Glenn Cunnington

1. Revit Technology Conference 2007 “Modelling in Revit” Glenn Cunnington

2. Overview  • Methods to keep your models Happy • The Power of the Massing Tool • Forgotten tricks of the Roof Tool • Shape Editing of Floors/Roofs • Using tools & thinking outside the box • Site Tools • Structural Tools • Links & Groups • Limitations of Revit • Family Creation

3. How to keep your model happy  • What degree should I model to? • Ask yourself the following questions: • Is this seen in more than one view? • Is modelling this going to improve my documentation’s buildability? • If I don’t model this is it going to cause co-ordination issues between views that would benefit from being modelled in 3D? • How large is the model I’m working on? • Could I make use of this in future projects? • Answering these questions should help you make the correct judgement. General Massing Roof Tool Shape Editing Outside the Box Site Tools Structural Tools Links & Groups Limitations Families

4. How to keep your model happy  • One hand should always be positioned over the “TAB” key. • Take time to correctly set layer functions of Walls, Ceilings & Roofs. • Ignore the titles & concentrate on the numbers • Generally the most exterior finish layers I create as layer 5. • This can save a lot of frustration! General Massing Roof Tool Shape Editing Outside the Box Site Tools Structural Tools Links & Groups Limitations Families

5. How to keep your model happy  • Make Use of Stacked & Compound Walls where appropriate: • Compound walls are basic walls that have had their layers unlocked. General Massing Roof Tool Shape Editing Outside the Box Site Tools Structural Tools Links & Groups Limitations Families

6. How to keep your model happy  General Massing Roof Tool Shape Editing Outside the Box Site Tools Structural Tools Links & Groups Limitations Families

7. How to keep your model happy  • Make Use of Stacked & Compound Walls where appropriate: • Stacked walls are for more complex situations as shown below: General Massing Roof Tool Shape Editing Outside the Box Site Tools Structural Tools Links & Groups Limitations Families

8. How to keep your model happy  • Make use of your Model for showing smart representations of Roof Overhangs, Foundations or even future phases in Plan. • There are two methods to do this: • The Linework Tool. General Massing Roof Tool Shape Editing Outside the Box Site Tools Structural Tools Links & Groups Limitations Families • Limitations: • New Roofs or new lines in roof sketches need to be manually added again using the linework tool.

9. How to keep your model happy  • Overlaying Views • Limitations: • For roofs they need to be set to wireframe so there well be excess linework. • This can be removed using the linework tool & Invisible lines. General Massing Roof Tool Shape Editing Outside the Box Site Tools Structural Tools Links & Groups Limitations Families

10. How to keep your model happy  • In Revit you should place approximately and then refine positions using the temporary dimensions. • Use generic elements to begin with and then use “Select all Instances” to easily swap out elements at a later stage. • You can also use the Reload family in the project browser and actually select the family you wish to replace it with to swap the family out in one step… General Massing Roof Tool Shape Editing Outside the Box Site Tools Structural Tools Links & Groups Limitations Families

11. How to keep your model happy  • Use Generic Massing families in pre-design/conceptual studies. General Massing Roof Tool Shape Editing Outside the Box Site Tools Structural Tools Links & Groups Limitations Families

12. How to keep your model happy  • Use grids and levels to establish and maintain relationships. • Remember most of the modelling tools in Revit are dynamic. Always check your options bar… • Minimise locked relationships in a project. Only do so when there is a specific reason. • Pin reference information to avoid accidental bumps… • Attach walls, columns to roofs, floors and beams. Let Revit maintain these relationships for you. General Massing Roof Tool Shape Editing Outside the Box Site Tools Structural Tools Links & Groups Limitations Families

13. How to keep your model happy  • Create a line based family to model egress paths as suggested by Steve Stafford. http://revitoped.blogspot.com/2007/01/egress-path.html General Massing Roof Tool Shape Editing Outside the Box Site Tools Structural Tools Links & Groups Limitations Families

14. How to keep your model happy  • Try using floors and walls for joinery, doors for cupboards etc… General Massing Roof Tool Shape Editing Outside the Box Site Tools Structural Tools Links & Groups Limitations Families

15. How to keep your model happy  • Leverage Data from previous projects… • If you’ve done a detailed amenities layout with fixtures, why not save that data out for later use. • We utilise numerous cut & paste projects for pre-setup stairs, railings, walls and typical layouts. General Massing Roof Tool Shape Editing Outside the Box Site Tools Structural Tools Links & Groups Limitations Families

16. The power of the Mass • Utilise massing for complex forms by using the “by face” options for walls, roofs and floors. • Check this out  http://aec.cadalyst.com/aec/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=402757 General Massing Roof Tool Shape Editing Outside the Box Site Tools Structural Tools Links & Groups Limitations Families

17. The power of the Mass • How about using the Mass tool to define a complex building envelope and set back requirements. • Use the co-ordination monitor to check for conflicts! General Massing Roof Tool Shape Editing Outside the Box Site Tools Structural Tools Links & Groups Limitations Families

18. Forgotten tricks of the Roof Tool • People often forget that you have an option for segmentation on curved segments in Roof Sketches. • You can use multiple slope arrows combined with slope defining lines! General Massing Roof Tool Shape Editing Outside the Box Site Tools Structural Tools Links & Groups Limitations Families

19. Shape Editing, Not quite like Mystique from X-Men • In Revit 2008 we saw the release of this fantastic new function of roofs and floors. What we’ve used it for so far: • Tiling with a topping slab with falls to wastes. General Massing Roof Tool Shape Editing Outside the Box Site Tools Structural Tools Links & Groups Limitations Families

20. Shape Editing, Not quite like Mystique from X-Men • In Revit 2008 we saw the release of this fantastic new function of roofs and floors. What we’ve used it for so far: • Sloping Structural Falls that need to match street levels. General Massing Roof Tool Shape Editing Outside the Box Site Tools Structural Tools Links & Groups Limitations Families

21. Shape Editing, Not quite like Mystique from X-Men • In Revit 2008 we saw the release of this fantastic new function of roofs and floors. What we’ve used it for so far: • Site Works • Just to name a few possible uses for this tool… • Get to know it! General Massing Roof Tool Shape Editing Outside the Box Site Tools Structural Tools Links & Groups Limitations Families

22. Curtain Walls/Glazing & Railings and their hidden skills (thinking outside the box) • Try creating wall mounted railings for sunscreens. (Great when curved walls are involved). • Using embedded curtain walls for strip glazing and finding at corners the wall isn’t cut correctly? • Use a wall hosted generic model void to cutout the unwanted part. General Massing Roof Tool Shape Editing Outside the Box Site Tools Structural Tools Links & Groups Limitations Families

23. Curtain Walls/Glazing & Railings and their hidden skills (thinking outside the box) • For quick, highly customisable screens, battens use curtain walls… General Massing Roof Tool Shape Editing Outside the Box Site Tools Structural Tools Links & Groups Limitations Families

24. Curtain Walls/Glazing & Railings and their hidden skills (thinking outside the box) • For Smaller Projects which can afford to be more detailed: • Use the sloped glazing system to model the ceiling grid system with modelled T sections or a standing seam metal roof. • Or use curtain walls for pre-cast concrete construction showing joints etc. General Massing Roof Tool Shape Editing Outside the Box Site Tools Structural Tools Links & Groups Limitations Families

25. Site Tools – What Site tools? • Understanding their limitations: • You cannot have sloping pads. • You cannot have vertical faces on your topography for retaining walls. • Paths/Driveways with complex falls can now be created using point edits. However, you must use the linework tool to remove the vertices from each view. • Refer to this post on AUGI for a great workflow given by Jerry (jetisart) • http://forums.augi.com/showthread.php?t=63962&page=2&pp=10 General Massing Roof Tool Shape Editing Outside the Box Site Tools Structural Tools Links & Groups Limitations Families

26. So what’s holding up your building? Time to add some structure… • Remember the trim tool works on beams! • Always host roof framing (ie: rafters) to the roof and give it an offset to allow for purlins and cleans. • Columns can attach to beams. • Modelling purlins, girts or joists? Use the structural framing system tool. General Massing Roof Tool Shape Editing Outside the Box Site Tools Structural Tools Links & Groups Limitations Families

27. So what’s holding up your building? Time to add some structure… • Accept that for the moment Revit Architecture leaves a gap between beams. Fix this with detailing. General Massing Roof Tool Shape Editing Outside the Box Site Tools Structural Tools Links & Groups Limitations Families

28. To link or group, that is the question • In Revit 2008 groups and links are now interchangeable. • This makes this decision less critical • Use the following outlines of benefits and limitations to decide on per project basis what’s most appropriate to you: • Groups • Can be tagged and quickly manipulated in the host file. • Can interact (to an extent) with surrounding geometry not part of the group. • Can exclude elements from specific instances of a group. General Massing Roof Tool Shape Editing Outside the Box Site Tools Structural Tools Links & Groups Limitations Families

29. To link or group, that is the question • Links • Better for file size as all information is stored in the other file. • Tags have to be applied in the other file and the views linked across (not possible for sections & elevations) • Somewhat more reliable as they do not interact with elements in the host file. • It is best practice to use non-hosted families when grouping elements. General Massing Roof Tool Shape Editing Outside the Box Site Tools Structural Tools Links & Groups Limitations Families

30. What? Revit has limitations! • Unfortunately, no software is perfect and it does have its limitations. Getting to understand what these are makes your working relationship with Revit much more relaxed. • Maintain efficiency. Give yourself a time limit on each modelling task. • Stair & Ramp tools have a number of limitations: • Curved Monolithic Stairs with smooth underside anomolies. • They do not join to floors. • The sketches have issues when overlapping themselves. • Stairs going down from the current level don’t display correctly. General Massing Roof Tool Shape Editing Outside the Box Site Tools Structural Tools Links & Groups Limitations Families

31. What? Revit has limitations! • Railing Tool • Baluster/support locations sometimes are just too varied to position with this tool. General Massing Roof Tool Shape Editing Outside the Box Site Tools Structural Tools Links & Groups Limitations Families

32. Let’s go raise a library of happy families  • Family creation should be about leveraging as much data as possible. Quality not quantity. • If it repeats it should be a family (Not In-place) • Nested sub-components setup with swappable parameters allow for the maximum flexibility. General Massing Roof Tool Shape Editing Outside the Box Site Tools Structural Tools Links & Groups Limitations Families

33. Let’s go raise a library of happy families  • Nest detail components for highly detailed view specific elements. • Add control arrows to all directional families. • Constrain all geometry in families via reference planes • Flex Flex Flex • Give reference planes strengths & labels • Use Transfer Project Standards to copy materials between families. • Arraying elements? Use nested families and constrain them by their origin point in all 3 vertices for both the two defining elements of the array. Check out my blog for a detailed explanation on this. General Massing Roof Tool Shape Editing Outside the Box Site Tools Structural Tools Links & Groups Limitations Families

34. Let’s go raise a library of happy families  • It’s more efficient to create families as non-hosted first. • Avoid in-place families. • Set your origin (placement point) to a logical location. • Use line based families for complex linear objects. General Massing Roof Tool Shape Editing Outside the Box Site Tools Structural Tools Links & Groups Limitations Families

35. Let’s go raise a library of happy families  • Modelled something in-place and now discovering you need it to repeat around your model? • Edit the in-place family, select all the geometry, copy to the clipboard and paste into a new family of the same or appropriate category. General Massing Roof Tool Shape Editing Outside the Box Site Tools Structural Tools Links & Groups Limitations Families

36. Conclusion & Questions? • The most important thing I think I can leave you with is: • MODEL TO A DEGREE THAT ALLOWS YOU TO CO-ORDINATE EFFECTIVELY AND EFFICIENTLY. • Sometimes its great to have a play and test Revit’s limits by modelling to minute detail. However, you’ll soon find that your computer will slow to a halt and the model will become very frustrating. • ENJOY IT!!! I DO  • Any Questions?