AUGIWorld Magazine September/October 2007

The Missing Link How to Leverage Building Model Content Across Platforms Editor’s note: This issue’s Revit Architecture article comes from Eric Wing of AUGI HotNews fame. It’s the first article of two in a series about links in Revit. All flavors of Revit use links and have the same controls, but, as Eric’s article shows, users of Architecture, Structure, and MEP will probably develop their own distinctive ways to use links. Next issue: Links and Groups, or how to divide a model without worksets. –Chris Fox, AUGI Revit Editor are basically going to remain the same. We are going to be fielding both Revit- and AutoCAD-based files and we will need to deal with them accordingly. In Revit Structure (or in Revit Architecture—you can do this without having Revit Structure), I am going to use the import / link feature by simply right-clicking on the Revit Links view in the Project browser and selecting New Link… To do this, I will switch to an elevation. I then click the Copy/Monitor button. We get a fly-out. Use Select Link. Figure 2: Copy Monitor on the Toolbar It has always boggled my mind how a seemingly insignificant change can occur in the last stages of the design process, and cause so many problems as we create our bid documents. The wall moved three inches…big deal. Which wall? I’m not sure. Was it on a centerline? I’m not sure. Were there any mechanicals in, or near that wall? Not sure. What are you sure of? I’m sure there will be an addendum. Boy, it sure would be nice if we could keep an eye on these things. It would also be nice if the CD tray opened and an arm came out and choked the person who “nudged” the wall 3" and didn’t tell anybody which wall it was. Now THAT is going on the AUGI Wish List! Let’s get to the point. We all know Revit does this, but how…and to what extent? This article will focus on the link between Autodesk® Revit® Architecture and Autodesk® Revit® Structure. Primarily, we will be looking through the eyes of the structural engineer. Also, we are looking through the eyes of a firm that is now implementing Revit. Our file structures are vastly different. They are… well…much simpler than they were in AutoCAD®. We are only dealing with one or two files in terms of our Revit model, but the folder structure for our consultants 28 The link between Revit models If you already have items that are present in your model and don’t need to be copied, you may simply click on the Monitor button on the Copy/Monitor design toolbar. Yes, the one with the eyeball. Figure 1: New link from the Project Browser Figure 3: The Copy-Monitor Tab At this point, we browse for a Revit file. Normally it is going to be in the main job folder / Architectural / dated folder / Revit file. We can bring in this file just like we would any CAD file. The process is quite similar to external referencing. This, however, is where the similarities stop. Grid alignment Copy monitor Once the architectural model is imported into the structural model, it is time to copy some usable items. The beauty here is we can copy AND tell Revit that the items we are copying are to be monitored. What an intelligent way to work! No duplication of effort and this method puts “flags” (actually it puts weird little eyeballs) on the items we are bringing in to our model. Now select the item in your model, then select the item in the linked model that you want Revit to “keep an eye on.” Elevations are the most typical items for this. I am selecting Level 1 and Level 2 as the items I will be monitoring. Watch the status bar—it will walk you through it. Also as a confirmation, Mr. Eyeball shows up. You can zoom out to see it. Now click on the Copy button. On the options toolbar, select the multiple button. Select all of the remaining levels. Now you can click the finish button. Again, this is on the options toolbar. You will almost certainly get a message saying that duplicate types are being written over. This is fine. You will see Mr. Eyeball on all of the levels. w w w. A U G I . c o m http://www.AUGI.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of AUGIWorld Magazine September/October 2007

Contents The CAD Manager Feature: A Good First Impression ADT and SketchUp Team for Presentations Accessing Values: Now or Later Finding the 3D in Map 3D: Surface Visualization Rocks & Rock Walls Autodesk University 2007 Preview The Missing Link On the Back Page

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