Revit Road Map

I did not expect to see the first ever public road map of where Revit is going to be published on the Autodesk Community porthole. They say it better than I can summarize so go check it out and see if they plan to give want you want.

Find the road map here....

Revit Road Map

Open to Favorites

Little things sure can make a big difference. 

If I have a job I will be returning to. I add a shortcut to it in my Windows Favorites. Then I rename the shortcut to include the project name and number. This is nice because when I use the Open command in Revit can navigate to Favorites then find my project.

Taking that one step farther, go to Options in the File Locations tab, change the Default path for user files: to your favorites folder. Now every time to click Open in Revit, it will take you directly to where your project shortcuts are.

Top 20 Revit Tips, Tricks, and Handy Tools

Here are some of my favorite Revit Tips and Tricks.

1)  Previous Selection Set
Ctrl + the left arrow key on your keyboard will re-select the previous selection set.

2)  Filter Selection Sets

Use the Filter tool   to refine selection sets to just the item needed. Combine this with Select all Instances.

3)  Drag to Copy

Hold down the Ctrl key and drag a component to make a copy of it.

4)  Key it In

Tired of the Project Browser and the Properties palettes disappearing? Get them back fast with a couple of custom key-ins.

If custom key-ins made you faster in AutoCAD, consider using the same ones in Revit.  Here are some classic AutoCAD commands and the Revit commands that go with them.
(Break)                        Split Element
(Copy)                         Copy
(Erase)                        Delete
(Fillet)                          Trim/Extend
(Hatch)                        Filled Region
(Insert)                        Link Revit
(Line)                           Detail Line
(Mirror)                        Mirror
(Offset)                        Offset
(Quick Save)                Synchronize
(Trim)                          Trim/Extend
Start by using the keyboard short cut for the keyboard shortcut editor ‘KS’.  

5)  Temporary View Settings

Sometimes you just need to clean up a view to work in it. Enabling temporary view properties allows users aimlessly hack away at visibility graphics with no regrets, because when done, the view properties will return back to standard automatically.

6)  QAT is Whack

It’s there; you might as well use it. Right click on the ribbon to add your most used tools to the QAT. Digging through the ribbon is for losers.

7)  Control the Project Browser

Expand the Project Browser. This is a Windows feature that works in any Explorer-type listing. The Ctrl + asterisk will expand all folders and Ctrl+ - (dash) will collapse them. Be sure to use the keys on the number pad.

8)  Tiny Temporary Dimensions?

Make temporary dimensions size appropriate for mature eyes by selecting Application Menu, then Options, and look in the Graphics tab.

9)  Orient to View

Want to create a 3D view for a specific floor? Right click on view cube, then orient to view, floor plans, and then click on the callout you want to show in your 3D view.

10) Create Identical Dependent Views

If you have dependent views set up for one discipline use the Apply Dependent View tool on the right click menu to apply the same dependent views with the same cropping to other required views for the different disciplines.

11) Create an Image of a View

To create an image of a view, right click on it in the Project Browser, select save as image, then export it from the Application Menu.

12) Transfer Project Standards

Most everything can be swiped from another project rather than recreated.

13) Pick to Delete

Hold down the Delete key and click on items to delete one at a time.

14) Hard Enter

Ctrl + Enter. Use it to force a new line of text instead of waiting for text wrap to work.

15) Drag a View to a New Sheet

In the Project Browser, users can simply drag a view from one sheet to another. No need to delete and replace on a new sheet.

16) SZ

SZ is the same as C for close in AutoCAD.

17) Math Magic in Properties

Place an equal sign in front of any number in the Properties pallet to construct and equation. Click “Apply” to solve.

18) Undo/Redo Drop Down

There is a drop down next to Undo and Redo so you can go to just the right spot.

19) Controlled Zoom
Want to edit text that is really far away and small? Click to edit the text then, hold down the control key and use the mouse wheel to zoom into the text only. It's weird, so you should try it.

20) View Tools
I keyin WT an ZA so much, I think they are my number one used keyins. WT tiles all the open windows, then ZA will zoom all the open windows. Whether I am working on families or projects, I more than not want to see many different view open at once. Nothing helps give me the BIG picture faster than these keyins.

As a bonus, one of the weirdest tools I have ever used is the Replicate view tool. This tool will create a temporary second copy of the active view. The help file indicates that it might be useful if you are working on a close up section and still want to see a far off view. OK. 

I did notice that I could place annotations and lines in either view and they showed in both. The two views have the same name except one is suffixed 1 and the other 2. Close one view and the other reverts back to the original name. You never know when you might to want to replicate a view. 

Seriously, you will never know.

Browsers on the Right Click

I should be used to little things slipping by unnoticed with Revit by now. Today's discovery, Missing a browser, just right click. There you will find Properties, and now in 2015 you will also find the Project Browser and the System Browser. 

Is it HUGE? Naw, but I like options, and this is a great one.

Radius v. Diameter for MEP Connectors

When placing round connectors in families, Revit allows you drive the dimension of the connector with either the diameter or the radius, but there is a catch.

All of the round connectors must be driven the same way. 

When editing an existing HVAC family to add some hydronic connections, I couldn't change from diameter to radius. A quick test revealed that the round duct connector already set to diameter was locking all round connections to diameter. I deleted the duct connector and the radius choice reappeared.

In this case "all or nothing" set to radius was not a problem, it actually cleaned up the family. It just just a quirk that good to know about. 

The Family Man's Family Template

I created my own set of family templates to reduce the steps I always seem to take when making Revit families often on the fly. The process is straight forward and quite helpful.

First start a new family with one of the out of the box templates. I like Generic Model.rft. Now, make tweaks that apply to most every family of this type you like. I typically do the following.

• Create additional reference planes.

• I always need them.
• I name them here to ensure consistent naming convention.
• I apply the correct "Is Reference" parameter.
• Reference planes have positive and negative sides. I have OCD, by modeling them in the company template I ensure they are all drawn left to right and bottom to top providing consistent results.

• Constrain Reference Planes.

• Again, I always do this. Most every family I make has three basic dimensions. For families placed on ceilings I use Width, Length, and Depth.  For families placed on floors and walls I use Width, Length, and Height.
• Pre-constraining builds in consistency you will get no other way.

• Add Solids
• At this point you might as well add a default solid and lock it to the planes you created.
• You can also apply default materials if needed.

After completing all the tweaks desired, save the new family as a *.RFA, then in Windows explorer, change the file type to *.RFT. You will get a warning from Windows, just go by it. You now have a Revit family template of your own. Encourage the use your templates by defaulting users to a folder with your standards templates in Options.

Rename Schedules Without Renaming Schedules Names

Thanks to Brad Beal for this tip. 

Today an engineer wanted to have several space schedules have the same name on the sheets even though the schedules were for individual areas of the building, and he wanted to maintain the original schedule names in the Project Browser (Mine is not to phantom why).

There is a great function for this with plan views, but it does not apply to schedule views. My buddy Heath suggested not showing the header at all and grouping all the header cells then typing the common name in. This works but, it is cumbersome.

Then Brad suggested that we just use the Clear Cell tool shown when clicking in the header cell.

Then just type whatever you want in the cell. The result was just what was wanted with about zero fuss.

Revit Toolbars

I have been thinking about Revit and speed. What makes one user quicker than another? That led me to all the customization I used to do to my AutoCAD environment. I also watched a Revit youtube video the other day the guy keyed everything in. He didn't go to the ribbon for a single thing! Kind of like me when I run AutoCAD. It was fascinating to watch.

So, I set out to customize my interface to break myself of the ribbon and build a bit of speed.

Keyboard short cuts will have to play a big part of laying off the ribbon, and I posted on Revit short cuts for Old People a while back. 

But, I need something else. Something like the old tool bars Revit used back in the day.

My solution was to edit the crap out of the Quick Access Toolbar by right clicking on any tool I need and selecting "Add to Quick Access Toolbar". Then I moved the QAT below the ribbon by clicking the down arrow at the end of it and choosing "Show Below the Ribbon". Finally I Minimized the ribbon to panels to produce the following.

I can't guarantee it will make anyone else any faster, but I have noticed that weening myself off the ribbon has made me "Feel" faster. Today that is all that counts.

Filter the Project Browser by Discipline

The Project Browser is just too darn big for me. Not it's physical size, it's all the data. Scrolling through the never ending list of views, schedules, sheets, legends, blah, blah, blah, I am wearing my mouse wheel out. The image below shows a shared MEP model and just the top portion of views.

No matter your discipline, you have to scroll through the others to get to your work.....

Unless of course, you right click on "Views (Discipline)" at the top of the Project Browser and select Browser organization.

Then pick the "Edit" Button.

In the dialog that pops up, you can now filter by discipline.

Then there you go, nothing but Electrical.

This would seem to be great, but when a Mechanical opens the model, they will not see anything but Electrical. I am waiting for the Project Browser to be user specific. I am also waiting to win the lottery.

Delete Revit Backup Files - Everywhere!

If you know me, you know I am the opposite of a hoarder when it comes to electronic files. I love deleting things. It just brings me joy to delete data. So, Revit's need to create backups, just bugs me. It does not feel like good file maintenance to have all kinds of backups everywhere, and a bit dangerous when newbies open these files by mistake.

So once again, DOS to the rescue. Place this text in a batch file and save it in the root directory that you want to clean up.

del /s /F *.0*.rvt

del /s /F *.0*.rfa

del /s /F *.0*.rte

This will delete all the backups of projects, families, and templates in the root and every sub-folder that follows. Double click the BAT file and your work is done.  the /s tells DOS to delete files that meet the criteria in sub-folders, and the /F tells DOS to go ahead and delete locked files. 

To see what you just deleted and the word "pause" to the last line like this:

del /s /F *.0*.rvt

del /s /F *.0*.rfa

del /s /F *.0*.rte

pause               

If you want to know what you are deleting before you delete it. this this.

dir /s *.0*.rvt

dir /s *.0*.rfa

dir /s *.0*.rte

pause          

All of this works for me because a great IT department means I can restore old files at any time. If you don't have the same confidence, act accordingly.

Tags That show Imperial and Metric Units

I got question from long time friend last week asking if it were possible to tag a duct with imperial and metric units. He needed the tag to show  as

 12x12 (300x300)

On the surface it might seem impossible. The units for a Revit project are one or the other, but you can beat this by creating a special Tag family. For this tag start with the Generic Tag.rft template and categorize it as a Duct Tag. Add three labels in a row; Size, Height, and Width. Use the Prefix and Suffix columns to add the open and closed parenthesis. Now select the Height parameter in the Edit Label dialog. Use the icon at the bottom with the image of the hand over the pound sign to change the format by un-checking "Use project settings" and then setting the units to Millimeters. Do the same for Width, and you have a mighty fine duct tag that will show imperial and metric units at the same time.

Look Familar... hmmmm

You probably know this already, but I didn't until I looked up at a recent visit to Autodesk's offices in San Francisco.

If I ever invent a software, when it is time to design the box. I am just going to take a picture of the ceiling. It turned out great Autodesk. Bravo!

Revit Shortcuts for Old People

I'm older than I used to be. A long time ago, I used AutoCAD and maintained a quick speed, thanks in large part to custom key-ins. Most of my AutoCAD key-ins were just a single letter, which Revit is not %100 thrilled with. Revit will play ball with a single letter key-in if you delete every other key-in that starts with that same letter. 

So, here are the key-ins I created for myself that maybe no one else will ever care about, and the classic AutoCAD commands they remind me of.


A    Align 
B    Split Element (Break)
C    Copy (Copy)
D    Duct
E    Delete (Erase)
F    Trim/Extend (Fillet)
G    Group
H    Filled Region (Boundary Hatch)
I     Link Revit (Insert)
KS   Keyboard Shortcuts
L     Detail Line (Line)
M    Mirror (Mirror)
O    Offset (Offset)
P     Pipe
Q     Synchronize (Quick Save)
RC   Revision Cloud
RP   Reference Plane
T     Trim/Extend (Trim)
X     Ungroup (Explode... yeah, I know)

Do yourself a favor though, type KS, and customize your own key-ins.

Get PLT files from Revit

It's a crazy world sometimes. Like when you create a wonderful Revit model and your client wants PLT files as the deliverable. Here is how to do it.

1. In the Print dialog, check the box for Print to File. You need to select a printer that doesn't already print to file by the way.
2. Click the Browse button to indicate where the file should be saved.

 
3. Change the Files of Type to Plot Files.









That was a lot easier than I thought.

Change the Number of Lines in Room Tags

This comes from Club Revit's Linked In page. A user asked how to change the number of lines in a room tag and Kerry Ward had an interesting take on things. She provided this trick...

"Name the room (single line text) then select the room (not the tag). Go to properties and under Identity Date / Name place your cursor in location where you want the text to split into 2nd line. Then hold down ctrl key and press enter, then apply. The room tag is then split into 2 lines."

I added quite a few breaks in the example image below to demonstrate how far you can take it. You can see that it comes with the side effect of reflecting in schedules. On the MEP side of things it may not matter at all. 

If you are curious, changes the room names in linked files will propagate into the space tags that call the room names.

Revit in a Browser

Things have been shaking up quite a bit over at Autodesk. It is very exciting to live in a time when so much is going on, yet it can also be overwhelming. 

Just as we got over the idea of Renting Autodesk products, they slipped in this new product called Remote.

Remote allows subscription customers and rental customers the ability to remote into their PCs from offsite locations and access thier Autodesk software back in the office. You know what that means? Yea, we never have to stop working now! Good times, yes good times.

Anyway, yesterday I am informed that Autodesk is kicking it up a notch again.

In conjunction with Amazon Web Services and OTOY, we can now run Inventor, Revit, Maya, and 3ds Max, from a web browser. To be clear this means the computing power comes from the web and you run Revit through a browser via Autodesk Remote. I have not tested this yet, but the promise seems to be, no more slow PC. Maybe just a slow connection. With near limitless cloud power users can access their software anywhere, anytime they can access the web.

This is crazy significant. It's like seeing the first music CDs knowing that your album collection will become a museum piece. 

Make no mistake things are fundamentally changing here, not just the delivery method. It's a pretty good bet that prices structures, plans, and subscriptions will have to adjust for things like "pay as you go" Revit or AutoCAD. I am thinking it will be more like cell phone billing than anything. If you require cloud processing you can pay separate like some people pay for unlimited data.

Honestly, the ability to access what ever software you need from the web, just puts another nail in the coffin of the traditional PC. If I can do it all from a tablet..... I probably will.

Search the Project Browser

With the enormous amount of MEP families needed to complete projects, it can be hard to find to the family you want when you need it.

Did you know you can right click on just about anything in the Project Browser and ask for the Search tool?

Then just type in some key word(s) and let Revit find it for you.

Steven Shell's New Blog Rocks

I had the pleasure to meet Steven Shell in person for the first time at the Central States Revit Workshop. He is a dynamic architect, performer, and instructor. Dog gone it, he is fascinating to watch and listen to. 

All that being said, please check out his new blog BIM: Integrating Art & Technology.

Just 4 days ago, he coined "BIM - Business Improvement Model". Check out more of his insightful thoughts and impressive designs right away, and then please eat a donut.

Getting Peoples Attention with Wingdings

I think it is pretty standard procedure to include some sort of starting view in Revit projects that tell users about the project.

Because of this, I also think most people immediately open the view they want, effectively by-passing the start up view.

Here is a way to maybe get them to look at something in the start up view.

In the image above I created a new text type and named it "WINGDINGHAND". I set the font to Wingdings, and the size to 1/2". Then I just typed the letter "F". which is this hand pointing.

Now you really have noticed my important note.

There are a ton of fonts that included more subtle and less subtle objects. Just set one up and make a note that includes the alphabet. Find something you like, and count it off to know what letter of the alphabet it is.

Thanks to Brandon Hanna for this sweet tip.

Add the Type Selector to the Modify Ribbon

Little things can make big differences in production time. I find loading the Quick Access Toolbar with my favorite tools a huge time saver, but did you know you can add the type selector to the Modify tab of the ribbon?

Right click on the Type Selector, and pick "Add to Ribbon Modify Tab".

Boo-Ya!