Tag: note block

Intelligent Issue Tracking in Revit, with download.

Luke Johnson

Ok, lets say you have a large team working on a single Revit project, and questions fly back and forth. Some firms use a Clash box, which is then listed in a Generic Model Schedule. Unfortunately, these can’t be placed in drafting views or on sheets.

This is where an annotation family comes in. When associated with a Note Block schedule, it provides a decent “inside Revit” method for creating and tracking questions and answers. It can be used on sheets, in 2D views, plan views etc. It works in Legend views but will not schedule from them. It can’t be placed directly in a 3D view. You can work around both of these by placing them on top of Legend and 3D views that are placed on Sheets.

One big advantage of these is that you can select a Schedule Row, and then click Highlight in Model to take you directly to that issue, clash, or question item.

This particular version uses a saved selection based filter to override the leader colour and thickness by template. You just select all instances and save the selection, overwriting MQ as the saved selection set.

It also has adjustable attachment width using “right attach” instance parameter. Another tip – you can add as many Instance text Parameters as you like to the Note Block Schedule, and they will be instantly visible upon selection of the annotation family, ready for you to add data.

Revit Wants you to associate as much useful data to the model as possible – and intelligent, team-capable issue tracking certainly fits into that category.

For Revit 2014:
Download here

Some images:

Generic Annotation as Keynotes

Luke Johnson

BIM Aficionado posted a while back about using Generic Annotations and Note Blocks as a workaround for genuine Keynoting.  I have posted about similar things before, although I am more proud of my Keynote Legend workflow.

In any case, he provides a full guide along with example files at this link:
https://docs.google.com/folder/d/0B_caWTSMFC8cZC1TSXRoUTdRVjItTWVsSGpXdGdPQQ/edit

Pretty interesting method, with the Excel CSV / Family Types too.

Read more / via:
BIM Aficionado: Generic Annotation Keynotes

Coordination Technique with Graphic Display and Schedulability

Luke Johnson

Sometimes a post comes along that I can’t help but re-post. The BIM Troublemaker has gone to the trouble of making a handy little Generic Annotation family for Coordination, with some great formulaic graphic feedback. Because its a Generic Annotation, it can be scheduled in a Note Block.  Nice work BIM Troublemaker!

Download a sample of the block here:
Trackable Comment Annotation.RFA

Read more at:
BIM Troublemaker: Comment Tracking Using Noteblock Scheduling

Image from http://bimtroublemaker.blogspot.com/

If you want to find out about Note Blocks, check out my previous post:
Note Blocks – What are they??

On a slightly unrelated note, if you want to automatically tag Component families, check out this post:
How to add a label to a Component Family (automatic tag)

Note Blocks – What are they??

Luke Johnson

A Note Block schedules the instances of a Generic Annotation (Symbol) in your project. They are useful for repetitive tagging of detail elements. I say ‘detail’ elements, because I feel that the use of tags should be in the following order of preference:

  1. Tag of appropriate type for tagged element (eg. Door Tag)
  2. Keynote Tag by Material where 1 is not possible
  3. Note Block and Generic Annotation where 1 and 2 are not possible

(The above is based on the fact that you should be trying to make your Model as intelligent as possible – detail lines and text should be the exception when using Revit, not the rule).Here is a crash course in using Note Blocks:

  1. Create a basic Generic Annotation family.
  2. Add Labels for Family Parameters to into the Generic Annotation family (for example, Note Number and Note Description).
  3. Load the family into the project.
  4. Create a Schedule – Note Block, and choose the family you just loaded. Add the parameters to the Schedule that you added in step 2.
  5. Go to a view and place a ‘Symbol’ – use the Generic Annotation family you just added. Make sure to choose at least 1 leader for the note.
  6. Type value/values into the Generic Annotation family.
  7. Have a look at your ‘Note Block’ and you will see the values starting to fill.
  8. If you change the schedule, it will change the notes (this is Revit, remember).

The Revit documentation shows this in use. You can label things with ‘numbers’ and then use the Note Block to refer these numbers to the appropriate text or note.This Note Block can then be placed on a sheet, just like any schedule.It is an interesting little tool, and it may be just what you need to solve that little problem that has been annoying you!