October 26, 2012

Special Characters in Revit Schedules


Is this a standard Revit schedule?


Revit does not allow for graphics to be included in a schedule.  This has been on the wish list but has not been included as of yet.  Revit does allow for special characters to be used.  Special characters can be used as long as the character is of the same font style as the font defined in the body font style of the schedule.  One example of the use of special characters would be to create a ‘dot matrix’ type of schedule where you want to show a special character as the dot.  

Learn how to create this type of schedule plus many other scheduling tips in my AU session.  

AB1712 - Schedules: Beyond the Basics
Wednesday 8:00-9:30

See you in Vegas!

October 23, 2012

Revit Sheet List - Linked Files

Client asked this question today. Can I link a file and see the sheets in the link file? The answer is no. But wait there's more.

A nice feature out of the box with Revit is the ability to create a Sheet List. What is a sheet list? A sheet list is a schedule of sheets in a project. It is also known as a drawing index or a sheet index.

Did you know you can include in your current file’s sheet list a list of sheets in any linked files? For example, while in your architectural model, you can include sheets from your linked structural model.

While you cannot see linked sheets, you can include them in your sheet list. Go to View Tab -> Create Panel -> Schedules button -> Sheet List. Make sure to place a check in the “Include elements in the linked file” check box. That’s it!

October 17, 2012

Revit Stair By Component (and Sketch too?)

Have you tried Revit 2013 Stair by Component yet? If you haven’t, you don’t know what you are missing! So you can either model stairs by component or you can model stairs by sketch. Right? Actually, you can do both with the same stair! If you need to model stairs, start with Revit 2013 new Stair by Component. But what if you need a custom landing? Easy, let Revit create the landing and then modify it. Select the landing and go to the ribbon. Select Convert tool in the “Create Stair” tab and “Tools” panel. A message will notify you converting the landing to sketch-based is irreversible. No worries, select the Close button and keep moving forward. Next, select the “Edit Sketch” tool in the ribbon and you can modify the landing boundary. Select the green check mark to finish edit mode for the landing. Select the green check mark again to finish creating the stair. There are many other reasons for using Stairs by Components.  This is just one small tip.


September 28, 2012

Revit LT is not AutoCAD LT

Those of us who remember when AutoCAD LT was first released remember our initial reaction. It was cheap and it did almost everything AutoCAD did. Right? Well, we soon discovered that AutoCAD LT was lacking more than we wanted. It was still a great product but power users were missing the power of AutoCAD.
Revit LT on the other hand is a very powerful version of Revit. Yes it does have limitations but it's limitation do not hamper small companies. The biggest difference with Revit LT is that it does not allow you to do worksharing; that means multiple people can not work on one project at the same time. If you are a small firm and designers do not need work sharing, then Revit LT will do everything you need Revit to do.
If you have not made the switch to Revit and you are a small firm, you should consider Revit LT. Speak with a Sales Account Manager and Senior Application Specialist to see if Revit LT is for you.  Check out this link, http://usa.autodesk.com/revitlt/.

September 24, 2012

Navisworks 2013 Update 2 is now available.

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/ps/dl/item?siteID=123112&id=20458011&linkID=10382102

The Navisworks 2013 Update 2 readme cites several buggy features being fixed, primarily around crashing issues.  Alas though, still no fix for the READER portion of RMEP files where it brings in the pipe fittings as single-line.

I discovered something great!  SP2 must of fixed one major issue with the Clash Detective.  Now, when you write the Report = Viewpoints, the Viewpoints created 'remember' how you viewed it in the Results Tab, what is on, what is off, Dim settings, etc...wonderful.

Important HotFix to preserve Markups on the Results Viewpoints:
http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/ps/dl/item?id=20626807&siteID=123112&linkID=10382102

August 27, 2012

Autodesk 360 Mobile

Autodesk introduced last week a mobile version of their popular Autodesk 360 website and tools.
 
Autodesk® 360 Mobile brings the convenience of Autodesk® 360 to your iOS devices.

Design Review Mobile has gotten a makeover, featuring additional functionality and a new name, Autodesk 360 Mobile.

Autodesk 360 Mobile helps you expedite the design process by viewing and collaborating on files in the field, directly on your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch. View and annotate drawings on the spot, reduce the need to carry around over-sized paper drawings, and enjoy an all-digital review workflow.

•Open and view files stored in your Autodesk 360 account
- 2D and 3D DWG™ and DWF™ files
- Revit® and Navisworks® files
•Use multi-touch to zoom, pan, and rotate drawings
•View meta data and other details about elements within your drawing
•Find tools that help you communicate changes with your collaborators

 
available via Apple or Droid
 
Autodesk 360 Mobile