How to use Vector works dwg files in a Revit model

You may not have problems with these files but if you do it is likely to be caused by shared cells (Microstation term) or cells (also Microstation term) and also if the model is a long way from the origin this also causes problems. The problems occur with the file appearing to be over the 20 mile limit. This because the cells or shared cells have an origin that is more than 20 miles from the elements. Do the following

1. Open the dwg in Microstation

2. Save the file as a dgn

3. Move the global origin to close the the drawing or in the middle of the drawing (go= )

4. Check that the global origin has moved by placing a line from xy=0

5. Save settings to save the position of the global origin

6. Select all the shared cells by using the Select By Attributes tool

7. Drop the shared cells to geometry only. Make sure this has happened

8. Save the file back as a DWG and then reload into your Revit model

Revit printing to A3 Black and White printer Canon 5055N

The default settings do not allow for a thicker border on the right hand side of the page. To manage this, it is possible to move the page slightly to the left so that all elements are visible. Here is the print dialogue box showing the settings used.

Microstation Luxology Engine failure

When we moved to service release 2 of Microstation V8i Luxology had a problem. Half way through rendering anything (of any size) the process would stop with the message the the luxology engine had failed. If we tried the same rendering with a completely default install with no network workspace there was no problem. Also some users did not experience the problem. These were users that had already used Luxology with other earlier versions of v8i. The problem was that the luxology history variable had not been set. This can be set manually from the luxology settings (at the bottom). If it is set manually there is no problem. The other way to set it, is to use the MS_LUXOLOGY_HISTORY variable in your standard config. We have set ours to $(400-fcbdata) which is mapped to the project data folder. This variable sets where a thumbnail of the previous render is stored.

Aquiring Coodinates in Revit - Its easy when you know how

Revit has a strange way of using a coordinate system. Traditional CAD (AutoCAD and Microstation) allows the use of Auxillary coordinate systems so you can have a number of different oring points, North angles and relative positions.

Revit is different. With Revit, models should always be drawn at the centre of the file near the world 0,0 point. This can be found by viewing the default "Site" view in a Revit file. The site view has the survey 0,0 and the world 0,0 turned on so they can be viewed.

To add a true coodinate system on to the Revit model, first link a DWG (or Revit file) that contains a survey point or grid. if you are starting to work with a project that already has a grid in the correct place, use the grid file as this contains the key monument points for the whole project.

When you link the DWG survey file or grid file, position it center to center so that the grid appears near the survey and world 0,0 points. It is likey that the grid file will appear at an agle too.

Now the important bit. Make sure that you only move the linked CAD file and not the model file itself. With other CAD systems you usually work the other way round and you never move the attached grid file.

Rotate the linked file to the correct angle so that the grid runs left to right and up to down correctly. Now position the grid in exactly the right position by moving the linked file. Once the linked file is in the correct position and the correct angle you are now ready to aquire the coordinates.

click on Manage (from within the Revit menus) then Coordinates then Aquire Coordinates. Now click on the linked CAD file. This will add the coordinate system to the Revit file and you will now be able to link other revit files and CAD files using shared coordinates (instead of center to center etc) so that the files appear in exactly the same location.

Microstation Bentley Architecture - Space Labels to more than 0 decimal places

This needs a config variable change

TFANNOTATE_AREAPRECISION

Decimal point accuracy for Actual Area and Program area settings values can be controlled by a user defined configuration variable, TFANNOTATE_AREAPRECISION. The number of trailing decimal numbers can be set from 0 to 6, with 2 being the default.

Baluster Explanation of Dist. from Previous Revit

These diagrams should make it all clear.

Revit - Editing Grid Head Size to work nicely at all scales

The Text within the Grid Head is contained in the Grid - Circle family (a system family) You can add a family to this family to change the circle size

Railings in Revit

Drawing a Panel from scratch using the panel template. If one creates an extrusion in the left or right hand view clicking to the four corners of the reference planes like this creates a panel 600mm wide.

Now at last here is the top tip for using the ballusters. Make sure you have half the panel width in the Dist. from previous if you do not want a gap between each panel or balluster. This is because the setout position is the centre of the panel. Therefore the Distance from Previous is actually the distance of the start of the next panel from the centre (setout line) of the previous panel.

Here are some useful descriptions of the railing settings:
At the bottom under the setction titled POSTS the Start Post has a setting called SPACE. This setting is the amount that the start post (or panel is offset to the right of the start of the ballustrade. The amount in from the end of the ballustrade.

Revit Stairs Interesting fact about risers

If you create a stair that starts at Level 0 and rises to Level 1 using the boundary and riser method of skeching (or probable any method, then change the height of the first floor, the stair risers will only change if the stair type has a maximum riser height set to an amount that can accomodate the change. In other words make sure you have the maximum riser height set already to an amount that works for the building.

If you want to change the maximum riser height later, you will need to duplicate the stair type. If you try to change the maximum riser height of the existing stair, nothing will happen. Beware.

Revit Model into 3D pdf

http://blogs.adobe.com/acrobatforaec/2007/06/how_to_get_autodesk_revit_mode.html

Adding the 3GB switch to the startup .ini to give Revit the chance of more RAM

In lay terms, Windows usually allocates 2 gigs of RAM to programs and 2 gigs to the system. With the switch it changes it to 3GB for programs and 1GB for other things.

This is how you do it.

a) Access the boot.ini file by opening the System Properties dialog on "My Computer". Under the Advanced tab and Startup and Recovery press Settings. In the startup and recovery dialog press the edit button. This should open a text file with something close to the following content:

[boot loader]

timeout=30

default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS

[operating systems]

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition" /fastdetect /noexecute=optin

b) Were are going to modify it and make a failsafe so that if the mod doesn't work we can go back to the original setting:

Copy the last line and add /3GB to the end of it (make sure you spell it right). Between the parentheses type 3GB at the end so you'll be able to recognize it when XP restarts. Also if you don't have noexecute=optin add that too. The whole thing will look like this

[boot loader]

timeout=30

default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS

[operating systems]

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition" /fastdetect /noexecute=optin multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition 3GB" /fastdetect /noexecute=optin /3GB

c) Save the file and restart the machine. Now you will have 2 choices when booting. Pick the '3GB'. If it crashes or you experience any other problems go back to the first option. Later try adding the userva=2500 switch to the last line of boot.ini and save. Personally I didn't have to use it. This is how the last line would look:

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition 3GB" /fastdetect /noexecute=optin /3GB /userva=2500

Also check System Properties and make sure that under the General tab it say Physical Address Extension at the bottom

Revit Renders Unable to Save Image to Project or Export

You set your machine to render (at least above the draft setting) and it renders without problems but when it has finished rendering you are unable to Save the Image to the Project or Export. It seems to be something to do with a memory leak. The only current workaround is to make sure you reboot the machine and open Revit and render straight away (without doing any work or opening other files). Also make sure that you have as little running as possible and as much memory freed up. Also make sure you have the 3GB switch on allowing Windows to use more than 2GB for one application.

Showing Masses in 3D View Window in Revit

To create a context model in Revit you can import DWG (or Sketchup 5 if you are lucky) into Revit. If you import it straight in, the geometry does not work well as a massing model to render. The trick is to create a new Mass and import the DWG into the Mass. This works well. However, by default the Masses will not show in a 3d View if referenced into another Revit File. There is an obscure tickbox called Imports in Families within the visibility Graphics for the view. This needs to be ticked in addition to the Show Mass button as well as the Mass section of the visibilty Graphics.

I have found the tick box in VG and Imports in Families. I realised that because you have to import geometry into a Mass to create a decent context model this is considered to be an Import in Families. Therefore this must be ticked for the view. The template for view creation does not have this on by default whereas the 3D view does. So we are happy again.

REVIT

Getting the right orientation for Curtain Wall Panels

1. Place a curtain wall from right to left and the exterior is above

2. Place a curtain wall from left to right and the exterior is below

3. If you place a panel in these curtain walls you will end up with the exterior of your panel in the right place (on the side that shows the up and down arrows for flipping the orientatation

4. If you place a curtain wall by face on to a Mass, the panel will be mirrored about the centre. Therefore everything that is on the left of the panel will be on the right.

5. If you flip the wall so that the exterior and interior swap places, the panel will be correct. However you will then have to rotate the wall by 180 so that the exterior is again on the exterior. The face will no longer be updated to the mass

6. Drawing the wall normally (without putting it on to the face of the mass) makes the curtain wall panel correct and the exterior is identical to the exterior of the family.

I am sure there is a solutiont to this but I have not been able to find it. I am guessing that the solution is within the panel family that we have created.

Converting youtube videos

http://vixy.net/