04-78177842014-10-11-07-17-43-4617660
via SUPER RFI | Architecture For Humanity

How to Share and Sync Your Google Tasks with other BIM Team Members

Luke Johnson

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.

Scroll down to How to Create a Shared Google Task List? and follow the steps after clicking below:
Shared Google Tasks: How to Share and Sync your Task List with Others

Don't Forget about the Discipline of the View in Revit, especially when it comes to Hidden Lines

Luke Johnson

The View “Discipline” setting in Revit is a high level visibility control that can have some significant consequences on how a view actually looks. Amongst other things, it works as a high level switch for Hidden Lines.

As the online Help demonstrates:
In view properties for 2D views and 3D views, set the Show Hidden Lines parameter to By Discipline to display hidden lines based on the assigned discipline of the view.

For all views, the default value for Show Hidden Lines is By Discipline, with the following results:

  • If Discipline is set to Architectural or Coordination, do not display hidden lines.
  • If Discipline is set to Structural, show hidden lines.
  • If Discipline is set to Mechanical, Electrical, or Plumbing, show hidden lines.

The By Discipline value also ensures that the view displays hidden lines specified using the Show Hidden Lines by Element tool of the View tab.
Help: About Hidden Lines and View Discipline

Here is part of a recent discussion in the BIM + Revit MEP group on LinkedIn, where we see David is trying to hide Hidden Lines in a Section View in Revit MEP:

Some more pieces of the View Discipline puzzle:
Determines how discipline-specific elements display in the view. You can also use this parameter to organize views in the Project Browser.
…

  • Architectural: Displays all model geometry from all disciplines.

  • Structural: Hides non-load-bearing walls in the view and shows elements whose Structural parameter is enabled.

  • Mechanical: Displays architectural and structural elements in half-tone, and displays mechanical elements on top for easier selection.

  • Electrical: Displays architectural and structural elements in half-tone, and displays electrical elements on top for easier selection.

  • Plumbing: Displays architectural and structural elements in half-tone, and displays plumbing elements on top for easier selection.

  • Coordination: Displays all model geometry from all disciplines.

Help: View Properties

and
If you see an entire category of halftoned objects that are not set to display as halftoned (see About the Visibility and Graphic Display Dialog), try changing the view discipline. The Discipline setting determines how different object categories display in discipline-specific views. Also, select Coordination to show all object lines as solid without halftones. See View Properties.
Help: Common Issues with Visibility and Graphic Display

For more detail on View Discipline implications, check out:
REVIT Rocks !: REVIT View Discipline Explained – Kind of
Revit OpEd: View Discipline

(I found the above posts using my custom Revit Master Search engine) 

Installing Fusion 360 using the command line only

Luke Johnson
  1. Open an elevated command prompt (Start – type cmd – right click Run as Administrator)
  2. @powershell -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy unrestricted -Command “iex ((new-object net.webclient).DownloadString(‘https://chocolatey.org/install.ps1’))” && SET PATH=%PATH%;%ALLUSERSPROFILE%chocolateybin
  3. choco install autodesk-fusion360
  4. It will be installed somewhere like this:
    “C:UsersUSERNAMEAppDataLocalAutodeskwebdeployproduction4b49a77e39afe2cab455d9514bab154658321859Fusion360.exe”
  5. If any problems (missing shortcuts etc), you can go here and directly re-run the installer:
    “C:Chocolateylibautodesk-fusion360.2.0.1149toolsautodesk-fusion360.exe”
  6. Upon opening, it should login to your Autodesk account and give you access to your files on Autodesk 360

You might also try
choco install CADConverter(to easily convert DWG to PDF and more)
or
choco install freecad

    Free Explorer Extension that lists Revit version and Worksharing information for RVT and RFA files

    Luke Johnson

    The latest version of CTC BIM Project Suite installs an Explorer extension that can list the following without even opening Revit:

    • Saved with Revit version
    • Saved with Revit build
    • Last saved path
    • Is Revit LT file
    • Worksharing mode
    • Is central file
    • Preview image

    All you need to do is install the trial, and the Explorer extension will become available when you right click an RVT or RFA. The trial includes free tools that do not expire (see image below):

    Here is a direct download link

    More info on “Revit Properties”


    Revit Properties is now available within the CTC BIM Project Suite download, and runs outside of Revit. This user interface provides access to basic data about Revit project files, family files, project template files and family template files.

    • See the version of Revit that last saved the file
    • View worksharing information about project files

    This is a free tool that does not have licensing requirements

    Main page:
    BIM Project Suite – CAD Technology Center

    IFC Templates and Parameter Upgrade Files

    Luke Johnson
    “Revit makes available the following IFC-specific files:

    • IFC Metric Template.rte. This file allows you to create new projects that are already set to the IFC standard.
    • IFC Parameter Upgrade.rvt. This file enables you to upgrade an existing project to contain IFC parameters by reading the instructions contained in the IFC Parameter Upgrade.rvt file.
    • IFC Shared Parameters.txt. This file contains the shared IFC parameters if you want to manually update an existing project to contain all or some of these parameters.
      Note: It is recommended that you use the IFC Parameter Upgrade.rvt file. If you use IFC Shared Parameters.txt, you must add parameters one at a time, setting the correct categories for each. If you use IFC Parameter Upgrade.rvt, you can use the Transfer Project Standards tool to add the parameters in one operation.”

    From Help: Access IFC-Specific Files

    It will send you here:
    http://revit.autodesk.com/library/html/index.html

    And you can download IFC.exe from this direct link
    which contains these files: