Tag: KiwiCodes

Free Ways to Export your Families from Revit and Sort them into Folders

Luke Johnson

There was an API addin available a while back, but in recent years I have used:

  • the Case Batch Export Family RFA’s tool
    https://wrw.is/2012/12/how-to-determine-if-family-is-in-place.html
    This way is pretty robust, as it also gives you a list of inplace families and masses that it couldn’t save to rfas. Unfortunately, it is pretty hard to get now that Case have shut down their free app downloads 🙁 Hopefully someone in your office already has it installed? Just copy all the files starting with Case between the relevant addin folders to get it going.
  • You could also use the builtin method File – Save As – Library – Family – All Families to export the rfas, and then (for 2013 version only) the free Kiwi Codes Family Categorizer to sort them into Category folders. More on that here:
    https://wrw.is/2012/11/free-utility-that-will-sort-all-of-your.html

These are the steps to export the families using the builtin workflow:

Personally, I now usually use Unifi to export and manage Revit content.

Thanks to Matt Wash for prompting me to do an update post on these different methods.

Concurrent Keynote Editing, Instant Keynote Update and Keynote Search addin for Revit 2015

Luke Johnson

This new keynoting addin from Kiwi Custom Solutions stores per-project Keynotes in a database to solve concurrent access problems. Revit 2015 allows some interesting pathing to happen for keynotes, that looks like this:

Using this addin, you can either create a new set of keynotes for each project (based on a template), or you can “link” projects to one common keynote definition (allowing an entire office to work collaboratively on one master keynote file).

Any changes are updated instantly in Revit.

Here’s some steps:

  1. Download trial here
  2. Install
  3. Start Revit 2015
  4. You may be prompted to activate
  5. Open or Start a Revit project
  6. The Easy Keynoter setup wizard will start…
  7. and you will be prompted to select a local or network location for the database SDF file…
  8. and give your Keynote template a name, like Default
  9. Then import an existing Keynote text file. You could start with the Natspec version. Or import your office standard.
  10. From here, you can start using and modifying your Keynotes in the Easy Keynoter dialog.

You can close the Easy Keynoter pane with the little X (like other palettes), and open it with the button on the Addins ribbon.

There is also a search option:


 Summary of key features:

  • no problems with multiple users editing the keynotes at the same time as with other systems
  • keynote changes are reflected immediately in the Revit project
  • Drag and Drop Keynotes from the Palette
  • search function

    Bonus Tools for Revit 2015 + video playlist (Sheet Revisions manager, Clash Report XML import to Revit and more)

    Luke Johnson

    I have posted about KiwiCodes Bonus Tools before, particularly the Excel and data tools. A Sheet Revisions manager has recently been added to the toolset. Check out how quick and easy it is to add revisions to sheets with this:

    Honestly, if you have $35 to spend on Revit addins, this Bonus Tools package is definitely what I would spend it on…

    Versions for 2013, 2014 and 2015 in one install package:
    Bonus Tools | Autodesk Revit | Autodesk Exchange Apps

    Video playlist showing all of the Bonus Tools in action:

     

    Clash Report XML to Revit:

    Free Family Browser Labs goes Public – you can join now

    Luke Johnson

    via email:
    We are very pleased to announce that today we have released the first build of Family Browser Labs Project to the general public. Family Browser Labs Project is the most powerful & sophisticated Family Browser for Autodesk Revit. It handles not only Revit RFA Families but also Revit System families, drafting views, schedules and groups. The best part of this is that it is absolutely FREE. The only thing we ask in return is your feedback.

    Check it out at:
    http://www.kiwicodes.com/products/31-family-browser.html

    KiwiCodes Bonus Tools – a powerful timesaving toolset for increasing Revit productivity

    Luke Johnson

    In some ways, vanilla Revit is like the base model option package of a new vehicle – no shiny wheels, 20 speaker sound system, or sports handling package.  But some add-ins can make you feel like you are driving the top of the range, fully optioned model …

    Here are just a few of the things the KiwiCodes Bonus Tools lets you do:

    • determine the “source” file path to RFAs of loaded Families and re-path family files
    • replace Groups with Families
    • create Floor elements from Room boundaries
    • duplicate Sheets and the Views that reside on them
    • add points to a Topo from a selected Family
    • create an outline edge of a Topo element (these can be 2D or 3D lines!)
    • Export Template and Import Room Data from Excel (including adding Room Placeholders) – bit timesaver
    • Convert a Navisworks XML report into clash points and 3D views placed on sheet(s)
    • and there is much, much more…

    For the sheer amount of timesaving and productivity tools included, the low price represents good value for money.

    To download a trial of KiwiCodes Bonus Tools, go to:
    http://www.kiwicodes.com/30-bonus-tools.html

    For more details on the tools included:
    Bonus Tools Details