Novedge Pulse™ of Steve Stafford

Let's say for example that you need a metric dimension value in your family and it should be 6.35mm. Let's also say that the family's Project Units are set to zero decimal places. When you enter 6.35mm in the Family Types dialog Revit will round the value to 6.4mm.When you change the family's units to show two decimal places the value that was stored in the parameter is still the single decimal value (6.4mm). Revit did not store the 6.35mm value but shows the rounded value instead, it stored the rounded value.If you override the dimension style to show two decimal places (as shown above) but don't alter the Project Units of the family you can enter the correct value (in the dimension string) and the Family Types dialog will still report the rounded value. If you change the parameter value in the Family Types dialog it won't respect a two decimal entry and you'll see the dimension value return to a rounded value. Short and sweet, if you really want a value like 6.35mm to be honored you need to set the family "Project Units" accordingly.Fwiw, this is different from the project environment where entering a value that uses two decimal places is honored even if the project units and/or dimension properties do not [more...]

In past releases we needed to be careful about using the mouse wheel button to zoom in and out after entering a value on the options bar, in particular with Revit MEP users. When we selected a duct or pipe and set the dimensions on the Options Bar and then rolled the wheel on the mouse the dimension values changed instead of zooming in or out in the view.I am happy to report that I’ve observed this is fixed in 2014. When entering an offset value for walls though the Options Bar still keeps the focus so it is necessary to use the "pan with the mouse in the view" trick to return the focus to the drawing window [more...]

Each time I let Autodesk 360 sync it seems to block all my other internet activity and my PC goes back and forth repeatedly between reporting access and no access to the internet. Very annoying. For this reason, I tend to log out and exit the application, not very 360ish, sad to say [more...]

This is still a separate download and installation but it is available now from the subscription center.Why should it be part of the software?Essential Tool - It is impractical to manage the relationship between architecture and engineering models without it. Many of the other extensions that are available (2014 versions available now too) are idiosyncratic, a small percentage of users will tend to use them. I don't think this one is. The fact that several other companies offer similar solutions as add-ons suggest that this one is at least solid enough for general use. Development Plans - The utility as gone unchanged essentially since its inception. If it is has been kept separate because they are going to do something else really wonderful and make it irrelevant, they've had years to do it. Until it really is part of the next release planning, put the one that works in. Awareness - Many people don't know it is available, because it is hiding at the subscription center, and therefore just suffer with room/space management. Most users I meet don't have access to the subscription site let alone know of its existence. Even when it is installed it is not in an obvious place so users who haven't been told about it either stumble on to it or don't use it until someone does point it out. Complaint Dept. - If it remains an extension because of the fear that users will complain that they've "lost" one of their extensions...well... I sure hope that's not a reason. I asy put it on the Analyze Tab with the other Space tools, call it Space/Room Matching, like this:Just do it [more...]

I mentioned the annotation families that function as learning links the other day. I should also mention the corresponding schedule provided in the file too.It is called "How Do I". The schedule is a list of all the "?" families that have been used. You can select one and use the Highlight in Model button to find where it is. The "What View" column lists the view you'll find it in too. They've included a column for "Reviewed?" so you can check each of them off as you work through each topic, nice for a beginner to track their progress. In the image below I added a column for "Learning Link" (URL parameter) which lets me click on the URL to browse to the WikiHelp topic right away [more...]

If you are a BIM Manager working on deployments and want to configure the Revit.ini file to turn on or off specific discipline options when you use Revit (not the discipline specific installations like RAC, RST or RME) they’ve provided a User Interface Configuration Calculator.Check of the things you want and the calculator provides a value that you enter for the DisciplineOption setting in the Revit.ini file. For ex-AutoCAD managers this is similar (eerily) to the numbers that result from different OSNAP settings (and others), remember?? The same "bit" method is probably used to create unique numbers for each possible combination settings [more...]

With the new Displace Elements feature in Revit 2014 we can use either straight or jogged "Paths" to show where displaced elements came from.Methinks that straight paths tend to look best when the elements are displaced in one direction while jogged paths help more when the elements have been displaced in two axes.My wish: I'd love to be able to choose which style of Path I want BEFORE picking elements to generate a path. AsferasIno we can only assign the style after we place them. The Path's style is a parameter that we see once we select a path in the view.A little tip... it is really easy to put many paths on top of each other. Every time you click on an element in the same spot Revit happily drops another path. I was trying to delete a path and thinking that I must be missing something because no matter what I did I couldn't delete the bugger. Turns out I happened to pick a spot I apparently dropped six paths down. The first five tries at deleting the "one" path resulted in nothing happening. Take care out there [more...]

Hey the little stuff makes me smile, what can I say? This little bugger as been a secretive button for ages and in Revit 2014 it gets real, it has a tool tip now [more...]

I recently replied to a question about type catalogs at RevitForum with this stream of consciousness set of comments. I thought it made sense to drop them here too since they mostly work outside of that of context too. I have altered (and added) a bit here and there to make more sense outside the context of that conversation. Here we go:Many people like to use Excel to edit type catalogs though it is not required to do so and I usually don't bother. You can just edit the information in a text editor, Notepad ++ is a cool free one.A Type Catalog does not technically need all the parameters that are part of the family, only the ones that vary from type to type. Values that are not in the Type Catalog will be passed on to the family from the default family type. For example you could put height, width and depth in the type catalog only if those are the only values that really change for each type. A type catalog can be quite simple to manage (without involving CSV files) when you only include the necessary values.The new export family types feature is quite nice to make sure you have the parameters and units properly defined, especially for MEP content. It does not put parameters in a logical order, at least not one that I find satisfying. It also exports all the parameters in the family types dialog and I don't always want them all but it is easy to remove the ones I don't need.A Type Catalog can include instance parameter values, these are the default value assigned to the parameter, the user can still change them once they are in the project, like any other instance parameter.If 24 inches is a more useful input value than 2'-0" a type catalog will allow that even if the units in the family or project are assigned to feet and fractional inches. Just change the ##units from Feet to Inches.Earlier I wrote that Excel is not necessary and that I don't usually use it. I do use Excel (and CSV files) to change column order because that IS a lot easier to do with it. A friend says that we can see the "matrix" when we look at the .txt file, so we don't need Excel. I save the work as a CSV file and then change the extension to .TXT. You have to delete the older txt file first. I don't bother to keep the CSV around. If I need a CSV again I just open the TXT type catalog file directly with Excel and set the delimiter options. Revit only cares about the .TXT file so no point confusing others with a pile of "irrelevant" files in the library folder.I put the parameters (reorder them) that match the family type name in front of the list (first coloums) in the catalog in the order of the naming in the type name, like 600H 800W 150D. So 600,800,150 are the very first values after the type name. I only include values that we want to set during loading and put dimensional values before informational values (text).Related Family Interaction AdviceA family using a type catalog must be loaded properly, either with Load Family while placing a component or via Load from Library, or using a right click > reload in the Project Browser.Do not use Edit Family (from inside a project) with families that have type catalogs, it puts all the loaded types from the project in the family. A family that has a type catalog really ought to only have one "default" type. Lately I have settled on using the name: "This family uses a Type Catalog". If I find that type in a project I know it has been loaded at least once improperly. That type will never appear in the project if the catalog is used.Do not use load into Project while working on the family, it does not look for or offer the type catalog [more...]

Today I am heading to Auckland, New Zealand to attend the Revit Technology Conference. On Tuesday night I'll be hanging out with fellow American Aaron Maller in Christchurch at a local Revit User Group meeting. It's my first trip to NZ so I'm looking forward to it naturally!Next week I'll be writing via the RTC Blog. I've managed to get some OpEd stuff scheduled to post while I'm away, just on the off chance somebody might miss my rambling. :)If you haven't committed to attending the conference in Auckland yet...reconsider there is still time. There are a number of options for registration if time and/or budget are concerns. Hope to see you there!!If NZ can't be part of your plans... remember, there are two other RTC's to consider, North America's event in Vancouver (July) and Europe's in Delft, Holland (September). Don't be a stranger [more...]

With the new dockable window feature that supports hosting the Project and System Browser (MEP), Reconcile Hosting Dialog and Properties Palette comes the slight awkwardness of never having what you really want open (having focus) when you want it.This video shows how assigning a keyboard shortcut to the Properties Palette gives me the illusion of switching between the Project Browser and Properties Palette quickly. I write illusion because the Properties Palette is really closing but then reopening within the dockable window framework. Try it, like it...mileage may vary [more...]

I noticed the other day that when I double click on the tab of an active docked browser or palette that Revit will "pop" the window out of the docked position. It will land somewhere on screen, probably near the middle of the Revit window. If you move it somewhere else Revit will remember that the next time.If you double click on the title bar of the "popped out" window it will dock again. Activate a tab, double click...pops out...double click on title bar pops in. Interesting... here's a video, no audio [more...]

Luke mentioned this the other day but it bears repeating to help spread the word for the Dutch Revit community at large.Dutch Revit standard (template) is now available for download:Download - RevitGG.nlA Translated VersionThis is made available using Creative Commons licensing.There is a link to download version 0.8 from Dropbox at this page.The download includes:Project TemplateFamiliesFamily TemplatesMaterialsResource Files (CAD import / export maps, Shared Parameters and more [more...]

While I seem to be in whine mode this week I might as well suggest that the long standing grids generator extension get full Revit status. I think it could live on the ribbon alongside the Levels and Grids tool on the Datum panel. It might actually get used more if it were part of application and where's the harm in that??Again, like the Space Naming Utility, awareness is the issue. People just don't know it exists. Instead of "hiding" it away on Autodesk Exchange put it in Revit! By the time they find out about it they've already put their grids in. If it was on the ribbon poking you in the eye when you look for grids and levels to begin with you might be more inclined to remember to use. Hey, I thought the ribbon was better for discovering tools than the old fuddy duddy menu and toolbars approach? [more...]

This information is "ripped" from the WikiHelp topic...Whenever elements that use concrete for their material interact with each other one element retains its geometry while the geometry of the other element sharing the join is cut to create the appearance of a single form. For example structural floors and walls possess dominant geometry characteristics and always maintain their geometry when sharing a join with other elements. Because of this, they will not automatically join with one another. These other concrete elements behave as follows.These join behavior rules cannot be changed and it is not possible to disable the automatic joining of geometry. It is possible to manually change this condition using the UnJoin Geometry tool.While were at it these are the valid combinations for concrete elements to join, in other words they may automatically join with one another.beam to beambeam to columnisolated foundation to isolated foundationisolated foundation to wall foundationstructural floor to beamstructural floor to columnstructural floor to slab edgewall to beamwall to columnRemember that joined geometry may have an impact on project performance [more...]

This information is "ripped" from the WikiHelp topic...Whenever elements that use concrete for their material interact with each other one element retains its geometry while the geometry of the other element sharing the join is cut to create the appearance of a single form. For example structural floors and walls possess dominant geometry characteristics and always maintain their geometry when sharing a join with other elements. Because of this, they will not automatically join with one another. These other concrete elements behave as follows.These join behavior rules cannot be changed and it is not possible to disable the automatic joining of geometry. It is possible to manually change this condition using the UnJoin Geometry tool.While were at it these are the valid combinations for concrete elements to join, in other words they may automatically join with one another.beam to beambeam to columnisolated foundation to isolated foundationisolated foundation to wall foundationstructural floor to beamstructural floor to columnstructural floor to slab edgewall to beamwall to columnRemember that joined geometry may have an impact on project performance [more...]

The gang in Autodesk Support and Development seem to have isolated at least one clear cut cause for this quirky situation where a model element is associated with a view workset. It shouldn't be possible ordinarily. Apparently this sequence can be blamed:1) The user selects and enters an edit mode for an element on a view workset, for example this might include plan regions, detail groups, or filled regions.2 )Instead of using ‘Finish Edit Mode’ or ‘Cancel Edit Mode’ the user instead clicks Undo to exit edit mode.3) Now back in the project, the user starts adding model elements, such as walls. The walls are placed on the current View workset instead of the active User-Created workset (until the user opens the workset dialog or changes the active workset). Ryan reports that 2014 has been worked on to help address this situation better, if a user takes the steps above Revit will reset the active workset properly now.The fix for these poor elements has been (and remains) to use Cut to Clipboard and then Paste > Aligned to Same Place. Just make sure the correct workset is active.You can read the original post at The Revit Clinic, thanks Ryan!It also explains how to fix the issue in older versions of Revit [more...]

While experimenting with the new Non-Rectangular Crop Regions I noticed this subtle spelling eror.The dialog title says "Invaild Integer", the correct spelling should be "Invalid Integer". Now we have a solid reason for the first web update! ;)Btw, a inscribed or circumscribed polygon of 36 straight segments is very nearly a "circle". Jay Zallan made a point of it during a Revit user group meeting last month. That means you can create a "circular" callout now [more...]

Revit 2014 has added grids and levels as valid elements that a schedule can be based on.I've not personally needed to schedule them for documentation purposes but I have wanted to do so many times just so I could analyse a project's datum. For example when someone says their level has "gone missing" a schedule of levels will quickly tell me if it is still there. Now I know that it is an issue with the extents of the level as opposed to someone deleting it entirely or perhaps assigning it to a workset that isn't open or visible.I've seen a few offices that provide a "Storey" summary of their project on their general sheets, along side code compliance information. A level schedule can help provide this without resorting to text and lines that are not tied to the model data at all.Mentioning worksets, it is worth noting that is not an available schedule field for a level or grid, it would be if it could be part of their schedule too [more...]

Registration for the next workshop opened 9 days ago, very sorry to be so slow to mention it.Please let me encourage you to consider spending a couple days (August 15-16, 2013) at the Scott Conference Center in Omaha soaking up Revit information and wisdom. I attended and participated in a couple sessions last year. It was good fun, well worth your time and a great bargain.Here are a few important links:WelcomeLocationScheduleSpeakersREGISTRATIONCome mingle with and hear special guest speakers Paul Aubin, Brian and Desirée Mackey (and maybe their BIMbino), Birgitta Foster, Andrew Jizba and Chuck Mies [more...]

The new selection options that I mentioned earlier are accessible via keyboard shortcuts too by the way. This question was asked at a recent user group meeting but wasn't answered explicitly other than to say, "I think so". Well they can [more...]

One of the more subtle things that the new schedule features allow in Revit 2014 is creating a table of data that may not be tied directly to elements within the model. For example residential projects that I've worked on in the past were required to document how the proposed design or remodel fits within the property boundaries and required setbacks, or stated another way...zoning compliance. In the past I've written about creating tables using a family to accomplish this. Now we can do this, all within the schedule header itself (notice I used Comic Sans?).The Revit Clinic posted an example of this for jamb conditions yesterday, check it out! These are the steps their post provides:First, create a new schedule and either choose a category you do not have in your project, or alternatively filter the schedule so nothing displays in the body section.Then under the Schedule Properties > ‘Appearance’ tab, un-check ‘Show Headers’. Now you unmerge the default title row and add additional rows, text, parameters, images, shading, etc. And you still get the specific control to resize the column and row dimensions.Two tips:First use the ‘Clear Cell’ tool to remove the default schedule view name. You can then use that cell to enter any data you wish. Second, set up your cell sizes before adding new rows. The new rows will use the previous row for cell number, size and formatting [more...]

We quite often want to be able to move a window or door assembly back and forth within a host wall. This is easy to do as long as the assembly is moving "in" but doesn't need to move beyond the host in the opposite direction. A relationship between reference planes does not generally like to be reversed. We usually get yelled at with a message like this.When we want the flexibility to move something from or toward something else we need to define an alternate reference point, reference plane in this case. If we place a reference plane in front of the exterior side of the host we can set it far enough away to provide enough room to move the assembly without generating an error message.In the image above I can move the Frame Offset reference plane "outside" the exterior face of the wall by using a negative dimension value and toward the Interior by using positive values. The fixed dimension value of 12 inches defines the reference offset value I used in the formula column. This means when I enter zero for Frame Offset that the assembly will be flush with the exterior of the wall. Here's what it looks like using a negative 8" offset to move it outside, from the exterior face.There are firms that use multiple walls to define the layers of what many people use one wall with layers for. When you place walls next to each other a door or window family is hosted by one of them. If you need to move the family "forward or backward" you need to be able to change the notion of what host reference plane is relevant. This is one approach to solving the problem [more...]

After enduring the painful download, unpack and install process that literally took from Friday morning to Sunday night I got to run the shipping version of Revit 2014. It took over 30 minutes to open the first time, but AutoCAD took over an hour. I think there is something seriously wrong with my computer but all the usual things check out fine. I digress...[Edit: I apologize if you read this before. I had View References on the mind, but these are just Generic Annotations. Thanks to Jeff Hanson for the reminder.]The new sample file includes new help references.These are Generic Annotation families that take advantage of the URL parameter to let you navigate to the WikiHelp page related to the features or elements that the documentation team placed a reference next to. Wherever you see a help "?" select one and then in the Properties Palette click on the sneaky "Browse" button (little button that appears with the ellipsis "..." at the right of the URL parameter field)I wrote about using the view references before, to simulate a "next slide" arrow for presentations instead of using Power Point. View References do not have the URL parameter but Generic Annotation families do. Using the URL means we can do the same thing except browse to specific items on our network or elsewhere via the internet without storing the data inside the Revit model itself. These are not entirely new concepts since the URL parameter has been in Revit all along and View References are not new, but not very old...but it is a nice twist on how they are applied.Imagine the office training project files pointing users to office standards or other code practices etc. Something to think about [more...]

Whenever I spend time in the Revit Family Editor I run into past decisions. Sometime they are my own and quite often they belong to somebody else. I've always encouraged people to develop good habits when it comes to using and defining reference planes. I've even been teased about wasting time in a demonstration by naming each reference plane even though doing so wasn't pertinent to the topic. Habits...I recently encountered a bunch of families that were built by a few people for their project. I was asked to make some changes so a part of the family could be scheduled separately. That meant making use of the concept of making a family "shared". A family that is nested into another is only treated as a symbol when we see it a project. A family that is nested AND Shared is loaded into the project as an actual separate family (appears in the project browser) as well as being visible as part of the host family. This special condition allows for scheduling nested parts as though they are unique parts, apart from the host, as well as permitting us to place them separately. This subject could easily be few separate posts.While I was digging in I noticed that few if any of the reference planes were named. I also noticed that most of them did not redefine the original reference planes so that they made sense in the context of the family itself. By that I mean that people will use the default Center (Front/Back) or Center (Left/Right) reference planes as a "left" or "right" or "front" or "back" or something...but not rename/redefine them as such. That means that when we examine a family the "center" (the reference plane that Revit thinks is center) of the family is really an edge or side. Autodesk's own content isn't immune to this either.In this situation I thought like a mechanic, if I've already dropped the transmission I might as well fix some things that I can't get to otherwise, or "while I'm in here"...Sadly if a project is using this content and people have done things like put hundreds, perhaps thousands, of them in their models, bad things can happen, when they are reloaded. As Mr. Maller says... it can be a "screwtastrophe". Families that have dimensions referencing them in the project will generate the dreaded "dimensions must be deleted" messages as soon as you reload them. Specifically if you change the IsReference status of a reference plane and reload the family Revit can't find the original reference plane anymore. Worse a family might shift its location, particularly if being swapped out for a different version.I don't think it can be overstated or stressed enough, content needs to be created carefully and good habits need to developed and observed. It may not be too late to make changes but it can be painful [more...]

I started this process about noon today, this post is 8 hours later. In my opinion this does not define a good download experience :(At 37,216 days I don't think the extra detail of 15 hours is worth mentioning? At this rate I'll be checking out the new features for Revit 2115? Oh, I may not be around in 101 years...drat, double drat [more...]

In my griping about schedules in my previous post I mentioned (in an addendum) that we get a new feature in Revit 2014 that provides some measure of control over column width. I decided it worthy of its own mention so here it is.The Revit 2014 Modify Schedule/Quantities ribbon interface now looks like this.When you select a column or columns you'll get this Resize button which will bring up a dialog, much like Excel does.This means we can at least enter a specific value for column width. Yes we can make sure one column is exactly the same as another. We still have to travel from schedule to schedule to make it happen but it is more control.Btw, bummer... in 2014 we've also lost the ability to "double click" on the vertical column boundary to automatically resize the schedule columns.If you know you will need several schedules to report information but filtered differently you can save some time if you create the first and then duplicate the schedule, adding filters afterward. In some cases it might be less work to toss out existing schedules and duplicate/filter again than fixing the existing columns across all the schedules. Your mileage may var [more...]

When you examine the properties of a floor you'll find Perimeter. Somebody decided perimeter shouldn't be available to tags so we can't tag a floor but we can see it in schedule (no, can't tag it in 2014 either).If you alter a floor sketch to define an opening for something like for a stair or a mechanical chase, it alters the perimeter calculation. If you use either a Shaft Opening or Opening by Face it doesn't alter the perimeter value. Floor A is untouched, B is altered within the sketch and C has two openings one of each type. You'll see in the schedule that perimeter is not altered except where the floor sketch is changed to create the opening.The moral of the story? If you'd like to be able to use the floor slab perimeter value then don't edit the floor sketch to create openings [more...]

A troublesome thread popped up at RevitForum.org the other day and DMapes came to the rescue. I haven't encountered this peculiarity before, and now that I know about it it's a bit surprising that I haven't. I guess I've just been lucky.When you use the Underlay setting in Revit MEP you run the risk of altering the way your pipe fittings (duct fittings too in views using Detail Level: Coarse) scale and/or look. Here's a good and bad side by side.The pipes on the left are good but those in the view on the right are smaller and halftone, as a result of using the Underlay setting.Set to None the fittings look correct, but using the same level the fittings are associated with as the underlay equals sadness. It doesn't seem to mind if you use other levels as the underlay though. Careful with your underlay [more...]

I don't see this technique used much but it is a pretty good way to let a user know that a family is supposed to be loaded with a Type Catalog. I was reminded of this by a thread at the RevitForum.org which also pointed to another thread at AUGI.It's easy, create one "default" type in a family that uses a Type Catalog but instead of "default" use a more descriptive name like, "Family Is Not Loaded Correctly" or "This Family Uses a Type Catalog" or "You Should find the Type Catalog"... get the idea?When you gaze over a list of families in the project browser you'll see that a family was loaded at least once without the type catalog because your "default" special name will be among the types listed there [more...]

Revit has always treated the schedule view for editing as separate from the sheet representation, at least for column width adjustments. This always made sense to me. I should change the width of columns on a sheet where I can see the impact of the change. When I am editing a schedule and I want to see a bit more or less of a column I could change it freely without an impact on a sheet that shows the schedule.Everything changes with Revit 2014 because when you change a column width in either place, a sheet or the view itself, it changes in the other. This is, as my Spanish speaking friends say, Muy Mal!! Ay Caramba! That's probably too polite?I think it's safe to say that we've all wished for more control over column width from one schedule to the next. Imagine four door schedules, filtered by floor on separate sheets. Ideally we'd like the columns to be uniform widths from schedule to schedule. So we resort to tricks like an annotation family that provides the "columns" we want and we drag columns over until they cover the "column lines". Then we either delete the guide or "bury" it in a titleblock family with a yes/no parameter to control its visibility.This enhancement does not help that situation and worse because of the legacy behavior and the assumptions that users will having as they begin to use 2014 we will see lot's of, "Why are my schedules changing constantly?".Yes we can just create "working" schedules to deal with data entry and "sheet" schedules for documentation but it is unnecessary redundancy, we've got enough of it with other views already. I'm not looking forward to this "feature" getting in the wild [more...]

There are a few things that are hardcoded values that we can't do much about. For example the word "Grand Total" at the bottom of a schedule or "As Indicated" for view scale when used as part of a sheet's titleblock. The choice of words, the language used and formatting all remain out of reach still after all these years. It would be excellent if these were added to project settings so a team could define what these should say. It's all part of refining the product itself and the documentation we produce using it [more...]

Dan Stine passed along a couple thoughts after working with Revit 2014 in earnest. The new selection options Select by Face and Drag Elements on Selection can have some undersireable effects on your modelling experience. He wrote to describe these two situations:Select by Face combined with Drag Elements on Selection is a “deadly” combination because you can much more easily start moving floors and ceilings.When Select by Face is turned on you cannot select Rooms or Spaces. Ouch or maybe that's good, depending on what you are up to? I'll have to check to see if we can still TAB over the room tag to select the room.Sometimes when we get things we ask for we also get some unintended consequences along with them [more...]

In July 2009 I wrote about "Modelling Serendipity" when I encountered something that made me ponder my past work. Some recent conversations made me think of it again so I thought I'd put a link here to point at it again.I recently told somebody, "I don't know what I don't know and I find that I bump into what I don't know in 3D faster than 2D"...that's modelling serendipity.A RELATED POST (Sept. 2009), related to the notion of 3D shop drawings [more...]