Harlan Brumm recently tweeted about updates to Revit:
so you might have noticed, we released a number of fixes for Revit versions. These are important fixes to address security issues and to ensure your product keeps working as you expect. Check out the read-mes for more details. https://t.co/rLGfi9aihM – this will be updated too
includes an update to the product which is needed to maintain access to the following feature after October 31st, for more details refer to Autodesk Knowledge Network:
• P&ID Modeler
Fixed a security vulnerability in communicating with web services.
The first time you opened Revit, you likely found it pretty confusing. So many commands, so many ribbons, so many little buttons and drop down menus. Dialog box after dialog box… What’s a Family and how do I place one? What is a View or a Schedule, and how do I make one? As time goes on, the User Interface becomes less of a barrier, but in those early stages, it can be daunting.
Perhaps you are a student using Revit for the first time, or perhaps you have used Revit for a while but want to deepen your understanding? Happily, Dan Stine (and Jeff Hanson) have put together the Revit 2017 Architectural Command Reference. This is a book that can serve as a guide through the maze of Revit commands and the user interface in general.
The book is well composed and logical, and includes some nice features along the way such as Tips and Quick Steps. It includes a lot of graphical content, so that you can easily follow along whether you are using Revit as you read it, or simply kicking back on the couch with a coffee (and studying Revit 🙂
There is a lot of depth in this book, and I can’t really do it justice in this short post. But have ever wondered how Revit calculates reflectivity from RGB values and percentages? There is an explanation and a table for that in this book, along with a lot more.
You know how when you are first learning something, you have to go over and over it a few times until you get it? This book is a perfect accompaniment to that kind of learning, as it provides a step-by-step consideration of how the commands work and the user input required.
The Authors
Dan Stine is a well known and widely respected Revit professional. He has written or contributed to numerous publications and he is also a prolific speaker and instructor about Revit, Architecture and BIM. You can check out his own blog here.
Jeff Hanson is a Senior User Experience Designer at Autodesk Inc and he brings a deep knowledge of Revit from inside the Factory.
Summary
This book provides you with an easy to use reference for all of the usual Architectural Commands available in Autodesk Revit. It can be used daily as you are working in Revit and learning the software. It can help you understand what each command does and how it may be used in your overall workflow. The book is organized in the same way the Revit user interface is presented. Each tab of the Ribbon is represented as a chapter in the book. Within the chapter each button is represented in the book as it appears on the Ribbon. It is a very logical and methodical reference to use when learning the Revit user interface.
Personally, I was pleased to see a detailed index of commands, which allows you to quickly locate the relevant command in the book. In that sense, it is truly a reference. Along the way, Dan doesn’t just explain the basics of a command, but in some cases offers additional insight and even alternative commands or ways of accomplishing a similar task. I recommend that you check out the Revit 2017 Architectural Command Reference, and it may help you find your way the maze of the Revit UI.
Bonus Content
Also included with this book are nearly 100 videos tutorials which will further help you master Autodesk Revit. You can use the provided code and login details one you obtain the book. There are 96 videos amounting to around 1.7 GB of content!
Big day yesterday in Revitupdates, particularly with Revit2017Update1 bringing some really cool enhancements, andthe Dynamo Player! Here are some linksand other information:
Dynamo Player
People have been asking for a way to run their scripts more easily and transparently, and now you can. Simply install Revit2017Update1, ensure you have Dynamo installed, and you will have a new option on your Ribbon…
It comes preconfigured to point at a samples folder:
You can point this at your own “Player” folder containing DYNs.
Press Play button to Run, and Edit button to open the DYN in Dynamo.
It remains to be seen how inputs will be handled?
Pick Objects and Dynamo Player
Interesting thoughts over on theforum, about how if you use a DYN with a Select Node, it will still ‘work’ — this opens up some great possibilities!
The annual Revit release schedule can become very tiring. Also challenging is the fact that you will probably not start running real, big, live Revit 2017 projects for around 6 months, so all of this new features noise will be a distant memory by then. However, it is good to be aware of the new abilities in the software, so that you can (possibly) stop using outdated workarounds and start using the software in the way Revit 2017 Wants.
By now, we should all be focusing on getting more useful data into our models. In accord with that aim, these are my top 3 new features: 1) Keynote Legends are better – Use Keynotes! When a keynote legend is set to By Sheet, Revit takes into account whether a keynote is visible in the view as a result of View Range settings, Design Option settings, or Depth Clipping/Far Clipping settings.
2) Combined parameters in Schedules – Use the Data you Have! Combine parameters in a schedule to display the values in a single cell. You can specify a prefix, suffix, sample value, and separator to display with each parameter. See Combine Parameters in a Schedule.
3) Schedule view templates – Templates are Good Revit View templates for schedules and assembly views: To simplify the reuse of schedules, create a schedule view template. Schedule view templates include parameters for Fields, Filter, Sorting/Grouping, Formatting, Appearance, and Phase Filter. If the model contains RVT links or design options, Visibility/Graphics Overrides parameters are also available. See About Schedule View Templates and Create Assembly Views and Sheets.
For a while here on What Revit Wants, I was a bit worried I was writing about Dynamo too much… “Hey, Dynamo isn’t Revit, its just an addin!”
But guess what?
Now Dynamo is Revit, its right there on the Visual Programming panel, Manage Ribbon.
If you were running Dynamo 0.9.2 prior to installing Revit 2017 (perhaps as part of Building Design Suite Ultimate 2017), you won’t immediately see Dynamo on the Manage Ribbon. After installing Revit 2017, re-run the Dynamo install package, and ensure that Revit 2017 is selected:
Next time you launch Revit 2017, Dynamo should be in its rightful place, right there on the Manage ribbon, ready for you to jump in and start winning.
