Day 16

Today in class, Shane Gray and Elizabeth Veatch talked about linking files into a Revit project.  We also got a chance to learn about massing from Craig. 

Linking Files

-linking is the process of importing a revit project into another called the host file

-control visibility through a host’s visibility graphics – the Revit Links button on the top of the page allows you to control the visibility graphics for each individual link – click on By Host View of the Linked document to change how it is seen

-in order to change anything in the linked files, you must close the host view, make the change in the original document and reload the link into the host project – this can be done by going into file, manage links and clicking the reload button

-when making schedules ensure the option “include elements in linked files” is checked

Massing

-two different ways to make masses

creating a mass – created using the solid and void forms in order to create custom 3d objects

placing a mass – utilizes pre-defined shapes in order to create massing forms, good for use in conceptual work

-the wall by face, floor by face, curtain system by face, and roof by space allow you to select a massing and associate it with building properties…for example making a mass become a wall, you would click on the wall by face and then select the type of wall you want the mass to be and define it-helpful tool when transforming conceptual into a defined form

-creating a mass-utilizes different sorts of tools in order to manipulate 3d geometry

solid extrusion-takes a face and extrudes it

solid blend-draw the top and bottom, or side to side profiles and it creates a custom form between the two profiles-used for geometric forms

solid revolve-creates a mass by taking a profile and rotating it to define its path

solid sweep-like the solid blend, used for organic forms, where a profile is connected through a defined path

solid swept blend-like the solid sweep, except there are two profiles in which need to be defined as well as their extrusion path

 

 

 

Day 14

Today, Adam Wallen taught us the fundamentals behind Families, in particular in door families.

Fundamentals of parametric families

Create reference planes to constrain family elements

For door and window families, make sure the opening cut is large enough to encase your family (to get to opening cut go to the edge of the family and press tab until you get it)

Add parameters to dimensions to make family types

When family utilizes parameters effectively, the family can be scheduled

WORD OF WISDOM FROM PAT CALLAHAN

Before beginning a family think about what you want to accomplish when building the family.  This may require you to constrain proportions of different elements in the family or create parameters for those elements.  Think about how one element needs to move with its hosting element and how you can accomplish that.

Day 12

revit bootcampers - we are really really good looking

Today in class, Mike Padavic and Michael Herdegen taught the bootcampers about sloped roofing, flooring, and slabs and furthered our knowledge about how to create curtain walls in Revit.

Sloped Roofs, Floors, and Slabs

WHY? To follow site work, control drainage

HOW? Slope structure or taper insulation

The method to sloping floors, roofs, and slabs is the same, so you can apply the steps below to any of these. 

1. Create the element as you normally would
2. In a floorplan view, look to the options bar to find this toolbar. This allows you to split the surface you have created and add reference points in order to create the differences in elevations  
3. In order to get your desired effect, you will have to play with some of the options above, but in order to give an example, we will create a roof which is sloped 
4. The roof is already made, so the next step is to add valleys in order the split the surface up.  This can be done by selecting the button.  Draw a line in the areas you want to add valleys or ridges
6. 5. Once this is done, you can change the elevations of the ridges/valleys by using the
7. button and changing the elevation (option give to you on the design options toolbar)

6.  You can also have the slope come to one point by using the button. This will allow you to define the elevation of one point on the roof and have the rest of the enclosed portion follow

 

 

 

effect of defining ridge              effect of defining point elevation                                 elevation

This process is the same for floors, slabs and roofs, so play around with the options to get the desired effect.  If you need a path to follow contour marks, however, you may also define that path’s slope in the site menu.

Curtain Walls

guidelines for creating curtain walls

• to create custom profiles for mullions, create a new family of mullion and load into the project (you can also insert details components into the projects this way)
• to put in a curtain wall door, select the panel in which you want to place the door, and select the door out of the wall menu (door not found in doors tab, but found where the curtain wall and curtain panels are)
• to create a curved curtain wall, draw the curtain wall with the curve tool and place mullions (if you do not place mullions, the curtain wall will appear straight…mullions give the curtain wall its curved shape)
• you can select different pains of glass and turn them into walls or panels in order to vary the curtain wall’s appearance
• in order to create a curved curtain panel, create a new panel family and draw out the curve with the solid extrusion tool then load the new panel into the project…select the panels which you want to be curved and change their properties from the curtain panel to the curved panel in the type menu

Day 13

Today, Pat Callahan taught us how to work incorporate topography into a site and about how important collaboration between consultants and architects is and how Revit can assist in the flow of information. 

Site Topography

Background: The relationship between a building and the ground line is extremely important, as it establishes how a building sits in an environment, how the foundation is seen, how a “balanced site” is achieved, and how building is successfully incorporated into an environment.  The technology we have today to map contours allows the architects to get a 3d image of the site, through a GPS system which plots points throughout the site translated into an ASI file.  An ASI file can be brought into Revit, and because the plotted points have an x, y, and z coordinates, we are able to view a 3D model to which we can better incorporate a building into.  This new technology adds a better understanding of the site in much less time than in previous years. 

How to use an ASI file to create site topography:

• To import an ASI file, go to import, CAD formats, and choose your file.
• To create a toposurface from scratch, go to the design bar, click toposurface and then click point. Set different elevation points according to the site surface, and click finish when you are done.
• In order to edit the topography, you have a number of tools at your hands in order to get the look you want to achieve.
• Visibility graphics: in the visibility graphics dialogue, you can edit boundary points, interior points, primary and secondary contours, and triangulation edges in order to change the way you view element of the topography.
• Site Settings Box (under settings menu): you can edit property data, with different property lines, angular values, or bearing values. Also able to edit section graphics of the site.

• Splitting Toposurfaces: in the design toolbar, you are able to edit different surfaces within a toposurface. In the site shown above, you would split the site boundaries from the parking lot boundaries, island properties, and building pad.  This allows you to dissociate the areas from the original toposurface and edit them individually.
• Merging Toposurfaces: in the design toolbar, you are also able to merge regions if they have common edges or overlap in any way.

Site Tools

Subregion: subregions are isolated regions sketched on a toposurface which can be associated with different materials  and elevations.  This can be put in by sketching it on the toposurface.

Graded Regions: method to create elements like parking lots, where you extract an area from the toposurface and change its elevations and properties.  When you create a region, the cut region is shown is translucent graphics, and you will be able to view the cut and fill volumes in order to modify the surrounding landscape.

Property Lines: the legal boundary lines of a property which are created with fixed distances, angles, and directions in the site settings box.

Pad: vertical cuts in a toposurface that represent excavations and slabs.

Site Components: In order to complete the site you are able to insert site components like trees, shrubs, parking spaces, parking islands, utility poles, vehicles, etc.

 

Importance of Collaboration

Revit is the new technology creating a way for different professions to have an entirely new way of communicating with each other: in 3 dimensions.  There are three Revit programs: Revit Architecture, Revit Structures (which is also built into Revit Architecture), and Revit MEP (which is a separate program used for mechanical, electrical, and plumbing).  The collaboration of these three programs along with outside analysis programs like Innovaya, IES, Navis Works, Green Building Studio, etc..  Elements in Revit like family components, schedules, details, and area plans enable architects to communicate better with consultants and clients, which inevitably will result in more efficient buildings.

Day 11

Today in class, Angie taught us bootcampers about Exporting Files and Energy Analysis Modeling. 

Importing/Exporting Files

In the file menu, under export, there are a number of options in which you can export a Revit model into a format to which a third party can work with. 

CAD Formats – exporting into a format that AutoCAD products can read

Walkthrough – this menu gives you the ability to export a walkthrough into a video format

Animated Solar Study – this is just like a walkthrough with emphasis on path of light

Image – exports view into an image format

gbXML – exports the file into a format that an energy analysis program can read

Room/Area Report – provides a report of the area and volume of rooms – helpful for energy analysis models

3ds Max (FBX) – this setting exports the BIM model in 3d form to a format 3d studio max can read.  It imports materials and components, but you need to place your own lights

 

The gbXML format is used for energy analysis programs like Autodesk’s Green Building Studio and IES.  This is much like rendering, in that you want to limit what you are rendering to make the process as uncomplicated as possible. For this format, you may only need to export walls, windows/doors, flooring, roof, and room tags.  For this to work, you need to go to make sure area/volume computations is checked under the settings area/volume box.  You also need to extend the room boundary up to the roof as shown below.  Under project information in the setting tab, you need to go into Energy data and input the building type and postal code so that the energy program can process the building.  

 

Once in the energy analysis programs, you need to input some of the need data, like construction method, type of curtain walls, etc. in order to obtain the correct information about the building.

Day 10

Today in class, Adam Wallen taught the bootcampers about working with groups and linking models. 

Groups

To group components together, highlight the ones you wish to group and press group on the edit bar.  

That will bring you to a model group bar in which you can edit the groups any way you would like.

For Material Take-off schedules, go to view--->new--->material takeoff and that will enable you to choose the type of material schedule you would like to create.  From there use the fields in order to break down which categories you would like to include in the schedule.  Once you create the schedule, you will need to populate it with the needed information in order to finish it.  If you go to element properties, it will give you the option to get to the window below in order to edit the schedule.  Besides adding fields, you can also add parameters about any components of the list as well as create a series of filters and formats in order to help organize the schedule better. 

Importing/Exporting CAD formats

In order to import a CAD file, go to file--->import--->CAD formats.  Here you will be able to decide how you would like to view the imported CAD file.

To Export into Cad go to file --->export--->cad formats.

Manipulating CAD Images

In order to manipulate the cad file, go to the options bar at the top and you will be able to adjust whatever you would like. DO NOT EXPLODE A CAD FILE. The query command allows you to edit the image as you need to by allowing you to delete or hide some elements.

Linking Files

In order to Link files to one another, as in the case of linking structural or electrical files to the BIM model, go to file ---> import/link Revit.

Managing Views

In order to manage your views of linked files, go to visibility graphics and go to the Revit links.  Here you will be able to view and update Revit Links that you have in your file. 

Day 9

In today’s lesson, we learned about the visibility graphics in Revit from the head honcho of Revit, Craig Meadows.  We also got a chance to work with legends and schedules.  There are a number of ways in which you can control the view settings in Revit: through the view toolbar on the bottom of the page, through view properties, or through visibility graphics.

This toolbar on the bottom off the page contains a lot of the same things that view properties does in a convenient toolbar.  It contains the scale, level of detail button (course, medium, or fine), display graphics (wireframe, hidden line, shading, or shading with edges), shadows button (which can slow your computer down if turned on all the time-use on a need basis), crop regions, temporary Hide, and a reveal hidden objects bar.  Before getting into a project, a good method is to get used to these settings and decide personal preferences regarding viewing your project.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The view properties toolbar allows you to change some of the same types of things but also offers you options on how to use an underlay, extents, phasing, and much more. To get to this menu either right click on the view or type vp.  An underlay is an option you can choose if you wish to see a floor plan on another one, like if you are on the bottom floor and want to see a grayed out version of the top. In extents, you can manage the view range, or the ability to change the extents of a certain view.  The scope box is a way to take a 3D view and make only show portions of the drawing.  You do this by positioning the box so that the element you want to see are in the box and the ones you don't want to see are not.  This works great for 3D floor plans or axonometric sections.

The visibility graphics is a way to control what and how you see elements in the view.  The quick way to get to this menu bar is to type vg.  The checkmarks along the left side of names of elements controls whether or not elements are to be shown in the view.  In the model categories bar, you can control how model elements are shown.  In the annotation categories, you control how annotation and dimensions are viewed.  In imported categories tab, you can filter which imported files, like dwgs, are shown.  In filters, you can create filters which manage which types of elements can be shown.  And the worksets bar allows you to turn on and off worksets.

 

Legends are views which can be put into multiple sheets, unlike other views.  In general they are ways to put notes in a consolidated location.  You create a legend by going into view and create new, legend.  When adding in legend components, they are not really components, but rather pictures of the component info.  Legend tags are created by placing a symbol into the legend.  In order to change the legend in any way, you must go to the family editor.

Area schedules are much like room schedules.  They can be very important in the integration of program requirements, configuration of cost of building based on cost per square inch, or in indication of spacial requirements. 

Material takeoff schedules pulls information from the project about the types of materials being used and is very helpful in computing material costs, quantities, and other helpful information. 

Schedules allow a user to create a database of information drawn from the model in order to input it into third party programs or in order to compute necessary information about the project, which reduces amount of computing time. 

Day 7

In today’s lesson, we learned how to work with and modify families. There are three types of families:

systems families

These families are preloaded into Revit and cannot be created or loaded into Revit.  These include walls, roofs, floors, levels, and dimensions.  You can create different types of these families but the system itself cannot be recreated or changed. 

component families

Component families are template based families loaded into projects which are comprised of different configurations of model components, annotations, symbols, and sizes.  These can be created or loaded into Revit.  There are many standard family templates that can be edited to change components sizes and geometries.  In order to make the component a standard component, you must save it as an external RFA file and save it to your standard template.

Parametric

in-place families

In-Place families are created and modified families which are saved to a project.  These are then used within the project they are created and do not exist beyond it.  If you do not believe that you will need to use the component beyond the project, then in-place components would be the best thing to use.

Creating Component Families

Parametric values define family types.  An instance parameter controls the single account of a family type i.e. one door. When you modify an instance parameter, you change one element.  A type parameter controls all instances of a single family type. When you modify a type parameter, you change the parameter for every instance in the family type.

Component Family--->Type Parameter--->Instance Perimeter

Parameter Characteristics – when you create a parameter, you specify a discipline, type, group, and whether it is a type parameter or an instance parameter.

Family Editor 

The family editor is the tool in which you can create component families. To open the family editor, you must either choose a template in which to work off of or select a family and press edit family on the options bar.

The family types dialogue box found within the family editor helps define a family type by creating geometry of the type, by defining type parameters, and by flexing the family type. To define the type parameters, you can associate dimensions with a certain parameter or you can define parameters based off of formulas in the types dialogue.  In order to correctly use reference planes, you should draw the planes and associate a certain property, like length, width, or depth with them.  You can then constrain or align the element with the reference planes.

Family Types Toolbar

Parametric formulas can be created in family types dialogue box and calculate value of a numerical parameter.  The formula is a parameter calculated through the use of other parameters, like Depth = Width/2.  These formulas can utilize addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and some trigonometric functions.  These formulas are case sensitive, however, so be aware of that.  You can also use conditional formulas which establishes relationships betweens certain conditions like:

if (<condition><result if true>, <result if false>)

Formulas can utilize <,>,=, and and/or/not statements.

 

Step by Step Guide to Creating Component Families Define the category of the family by selecting a template, which defines the way the family can be used  (ex. select a door template to create a door family) Create reference planes and add dimensions between.  You can use references planes in order to set height, width, depth, left/right or front/back distances, and sizes of subcomponents.  Create parameters in order to define values for elements in family, such as widths, lengths, heights, and other parameters.  These are assigned values of elements which are used in order to define the element as well as create new types within the family, Assign labels to dimensions to associate them with parameters. Flex the family and add the 2D AND 3D geometry (flexing the family is the method of changing the parameters in order to ensure that element components are defined correctly). Assign geometry to subcategories, like door hardware on a door, and assign parameters the elements can associate with.  Some parameters can include materials, Yes/No circumstances, and dimensional parameters.  These parameters will link the subcategory to the component family. Associate symbolic and model lines with a subcategory which can be done using the type selector list or using element properties. Define types in families, which are based upon size, materials, or subcategories. Save the family and load it into a project. Verify the family if working correctly in each of the views.

Creating Nested Families

A nested family is a component family that is loaded into another component family.  The main family is the component family in which hosted the nested elements.  When a nested family is loaded into the main family, its properties like its definitions, materials, hatch patterns, subcategories, and parameters become available in the family. An example of a use of nested families would be if you have a door main family and want to add things like door hardware, trim, etc. to create an entirely new component family. 

In order to link nested families you must add parameters in the main family in the family editor bar.  You can do this by aligning and constraining the nested components to the main family and linking their parameters together.  You can nest different types of families in to the main family in order to create different types of the family. For example, you can add in many different door families into a cabinet family to create different component types.  To control the visibility of the component, you must create a parameter in order to control the visibility of the element.

GUIDELINES TO CREATING NESTED FAMILIES

• decide the host family into which you are going to load the nested families or create a new family from a template
• test a nested family in order to make sure it behaves correctly (to do this mess around with the dimensions to see if its linked with the main family)

Revit Rendering

Rendering

the how to guide

Rules of Thumb Limit what you are showing in the rendering window…the more elements turned on the longer the rendering time Make sure materials are applied to all surfaces Use the region option to test materials, lightings, and exposures to reduce rendering time Use draft setting to test renderings to save time Most printers cannot print 600 dpi, so 300 is plenty Close-ups require higher settings Add building components to enhance renderings Turn off lights that you are not using - speeds up rendering time dramatically

Rendering Dialogue

Steps to Rendering

First -  Set up camera views, go to the view toolbar in the design tab and go to camera, place accordingly.

Second – Extend camera extents (red triangle) to the limit of what you want to view in the rendering.

Third – Ensure all building elements have an assigned material.  In order to change material, go into element properties and edit the material used.  There is a large library of materials available in Revit to create a more realistic image.

Fourth – Set up lighting in the project.  In the lighting dialogue, there are a number of options to choose to light your rendering.   Under scheme, you can choose which type of lights you want for exterior and interior renderings, whether it is natural lighting, artificial lighting, or a combination of both.  If you are choosing to use exterior lighting, under the sun option, you can choose the position of the sun.  You can choose one of the presets (summer solstice, winter equinox, sun upper left  upper right etc.), or you can choose a specific latitude and longitude and point of time in the edit/new category to show the suns effect on a specific location at a specific time.  If you want to utilize interior lighting, you must first place lighting components into the building model.  As a method of organization, it is good to group lights according to usage.  To reduce rendering time, only turn on the lights that you intend to use, so it is good to group the lights based off of that principle.  All lighting components can be edited in order to change its properties, like color, ambiance, intensity, etc.  A good method to test out the lighting condition is through the utilization of the draft setting.  Adjusting the exposure of the rendering can also influence the lighting effects upon the building model.   It takes a lot of messing around with the settings in order to perfect this.

Fifth – Once lighting and materiality have been configured, it is time to set up your rendering settings.  Some of the options to play around with are: Quality setting, Resolution, and Background

* the size of the crop box in a rendering effects the time of the rendering.  In most cases, you can lower the size of the box and up the dpi in order to make rendering output faster.  To change this, click on the camera box and under the options bar at top, click on image.  This will open a menu and you can choose to scale down the image box.

• Quality Setting – this setting depends on the needed quality of the image.  Draft setting is a helpful setting which allows you to see the materiality and lighting of the image without incurring a long draft time.  * Do this before rendering at a higher setting for safety purposes.  In most cases, when doing exterior renderings that are from afar, medium quality is acceptable.  When doing close-ups, a high setting should be used as a greater amount of detail will be shown.  When you need to blow up a rendering dramatically, presentation quality can be used, but is excessive.  * Remember the higher the quality the longer the rendering time.
• Resolution – this depends on the method of presentation, either screen or printer.  When using printer settings, you can choose the dpi output level (dpi is dots per inch, and determines the amount of detail shown).  Most printers cannot print better than 600 dpi, so unless you are blowing an image up dramatically, 300 or less is fine.  300 is even excessive at times, 150 might be adequate for most renderings.  Again, the higher the dpi the longer the rendering time.
• Background Image – in general the background image in Revit is bad, if possible Photoshop a background in.  But if not, choose setting under background in which to render a background.  This also ups the rendering time, and it might be quicker to use Photoshop.  

NOW IT’S TIME TO RENDER

Sixth – once you have your rendered image, click the adjust exposure setting in order to tweak the image in order to get your desired image.  Once you exit the rendering dialogue, the image cannot be changed, so make sure you adjust theses settings accordingly.  Once you have the desired image, save the image to project and export it into whatever format you would like.

Congrats…you just learned how to render

Some Examples of Finished Renderings

Close – Up Exterior Renderings

require a high setting and exterior lighting

 

Exterior Renderings with Component Families

require exterior lighting, medium quality setting, and component families

Rendering with Section Cut

require manipulation of the section box

Exterior Rendering with no Component Families

Exterior Rendering with Post Production

(post production blog to follow)

Interior Rendering

requires exterior and interior lighting

 

Night Rendering

an exterior rendering with interior lights only shown

 

Day 6

In today’s class, drill instructor Angie Levinsky taught the bootcampers how to create and modify drawing sheets and title blocks. She also went over how to create renderings and walkthrough, which will be overviewed on the next blog in detail.

The drawing views are found in the project browser and control which view you are working with. Drawing sheets are project views which you place different drawing views into, such as floor plans, elevations, sections, 3D views, schedules, and legends.

It is very important to set up a consistent naming convention for drawing sheets as an organizational model, thus the reason for the GCNA standardized template.

In order to manipulate any of the elements once placed into the drawing sheet, right click the drawing view and select activate view. Once activated, you will be able to manipulate any of the elements shown in the view.

The drawings views are numbered in the drawing sheet based upon the order in which they are placed and can be edited under element properties.

Once you have a view selected, you can go into element properties and advanced model graphics in order to set up solar studies to demonstrate the effect of the sun upon a structure at different points in time on a specific location.

Titleblocks are created in drawing sheets and can be edited by clicking the edit family button on the options bar. To edit the project information, go to settings at the top off the page and edit project information. When updating project information, all of the sheets’ project information will change accordingly. The energy analysis tab in this box is information for transferring the building model into energy analysis programs like IES and Green Buildings Studio in order to analyze the energy consumption of a building.

Day 3

Important Tips of the Day temporary dimensions are accurate permanent dimensions round, and thus must be checked in most cases allow dimensional tolerance of about 1/8” make starting point for dimensioning consistent through project tabs cycles through different elements do not over-constrain, can cause problems in project good idea to pin gridlines or imported cad files utilize quick select tool (resembles funnel in option bar) to cycle through highlighted selections space bar rotates objects 90 degrees

Today, Drill Instructors Chris Sharkey and Cory Boaz drilled us in the arts of working with dimensions and constraints and adding architectural elements such as floors, ceilings, and roofs. 

Dimensions and Constraints

Dimensions

• Temporary dimensions are made when placing an item, such as a wall, and can be changed when changing the position or size of element
  • these dimensions are exact – no rounding
  • will be blue and editable
• Permanent dimensions are created with the ruler function found in the tools toolbar at the top of the screen or by using the dimension function in the design toolbar
  • these dimensions utilize rounding – are not exact
  • will be black and un-editable
  • must check dimensions to confirm accuracy
  • to add text to permanent dimension, click the dimension and a toolbar will pop up
  • edit witness lines changes how object is measured
  • to move dimension text click and move blue dot under measurement
  • clicking the EQ button on a dimensional line will make elements being dimensioned equivalent

•     before

 

          after

 

 

• to dimension an entire wall including windows and doors, select in the options toolbar the entire wall option instead of individual options, click options and activate openings to do one quick dimension of the entire wall and all openings

Constraints

• Lock button located on dimensional line will lock in position of element
• Align tool also caused elements to be constrained
• Can also pin an object
  • good to use when utilizing grid lines and AutoCAD underlays
• Be wary of over-constraining elements in project, because it slows processing time and can change elements of project unintentionally

Ceilings

• Ceilings functions can be found in the design toolbar
• ceilings are hosts of components like vents and lighting, so as the ceiling is moved, so are the components

Roofs

• Roof by footprint
  • to create a flat roof, draw shape of roof, either by selecting the walls to which it will be placed or by sketching it with define slope unchecked
    • can change type of roof created by roof properties
    • level in which the roof is created is the level in which it will be housed in
  • to create a roof with a pitch, select the wall extents once again but with the define slope checked
    • not all walls will need to define slope... the type of roof needed will indicate which walls need to define slope
    • attaching walls to the roof might help create wanted aesthetic

 

 

 

 

 

Above: every wall defines a slope

Below: Only the north and south walls define slope

 

 

 

 

 

• to create an extruded roof, must place a reference plane in plan view and then draw shape of roof in an elevation or section view
  • only need to define uppermost part of roof as selection of roof material will define its thickness
  • in element properties, you can find different forms of rafter cuts in order to better define the roof
  • to connect different roofs together, utilize the join/unjoin roof tool found in tools toolbar 
  • the align tool might be beneficial as a method of aligning different sections of roofs