Applied Software Blog

BIG data

2012-02-28T15:28:00.000-05:00

Big data is data that is too large to manage and manipulate with an ordinary spreadsheet or database.

This is an excellent article that explains the value ofdata. We can't extract this kind ofvaluable information from an Excel spreadsheet or a word document. If you’re still gathering data from the fieldwith fax machines, curriers or FedEx it is time to change your processes. Smarter means of estimating and schedulingare rapidly approaching.

http://blog.nodeable.com/2012/02/21/mckinsey-misses-the-market-on-big-data/

Navisworks and Revit Worksets

2012-02-23T09:05:00.000-05:00

Sorting the objects in Navisworks based on Properties such as System Classification or System Type as assigned by Revit MEP is a common practice. The sorting is used in Clash resolution as well as Timeliner and for visualization. However, at times even the System sorting is too ‘comprehensive’ and since the model was organized by Worksets, why not use Worksets then as our Filter property? Be prepared to analyze your Workset data in Navisworks to determine what the appropriate value to filter will be. The Navisworks exporter from Revit converts the Workset data to Integer values. For an example, the default Workset1 “appears” to always come over as the integer <0> (zero). (NOTE: I wrote ‘appears’ because, so far, every test I have done it has set the Workset1 to the integer zero. But I don’t want to say it will do this each and every time, until such time that I am convinced it will.)

For my examples below, I have an NWC written from RMEP with the standard worksets: Shared Levels and Grids –and- Workset1. While in the Revit model, I created three more worksets: Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing and modeled the systems shown with their respective Workset active. When I exported the model to Navisworks,
I used the settings to write out all the parameters and properties information.

Once in Navisworks, I set my selection resolution to “To First Object”. I found this to be the most reliable over the setting “To Last Object”. I could get a totally different integer for “Last Object” when compared to “First Object”. See the follow pics for reference.

Selected a toilet within the Plumbing workset.
Selection resolution set "To First Object", WorksetID = 369

Same toilet selection in Workset Plumbing.
Selection resolution set "To Last Object", WorksetID = 241

Using 'Find Items' to build a SearchSet,
based on the "Last Object" WorksetID, I do not get highlighted
all the objects that I know are in the Plumbing workset

Using 'Find Items' to build the SearchSet,
based on the "First Object" WorksetID, my entire Plumbing
workset highlights as expected

Little different when it comes to the Cable Trays. Selection
based on either "First Object" or "Last Object",
same WorksetID = 368

But, the Panel acts differently. Set to "First Object",
WorksetID = 368

When the Panel selection is set to "Last Object",
WorksetID = 276

Within my Revit MEP Project, I have five worksets. But, with the export to NWC,
I now have 18 WorksetID designation. Consequently, you will need to examine the
WorksetIDs to determine which integer corresponds to the named workset from your Revit project.

A bridge too far and China.

2012-02-22T14:44:00.002-05:00

What comes to mind when you read the word China? It most likely wasn’t the thought of a Chinese construction firm becoming a direct competitor. China has long been the country where we have sent things off to be manufactured for a significantly lower cost.

Well guess what…. http://www.boston.com/news/world/asia/articles/2011/06/26/california_getting_impressive_bridge_made_in_china/

If a bridge can be constructed in China, then shipped 6,500 miles to its place of operation, rest assured everything from homes to McDonald’s and everything in between can be constructed in China and shipped to the good ole USA. We in the Construction Industry need to take a hard look at what’s happening and see what we can do to drastically change our businesses.

As the economy grows and your business begins to increase you can count on increased workloads. Don’t just throw labor at the challenge; investigate alternatives to make big impacts on your business and your profitability.

Another interesting look at China coming to America to compete with you. http://www.chinaconstruction.us/

Lego Millennium Falcon

2012-02-22T13:31:00.000-05:00

Having a 12 year old son, I have a deep love for legos. This is just an amazing video.

Enjoy,
Mike Massey

Lego Millennium Falcon Stop Motion Assembly 3d from Francisco Prieto on Vimeo.

BIM vs. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers?

2012-02-20T08:54:00.000-05:00

BIM, to most of us designers, has seemed to be a very slippery slope when dealing with the USACE. Many of our clients have had the same conversation with us (repeatedly) when trying to respond to an RFP. They are continually faced with the frustration of wanting to use Revit, but falling into the trap of still having to deliver the final product in "native Bentley format," as is written in many of those packages. Yet sometimes, just sometimes, we find one or two where Autodesk Products are acceptable, or even mandatory. But most of the time, the conversation always ends with, "Well, what do you think we should do? Is there anyone to appeal to?" No. . . And yes. Let me explain.

The USACE is NOT against BIM; so this isn't an "us vs. them" or "them vs. BIM" situation at all. The fact is that they completely understand the need for it; but need to be very clear as to where it is important, and what flavor of BIM, or CAD, is needed in certain situations. They also have standards that must be adhered to so that FM functionality can be maintained throughout their vast portfolio of buildings. The standards are really based on two primary things: the project type and the 'client.' You see, the USACE handles two major clients for which they procure the buildings and provide FM services: The Air Force (USAF) and the Army. There are also some sub-components that modify how flexible the client may be to the format of the final delivery - regardless of what the designers or the end user (tenant) may want.

There are two major rules of thumb (and a couple of sub-rules) to follow based on the above.

If it is an Army project, you can be 90% sure it will be done in Bentley.

If it is one of the Centers of Standardization (COS) building types, shown in the image below, you can be almost 100% certain it will be delivered in Bentley.
If it is not one of the COS building types there will be room for Revit or other applications. These include projects such at VA Buildings and various others.
Regardless of whether the local base managers in California (or wherever) REALLY want Revit on a project, they still must answer to the lead district that controls the COS.

If it is a USAF project, you can be 90% sure, or greater, that it will be done with an Autodesk product because that is what they have as their standard.

There is also a third rule:

3. The RFP is final. The USACE know what they want and know where they are willing to compromise. If there is "wiggle room" for Revit, it will be in the RFP. PERIOD.

There are 41 COS products divided between 8 USACE Regions. Each Region is the controller of that particular COS and each "Tenant" must answer to the Region that controls it.

That's it. Pretty straightforward and easy to understand, if you ask me. In the end, it is up to you if you want to try to use Revit and then convert the files to Bentley, or if you even want to respond to the RFP.

The USACE has always supplied a vast amount of work for the AEC world, and will continue to do so. Hopefully these rules of engagement will allow you to make better decisions in pursuing USACE work and, in the end, how to work better with them.

Pete Zyskowski

Accessing Non-accessible Parameter Data

2012-02-16T11:13:00.000-05:00

In almost all my Revit MEP classes, when building Schedules/Tags, often the desired Parameter value is sitting there staring us in the face, but we cannot access that data, such as: Elevation -and- the secondary elevation value: Offset. In my reading of other blogs out there, I ran across this article on RevitOpEd:

http://revitoped.blogspot.com/2012/02/pushing-parameters-around.html,

who in turn references:

http://www.whitefeet.com/.

The Whitefeet folks (well...'fella' I should say, Mario Guttman) has provided for PUBLIC consumption some Revit utilities (I like to call these types of addins: Revit Express Tools) that you may find very useful. Particularly the Parameter Tools that will allow you to access and then assign those outta-reach parameter values to your designated parameter. It's pretty cool and mega-thanks to Whitefeet for developing and then giving them away.

This is just a heads-up post, you can learn how to download and use the utilities from the Whitefeet website.

Just the Whitefeet cat alone would win me over to Mario's utilities

dennis

AutoCAD - the best tool for design?

2012-02-16T10:24:00.000-05:00

"I have a new project starting up and need X seats of AutoCAD"

As an Autodesk partner, we hear this almost every day. While a great start to the conversation, using AutoCAD in a manufacturing design environment today is just one small part of the equation.

Using construction as an analogy, you could certainly drive nails with a hammer, and the hammer is a proven, reliable implement; but as tool technology progressed, those builders who preferred to stay profitable (and keep their business) moved up to nail guns to maximize efficiency and improve productivity. And while there will always be use for the hammer, it isn't the primary tool anymore.

Whether you're building furniture, machinery, consumer products or doing space optimization in today's competitive market, if your tool of choice is AutoCAD, Iit's time to take a look in the Autodesk tool shop. With the rapid innovation of design technology, today's AutoCAD is the equivalent of a hammer: a well known and widely used tool. Granted, we in the reseller channel absolutely believe that our "hammer" is smoother, more contoured and will pound the (metaphorical) design nail better than other programs, but Autodesk has a nail gun too - and it's called Inventor. And just as the nail gun replaced the hammer, Inventor brings a more efficient, data driven, photo realistic process that just may trump AutoCAD as the primary tool in your company's workflow...

Design is just one part of your product lifecycle, and our team excels at helping clients move beyond 2D drafting into a more automated, data driven 3D prototyping environment.

In a world replete with 3D technology to communicate design intent, here's the challenge that I'm posing to our clients this year -

Do you really believe you can win more business with a hammer when your competitors are using a nail gun?

Revit to Navisworks – Slicing vs. Level Properties

2012-02-13T15:06:00.000-05:00

In previous posts on this blog, we have reviewed two methods that can be used to slice up a Revit model by Level designation:
1) Using the built-in “3D View For Levels” and
2) Using the “DPR Slicer”.

One reason for slicing up the model is for Navisworks, particularly the Timeliner. Timeliner provides the means to build an animation of the building process. Revit does OFTEN apply Level property information to objects as they are placed. However, too often the Level designation information is assigned as <No Level> -or- there can be no level designation –or- if an object spans multiple floors, it will get associated to just the one floor from where the object ‘started’.

The following slides show a model where Filters/Search Sets were generated based on the properties Level designations.

Highlighting Level 1 showing spanning to multiple floors

Highlighting shows those objects who are designated at Level 2

Highlights are Level 3 designated

Highlights of all SearchSets reveals a roof still to be assigned

Now take a look at how the Navisworks Layers designate the objects based on the slicing from the Revit model. Each slide below shows how the model is sliced up at the physical level designation. For clarification of the view, I did setup the floor plans that generated the 3D View Section Box to put the second floor slab within the Level 2 slice by changing the View Range accordingly. Specifically, the top of the Level 1 slice is <-6.5”> below Level 2, and the Level 2 slice includes the slab by having the offset of the base at <-6.5”>.

The highlight clearly shows a line of separation of the Level 1 slice only

Level 2 Slice

Level 3 Slice

Depending on the level of detail you wish to show in Timeliner, you still may have work to do, breaking up the model with Search Sets and Selection Sets. However, for a quick animation, the slicing method produces an easy generation of the Task List in Timeliner, by using the Auto-Add Tasks \ For Every Topmost Layer –or- For Every Topmost Item.

Now compare the two resulting animations:

Quick Timeliner Animation using Slicing

Quick Timeliner Animation using Filters/SearchSets

dennis

Plant 3D - Rolled Offsets

2012-02-09T08:45:00.000-05:00

I have had a few clients ask: "What is the best way to route a Rolled Offset?" As always, there are several methods to this, but here is the one that I feel works best.

First, start with creating or selecting a construction layer or a no-plot layer. This is just a habit of mine and good practice so that you don't get any unwanted lines showing up on your prints.

Next step is selecting the LINE command... (yes, the standard AutoCAD LINE command) and route your line from the nozzle of a tank or where ever you want to route your line from. Be sure to select the NODE of the nozzle so that some magic can happen later.

Continue the LINE command and draw your 3 sides of a rolled offset box (North/South, East/West, and Vertical Directions). In the example below, I drew my line in the North direction 5' then in the + Z direction 3' and then in the East direction 10'. The other grey lines of the box are there to help you visualize the rolled offset. I then used the line command to connet the opposite corners of the rolled offset (see red arrow)

Lastly, use the LINE TO PIPE (_PLANTCONVERTLINETOPIPE) command to change the AutoCAD lines into Pipe. Make sure you have set the size, spec and line number.

Go to the properties of one of the elbows created to see the Cutback Angle automatically assigned.

Adding stripes to walls in Revit

2012-02-06T08:47:00.000-05:00

A recent question came up on how to add stripes to walls in Revit. One option is to use the “Face Split” and “Paint” tool located in the Modify tab Geometry panel. See image below.

Select the wall you want to split, then go to the Modify Walls tab, Geometry panel and choose the Split Face tool. Reselect the wall you want to split. Then draw the line or shapes you want to split up the surface of the wall.

Once done select the green check to finish. The wall is now split apart and ready for you to apply different materials to the wall. The split tool only changes the surface not all the way thru the wall, the wall is still one entity.

Now we can use the “Paint” tool. Select the paint tool , which is located below the previous tool we used. This will open a dialog box for materials.

Choose a desired finish to “Paint” the surface. You can scroll thru the preset materials or use the search at the top of the materials dialog box.

After the materials have been appled, you can view them in a shaded view, or realistic view.

If you need to remove a painted surface yo ucan do so by selecting the Paint tool, and explanding the dropdown next to it, revealing the “Remove Paint” option. Once chosen, select the portion of the wall you would like to remove the paint from.

Revit Plywood Fill Pattern

2012-02-03T15:56:00.008-05:00

I've researched my options for representing various fill patterns in Revit previously. One has frustrated many users for years, plywood. I manually created a vertical plywood pattern (I've included the code below for your use) and have offered it to my clients. Even though I can create a custom fill pattern as a model pattern in Revit, I am limited to the linework density it can interpret. I hope Autodesk will give a little more latitude in a future release.

Until then this is my breakdown of Drafting vs. Model fill patterns to represent "plywood". I will add that this pattern is usually used for details only, at scales no smaller than 1"=1'-0". It would turn to solid black in other scales.

The reason I created a "vertical plywood" pattern file is because drafting fill patterns do not orient with the object when it is rotated other than the direction it was created in. The other downside to drafting patterns is they are the same size no matter the scale. They are meant to be representational.

Model patterns, on the other hand, will rotate to orient with the object. The other advantage is that the pattern will scale the same no matter the view scale. It can represent layers of material thickness. So it's relative size to the object remains the same and looks different from one scale to the next. The downside of this model pattern is the density Revit can import at. I found no matter how large or small I made the pattern file, I had to increase the import scale when creating the fill in Revit. It ends up being larger than I wanted.

The options break down to two, either you have patterns for different orientations for use as drafting fill patterns or you use a model pattern and live with the limitations on the size of the pattern.

Here is the .PAT file code for the Vertical Plywood pattern I created and used above. Just create a new text file using Notepad, save with a .PAT extension and then copy and paste the lines below into it. Now you have the pattern file for import into Revit.

;;

;; Created by: John R. Ade
;; Created on: 11/12/2010

;;

*plywood-vertical,Plywood

;%TYPE=DRAFTING

90, 0,0, 0,-.1, 1.0

45, 0,0, .0707106781,.0707106781, .1414213562,-.1414213562
135, 0,0, -.0707106781,.0707106781, .1414213562,-.1414213562

I hope you find this useful and will share with your colleques.

John R. Ade, AIA

Green Design Series Part 1: The Human Condition

2012-02-01T10:58:00.000-05:00

I have recently been asked to present to the USGBC in Mississippi about how BIM is/can be a catalyst for green design. My research got me thinking about green design as a whole. Then I thought that a blog series would be a good way to share my research and some thoughts on the topic. This is a way to look at the good, the bad, and the ugly of green design, BIM, technology; and some realizations about human nature as we try to become better.

I was trained in sustainable design during my college days. Things have changed since then. We have BIM, Green Building Studio, DOE Software, IES VE and a host of other applications that take the guesswork and long hours of manual analysis out of the equation. Design has changed since then as well. We have started experimenting with new forms as said technology has enabled us to do so. Whole industries have grown up around "green technology" to aid in making our buildings more efficient, smarter, and carbon neutral.

But I have questions:

Can we believe, or even understand, the analysis?
How far do we have to model to be accurate?
Are new building forms really supporting the idea of green?
Are all of these technologies truly beneficial, cost effective?
How and when?

I also feel that something may be missing: People's comprehension of green strategy and an innate understanding of themselves. I have all of these great tools and technologies at my fingertips to analyze a building's design, but do I really know, without having a solid background in green strategy, what those numbers and graphics are telling me? We are assuming that because we can model a building pretty well then we can model it appropriately to be analyzed and then make good decisions based on it. We are sometimes assuming that throwing thousands of dollars of technology on a building makes it better, greener, when a simpler, cheaper solution may have solved the problem in a more succinct manner. That's what I learned in college: Simple, low-tech, thoughtful solutions based on a basic understanding of the environment that the building was going to inhabit. We didn't have the analysis tools, and I'm glad they're here now, but let's make sure that they don't replace the process they are meant to enhance. I will discuss how great these applications are in a future post, but we'll start the discussion with something that technology can't change, but much of it has been developed to combat: Ourselves.

Let's go ahead and admit it; we are inherently flawed. We are lazy at times, forgetful at others. We are occasionally prone to the idea that we are entitled to something, and our egos will get in the way when we aren't keeping them in check. Coincidentally, these are the things that a goodly amount of our green technology is aimed at neutralizing. Now, I'm not saying that the development of LED or CFL lights is a bad thing. They absolutely use less energy while the light is being used and that is a good thing. (I have not researched whether the production process negates any of the benefits, but that isn't the point right now.) My point is that the problem is exacerbated by the fact that we don't turn them off when we are done because we are lazy or forgetful. So to combat it even further we develop fixtures that recognize when we enter and leave a room, or expensive automation systems that make 'smart homes'. We add to the construction cost of a building to counteract our own foibles. My Kroger has installed sensors in the freezers that turn on the lights when you are walking past the pizzas, tater tots, and peas. In that situation, and in many others, I think it is a brilliant use of the technology; but on a residential or office level, I see it as an unnecessary cost that could be avoided by simply paying attention. These are some examples of many where we take a valid technology and perhaps make it frivolous.

Other times, it has less to do with technology compensating for us, but our own sense of entitlement that can destroy an otherwise useful advancement. How about HVAC? And I'm talking about both sides: heating and cooling. While we develop ever more efficient processes, we have become far more entitled about our comfort than our forefathers. Even though we are more efficient, we are still using more energy. Where in the Bill of Rights, Magna Carta, or any other document about human liberties does it state that we have the express right to be perfectly comfortable at all times? It's not in there. So you may happen to like wearing turtleneck sweaters and think that you look snazzy in them, but then you probably shouldn't live in Florida and keep your AC turned down to 50 degrees year round. The same goes for heating. Many of us may like wearing shorts around the house in winter, but our overdeveloped sense of 'comfort' is impeding our children's ability to have affordable energy in the future. We humans are highly adaptable creatures that can purchase sweaters. We should do so. And we know this. We have seen billboards and commercials stating what the "optimal" summer and winter HVAC settings should be. Yet we still don't (or won't) do it.

And designers, this one is for you - or I should say, "Us." It is so very, very hard to design a striking, warpy, organic building, only to be told that it is a complete tragedy when we are looking at it through a green lens. I have been there. I have even done the analysis on my own building and realized that I have failed on that level. Years ago, I was asked to teach a BIM class to some professors at a design school. Later, the discussion moved to using BIM to help sustainable design. I offhandedly remarked that I wished them good luck because the student's buildings, while striking in their organic warpy-ness, were going to be impossible to analyze well. I also inquired as to whether the students had any training in performing or understanding the analysis. And even worse, they were probably about as non-sustainable as anything I had ever seen when it came to wasteful and expensive construction and fabrication. Now, I support the idea of design school being a place to experiment with, and learn about form and expression. (My wife always tells me that being married to a designer is like being married to an artist with a job.) That's what school is about. At some point though, if your focus is supposed to be on sustainability, you have to deal people a hard blow. Unless you can look into the production, fabrication, and means and methods of constructing an organic building and guarantee minimal waste, overage, and efficient construction of that shape, you are not being green. How many sheets of glass, sheathing, insulation are being cut in odd shapes, only to have the remaning bits be worthless and thrown away? Can it be reused or recycled? Possibly, but can you guarantee it? Is it still an additional cost that isn't necessary even if you can? I'm not saying that green has to be ugly, but I do think that we need to understand that certain aesthetics don't work with it . . . yet. And I can certainly appreciate those warpy buildings for what they are, but don't try to fool me. There better be a good reason for that shape. Otherwise, you're just gratifying yourself. Form and function are still, and always will be, linked.

To end on a positive note, we did find a way to make BIM a teaching utility for green design for the school, and consequently everyone else. If something is that difficult to model in a virtual environment, think about how hard it is going to be to build it. It can be used as a reality catalyst. Think about how much extra waste in cost, time, and material there is by using standard construction means and methods. Think about how much it would take in time and money to develop a more efficient production or construction method, and weigh that against what you are trying to accomplish. Most importantly, weigh yourself, imperfections and all, against the greater goals that we, as designers and people are seeking to accomplish. The design starts there.

pete zyskowski

AutoCAD Text Height AUTOMATICALLY!

2012-01-26T11:12:00.000-05:00

What is Annotative Scaling? Annotative scaling gives users the ability to place text one time in a drawing and have AutoCAD AUTOMATICALLY calculate text height at different scales. If you need to show a room name at 1/4" scale and 1/8" scale, there is no need for you to enter the text twice at two different text heights and on two different layers. With this one example, I reduced the time and number of AutoCAD text objects and layers by 50% using Annotative Scaling. In the image to the right, it is important to understand there are three button used for Annotative Scaling.

The first is the plot scale. This controls the size of any annotative objects like text, dimensions, blocks, and hatching.

The next button controls if you see ANY text for the current scale. This button is tricky. What it will do is show you the text that was put in at the original scale if you don’t have text at the current scale. If this button is off, you won't see any text if it doesn't exist for that scale.

Obviously, we want the text at the current scale not at the original scale. That's were the last button is used. If you toggle on this last button, AutoCAD will automatically scale text to the current scale.

If you’re still a little confused what should be on and what off, I tell people to toggle on both buttons. Place some text, change the Annotation Scale. and watch what happens!

Mark Petrucci

A Point Out Of The Cloud

2012-01-25T14:04:00.000-05:00

Point Cloud Feature Extraction for Civil 3D provides versatile tools to facilitate the processing of point
cloud data. This plug-in includes four main features specifically for Civil3D users as following:

-Point cloud classification
-Ground surface creation
-Point cloud segmentation
-Road feature extraction

Wow! It also adds two new features! Extracting plane boundary as polyline and Export point Cloud objects to PCG files.

The options are quite the same as the release of Shape Extraction for AutoCad but Remember! The big difference is the Polyline option of the Boundary. . .

Now let's creat a Surface Model, and always estimate Tile and Grid size for performance.
Another download and add-on for Civil 3D. . . What more can we Ask For? How about an Easy Button?

Kenneth L. Driscol

Point Cloud Feature Extraction for Revit

2012-01-24T15:55:00.000-05:00

Autodesk Labs has a new tool available to assist working with point clouds in Revit.

Point Cloud Feature Extraction for Autodesk^® Revit^® 2012 software is a free* technology preview that allows you to work with point cloud more easily in Revit. This plug-in automatically extracts useful geometry features from point cloud of buildings and creates basic Revit elements to aid the building modeling in Revit.

WHAT TOOLS DOES POINT CLOUD FEATURE EXTRACTION PLUG-IN FOR REVIT PROVIDE?

Point Cloud Feature Extraction for Autodesk Revit 2012 provides the following tools to facilitate the point cloud editing after it is inserted into Revit:

Crop / Uncrop: Temporarily hide the points outside a rectangle or polygon
Hide Point Cloud: Temporarily hide the whole point cloud object to facilitate the inspection of the feature extraction result
Adjust Axis: Transform the point cloud data so that floor can be aligned with XY plane and major walls are parallel to Z axis

Moreover, this plug-in includes some main features specifically for Revit so that the extracted features / geometry can be smoothly integrated into the BIM workflow:

Datum Extraction: Extract both level and orthogonal grid
Site Extraction: Extract both terrain surface for ground surface creation and building footprint on terrain surface for building pad generation
Wall Extraction: Extract both straight wall layout and arc wall
Floor Extraction: Extract floor from selected points on the floor plan level

Starbucks Now Served in a Cargo Container

2012-01-24T08:48:00.001-05:00

From the marketing front: Not so much a story about Applied, but I was really intrigued by this post on Starbucks reuse of shipping containers. Interesting from a re-use/re-cycle standpoint, but also from a design stand point as well. Click here to see the story. Enjoy!

Volumes with Cloud Optimization

2012-01-23T09:10:00.000-05:00

I just optimized and minimized the construction cost of a 5 mile road in 20 seconds!

Cloud this and cloud that . . . Just kidding, but you should check out the New Vertical Profile Optimization on the Cloud with Civil 3D! Think about this:

The geometric design of a road is a crucial part in any highway construction project. Once fixed, the design determines largely the construction costs.
An optimal vertical road profile, with respect to earthwork cost, follows the ground surface as close as possible. The closer the road is to the ground profile, the fewer earthwork needs to be done in order to cut or fill sections of the road. However, due to design constraints like slope, grade changes, vertical curve length, etc., it is not always possible to follow the ground surface. Finding the road profile that minimizes the construction costs subject to design constraints is a process that we call profile design optimization. Traditionally, the design of road profiles is done manually by engineers using a
mass-diagram. In this approach, the vertical profile is evaluated with an integration of the earthwork volumes between the road profile and the ground surface.
The integral can be plotted by hand or with the help of software. After visual inspection of the mass diagram, the engineer changes the profile and re-computes the volumes. This process is repeated until a satisfying solution is found.

There are several disadvantages using the mass-diagram approach:

The mass diagram does not provide a real cost for a given design.
The mass diagram considers uni-directional earthwork only. It does not account for earthwork that could start on either end of the road.
The mass diagram does not account for different costs, such as excavation, embankment, load, borrow, and waste.
The mass diagram cannot combine multiple surface layers in combination with cut and fills.
The mass-diagram approach is a manual approach that is not able to incorporate design constraints automatically.
Due to timely and budgetary constraints, a final alignment is often chosen from a small selection of possible solutions.

In the cloud-based vertical profile optimization, they address all the above shortcomings of the mass diagram with a new Cloud-based algorithm. To access this service, the user needs to use the Profile Optimization Wizard, which comes as a Civil 3D extension. Lets take a look.....

First we need to provide at least one EG centerline......

Next, we launch the optimization wizard from the AutoCAD Toolbox. Select Autodesk Labs Technology Previews  Profile Optimization for AutoCAD  Profile Optimization

The design speed will be taken in the unit of the Civil 3D drawing (mph or km/h). Design speeds will be rounded on the server side to multiples of 5 when mph, or multiple of 10 when km/h. The server side optimization uses AASHTO 2001 design guidelines for the given design speed. Some of the design constraints can be overridden.

The optimal solution is computed with respect to earthwork and hauling costs. The cost value is given in dollars and is visible in the PDF report. The solution precision is a dollar value that is related to that cost. For example, if the solution precision is set to 0.5 (5¢), the algorithm continues to look for a better profile configuration until the cost for a number of adjustments to the best profile does not change the cost by more than 5¢.

Holy Snap.....Results!

Yes I said Holy Snap.....Results!

Kenneth L. Driscol

Where do you go for Autodesk related news and support?

2012-01-23T09:09:00.000-05:00

I continue to be amazed at the speed and quality of information that is out there in relation to Autodesk. Whether it's a new release from Autodesk Labs, a YouTube video on using Inventor's Frame Generator, or a podcasted Autodesk University class (complete with downloadable PDF syllabi), you can learn so much, yet feel so overwhelmed.

Lately, Twitter has proven to be the most accessible (and controllable) stream of data I've found for tracking new technology and trends within the Autodesk family. You pick and choose who you subscribe to, and as a hybrid Autodesk Manufacturing and Plant news junkie, here are a few Tweeters I'd recommend following -

Autodesk Labs Scott (@scottsh115 ) - Scott Sheppard is the Program Manager for Autodesk Labs, and when new technology is hatched in the lab, he's the first to announce it.

Autodesk Inventor (@InventorTips) - chock full of tips, tricks and news related to Inventor.

AutoCAD Exchange (@ACADExchange) - features an "AutoCAD Expert of The Week" and requests questions for them to answer. There's also an AutoCADPlantExchange (@PlantExchange) twitter page with Plant related news too.

And of course, if you follow me (@TFiteASTI), you can get a smattering of (what I see) as the "greatest hits" from each of these and many more in the tweetsphere.

If you prefer interactive blogs hosted or moderated by Autodesk experts, take a look at all of the Autodesk Blogs that are available (http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/index?id=4805213&siteID=123112) - this is a great point of entry into the Autodesk blogosphere. I've often found content there that has proven useful for answering tech support questions for my clients.

And when comes down to digging in to the software for "how do I do ____" questions, or confirming functionality within Autodesk products, try the Autodesk Wiki site, located at http://wikihelp.autodesk.com/enu.

HOLD Up! Do We All Need To BIM?

2012-01-20T11:35:00.001-05:00

How can civil engineers more easily predict the outcome of their projects before they are built? How do you create coordinated, reliable design information, while being able to respond to changes faster? How do you optimize designs with analysis, simulation, visualization, and deliver higher quality construction documentation? Starting with surveying and all the way through to supporting construction processes. . .

Look into this article that I created. . .

http://www.asti.com/Resource Library/Articles/Time_to_BIM_7-1.pdf

Kenneth L. Driscol

EXPLETIVE!! Can’t open AUTOCAD! Getting license error!

2012-01-19T16:50:00.004-05:00

Occasionally that will be screamed throughout an office due to the end user getting an error when trying to open their Autodesk program. It can be extremely frustrating trying to figure out what could be the problem. Below is a list of the most common error messages and possible fixes for them.

(-00.00.00) – This is a popular one with the new 2012 software. There are typically 2 reasons this is occurring. Fist, a firewall is blocking access to the clients hitting the server. There are some ports that need to be opened, 27000-27009 and 2080. Another possible solution has to do with IPv6 being used on the server, either disable IPv6 if your office is not using it, or download and install the Autodesk Network License Manager IPv6.

(-4.xx.xxx) – This one simply means that the office has run out of licenses and the end user will either have to wait for a license to open up or someone will have to get kicked out of the software.

(-5.xx.xx) – This happens quite a bit when an office installed a software package with the incorrect product key, typically happens with the basic AutodCAD verticals. Solution is to uninstall/reinstall with the correct product key. The error message means that the feature cannot be found, or the product can’t be found in your license file.

(-14.xx.xxx) – This indicates that a problem occurred with the product finding the HOST NAME of the server, typically there is a possible problem with DNS on the network. If this was working and then stopped working, there might be a corrupt cascadeinfo file. See below on how to fix that.

(-15.xx.xxx) – This means that the server might be down. Verify that the services adskflex.exe and lmgrd.exe are running on the server. If they are not, open Autodesk Network License Manager (LMTools) and click on the start/stop/reread tab and then click on start server. To make sure they stay started, even after a restart of the server, click on config services tab and make sure start server at power up and use services are both checked, and then click on save service. This error can also be caused by the cascadeinfo file being corrupted. See below for fix.

(-18.xx.xxx) – License server does not support this feature. Typically this occurs when an office upgrades their license file to the latest version, but did not upgrade Autodesk Network License Manager. Install the latest version of ADLM.

There are many more error codes than those listed, check out http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/Installation-Licensing/FlexLM-Error-Code-Chart/m-p/1438943 for a complete list.

Corrupted cascadeinfo.cas file needs to be deleted. It can be found in the following locations:
Windows XP:
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Autodesk\Adlm
Windows Vista and Windows 7:
C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\Adlm

Autodesk apps – business and pleasure?

2012-01-19T09:43:00.000-05:00

Autodesk has introduced several new apps over the past months, and will likely continue to do so. This blog has shared and explained those apps with you like Design Review and ForceEffect.

Here is a quick breakdown in no particular order, of the other Autodesk ipad, iphone and android apps, some of them for business and others for pleasure…

Pixlr-o-matic – A fun tool for editing pictures, adding effects, flares, tints, and that vintage look.
Fluid FX – Special effect for your pictures. Pinch, pull, and distort
Inventor Publisher Mobile – Interact with 3d assemblies from Inventor
AutoCAD WS – DWGs on the go. Open, revise, measure, and notate. You dont have to be an AutoCAD expert to pick up on this little app.
SketchBook Express – Access project documents and designs securely from anywhere. View DWF files – 2d and 3d. Upload photos and files to the Buzzsaw cloud. Sketch a design onsite, upload it to the cloud to share and collaborate with others.

123dSculpt - Digital clay model sculpting. Create unique designs by shaping and molding objects in the computer.

Learn more about these apps, and others on the Autodesks app website: http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/pc/index?siteID=123112&id=16953811

Just AutoCAD can do BOM

2012-01-16T11:20:00.000-05:00

While at a client meeting last week, my client asked if AutoCAD can create a Bill of Materials. As soon as I heard the question, my first reaction was to write a blog. While he knew it could, he had not done it before. I answered his question but that wasn't my first reaction! I explained to create a BOM, you will need blocks with attributes. Long time AutoCAD users are now thinking of the old ATTEXT command. If you are, stop it. We always had the ability to create a BOM with ATTEXT but there's a better way. Using AutoCAD 2012 and its TABLE command, you can generate a quick and easy BOM. However, don't forget you will need blocks with attributes. After all, what is a BOM? It's a list of parts (blocks) and data (attributes) associated with the parts.

Below is an AutoCAD control wiring diagram with many blocks and attributes. The image on the left is an enlarged view of the BOM I generated in seconds, not minutes. It took longer to write this short blog than it took to create the BOM! Can AutoCAD create a BOM? I have two responses, yes, and it's easy.

Mark Petrucci

Design Review Mobile App

2012-01-16T09:59:00.000-05:00

There was a time when I can remember preparing for a meeting or even going to the plant to discuss design and engineering issues with multiple detailed drawings in my hands and needing someone to aid me in opening doors. However, with today's technology, the burden of lugging around loads of documentation is becoming a thing of the past. With more and more people starting to make the move to mobile devices and discovering the vast world of apps available, I would like to point out one specifically which allows you to view, markup, and annotate 2D and 3D DWF files from your Autodesk Cloud account. It is the Design Review mobile app by Autodesk, Inc. and it is available for the following devices: iPhone 3GS or higher, iPad 1 or 2, iPod Touch 3rd generation or higher, with a minimum operating system of the Apple iOS 3.2.

Links for Referenced Material:

iTunes Store Design Review Mobile App

Autodesk Cloud

Design Review Mobile Support

Design Review Mobile App System Requirements

-Jason Miles

Show off Showcase

2012-01-12T11:34:00.002-05:00

What is this thing we call Autodesk Showcase? It's a real-time 3D presentation program and a rendering program. It does not replace 3DS MAX. While you can create some pretty amazing videos with 3DS MAX, you can get pretty close with Showcase. The advantage of Showcase is the learning curve. 3DS MAX is geared more for the entertainment industry while Showcase is more suited for AEC. See my video below. All objects were created in AutoCAD. Materials and animations were done in Showcase. No other software was used. There is a lot more we can do with Showcase. Please let me know if you'd like to see more Showcase videos.
Mark Petrucci

Breaking up isn’t hard to do: Revit MEP

2012-01-10T09:43:00.001-05:00

In the past I have had to help several clients clean-up, break-up, and troubleshoot Revit models. With my focus being on RMEP, this entry will be from that point of view.

Breakup by Discipline

The process to break up a Revit model is about the opposite as to what we would do in AutoCAD. AutoCAD has a WBLOCK command; Revit does not.

So, take any RMEP model, we will call it ABC_RMEP.RVT, that contains all disciplines. Open the model, SaveAS, for example: ABC_PLUMBING. Now the fun begins. I will make a 3D view and then using the Visibility Graphics, I will turn off all the objects related to Plumbing.

You may ask now, what about pipe? Depends, do you want to have only the Plumbing Pipe in the Plumbing model? If so, then use a FILTER that will sort out the Plumbing Pipe, leaving the Mechanical/Hydronic Pipe “on” for selection/deletion.

Once the other disciplines have been deleted, issue the PURGE command and selectively remove anything that isn’t Plumbing in nature. Save the file again. Lather, rinse, repeat for the remaining disciplines.Once all the discipline specific files have been created, return to each model file and link in the other discipline files, if needed.

This scenario lends itself to maintaining the SHEET views in each discipline’s specific model file. Alternatively, a Centralized model could be maintained that links in all the disciplines and is used specifically for SHEET views, which then would have all the SHEETs in a single file.

Breakup Troubleshooting

In the past I have had to break-up a Revit model to determine where a problem is that is affecting the overall performance of the model. Performance issues that I have run into in the past: 1) Pick a point to place a pipe, wait…wait…wait… After too much time passing, the point finally registers; 2) Zooms and Pans anomalies, for example, the view just plain won’t do it; 3) printing oddities; 4) and I am sure there are others.

In this case, I will use a plumbing example. Similar in steps to the “Breakup by Discipline”, isolate out the Plumbing model. Once saved, run Purge to clean out anything NOT plumbing and save again. Next check the performance problem. If the problem persists, create a 3D view for troubleshooting purposes. Make sure everything is on, no filters overrides, etc. Then, what I do, is first: DELETE EVERYTHING. Wow, sounds radical, but this lets me do a performance test to see if it is anything is in the model causing the problem. After deleting everything, if performance goes back up, then that tells me the problem is related to the model itself and not some other issue. Next, I will reopen the troubleshooting model, create a 3D view, and then go to a TOP view via the ViewCube. Now the fun again, follow a process of deleting a little and test performance, delete a little and test performance. Eventually, if all goes according to plan, you will delete a little and the performance problem will go away. REMEMBER the area you deleted, close without saving the file, reopen the full file again, and delete just the little bit that resolved the problem and test performance.

I have had situations where I had to delete two little areas, so this troubleshooting process can be a challenge sometimes.

ADDENDUM: Jan 12
Thumbs up to Steve Stafford: http://revitoped.blogspot.com/2012/01/revit-has-wblock-feature-too.html
Steve makes a valid comparison about SaveAsGroup being similar to WBLOCK from AutoCAD. The catch for me is the results of the group save. My experiments left me with alot more work to do with the group versus the delete/saveas process. My testing was with a plumbing model that was systemized with a single Cold, single Hot, and single Sanitary system. and all were well connected. The result however, put every pipe, fitting and fixture onto it's own system. I lost all my template settings except those directly related to the objects in the group (no filters, no view templates, etc). So, I thought to link, bind, ungroup into a template and I discovered it made an even bigger mess of my pipe systems, connections were lost, but alignment was perfect. I agree 100% with Steve's comment, "Regardless the hard part isn't Save as...it's carefully filtering/selecting everything." Steve also says, "SaveAsGroup could/would/should work", and again I agree 100% that it 'should', but like many features in Revit, maybe it does nicely for Revit Architecture, but in this instance it doesn't work too well for RMEP. And again, thank you Steve for referencing us. It's these types of conversations that make writing this stuff worthwhile.

dennis

3D Design and 3D Printing - The Future is Now

2012-01-07T10:11:00.063-05:00

For years Autodesk has used catch phrases like "Digital Prototyping" and "Experience Your Ideas Before They're Real" to convey the concept that earlier validation and sign-off on designs can reduce errors, increase throughput, and shorten development cycles.

Early adopters of this concept realized that expressing a design through a 3D model provided the opportunity for differentiation in competitive markets from those who merely provided a pretty picture, or 2D drawings replete with layers of uninterpretable linework. The BIG benefits for companies using 3D (after winning a project) could also include higher margins on projects, shorter time to market, and a reduction in the "gotchas" of unforeseen interferences/clashes within assemblies and field failures later.

So when going about the process of creating new, previously unproven designs, seeing it in 3D is nice, but to the consumer, machinist or builder, the 3D proof is in the printed pudding. The big hurdles in generating a conceptual model have always been the tying up of expensive machinery, manpower and material costs, when in reality, the end user may simply need to get the idea of how a product would look and feel.

As with most developing technologies, cost has been the driving force preventing widespread adoption. While SLA (Stereolithography) 3D printing has been around for over 25 years, it has traditionally been so expensive that companies would outsource 3D parts and generate scaled physical models only when requested by a customer or if necessary to win work. However, 3D printing has finally reached a point where quality and affordability have converged - we're now in the age of desktop 3D printing....

A desktop unit such as the 3DTouch from 3D Systems (link below), uses thermoplastics to heat the material through the extruder (or print head). The extruder then pushes out a very fine plastic thread which is applied layer by layer according to x and y coordinates, building a solid, 3D object, right before your eyes. And with the low cost of these systems, when coupled with 3D modeling software (like Inventor or Solidworks), the point of entry into conceiving, designing, testing and digitally/physically prototyping a design is now achievable for under $10,000.

Still think 3D printing isn't ready for prime time? A recent article on CNET.com (link below) suggests that 2012 could be the year that a "company like FedEx Kinko's will start offering 3D printing as a consumer-level service."

Imagine that - coming up with a design, uploading it to the Kinko's website, then picking up the part a few hours later. It seems that the harmonic convergence of mainstream 3D Design and 3D Printing has now been achieved.

Links:

CNET article - http://news.cnet.com/8301-13772_3-57345836-52/culture-five-predictions-for-2012/

3D Systems printers - http://www.asti.com/Products/Item.asp?Mkt=Com&ProductID=3D_systems&SolutionID=All

Quadrifying Objects

2012-01-06T07:30:00.000-05:00

No, I did not make that word up. It is a tool within 3ds Max Design for simplifying geometry from unnecessary faces, which could possibly be triangulated elements, to reduce the faces of an object. Or in other words: a tool for converting triangles to quadrilaterals. Using this tool could be important to reduce rendering times of scenes where a flat surface doesn’t need all of the faces and verticies.

After converting the object to an editable mesh. Go to the Graphite Modeling Tools tab, and then to Geometry (All) panel and click on the dropdown arrow to display the Quadrifying options. Choices include Quadrifying All, Selection, Edges, and Edges from Selection.

Hold and Fetch

2012-01-06T07:00:00.000-05:00

Hold and Fetch within the realm of 3ds Max Design is used for placing a timestamp "Hold" in your scene, which can be retrieved "Fetch" at a later point down the road in your scene. This includes cameras, lighting, viewport configs, geometry and selections sets.

You can only Hold/Fetch to one point in your scene, and if you Hold for a new point your previous Hold is lost. Hold is a useful tool when exploring different design ideas or work that may not be saved. Be advised Fetch dumps all operations in the Undo/Redo history list.

See a short video on Hold/Fetch in action: Hold-Fetch

Why BIM? . . . Again?

2012-01-05T07:30:00.000-05:00

I was recently asked by one of my sales people to craft a quick overview of BIM trends that would make someone want to use it. I had a couple of gut reactions and some realizations:

Gut Reaction 1: I am over it. Do we still have to have this discussion? It's a five-year-old question.

Gut Reaction 2: The industry is past it. The talking heads are now arguing about what is after BIM and are coming up with ridiculous things like "BIM 2.0" and 7D, 8D, 9D and XD models. (How many dimensions can there be? This isn't quantum physics, people. I'm going to create a String-BIM theory just for my own amusement.)

Realization 1: The industry is NOT past it. While we now have the talking heads dithering about "BIM 3.0" and 99D models, we still have parts of the country and world where BIM is VERY NEW. We still have owners that have no idea why they should (or should not) be using it. There is no NEXT BIM. There is only refining it and building upon the idea to make it better.

Realization 2: I am NOT over it. I am over BIM, the singular, "solve anything" application. But not over BIM as a team based, data rich set of processes that can help solve many relevant industry problems. While my frosted side wants to dance and splash in new discoveries and uses for BIM data, my crunchy, wheat-y side realizes that we still need to evangelize, but differently than we used to talk about it; with more understanding, foresight and relevance.

The following is my initial response to this request. It needs some additional word-smithing, and doesn't go very deep at all, but I think this is the basis of what the next generation of BIM adopters needs to understand to get on board and quickly catch up or even innovate upon current understanding. Based on what we have seen, each new wave of adoption is better than the last. We shouldn't dismiss these later waves of BIM adopters, but realize that their new energy in learning applications that have had immense amounts of additional development could make them better than early adopters whose skills and BIM usage may have hit a plateau. These later waves also have something that the early adopters didn't have - the backing and desire of a more educated client to do better:

"BIM isn't the trend anymore. To be quite frank, we are past that. The real drivers towards BIM adoption now are synergistic uses that go above and beyond simply having a 3D model of a building that we can collide. The current BIM catchwords are really focused on modern operational and economic issues that are the true underlying issues that BIM can help to solve.

Efficiency: Let's be honest: The economy is still in the dumper. There are some bright spots, but let's not get too excited because it will never be the same. The construction industry loses a massive amount of money every year to wasted effort and time, not to mention materials. Some estimates are as high as 40% of profits are lost to lack of efficiency. This is unforgivable – even in the best of times. BIM, due to the nature of being able to view, quantify, and share helps eliminate over-purchasing and rework in all phases of the building life cycle. Additional ability to visualize construction sequencing helps ensure timely and safe construction of the building.
Sustainability / Energy Analysis: Green design is about data – Calculations, weights, locations, volumes, etc. BIM, with its ability to tie that information to 3D geometry (which is just now really being harnessed by design teams) can provide a powerful synergistic relationship for providing sustainable design and analysis. This data can also be used further downstream by owners (See FM / O&M).
Partnering/Integrated Processes: The ability to share project data and design concepts is not new to CAD software, but the ability to more clearly see design decisions, data and analyze their effects is compelling in many ways. From the designers to fabricators to owners, the entire project team can be involved in ways that are heretofore unprecedented.
Facility Management / Operations & Maintenance: If an owner has a clear understanding of Facility needs, the BIM can be the backbone of a strong FM / O&M initiative. What better place to tie the data to than a virtual model of a building or campus? Things such as manuals, maintenance schedules, real time energy monitoring, asset management, space allocation can all be tied to a BIM and vice versa. The industry is just now beginning to really see the need for "portals" to tie all of this data together for greater operational efficiency and knowledge. This is the stuff of science fiction that is happening now.
Standardization: BIM has the capability to standardize . . . . everything. Several large companies from Starbucks to Target are standardizing on BIM. Giving them an edge over competition with some of the FM uses above, but also the ability to visualize remodeling, signage, displays, etc. The industry as a whole would benefit from manufacturers creating standardized BIM models of everything from tables to pumps to furniture that will contain all the data needed for purchasing, quantities, LEED and much more.

These things are synergistically tied to each other as well. Solving one issue tends to solve the others. BIM is not THE THING, but a tool that helps foster greater understanding and solutions to the real problems listed above and more. In our own experience we are training BIM tools at a 4:1 rate over traditional CAD applications. The classes are getting more specific and targeted on a weekly basis. Additionally, we are now working with owners in commercial, educational, and government spaces helping them craft their own BIM requirements and corporate BIM Execution Plans – which is possibly the real trend. BIM isn't about marketing brochures or colliding 3D pieces anymore. Owners are starting to understand how it can help them generate efficiency, design sustainably, foster partnering, standardize data, trim operational costs and reveal new understanding about how they use their spaces. Now that I think about it, that's not a trend, that's finally getting it right."

-Pete Zyskowski

Project Storm

2012-01-05T07:00:00.000-05:00

In a previous blog post I mentioned using Project Storm from Autodesk Labs. Let me explain a little about this lab preview technology. In short it is: Cloud based structural analysis. Engineers can run analysis on their models in the cloud and the results visualized in Revit Structure. Disruptions to engineers workflows are minimized by using Project Storm in the cloud as the design continues to evolve.

Useful reports can also be generated to review the analysis results.

Addition functions include:

Defined
Analysis profiles
Easier user interface
Analysis step by step walk through

Here is a link to more information about Project Storm:http://labs.autodesk.com/utilities/revit_storm/

2D to 3D Tool for Inventor

2012-01-04T11:09:00.001-05:00

A common question that I get from clients that are transitioning from AutoCAD to Inventor is, "Will I be able to use our 2D CAD part drawings within Inventor?" The answer is yes! This is possible with the 2D to 3D Tool. Not only is this possible, but it will also save you time in the long run by not having to create the part from scratch. First, you must download and install the 2D to 3D Tool from Autodesk Labs. With an empty part file (.ipt) or by having an active empty part in the assembly context, follow these simple steps:

1. On the Sketch tab under the Insert panel, click on ACAD

2. Choose .dwg file, click Open

3. In the Layers and Objects Import Options dialogue box, uncheck select all, choose the desired geometry, click Next

4. In the Import Destination Options dialogue box, ensure that the Constrain End Points box is checked, click Finish, and click Finish Sketch

5. Under the Model tab within the 2D to 3D panel, click on Base View

6. Select the face for your base view on the three dimensional cube shown in the graphics window

7. Select the sketch segments that define the base view and click Ok

8. Under the Model tab within the 2D to 3D panel, click on Projected View

9. Select the sketch segments that define the projected view and click Ok

10. Utilize the Create feature options under the Model tab to create the desired part

- Jason Miles

May the "ForceEffect" be with you

2012-01-04T07:00:00.000-05:00

Autodesk seems to be pushing out new (and FREE) tools every week or so, many of which are mobile apps for iPhone and iPad users. While catching up on emails in the manufacturing lounge at Autodesk University this year, I was fortunate enough to sit down with Andrew Sears (Solutions Engineer, Autodesk) who provided me with an inpromptu demo of ForceEffect, a free app that allows engineers to draw, constrain and simulate concepts using free body diagrams by simply tapping objects to select, move, rotate and scale.

It's very easy to create free-body diagrams and generate dimensionally correct elements - you use familiar iPhone/iPad motions to sketch and snap to other elements on the sketch. In addition, you can also bring in a photo as a background for either modifying existing designs or creating new ones. Once you've placed your elements, you apply forces, unknown forces or moments and then add supports such as sliding pins, fixed pins, grounded, fixed or welded.

Sketch geometry can be moved, re-sized, deleted and dimensions can be edited simply by tapping the dimension value and entering the size you require. Autodesk ForceEffect also generates a report that can be printed, emailed or viewed using any Web browser. In addition, export capabilities enable easy workflow continuation in any CAD application by emailing and exporting the sketch to a DXF file that can be reused in tools like AutoCAD Mechanical and Autodesk Inventor.

You can download ForceEffect from the Appled iTunes store here - http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/autodesk-forceeffect/id476321600?ls=1&mt=8

a la carte rendering

2012-01-03T10:12:00.000-05:00

For 3ds Max Design software users who are new to the world of rendering, there are several options to choose from. At first glance in using the software you have to choose what “type” of rendering process you are going to use… the default Scanline renderer or mental ray which many folks refer to as “bucket rendering”. It is known as bucket rendering because the computer processor or multiple processors work on renderings one square area at a time, verses the scanline rendering which is a pixel row, starting from the top one row at a time.

The image below shows the rendering in progress. 3ds Max Design will render a low level quality pass over the scene, which looks pixelated or like mosaic tiles. This is to help you determine the camera shot, angle, and if the scene is the correct one. This quick pass allows you to cancel the rendering, and not have to wait several minutes for a non-desired rendering.
The next image shows additional progress on the rendering. The front of the car is complete, and the black box by the front fender is the processor working on refining that area. If you have a multi-core processor computer, you will see several boxes jumping around the scene working to refine the areas.

And if you are wondering, the image at the top took 35 seconds to render. It would of taken double that with scanline and the quality wouldnt of been as nice. Overall mental ray rendering will give you more realistic renderings, with faster results. It is the preferred industry standard/method of rendering. But, you can switch between scanline or mental ray. Either choice can be set in the Custom UI and Default Switcher in 3ds Max Design. A restart of 3ds Max Design will be required.

But that is just the first of many choices for rendering methods. Check back for future entries on renderings and 3ds Max Design. Until then... Happy modeling and rendering!

Structure Generator

2012-01-03T07:00:00.000-05:00

Autodesk Labs introduced Project Structure Generator for Revit Architecture and Structure. This preview technology provides a connection between conceptual massing models and the physical objects created during the design process. The Structure Generator allows designers, architects and engineers to visualize their design at the earliest stages. This includes the physical and analytical model.

Some other useful tools include:

Volume and weight predictions of materials
Create variations of the design and display them as needed.
Static analysis via Project Storm or Robot Structural Analysis

To find out more, here is a link to the Project Structure Generator on Autodesk Labs: http://labs.autodesk.com/utilities/revit_structure_generator/

How to get CaiCE Project Data into Civil 3D

2011-12-27T07:00:00.000-05:00

First of all, I had an client who wanted to get some Survey data, DTM models and Cross-Section data from CaiCE into Civil 3D......Nooooo Problem! Solution - CAiCE Translator Extension for AutoCAD Civil 3D 2012.

The CAiCE Translator Extension for AutoCAD Civil 3D 2012 is an application that converts data from CAiCE projects into Civil 3D. Project data including survey data, points and chains, horizontal and vertical alignments, surfaces and cross sections can be selected and imported into the current Civil 3D drawing file. The extension does not require CAiCE to be installed!

Under the Toolbox......

Survey Points and Data

DTM Options.......

WOW! Presto! Look in your Toolspace................

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/ps/dl/item?siteID=123112&id=17461535&linkID=9240698

Kenneth L. Driscol

Express Tools for the 21st century - it's all about the Apps

2011-12-23T11:17:00.019-05:00

Remember the good old days when we tricked out our AutoCAD by

adding LSP routines embedded in toolbar buttons

building menus with our favorite "Express Tools"

customizing our digitizers (pucks) with commonly used commands

loading up the old "Screen Menu" with our favorite macros

Aside from merging in some popular AUGI wish list requests into future builds of AutoCAD (obsoleting many of these tools or replacing them with superior functionality), Autodesk is now providing direct access to "apps" within the AutoCAD 2012 interface.

Called "Autodesk Exchange Apps", it's an inventive and modern approach to allowing us commoners to participate in making AutoCAD (and other AutoCAD based products in the Autodesk family) more customized and productive. While many of the tools are free, others cost anywhere from 99 cents up to $500. The tools are categorized for General, AEC and Manufacturing applications, and are searchable with keywords to match specific needs. And to make the acquisition process nice and easy, once selecting an app, if it's not free, a PayPal window will appear letting you enter your PayPal or credit card information to purchase. Please note that most apps are built for use in 2012 versions of Autodesk software, so if you're not current, you can't access the "Autodesk Exchange" or run the programs listed.

Grading in the Daylight

2011-12-23T10:50:00.000-05:00

Daylight Rounding; try it, you might like it! Old school engineers and drafters still live in a world when a set of plans is a work of art and should reflect the real world. However, in the modern computing world, when finite math reaches a number, the computing stops. A great example of this is how the contours look when you are creating a corridor surface.

Contours are a major player in the older practice of hand drafting. Contours are flowing objects with few hard edges and angles in the real world. Yet when we calculate a TIN intersection, the contour will just stop and make an abrupt turn where that intersection is computed without any thought to what the end result will look like. I hear this question a lot from users: “How do I make my contours “tie in” with corridor surfaces?” By “tie-in,” they mean make the swooping arcs and look like they eventually will in real life. If you follow the link below, you’ll see an example of what old school engineers don’t want to see, how to fix it, and what the end result is.

In the image above you can see what happens when the corridor daylight subassembly calculates the intersection with the TIN and reaches true daylight: You’ll notice that the proposed contours (green and magenta) tie into the existing contours (gray) at a very harsh angle. This is typically not desirable to some engineers. Luckily, we can fake this in by setting a few parameters in the daylight subassembly. You’ll notice in the image below that I have set some rounding options in my subassembly parameters. I want a circular rounding, with a radial rounding, using a 200’ radius, and a tessellation factor of 10 (the highest factor.) And here are the results of these settings: You will notice that the contours are more “swoopy” (a term used by a not-so-old-school engineer I once worked with who actually preferred angular contours) and they tie in better. They really look more like they will in the real world once the project is built.You can play with the numbers and the options to get results that you want – the tessellation factor gives a more “rounded” look, and increasing the radius gives a more pronounced rounded tie-in. You can also experiment with the differences between parabolic and circular......

Kenneth Driscol

Pipe Systems Creation Methods

2011-12-23T10:49:00.000-05:00

With the release of RMEP 2012, the workflow for creating Pipe Systems has taken on two different processes. The same is true for the HVAC systems as well, but we will be focusing on the Pipe Systems. The original process took us through selecting a fixture, then Create/Edit/Add to the system. The 2012 new process lets us create by duplication of the existing Pipe Systems and renaming them to the name we want. I will refer to these two methods as: 1) Create systems through selection –and- 2) Create systems through duplication. In my examples below I will be working with the Domestic Cold Water System specifically, but the process is the same for the other Pipe Systems as well.

The picture above shows the first method, Systems by Selection. The two restroom layouts are on separate Domestic Cold Water system names: DCW1 for the first floor and DCW2 for the second floor. The two system names are listed separately in the Flow Schedule and are ‘child systems’ of the Domestic Cold Water within the System Browser.

In the section view below, I tied the two systems together via a riser where I selected a piece of pipe on the first floor, right-click to “Create Similar”, and picked midpoint to midpoint to place the riser. Notice how the two named systems are now combined into a single named system and the DCW2 system is removed from the System Browser.

Now let’s look at the other method. In the pic below I show the Family listing of Piping Systems, where I have duplicated and renamed the Domestic Cold Water ‘outtabox’ system to create the two systems: DCW1 and DCW2. I then assigned the first floor and second floor fixtures to their respective System Types: DCW1 and DCW2. Notice too that in the System Browser, both systems are listed but not as ‘children’ of the Domestic Cold Water system as the first method shows.

As before, I now tied the two systems together via a riser. Notice now the Flow Schedule and the System Browser both keep each system separate.

Decisions, decisions. Which way do you want to standardize on? I think it will all depend on the desired final result. Do you want to keep your systems separated for reporting purposes, or would you rather end up with a large system showing the overall reporting.

I invite all comments and observations concerning the Pipe Systems. As an instructor I do want to teach the "best" method, but it seems right now I will be teaching both ways and letting the client decide which way works best for them.

-dennis

eTransmit for AutoCAD

2011-12-21T11:09:00.002-05:00

Ok, so I saw Pete write a blog about eTransmit for Revit. As an old AutoCAD user, I felt the need to write about eTransmit for AutoCAD; the original eTransmit. And before that, Pack-n-Go.

I want to write about a feature few people use but is still very POWERFUL. You should feel and hear a deep dark voice as you read the word POWERFUL.

You can use eTransmit to not only automatically compress all your AutoCAD drawings into a .zip file or a self executible .exe file, BUT AT THE SAME TIME you can use e-Transmit to AUTOMATICALLY save your AutoCAD drawings to an older DWG version within the .zip or .exe file. Your orginal DWG files on your computer or on your server are not saved back to an older version, only the copies made part of the zip file are converted. So when do you think that will be a feature in Revit's eTransmit?
Mark Petrucci

eTransmit for Revit

2011-12-19T14:16:00.000-05:00

While we haven't experimented with this yet, this may be worth checking out. Autodesk Labs has released an update for Revit eTransmit. Everyone gets nasty messages from a workshared Revit model when you are the one that is getting a file from a consultant. Hopefully, this makes sending (and receiving) the Revit file a bit easier - and makes sure that everyone is getting the right info.

From Autodesk:

With eTransmit for Revit, you can:
Copy and detach a Revit model and associated files to a single folder for internet transmission. This removes the typical error messages when you copy central files using the operating system.
Locate dependent files automatically and include them in the transmittal folder, helping to reduce the possibility of error. All dependent files are automatically converted to use relative paths so the dependent files can be located by the model.
Choose to include related dependent files such as linked Revit models, CAD files, DWF™ markups, decal images, and external keynote files. You can transmit any Revit (.rvt) model that has beenupgraded to be compatible with a 2012 Revit software product.
Transmit models that are using file-based worksharing or server-based worksharing. eTransmit for Revit will also work with non-workshared Revit models.

View of the eTransmit dialog.

-Pete Zyskowski

Explore Multiple Design Alternatives

2011-12-19T11:58:00.001-05:00

AutoCAD Civil 3D enables you to explore multiple options, ultimately helping you produce an optimized design. The integration of imagery and geospatial data assists in identifying an optimal solution early in the overall process, helping to save time and money.

• Import geospatial data, such as soil types, land use information, and environmental constraints to more quickly analyze and better understand the probable impacts of different alternatives.

• Use imagery and terrain models from Google Earth™ mapping services and other sources to help visualize the ecosystem of a project.

• Most project data—such as survey information, surfaces, profiles, horizontal alignments, and
corridor models, as well as related annotations and labels—have predictable relationships with other elements in your design. This results in the dynamic updating of model elements when related elements are changed.

• AutoCAD Civil 3D includes terrain shaping tools that support large-surface models while
maintaining dynamic relationships to source data, including contours, break lines, corridor models, and grading objects.

• Use surfaces as references for creating profiles, sections, and corridors. Any changes to the source data result in automatic updates to surfaces and references, which helps you save time and reduce errors. This means that several alternatives can be evaluated quickly since immediate feedback is given, helping to ensure important design constraints are held, such as project limits staying within existing rights of
way.

Built-In Standards

2011-12-19T11:58:00.000-05:00

Standards are the universal language of civil engineering. Almost all projects need to respect local constraints for steep slopes, pipe layout, minimum parcel size and road frontage, sight distances, road curvature, and more. Additionally, construction documents need to use the appropriate line types, line weights, and symbology to be readable for construction and accepted by regulating agencies. Designers can make changes with more confidence because AutoCAD Civil 3D 2012 software helps them to meet the design criteria mandated
by the customer and various third parties.

AutoCAD Civil 3D 2012 software has built-in tools that help reference and report violations of industry requirements, like AASHTO and TAC standards.

Corridor models can be built using assemblies with parametric constraints based on agency requirements.

Customize tables to help you adhere to unique standards that are enforced by local agencies.

Maximize parcel yield and green space using built-in tools to help meet local standards for size, frontage, and setback. Use interactive editing tools to preview changes and refine layouts without your established constraints before deciding on a final design.

Autodesk Storm and Sanitary Analysis, included with Civil 3D, is based on industry-leading hydrologic models such as EPA SWMM Version 5, TR-20, TR-55, and other regional models, which facilitates submittal of stormwater management reports in many jurisdictions.

PLM for the masses, courtesy of Autodesk 360 Nexus

2011-12-15T09:13:00.000-05:00

Every company, whether manufacturing a product, designing a building or providing a service (IT, consulting, etc.) has a concept, a plan, process or design reviews, and procedures related to the startup, production, management and pass-off or completion of their product, building or service. And all aspects of that lifecycle ideally should be documented and accessible (at various permission levels) throughout the entire organization.

Some of the traditional objections to implementing PLM have been the massive infrastructure and investment in costly programming needed to link disparate and non-communicative technologies. Try connecting Vaulted Inventor assembly data to an ERP system based on a "home grown" AS400 platform for example...it works about as well as Monty Python's Hungarian at the Tobacconist using an English phrase book. And if you don't know how that sketch ended, look it up on YouTube - not pretty!
This is where Autodesk 360 Nexus appears to have an ingenious way of clearing the hurdle mentioned above - by keeping the data inside the firewall and providing a Cloud based, zero infrastructure investment model whereby anyone collaborating or doing business with a company can view data about various stages of the lifecycle, from virtually anywhere.

When considering Autodesk’s diversification and continued gains in the markets as a software provider to the AEC, manufacturing and M&E (media and entertainment) segments, tight integration of Nexus 360 with their mature Vault and Buzzsaw product lines is a given.

So when you start hearing the term PLM, don't think that it's limited to manufacturing companies, or only Product Lifecycle Management. It is about to become whatever you need it to be...

Learn more at http://usa.autodesk.com/360-lifecycle-management-software/plm/, and sign up at the top right of the page for information as this exciting new offering from Autodesk takes shape.

Integrate Design and Analysis

2011-12-15T09:08:00.000-05:00

Teams regularly spend time recreating various aspects of the project design in separate analysis software. Different aspects of civil designs must be
analyzed at various stages of a civil project. The designer needs a good understanding of slopes, earthwork volumes, stormwater management, and more. Analysis results must be considered as a whole in order to make design decisions that satisfy the project requirements. Civil 3D helps eliminate redundancy in your workflow by analyzing the model you’ve already built. Designers can get
feedback in real time, while there is still an opportunity to refine the design
and make changes.

• Analyze pre- and post development hydrologic conditions
using integrated hydraulic and hydrology tools.

• Analyze your AutoCAD Civil 3D pipe network models, culverts, and channels using Autodesk® Storm and Sanitary Analysis 2012 software to help make design decisions. Automate the
generation of robust reports for submittal to review agencies.

• The mass haul and earthwork features enable contractors and engineers to more effectively
plan the movements, amounts, and placements of material during construction. As
designs are changed, Civil 3D can help to quickly analyze earthwork balance
points, determine the amount and direction of material to be moved, and identify
optimal locations for borrow pits and dump sites.

• Directly import customized pay item information into AutoCAD Civil 3D 2012 software for use in
assigning pay item values to objects in the drawing, including AutoCAD entities
and AutoCAD Civil 3D model elements. Automatically calculate quantities and
generate reports based on pay item values.

Kenneth Driscol

Convert MEP Object-based families to Face-based families

2011-12-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

The great majority of manufacturers who are developing families of their respective product lines, are building the families for architects rather than engineers. As a result, often the families developed cannot be used in a RMEP project due to the need for RMEP objects to be Face-hosted rather than ceiling-hosted, wall-hosted or floor-hosted. In the past, engineers needed to rebuild families to use within the RMEP project. Not any longer. Now we can use the Copy-Monitor function to accomplish the conversion.

Below you will see where I have placed some walls to allow the mounting of the wall-hosted light families.

If I select one of the lights, take it into the Family Editor, you can see from the Properties that the host object is a Wall.

Next, I will start a RMEP project and link in the model with the wall that hosts the light fixtures. And then use the Copy-Monitor function to Copy one of the light fixtures.

Upon completion of the Copy-Monitor function, by selecting the light fixture, you can see that it is a monitored object and resides natively in the RMEP project now.

Then when I take it into the Family Editor, you can see the host-object is now Other. The light fixture family can be saved now to your library as a Face-based hosted object rather than a Wall-hosted object.

What's the key with keynoting?

2011-12-13T11:25:00.006-05:00

What is sheetrock? I mean drywall? Or is it Gypsum Wall Board? Maybe GWB? No, it called Gyp Board... I think... When we detail drawings, we need to label elements and materials. We have always done this with leaders. A leader is the arrow pointing the object. However, in AutoCAD, the leader command is used to place text with the arrow connected to it. We can do the same in Revit but with the text tool; we can specify if a leader should be part of the text element.

So what is keynoting and what does it have to do with text and leaders? Keynoting is placing "smart text" with a leader pointing to an element or material. Keynoting automatically fills in the "text" for you. How does it do this?

In short, when you touch an element or material, Revit looks at it's assigned keynote number and places keynote tag it in the view. The keynote tag can display the keynote number or keynote text. Keynote text can look just like plain text with an arrow. However, you don't type anything; Revit fills in the information for you.

The keynote number and its associated text is kept in an external text file called RevitKeynotes_Imperial_2004.txt. Click on Annotate ->Tag Panel (Expanded)->Keynote Settings. You can see the path where this file is kept and the name. You can also view the file.

Many, if not all, 2D Detail Components have been configured to work with Keynote Elements. Most materials, however, are not configured to use Keynote Materials. It's not hard to do but it requires time to configure.

Once configured, any user in an office who keynotes 1/2" drywall, with a few clicks of the mouse and no typing, a leader (a keynote tag) will appear with the words " 1/2" Gypsum Wallboard ". No need to worry someone might write 1/2" G Wall B!

Watch for a follow-up blog about how to edit the keynote file and change the the text to upper case.
Mark Petrucci

Autodesk's 360 Nexus PLM solution - Changing the landscape for the SMB market

2011-12-12T17:35:00.000-05:00

While en route to the first of 4 Innovation Forums at Autodesk University this year, there were 2 buzzwords that I knew I'd hear many times during the conference: "Cloud", and "PLM". And while the former certainly has multiple definitions, the latter has traditionally been defined as Product Lifecycle Management. However, with the launch of Autodesk 360 Nexus, PLM may soon be democratized and more accessible to SMB (small to medium sized businesses) than ever.

First, let's distinguish the differences between PDM and PLM. At it's core, PDM focuses on the data involved in the design and manufacture of a product, and therefore, is most important to those divisions of an organization. In more progressive firms, the data is shared with sales, marketing and ERP, though frequently as a non-collaborative, one way push. Many clients of ours have a PDM system courtesy of the Autodesk Vault, which is an engineering centric tool for data management.

But PDM, through Vault, DBWorks or even Windows Explorer (yikes) is merely one component of PLM, which focuses on the lifecycle of a product, from concept to retirement. With PLM, each division of a firm is a participant in the product, including
documenting its origin

versioning its iterations

releasing the manufacturable content for build

itemizing the purchased and manufactured parts for accounting

creating service manuals, sales and marketing content

And finally, maintaining the product once sold in the field, until ultimately being withdrawn or replaced with a newer product line.

If you're in a manufacturing company that fits the criteria above, then the traditional PLM acronym certainly applies. But given that the "L" stands for lifecycle, if we consider the functions of non-manufacturing firms in relation to my laymans definition of PLM,, then why couldn't the "P" stand for "people", "project" or even "process"?

If this concept can gain traction in non-manufacturing firms, THIS is where Autodesk may revolutionize the PLM market.

Next time - "PLM for the masses, courtesy of Autodesk"

Upper Case Keynote File

2011-12-12T15:41:00.004-05:00

Keynote file is not all upper case. So how do you make all letter upper case? First, open RevitKeynotes_Imperial_2004.txt with Microsoft Excel. With MS Excel, you can add, remove, or modify keynote numbers and text.

While in Excel, you will need to create a new tab and link to the cells in the first tab named RevitKeynotes_Imperial_2004. To do this, click on a blank sheet; there should be one called Sheet1. Click in cell A1 and paste this line without the quotes, "=UPPER(RevitKeynotes_Imperial_2004!A1". Then drag this cell down to row 5376! Yes, that's how many rows there are in this file. Next drag and copy the entire column to the right 3 columns. Hit the save button. You will be warned that this file may contain feature that are not compatible with Text (Tab delimited). Click yes to the save the tab with upper case letter and you are finished. However, if you want an even faster way, you can download this file

Color Display of Worksharing

2011-12-12T07:00:00.000-05:00

The “Worksharing Display Settings” is a tool to help you display a view in your model based on Worksharing status. This is a relatively unnoticed addition to Revit in 2012. The tools can be accessed in the View display tools in the bottom left corner of a view after a project has been Workshared. See Image above for example.

This tool is a way to color display some critical information about the current view related to Worksharing. There are four settings: Checkout Status, Owners, Model Updates and Worksets. The Colors can be changed for each topic for a more desirable look. See image below for example.

Project Dasher

2011-12-08T15:22:00.001-05:00

I just ran across this while looking at some Project Vasari videos for a Green BIM presentation I'm working on. Autodesk Research is dipping its toe into some really cool next generation BIM stuff that really ties the model (and data) to real world use. Between this and some of the other stuff going on over there, I think we're going to see some fantastic innovation in the coming years. Take a look at this video and then go visit Autodesk Research. I can't wait for some of this stuff to show up in Autodesk Labs.

From Autodesk:

"Project Dasher is a web-based application that helps to augment existing Autodesk® Revit® design models with real-time building submeter and sensor data on electricity and occupancy. Using meter and sensor data, Autodesk Project Dasher aims to demonstrate the value of integrating Building Information Modeling (BIM) and building instrumentation to provide building owners more insight into how existing buildings perform in real time and throughout the lifecycle of the building."

PS - Check out the Analytic Drawing project too! Get ready to really start having fun with 3D models.

Setting Up 3D Section Views

2011-12-08T11:34:00.028-05:00

In an earlier post, Mike Massey described Setting Up 3D Views for Levels in your Revit project. I agree that this is a great idea and very useful for creating consistent looking isometric views of each level in your project. Views like this often convey a layout to your client more effectively than a 2D orthographic plan view.

Note: the section box uses the View Range or Far Clip Offset and Crop settings to define the section box.

While designing in Revit we are constantly building our project virtually. This is an opportunity for adding 3D views of the design to the construction documentation. New to Revit 2012, we can lock a 3D view and add more annotation.Consider creating 3D section views from wall sections, stair sections, elevator shaft sections and other callout views, to enrich your documentation. You create these views the same way Mike describes in his post.

Steps for Creating 3D Views from other Views:

Create a floor plan, section or callout view.

Create a new default {3D} view, and rename it. (i.e. 3D Stair No. 1 Section)

Open new 3D view

Right-click on View Cube and go to Orient To View►Floor Plans or Sections or Elevations or 3D views►View

Orbit view to desired orientation

To save current view, right-click on View Cube or Home►Save View

To preserve the orientation and lock the view, go to the view control bar. (new in 2012 release)

Optional: Annotate the view with Dimensions, Text, Keynotes and Tags

Optional: Visual Style, Shadows, Filters, Ghost Objects for greater visibility.

Changing Education Paradigms.

2011-12-05T10:15:00.005-05:00

Many of you have seen this amazing video already; I stumbled over it again this morning, and its effect is as profound now as it was on the first viewing. This animate was adapted from a talk given at the RSA by Sir Ken Robinson, world-renowned education and creativity expert and recipient of the RSA's Benjamin Franklin award.

http://youtu.be/zDZFcDGpL4U

For more information on Sir Ken's work visit: http://www.sirkenrobinson.com

Creating pipe Networks from GIS Data Part 1

2011-12-05T10:03:00.000-05:00

This is the first post of a three post series in which I will be covering pipe networks created from GIS data. Using this feature new to 2012 you may have noticed that GIS data in the form of SHP files may not always be what you expect. Especially when you import this data and create pipe networks from it, remember - garbage in, garbage out.

If the original GIS data has the correct object data associated with it, (inverts, pipe size, materials, etc.) the better end result you are going to get. Additionally, you will need to take into consideration the amount of vertices that these pipe lines have in them. If the pipes have many vertices between actual pipe start and end, Civil 3D will place a null structure at each one of these vertices. This may be acceptable if the pipe really does end there, but edits may need to be made prior to import as well as after the fact. If the data has excessive amounts of vertices, you can easily edit these with a few different options.

First, you have the new AutoCAD functions in which you can hover over the vertex and it gives the option to remove the vertex. This is a quick and easy option if you only have a few vertices to address. Next, is the most efficient option; use the Map Cleanup functions of the MAPCLEAN command. The Simplify Objects option will make quick work of the extra vertices. This makes quick work of entire city blocks of pipe data that hase excessive amount of unnecessary vertices. Finally, you have the option of using the WEED command, which you may recall using with feature lines, but works with polylines as well. I found this to be the least ideal option, but it is definitely worth having available in case you need it. So prior to importing your SHP data as Civil 3D pipe networks, you should review the data you have obtained to ensure that all excess vertices have been addressed to avoid the excess null structures.

To use DPR Model Slicer or not to use?

2011-12-02T17:15:00.000-05:00

I have been experimenting with the Revit Add-in DPR_ModelSlicer (which can be downloaded for free from: http://modelslicer.dpr.com/). From DPR’s website, the description of the DPR Model Slicer:

“DPR Model Slicer is a free Revit plug-in which facilitates the creation of 3D Building sections from a Revit model. Inherently within Revit, the only way to separate a model by floor is to filter it by reference levels. Unfortunately, this often results in a product (...), where items modeled as multi-floor elements, such as walls or columns, become associated with only one floor despite occupying space on many floors. During the construction coordination process, this can be a limitation, so it is often desired to have the building model separated into individual floors. DPR Model Slicer makes this process faster. The end result is a model which is sectioned by floors.”

In other words, if you need the model to be broken up by floors,spanning elements such as walls and risers of all disciplines, need to be split at the level designations. Now this can be done manually using the Section Box feature of a 3D View and using the “Orient to View” pointing at a Floor Plan to generate the section box cut. Should the model be only one to three floors, the manual process isn’t too bad. However, if the model is multi-story, the manual process could be quite time consuming. That is when the DPR Model Slicer could be a time saver for exporting appropriately sliced up models to other CAD programs and Navisworks. Please refer to the DPR website for directions on usage, but an example that I made is below showing the split generated in the NWC export, specifically on the pipes.

A few observations that I have may speed you along should you decide to give the DPR Model Slicer a try.

1. The Revit 3D views generated by the DPR Model Slicer are stored in the Architectural discipline. Obviously the program was written with Revit Architecture in mind, but I have found no problems using it for RMEP models. Oh, and it will NOT split a linked model.

2. In my experimenting, I found too that once the 3D views are generated in Revit, I can manipulate the Visibility Graphics or apply my own Filter prior to the Export and their program seems fine with that.

3. When exporting the model slices, the first dialog up says to NOT click any buttons. However, I found that I did have to pick OK to get and keep the program moving along.

4. The next thing I discovered is that the program will not give the exported slices unique names and will prompt you for a name for each and every slice. A bit of a bother being tied to the computer during the export process just to enter in unique names.

5. I do like that they use the Navisworks Exporter, so all the Navisworks Settings that you like to use can still be applied.

6. Once it starts exporting, you will get a dialog that says:

and at the same time you will get another dialog:

Once the NWC Exporter dialog is complete, you will need to pick OK on the first dialog. Rinse-repeat for each export. Again, a bit of a bother having to baby sit the program.

7. Finally, you will get the dialog:

And you will need to pick OK.

Civil 3D 2012 Service Pack 1

2011-12-02T09:57:00.001-05:00

AutoCAD Civil 3D 2012 Update 1

In a continuing effort to provide high quality products, Autodesk has released AutoCAD Civil 3D 2012 Service Pack 1, which fixes or addresses a variety of issues discovered by customers and by Autodesk's internal testing team. This Service Pack includes all previous hotfixes for AutoCAD Civil 3D 2012. It also includes the fixes included in AutoCAD 2012 Service Pack 1 and AutoCAD Map 3D 2012 Service Pack 1. Note: This update applies to all language versions and to versions of AutoCAD Civil 3D 2012 with previous hotfixes applied. Before applying this update, make sure that any customizations made to the user profile (such as, customizations made to the support file search paths, print file customizations, printer support file paths, redirections, custom template settings, and so on) are exported to a secure location, then imported and reapplied after the update has been successfully installed. You cannot run an automatic uninstall to remove this update. To restore your version of AutoCAD Civil 3D 2012 to its pre-update state, uninstall AutoCAD Civil 3D 2012 and reinstall it. c3d2012_win32_sp1.exe (exe - 28421Kb)

Revit Structure to AutoCAD Plant 3D

2011-12-01T12:26:00.004-05:00

Scenario: "My structural dept has designed the building and platforms for the plant design in Revit Structure. How do I get them into AutoCAD Plant 3D?"

This is common, especially since the Plant Design Suite Premium and Ultimate comes with Revit Structure. The workflow is simple. My structural model is shown below in Revit Structure 2012. I simply export that file out as a DWG.

Then go to AutoCAD Plant 3D. If you have a drawing started already, in the ribbon, go to the INSERT tab. If you do not have a drawing started, create one. In the REFERENCE section, you will click on ATTACH in order to XRef the drawing into the Plant 3D Drawing. If the coordinates and scale in the Revit Structure model are the same coordinates and scale as in your plant model, then just accept the default insertion and scale.

Your model should now include your Revit Structure design. You can use the geometry on that model for placing equipment and routing pipe just as you would if you had modeled it all with AutoCAD Plant 3D structural shapes.

Happy Routing!

Cloud - Documents

2011-11-30T10:19:00.006-05:00

In a continuation from a previous blog post on the Cloud... There is also something in the Autodesk Cloud called “Documents”.

This, as the name might simply imply, is a place in the cloud to store files, documents, images, etc. and be able to manage and share them with team members, colleagues and clients. Folders and categories can be created; files can be edited via AutoCAD WS, along with mobile app. to view on iPad or iPhone devices.

Within Documents the files can be shared to other users with rights assigned to the files controlling the access. Also recent activity can be tracked along with comments that can be left by users about the files. There are even Versions of the file that can be tracked. See image below for document details.

One other comment to add is that Autodesk was offering potential, non-subscription, users to signup and get 1 gig for free!

To the Cloud!

2011-11-30T09:58:00.011-05:00

Is your head in the clouds trying to understand the “cloud” and Autodesk Cloud in particular?

Lets see if we can give some explanation. Autodesk Cloud is a technology that is gaining interest with users with the ability to perform tasks without installing applications to local resources. We can use the cloud for several purposes... We can upload, share and edit drawings in the cloud using AutoCAD WS. We can view files with Design Review mobile app for iPhone and iPad devices. Rendering files in the cloud, along with the ability to upload and share documents.

Let's take a closer look at cloud services for rendering and documents.

Autodesk Cloud Rendering
Currently Revit can render models to the cloud via the Subscription download. An Autodesk login account needs to be created. The concept behind Cloud rendering is simple… render your model in the cloud (the internet) without tying up your computer for an extended amount of time. Also, if you are running a marginal computer that barely meets the minimum requirements, this option of rendering in the cloud could save you a big investment in hardware and equipment.

I must add, that you can use AutoCAD as well for cloud rendering. Currently these are the only two products Autodesk has that can offer the cloud for rendering.

So, how does this all work…

After downloading the Cloud rendering subscription piece, you will have access to in under the “Add-in” tab. This will give you access to either start the cloud rendering process or access your online gallery.
You’ll need to login or create an Autodesk account to access you rendering and galleries. A simple few setup items to create account and you can sign-in.

Select a source file to upload for either Revit or AutoCAD.

Change rendering settings
Here we have a preset listing of settings to change to adjust the results of the rendering. From testing, I have found varied results from local rendering vs. cloud renderings. This is due to different processes that cloud rendering uses instead of traditional CPU processing power.

Rendering run… could take a couple minutes.

A report is emailed upon completion of rendering

Note: Each user is provided 3 gigs of storage per user. This may become a paid service in next release.

Revit Server Between Different Companies? It's Do-able!

2011-11-29T09:26:00.001-05:00

Revit Server. Let's review quickly what it was meant to do and the problems that it solves. Then we'll take it to the next level.

Revit Server was designed to help a SINGLE company with distributed, satellite offices work on a single model. In that scenario, everyone is on the same wide area network with no worries about security or other IT issues to get the server up and running. In the traditional model to the left, we are using some sort of VPN for synchronization, or an FTP site to share a model that has been sliced into pieces so that each office can work on their piece of the project. This can work, but only if the pieces of the puzzle are cleanly delineated, which is very rare on a project of the size and magnitude that would require
multiple offices' involvement. The offices are also having to re-link updated models or having to wait for a s-l-o-w synchronization via VPN to a central file housed at Office A.

Now, Revit Server, in the image to the right, uses two central files. A main one (C) at the home office and another localized central file (L) at the satellite office. These two files are constantly talking to one another and updating data. So the person at Office B is quickly synchronizing to a localized central file and not having to wait for an extended period of time as they sync via a VPN connection directly to the central file at Office A. Things like object locks are directly communicated to the main central file at Office A as well, so you still get immediate communication of who is working on what. Problem solved.

The next level: Now, what about those pesky projects where multiple firms are involved? Sometimes it requires TWO firms to do the project. So how do you distribute a Revit design between multiple COMPANIES? Not just satellite offices, but different firms. It can take a little bit of IT knowhow, but it can (and has) been done. It takes a couple of firewalls and an encrypted VPN tunnel so that neither company can see the other companies' other projects. A word of warning though. Most companies are only using a T1 connection to the internet and it will take more than that to make this successful. There are still bursts of data during synchronization and when the files are opened and closed. Therefore the office that houses the main central file (Office A, in this diagram) will need a much larger internet connection. That office will also have additional IT burdens, and BOTH companies are stranded if there is a power outage at Office A. But there is another option. . .

We have found that if the main central file is housed in a data center, then each office has a localized central file and is only responsible for its own connection. Data centers are designed to have large connections, fast access, and reliable up-time. The process is similar to setting up a connection between the two offices, there just happens to be a "third leg." It would also be easier to add another team member to the project because the local IT group wouldn't have to worry about additional permissions or concerns at Office A. Management of the central file at the data center can be delegated to a support company.

Those are just the basics. There is more to discuss but that can wait for later, or you can give us a call.

AutoCAD Quick Send to 3ds Max Design

2011-11-22T16:45:00.005-05:00

Autodesk Labs announced today a labs product tool for sending AutoCAD files to 3dS Max Design with a quick transfer. This is a Plug-in that shortens the process of sending AutoCAD data traditionally to 3ds Max Design. This preview in Labs will be available up to March 1, 2012. In several cases these Labs technologies end up in the new release.

You need to download the "AutoCAD Quick Send to 3ds Max Design" from the Autodesk Labs Preview site. But first you must have the latest Service Packs install in AutoCAD and 3ds Max Design or it will not work.

The image example at the top is the "Workflow" panel for sending the data to 3dS Max. Within the panel are options to "run" or "edit" the settings on how data is transferred. The actual "Quick Send..." button is a dropdown for additional workflows you can create. These workflows can be shared to other users.

A nice feature is that the workflow can run in the background and you can continue being productive working in AutoCAD. A helpful notification will pop-up informing you on the transfer progress and completion.

This Preview is only available for AutoCAD and not AutoCAD Architecture.

Revit MEP - Non-selectable Duct/Pipe

2011-11-22T10:29:00.005-05:00

Have you ever wanted to setup a view showing duct and pipe, but didn't want to be able to select the duct or pipe? Here is a way:

1) Add some insulation to the duct/pipe, including the fittings.

2) In VG, turn off the duct/pipe and fittings, leave on the insulation.

3) Done. Now you can see the insulation, but cannot select.

Revit - What's your favorite color?

2011-11-21T09:41:00.034-05:00

I thought about this a few years ago teaching Revit Architecture to a group of young high school students. Yes, high school students are learning Revit. Most new users of Revit forget to select the object they want to modify. While it's not required, selecting the element(s) first displays a contextual tab that shows tools available to the designer. In addition, they forget they can double-click on the blue datum target to quickly jump to associated floor plan views.

To help students, I tell them their new favorite color when using Revit is blue. Whenever you want to modify an element, click on it and make it blue. If you need to change a dimension, select the object you want to modify so the dimension text turns blue and now you can change the dimension text value.

Blue is also the typical color of hyperlinks on webpages so clicking on a blue call out tag will take you to the matching view. If you want to jump to view, you can double-click on a visible datum, call out tag, building section, wall section and/or detail head.

However, when you hover over an element, its pre-selected color is also blue so students might think they don't have to click their mouse. So what if you can change the color of elements depending if they are pre-selected or selected? Well you can.
Click 4Options4Graphics tab. (Click image below to enlarge)

In the example above, simply hovering over a wall will make it green but once selected it turns red. Of course, if blue is your favorite color...
Mark Petrucci

Revit Levels – Live vs. Dead

2011-11-17T10:13:00.001-05:00

When using Revit Levels, we can create levels with floor plan views, or we can create levels that do not have floor plans associated with them. These are usually used when you want to constrain or lock elements to the “dead” level, but do not need the floor plan. This could be a T.O. Steel level, or some other level for coordination. Live levels are shown with blue datum, while dead levels are shown as black datums.

Don't delete those dead levels! Here are two reasons. First, if the dead level has objects constrained to them, there is a good chance that item will be deleted along with the level. Secondly, dead levels can be converted to a live level with a floor plan associated with them. "How," you ask?... That will have to wait until I see you in class.

To Borrow or not to Borrow, that is the question!

2011-11-17T10:13:00.000-05:00

I had a meeting with a client a while back about Revit setup and configuration. One of the topics that came up was Worksets. What are the best practices for Worksets? Worksets are interesting to understand when you first start learning about them (that's a separate blog at a later date), but instead of the traditional "Checking Out" feature, I have had a lot of success with just borrowing. This entails not checking out a Workset, but allowing team members to borrow items when needed. This system doesn’t work for every office or studio, and all team members need to be on board with the idea. It's much more flexible to select an item and click on the "little boxes" icon and make them editable, than to go thru the process of checking out a set, which restricts team members form accessing items in the project. Once you sync to Central you relinquish the element and move on. Again, this doesn’t work for everyone, but it can be very effective and help to run a project faster. Give borrowing a chance!

Navisworks Batch Utility

2011-11-17T10:11:00.001-05:00

The Batch Utility can be used to automate importing and conversion processes that are common tasks within Navisworks. There are four areas that the batch utility can assist: getting a list of design files used in a current NWF/NWD, build a new NWF/NWD with selected design files, export out NWDs for each design file listed, and accessing the Windows Scheduler to run the batches. As an example, I will select various NWCs to build a new NWF.

The Batch Utility is accessed from the Home Tab:

First, in the Input section of the dialog, I will select a specific NWC file that contains all the architectural models using the Add Files button:

And as well, I can specify an entire folder of any supported file type using the Add File Spec button. Just above the Add File Spec button is where you can pick from the file type wildcard list. In my example, I will select all the NWCs within my FIRE folder:

Next, on the Output section of the dialog, I will use the As Single File tab and enter in Output to file the name of the NWF file.

Using the Browse button, I can specify where and what file type, to save the NWF file into a specific folder.

Finally, I can either use the Run Command button to immediately process the batch, or I can access the Windows Scheduler via the Schedule Command button. In my case I will run the Scheduler:

With the Scheduler, be prepared to enter your password several times. When you select the Schedule Command button, you will first save your task file:

Then the next dialog presented allows you to name your Task and request your password:

Finally, access the Schedule tab to set your time to run the batch:

Now just sit back and let the Navisworks Batch job do your work for you. NOTE: If you use the Scheduler, then be sure to leave your PC on.

AutoCAD - Scaling

2011-11-17T10:11:00.000-05:00

No it's not a Mitsubishi car symbol. Its an icon of the cross section of a an architectural scale. The actual tool is for Annotative scaling of annotation objects like text, dimensions and graphical symbols. This feature was added a few releases ago, but I realized from teaching, that there are a lot of folks who are still working in Model Space, doing things the old way, and aren't aware of Annotative scaling.

By using the annotative scaling, it takes care of all the busy work of text sizes when changing scale. The quick, down and dirty of making it work, is to have all of these buttons turned on. They will light up and will show the light bulb and lightening bolt in yellow once on. Also you need to be using Annotative text or dimensions. Set your scale and start drawing. The text and dims will display at the correct height per your settings and when you change the scale they will update. The last cool thing is that the text will scale according to the Viewport scale. Annotative scale rocks! Enjoy!!

T.O.S. vs. F.F.E. – What’s your pleasure?

2011-11-15T08:49:00.000-05:00

Top of Steel (T.O.S.) or Finished Floor Elevations (F.F.E.) Why do you ask? A recent debate has been going on with architects and engineers on what is the typical datum level to reference from.

There are pros and cons potentially to setting up levels at FFE vs TOS. The first would be coordination and the chance for human errors. Also depending if you are an in the architectural discipline as an Architect vs. the structural industry as a Structural Engineer.

What is the industry standard?
An architect would say FFE. This however does not include carpeting, tile, etc. This is the floor to floor heights.

An engineer would say TOS. This is what is usually built first and erected in the field. Even if the steel is sloping, the TOS reference datum plane is still established.

So how can we, from a technology, computer BIM application benefit, or should I say coordinate this industry dividing quandary? Constraints are a wonderful option when looking at Revit (Architecture, Structure, and MEP) for a solution.

Using Existing data
What if we are using the other discipline's file and linking them in the model, and the levels are already established? Linking and Copy Monitor tool. Copy monitor allows users of different disciplines to do just what the name implies “copy” the existing levels, and then allowing the user to move/offset the level to their specific location, for their needs. The levels can then be constrained so if there is movement from either disciplines, a notification will be presented.

Which ever method you choose, Revit has the tools built-in to help you accomplish you needs and coordinate other level references, allowing you to focus on your project.

BIM floor level datum lines should be:

Revit Home Tab Tools Are Greyed Out!

2011-11-15T08:00:00.005-05:00

This happens ALL the time with new students. At some point during my class, a student will comment about the Home tab and most of the tools on the Home tab as being unavailable or greyed out. This literally happens with every new class.

Revit does this on purpose. The reason this happens is because you are in the middle of another command which places you in edit mode or what we use to call sketch mode. I tell students to look at the upper right corner of their ribbon and if they see a colored tab, they need to select that tab and make it active. Once a student realizes this, they have to either finish edit mode by selecting the green check or cancel edit mode by selecting the red X.
Mark Petrucci

Revit Guide Grids. What?

2011-11-15T07:00:00.008-05:00

Guide Grid: a little know tool in Revit to help you align views so that they appear in the same location from sheet to sheet. For example, if you place each multistory floor plan view on their own sheet, Guide Grids can help you locate each floor plan view so they appear in the same location sheet to sheet.

Here's how to use Guide Grids:

Open a sheet view

Go to the View tab 4 Sheet composition Panel 4 Guide Grid tool

Name the Guide Grid something logical. "E1 Sheet Size" for example.You can use the same Guide Grid on other sheets by simply looking at the sheet properties. Listed at the very bottom of the property panel is a parameter named Guide Grid. Change this from NONE to the name of your new Guide Grid.

Now for the two VERY IMPORTANT tricky parts.

When you apply the same Guide Grid to multiple sheets, ANY changes to the Guide Grid are applied to ALL sheets. If you move the Guide Grid on one sheet or change the extents, it will move or change on every other sheet that uses the same Guide Grid.

You can't move and snap your title sheet to the OUTSIDE edge of the Guide Grid. However, you can move and snap your sheet to one of the interior grid lines. My recommendation, is to move the Guide Grid ONE TIME! Don't move it on every sheet. If the Guide Grid is not correct on one sheet but it is on others, then move the title block and not the Guide Grid on the one incorrect sheet.

Once you see a Guide Grid on your sheet, you can add views to the sheet. Then move your view so in aligns at a Guide Grid intersection. However, you can only move or align column grids, levels, and reference plans to the guide grid. You can't align walls to the guide grids. If you want to align a specific location you can always add a reference plane to that location and then move and snap the view from the reference plane to an INTERIOR Guide Grid intersection.

Here's a tip. I like to lighten the Guide Grid. Go to Manage Tab4Settings Panel4Object Styles 4Annotation Objects Tab. You can lighten the color of the Guide Grid lines here.

And finally... If you keep the Guide Grid on in sheet views, also pin it so you don't accidentally move it. Make sheets with Guide Grid on as part of your template file. People will wonder where there came from and how to use them.
Mark Petrucci

Embedded Schedules in Revit MEP

2011-11-14T11:34:00.001-05:00

Not too many users are aware that in Revit MEP schedules can be embedded into other schedules. This feature is only available in Revit MEP and not in Revit Architecture. And, it is only available in certain types of Revit MEP schedules. Embedded schedules can be inside of Room and Space schedules and System schedules (Pipe Systems, Duct Systems and Electrical Circuits).

This feature will allow you to create a schedule inside of another schedule. This could be used if you want to list what fixtures are in a space, or what pipes are in a system, or what devices are on a circuit.

To create an Embedded Schedule, you begin by creating a Room or Space or System schedule as you typically would. You can add the fields desired, configure the sorting method, modify the formatting. In the Schedule Properties dialog, there is a new tab at the end for Embedded Schedule.

Here you can select what type of schedule you would like to be embedded and then you can select Embedded Schedule Properties, to modify the properties of the embedded schedule. You go through the same steps to create the embedded schedule as you would when you create a normal schedule. You can add the fields desired, configure the sorting method, and modify the formatting.

Space Schedule with Embedded Light Fixture Schedule

This is a great way to show what is in a space, what is in a system, or what is on a circuit. I am not sure why this is limited to Revit MEP. I am sure that architects could use this if it were available. This might make my wish list for future releases.

The Best and Worst Thing About AutoCAD

2011-11-14T08:46:00.013-05:00

First, I remember my English teacher telling me not to use the word "thing". Oh well (or is that oh good?)

I tell my students this all the time. "The best thing about AutoCAD is you can create as many layers as you want. Can you guess the worst thing about AutoCAD? The worst thing about AutoCAD is that you can create as many layers as you want."

Layers are a great way to organize your drawing. However, there are some well known best practices when it comes to layers. First, use only as many layers as you need. Do not create a bunch of layer just because you can. Too many layers just means more layers to turn on and off, freeze or thaw. Do you need a separate layer for desks and chairs or can you put them on one layer called furniture? Maybe you do and maybe you don't. If you haven't thought about it before, maybe this will get you thinking. I know one firm that puts stairs and elevators on the same layer; it works for them.

Second, I recommend using a layer naming convention. I would really like to DEMAND that you use a layer naming convention but America is free country, so I'll let you choose. Here is what I tell my students: As you read the layer name from left to right, the layer name should be more general on the left and gets more specific as you move to the right.

I can name a layer NEW WALLS but a better way to name the layer is A-WALLS-NEW. I start "A" for architecture, "WALLS" for well.... walls. "NEW" describes a more specific wall, a new wall. I could then do a DEMO wall and a LOW wall. Don't forget about the first rule above though, only make as many layers as you need. Another reason for following this layer naming convention is to help alphabetically group layers together.Which layer list to the right is more organized?

Notice how all my architectural layers are grouped together and how all my furniture layers are grouped together.

The best thing about AutoCAD can be better if you follow these two simple rules.
Mark Petrucci

Revit Slab Edge - Quick Tutorial

2011-11-11T10:14:00.000-05:00

This is a quick How-To that was published a while back on my You-Tube channel, but may still be of some use to everyone. It goes over creating profiles and then using them to create new slab edge types.

For HD, you can still get the original here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIAd7jTaAFY

AutoCAD - < > Greater Than / Less Than

2011-11-11T09:56:00.000-05:00

No its not gang symbols. Its the greater than / less than symbols - hand gesture. I show my students this when teaching AutoCAD to get them into the thinking of using and thinking of these symbols because in AutoCAD in the command line they represent the default value or last value used. Which means you can save time by not having to do additional typing versus just hitting the enter key to accept whats in the "<>" value. So we can save additional time by using the default or previous used value by reading the command line with the greater than and less than symbols "<>". Remember the graphic and save your self some time!

AutoCAD Tablet - I regress

2011-11-11T09:55:00.000-05:00

I found the fold up insert that came in the AutoCAD Release 14 box for tablet overlay. This is a real blast from the past. The overlay sat over top of the Digitizer tablet. The buttons could be programmed to make drawing faster. Too bad AutoCAD and the computers at the time were so slow.

Life is easier using Autodesk 2012 products. First of all, there are no Tablets. Now if I can find my old 24+ button puck around here somewhere?

AutoCAD

2011-11-10T08:30:00.000-05:00

I've been using AutoCAD since Release 11, when it was DOS based. A lot has changed since then, and for the better! I enjoy finding new tips, tricks and little things to help make life easier.

Here is something simple but worth it. Osnap - Parallel. This Osnap allows you to draw a new line or object parallel to a reference object. You start the line command, and then using the Parallel Osnap hover over the reference line. You will see a symbol looking like this "//" over the line. It will disapear as you move off, but once you are lined up parallel with the reference line and your new line, the symbol will reappear and you can draw your line parallel. Simple but effective! Enjoy!

3ds Max Design - Backburner

2011-11-09T09:50:00.000-05:00

Backburner is a batch network rendering utility that comes with 3ds Max and Maya. This is used when you want to render multiple images to several computers/nodes.

It has 3 main pieces. Manager, Monitor and Server. The Manager and Monitor are usually installed on the same computer. This is typically your computer that is running 3ds Max, but does not have to be. Some companies have a dedicated Graphics computer that would work well to have this installed on. Also the Server piece needs to be installed on all the computer nodes. The name Server is a bit misleading, because it in fact gets installed on the workstation. A true network server doesn't really have a part in all of this. Also, 3ds Max needs to be installed on the computers with the Server piece. 3ds Max is needed to process the information. It does not need to be registered or licensed. You can install up to 9,999 installations of 3ds Max for the Rendering farm.

So the concept is that you have a 3ds Max model and want to render several shots or an animation. Go through your regular process in Max that you would normally do to render, but at the end use the Batch Rendering to load your renderings and animations. Then select the checkbox "Net render" button in the lower left and then the "render" button to send the images to be processed. The Manager and Monitor will take over from there. They will pass on the images to the Server nodes for processing

QTO and Revit Underlays

2011-11-09T08:48:00.026-05:00

Do you use QTO with Revit Models? You should be aware of a bug with QTO and Revit Views that use another Revit View as an Underlay. QTO will quantify any object in the current view including objects in the underlay. A very easy test is to create four walls on Level 1 that form a rectangle, 20'x30'. Create 4 walls on Level 2 that form a rectangle, 20'x15'. Place the Level 2 walls directly above the Level 1 walls and keep Level 1 as in underlay to Level 2. Export your Revit model to DWF and import into QTO. Do a model takeoff and look at the linear takeoff for each level.

You will see QTO has counted for Level 1: 4 Walls . Total linear takeoff - 100'.

You will see QTO has counted for
Level 2: 8 walls (4 on Level 1 and 4 on Level 2). Total linear takeoff of 170' instead of the correct 70.

The good news is the Total Linear Takeoff for the PROJECT is correct. It is NOT Level 1: 100' + Level 2: 170'. It calculates the project total for Level 1:100' + Level 2:70'=170'.

Mark Petrucci

Setting Up 3D Views For Levels

2011-11-08T11:40:00.000-05:00

When starting a new project in Revit, I typically create 3D views for each level in the project. To do this I use the View Cube to assist me in creating the views. I typically do not care for the View Cube for orbiting or adjusting my views. I usually use my wheel on my mouse with the shift key to orbit, but I have found the View Cube to be very helpful for this particular task.

To set up a 3D view for each level, you could manually achieve this by turning on the Section Box in the Properties of the view and use the grips to drag the Section Box to display just the desired level. This is very cumbersome and sometimes hard to get the grips to be where you want them to be.

An easier, quicker way to create a 3D view for each level is to use the Orient to View option in the View Cube right click menu. This can be done by opening a 3D view and hovering over the House icon on the View Cube, and right clicking to open the right-click menu.

In the right-click menu, select Orient to a View, Floor Plans, and then select the desired floor plan to orient to.

The view will automatically crop the view using the Section Box to match the View Range for the view that was selected. It will also rotate the view to view it from the Top direction. You can orbit the view any direction you want but the view is now cropped to match the floor plan's View Range.

I typically create a 3D view for each level in my project. These are very useful, especially once the building is totally closed in and it is hard to see inside of it.

Plant 3D size editing is a breeze

2011-11-08T10:50:00.001-05:00

In AutoCAD Plant 3D 2012, you can change the size of a valve just by going to its properties and making a simple change.

Select the valve, RMC on the valve and select Properties to see the size value.

In Properties, change the size by selecting the drop-down list and choose the new size.

Once the size is changed, close Properties and see the result. There is no need to add reducers to your pipeline. Reducers are automatically added to both sides of the 4" weldneck flanges.

Happy Routing!

Revit - Surface pattern

2011-11-08T10:06:00.001-05:00

A question came up recently about how to remove the surface pattern from a slab when viewing it from a plan view.

First off, find out what the material is on the slab that is being displayed. Select the slab, go to "Edit Type" in the Properties. Under Structure row, pick the Edit button. Find the top material. Lets say concrete for our example. Pick on it and select the "..." button. This will open up the Materials. The selected material should be pre-highlighted. Select it and go to the Surface Pattern area on the right. Change the material to "none". Select OK three times and you will be back to your view, which is now updated to not show the surface material.

Note: This will remove the surface pattern for all of the slabs with that same material. There are some other options to duplicate the slab type and material, if you want slab "A" to show surface material, and slab "B" not to show the surface material.

Editor's Note: You can also select and right click on the slab and graphically override the category or object in that particular view if you don't want the material to change globally.

The 12d Data Extension for AutoCAD® Civil 3D® 2012

2011-11-08T10:00:00.000-05:00

Move forward with no worries, DOT......

The 12d Data Extension for Civil 3D 2012 enables data from 12d® Model™ software by 12d Solutions Pty Ltd to be imported and used within AutoCAD Civil 3D 2012 software.
The extension provides support for 12d Model ASCII files from all known
versions of 12d Model software up to and including Version 9.0.

Supported 12d Model data types include:

Alignments andprofiles
Super strings
Drainage strings
TIN’s
Text strings

3ds Max Design - Project Folders

2011-11-07T15:49:00.001-05:00

Project folders in 3ds Max Design are a great helpful tool! By setting the project folder, this allows 3ds Max to search, or look, in the folder of that project directory. This works well for when other people are working on a project with you, or if you have to come back to a project after a few weeks. Setting the project to be active then re-paths the search folders in 3ds Max to look for presets, scenes, import/export and other project specific folders.

Found under the Application big "M", and then Manage, setting the folder is easy, either to an existing folder, or creating a new one.

Navisworks: Appearance Profiler

2011-11-07T15:48:00.003-05:00

My favorite feature of 2012 Navisworks Manage is the Appearance Profiler. It can be used in conjunction with Search Sets to color-code your coordination models. The nice thing is that the settings can be saved out and recalled as needed in the Navisworks NWF file which makes updates to the model much easier. Pre-planning, particularly in file naming conventions, will make this feature update even with the introduction of updated models from the CAD programs. In the figure below, I built search sets based on the file names. Then I assigned those search sets to colors and level of transparency. My architectural model is green and transparent, with electrical in red, ductwork in blue and steel in yellow. Last step, SAVE the profiles listed in the Appearance Profiler to a DAT file that can be imported to any NWF when needed.

The Volumes Dashboard Extension for AutoCAD® Civil 3D® 2012

2011-11-07T15:43:00.002-05:00

Playing in the Dirt.........

The Volumes Dashboard Extension for AutoCAD Civil 3D 2012 software provides a streamlined interface for design and construction professionals to calculate, report and visualize surface volumes within AutoCAD Civil 3D 2012 software.
Refining earthworks through iterative design is a common operation that is
performed throughout the design and construction process on infrastructure
projects. This extension can streamline and help optimize the current process
in AutoCAD Civil 3D 2012; it will also provide an easy to follow workflow for
common tasks, helping new Civil 3D users become productive, more quickly.

3ds Max Design - tips

2011-11-07T15:42:00.000-05:00

Here
are a couple of quick tips from a recent 3ds Max Design class
that I was teaching...

3d model rotate - hold down the Ctrl key and mouse wheel to spin the model.

Cloning - Move tool, hold down Shift. This will duplicate the object, but giving you the option of Copy, Instance or Reference. Instance vs. Reference... Instance you can change any of the object copied and it updates all of them. Reference, you need to change the original, to update the others.

Save Copy - This saves your scene and adds a number sequence to the end of the file name.

Mirrored Door Number Bug

2011-11-07T10:01:00.003-05:00

Door schedules in Revit are great. However, if you include room numbers with your doors, you should know about a bug. Door schedules can include data from a "To Room: Number" parameter and "From Room:Number" parameter. The image below shows a simple floor plan with 5 room objects and 4 doors. Looking at a floor plan view, all the doors swing From Corridor Room Number 100 and swing into their own unique room. However, you will notice on the door schedule that Door Number 4 has the associated room parameters reversed. Why? Doors numbered 1 through 3 were placed in the model using the door command. Door swings were flipped using either the space bar or by the using the flip arrows. Door number 4 was placed using the Mirror command. Apparently, not only did Revit mirror the door, it also reversed the From Room and To Room parameters.

To correct the room parameter information, users can open the door schedule view and update the room parameters by simply selecting the correct room value for the drop down list. I should also mention that if you try to flip any of the doors so they swing into the corridor, the same room parameters in the door schedule will not update as well. The work around is the same; go to the Door Schedule view and update the parameters.
Mark Petrucci

3ds Max Design - mental ray Proxies

2011-11-04T10:27:00.001-04:00

Need a stand-in for your objects? This can help save time for rendering and when working in a scene file. What is it? mentalray Proxies in 3ds Max. They are a placeholders that are only loaded into memory and are processed per bucket during rendering. Files that used to lock up or freeze should now render quickly!

Go to the Create Panel , select "mental ray" in the Primitives drop down. Pick the "mr Proxy" button and place a box in the scene. Go to "Modify" panel and pick the "none" button to select the source object in the scene. Then pick the "Write Object to File..." button to save the data of the object for rendering time. At this point everything is in place. Now you can copy, clone, or array the Proxy in your scene. You will see several boxes, but when you render they will all be nice rendered copies of the source object.

BIM, CAD, Revit and Commerical Interior Design

2011-11-04T09:49:00.008-04:00

Many argue that BIM requires all work be done in a BIM authoring tool, like Revit. BIM does not exclude the incorporation of legacy data that exists world wide. In fact, for BIM to evolve the AEC industry it has to accomodate decades of hand drawn and CAD produced documentation. Does this information have the ability to contain and share the same volume of information and capability that a Revit model does? Absolutely not, however, legacy data provides valuable historical and as-built records that are useful for informing the design team while they create and/or re-create all or part of a project in Revit.

I suggest that there is far more renovation, remodel and addition work and less new construction. There is far more built environment than under construction. BIM is well positioned for new design, construction and operations where as much of interior design works in previously occupied space. Most of that space was not designed using BIM in its modern context. It only makes sense that to use Revit for commerical interior design, a designer must consider leveraging existing electronic files as part of the design or to build on top of. Until BIM is fully adopted in the AEC industry and all existing space and architecture is recreated using BIM authoring tools, it is logical to use CAD files as part of a BIM workflow.

Most fees do not have the capacity to re-model an entire facility or space for a renovation project. When the technology advances to streamline the 3D laser scanning to Revit model workflow and reduce the cost, then designers will opt for this path. So, for the near future, leverage scans of hand drawn drawings or CAD files in your Revit project to leverage the best of both worlds and available legacy information.

Navisworks gets stuck in Select mode

2011-11-04T09:19:00.003-04:00

Several times this has happened to me, where Navisworks will get stuck in "selection mode" which prevents me from selecting any of the viewing functions from the Navigation bar. I recently was teaching a class, where several folks in the class had the same problem. I have tried several actions to clear the problem and have found the most reliable: right-click in the background and select SCENE. Seems to clear the problem everytime.

Duct and Pipe Systems in Revit MEP 2012

2011-11-03T11:56:00.000-04:00

One of the biggest changes in Revit MEP 2012 is the addition of Duct and Pipe System Families. Although it appears to be a small change, it actually creates a major improvement in how projects can be set up. Prior to 2012, MEP Engineers relied heavily on View Filters to control the graphics of different duct and pipe systems. For example, a View Filter would be created to distinguish the difference between Domestic Cold Water pipes and Domestic Hot Water pipes. Ducts and pipes were simply ducts and pipes, and not part of a system until they were connected to a connector. The connector contained all the information about the system.

In Revit MEP 2012, we have the ability to create duct and pipe systems before modeling and connecting to connectors with the addition of System Families. The new System Families can now be configured prior to the project start to indicate graphical differences in the systems. In addition to presetting up the System Families, as ducts and pipes are being modeled, the System is specified in the Properties palette before connecting to fixtures or equipment. This change will all but eliminate the need to rely on View Filters to control the graphics. System Families can now be configured in the Revit Templates so that all views will represent the correct graphics no matter if View Filters are used or not. If View Filters are still desired, they will override any graphical settings that are set in the System Family settings.

This new approach will also make it easier to switch if needed from one system to another. Although this is typically not the desired result, it is very useful when trying to switch from Sanitary piping to Vent piping. Prior to this release it was difficult to make this switch with in the same run of pipes.

Another plus to this added feature is that we can now create additional System types. In prior releases we were stuck with the out of the box system types. If we were trying to create a system for Gas, we had to use the 'Other' system. Now, with System Families, we can simply duplicate an existing System Family and name it anything we want. This allows us to have system names that actually match our systems.

I see this as a major improvement in how we create our systems. Now we are defining our systems as we model our pipes as opposed to first modeling everything and then having to go back and create our systems.

RMEP Parallel Pipe and Parallel Conduit Command Buttons

2011-11-03T09:30:00.008-04:00

I have had several clients mention that they could not find the command buttons for the functions: Parallel Pipe and Parallel Conduit. The easiest way I have found to get the buttons back is to learn the keyboard shortcuts for each command, where upon, once used the buttons themselves seem to magically reappear in the ribbon. The keyboard shortcuts are PE for Parallel Pipe and PO for Parallel Conduit.

The Hermit Crab Housing Crisis

2011-11-02T16:52:00.003-04:00

Often times, as the “least technical” (or at least “industry identified”) member of the Applied team, I’m intrigued by fairly off beat aspects of the BIM/Technology conversation….

Last Sunday afternoon I was listening to “Living on Earth.” This week’s show featured a segment called “The Hermit Crab Housing Crisis.” Seriously. But stick with me here. The interesting thing was as a response to a shortage of natural-material housing (i.e., shells) for hermit crabs, aficionados are turning to more high tech solutions. In this case the CEO of a 3D-printer manufacturer began exploring using his firm’s printers to create housing for crabs! I encourage you to give the show a listen—Click here to read a transcript of “The Hermit Crab Housing Crisis” and links to other links to sites fascinating uses for 3D printers. Take a minute to consider that amazing ways that familiar technologies can be turned on its head to provide an answer to a perplexing problem.

Network license file - parser

2011-11-02T14:31:00.000-04:00

Did you know there is a nice way to read your license file?

Autodesk License Parser - shows your license file in an easy to read report. This report will contain the full name of the licensed product, the serial number along with the number of seats. It will also show you the date the serial number was issued.

Revit? Why, when I have AutoCAD?

2011-11-02T14:30:00.004-04:00

I loved drafting as a kid. Give me my T-square, triangle, and french curve. Drawing a perspective view was SO COOL!

I learned AutoCAD in 1987 and it was AutoCAD v2.6; what a cool program! I then used AutoCAD R9 when I graduated; loved it! Kept moving forward with AutoCAD R14; did everything I needed it to do. I customized AutoCAD like crazy. Why because I could and my users loved it. In 2000 I saw a program called Revit. It did 3D and was cool. Tried it on a project and it just didn't work for us. Revit could never replace my AutoCAD and the way I customized it for my users. I refused to consider Revit because AutoCAD did EVERYTHING I needed it to do. Then came AutoCAD Architectural Desktop and then AutoCAD Architecture; cumbersome but wow it had some nice features; I still don't need Revit, I now had ACA. Then I was forced to use Revit. Really? Are you kidding? AutoCAD does EVERYTHING I need it to do! So I went to Revit Architecture training.

Revit Training Day 1: I was convinced Revit is a toy and I can still work faster in AutoCAD.

Revit Training Day 2: hmmm.... This program seems to have it's advantage. My elevations, sections, and schedules are partially done. How'd that happen? Wait my schedules are done? My schedules are done! Hey, wait, what? MY SCHEDULES ARE DONE! Oh, no. I have to make a design change. Now what? Make the change and my plans, elevations, sections, and schedules are updated. I can't do that in AutoCAD! Well I can if I setup ACA Project Navigator with my constructs and elements and train my users what they are. What is a construct? Isn't it obvious? Nope. What is a Revit wall, a door, a window? I know what those are.

Revit Training Day 3: I setup my sheets. Drag my plans, elevations, sections, details on to sheets and all my section tags, elevations tags, callout tags are filled in for me! Wait, that means less time setting up CDs and more time spent designing! Should I continue to use AutoCAD or use Revit?

Should I ride my bike to work or drive my car? I think I'll drive my car.

Mark Petrucci

Cutting Walls into Walls

2011-11-02T12:26:00.000-04:00

I was previously asked how to create a wall that not only changed materials but also changed thicknesses. As with most things in Revit, there are multiple ways to do this. You could create a compound wall type that had multiple material types, but that would be restrictive in that it would be continuous through out the entire length of the wall. You could create a Stacked Wall, but again, you would only see the material and thickness change at the point where it was assigned in the properties of the Stacked Wall. You could simply use the Paint tool to change the material, but this would not change the thickness and would not show on sections correctly.

My solution is to draw a wall within a wall and use the Cut tool to cut one out of the other. This allows the user to create any type of wall desired at any thickness and place it in any location in as many places as they need. To accomplish this, you draw the main wall first. Then in plan view, draw the secondary wall right on top of the main wall. You will get a warning that Highlighted Walls Overlap, which is is exactly what you want it to do for now.

Next go to the Modify tab, and use the Cut tool and select the main wall and then the secondary wall.

This will cut the secondary wall out of the main wall.

To modify the elevations of the secondary wall, either adjust the Base Offset and Top Constraint or go to an Elevation View and simply use the grips to pull the wall top or bottom up or down. The main wall will fill in when the secondary wall is modified.

This approach will allow users to have two completely different wall types within each other that they can control separately.

Hello There!

2011-10-24T11:25:00.000-04:00

Welcome to everyone!

This is the first, in what we hope to be many, interesting posts on our new blog. We here at Applied Software come across lots of tips and tricks, new applications, anecdotes that need to be told, partner news and a host of other cool things that we need to be able to share with everyone. Along with those topics, we feel that you, our clients, friends, partners, and soon-to-be clients, would benefit from getting to know us and each other a bit better.

Everybody here, both on our technical and sales teams, will be contributing to this blog by writing articles or supplying videos. Our hope is reach a larger community, open everyone up to sharing and connecting with us and our partners, and add value to conversations that you may (or may not) already be having.

So, starting this November, be sure to check back as our blog grows and shoot us some suggestions on topics that interest you, or let us know how we're doing.

Regards,
The Applied Software Blog Team

PS.
Also in the works are some new Services web-pages that will let you know a bit more about our technical team, some of the things that they are working on, and what (beyond training) we are able to do for you as a strong business partner. We'll let you know when they're ready!