All Things BIM / DC

Just curious if ANYONE is using the CAD Manager Channel. If you are, please let me know. You can email me at bsg at atkinsglobal dot com

I'm a few days late, Navisworks 2014 Service Pack 1 has been released.

Revit OpEd: Overlay VS Attached : A question posted at AUGI started out simply by asking if this concept is the same at AutoCAD. I replied, "Exactly the same concepts&q...

This is a really good article by Steve Stafford at RevitOpEd. Revit OpEd: It is a Training Problem : I frequently get involved in conversations that start with someone wishing Revit would help resolve "x" problem. The essence of &q...

AIA: Autodesk introduces computational modeling tool Dynamo for its BIM workflow

IMAGINiT has updated their Utilities for Revit . The tool that really interested me is the LinkFixer . It allows you to re-path models.

Revit : Modelling Best practise tip : One of the most interesting aspects of using Revit for model authoring is often there is more than one way to skin a cat. Let me provide you...

Revit OpEd: Three Laws - Family Content : This is repost of a post that I wrote in September 2008. I thought of it as I was working through some content tasks. Not to be confused ...

It might not seem obvious, but it is very important clean up DWG files before importing or linking into AutoCAD. Revit is not AutoCAD and it is important to note that Revit will not behave like AutoCAD. So we need to take this into account when working with DWG files. Spending a few minutes cleaning up a DWG file before importing or linking that file can prevent real problems from occurring down the road. Here are some items to consider when working with DWG files in AutoCAD. 1.      Be aware how far the CAD geometry is from 0,0,0. Different versions of Revit get squirrelly if the geometry is either greater than 2 miles or 20 miles from 0,0,0 in AutoCAD. While you are checking this, look for scratch or unnecessary geometry that might just be hanging out somewhere. If you don’t need it, get rid of it. Use Zoom extents in AutoCAD to see the extents of the geometry. 2.      Review the layers in AutoCAD. Make sure you are aware of what is on/off or frozen / thawed. If there is geometry on

If you are working with Revit then you at some point must have dealt with the issues of installing these add-ons. For the Revit 2014 releases, I decided to incorporate the installation of several add-ons such as: DB Link Model Review Batch Print Worksharing Monitor Revit Extensions The documentation on how to incorporate this information into the network deployment is a little weak. I initially went down the road of determining how to create silent installs for each of these add-ons, but I was was over thinking it. As you are creating your network deployment, you will notice that one of the sections is to "Include additional software" (see below). This allows you to add additional .msi and .exe software to your deployment. If you adding the Autodesk Revit add-ons (with the exception of Revit Extensions), you just need to click the "Add..." button and select the add-on. You do not need to specify any Command Line Parameters. For Revit extensions, you first need to ex

Revit OpEd: Copy Then Paste a Level : Ever have someone want to use Copy to Clipboard and then Paste Aligned to create a new level? I haven't but it is technically possible t...

Revit OpEd: Revit MEP - Free Size Parameter : If you use the Free Size parameter instead of Size you might notice a subtle anomaly. In elevation views where we only see one dimension o...

Project Falcon is a new way to investigate aerodynamic performance. Its speed and accuracy work in concert with physically intuitive controls for defining wind direction and speed. At the heart of Falcon is a cutting-edge approach to CFD simulation that removes barriers to meshing coupled with a unique numerical method that allows a broader design audience to benefit from simulation early in the design process. The technology preview can be used as a standalone application with no other license required or as an add-on for Inventor or Revit. Autodesk Labs: Project Falcon YouTube videos

From Linkedin: We are conducting research to assess the challenges and opportunities that BIM presents for the FM community. The study forms part of an MSc thesis for the University College London (UCL) and will explore the following areas: • FM Software (CAFM/ CMMS/ IWMS): take-up and awareness levels • BIM: take-up and awareness levels • Drivers and barriers to full FM participation in BIM development and application • Integration and exchange of information between FM Software and BIM Your input will provide real world opinions on BIM for FM and help to identify how important BIM is for the industry. The survey will take approximately 5 to 10 minutes to complete. Simply click on the link below, or cut and paste the entire URL into your browser to access the survey: https://kwiksurveys.com/s.asp?sid=znj7ggyrmo40sh5181153 Your input is very important to us and will be kept strictly confidential (used only for the purposes of research for this project). If you have an

Product Name Product Key AutoCAD 2014 001F1 AutoCAD Architecture 2014 185F1 AutoCAD Civil 3D 2014 237F1 AutoCAD Design Suite Premium 2014 768F1 AutoCAD Design Suite Standard 2014 767F1 AutoCAD Design Suite Ultimate 2014 769F1 AutoCAD ecscad 2014 562F1 AutoCAD Electrical 2014 225F1 AutoCAD Inventor LT Suite 2014 596F1 AutoCAD LT 2014 057F1 AutoCAD LT Civil Suite 2014 545F1 AutoCAD Map 3D 2014 129F1 AutoCAD Mechanical 2014 206F1 AutoCAD MEP 2014 235F1 AutoCAD P&ID 2014 448F1 AutoCAD Plant 3D 2014 426F1 AutoCAD Raster Design 2014 340F1 AutoCAD Revit Architecture Suite 2014 241F1 AutoCAD Revit LT Suite 2014 834F1 AutoCAD Revit MEP Suite 2014 257F1 AutoCAD Revit Structure Suite 2014 256F1 AutoCAD Structural Detailing 2014 587F1 Autodesk 3ds Max 2014 128F1 Autodesk 3ds Max Design 2014 495F1 Autodesk 3ds Max Entertainment Creation Suite Premium 2014 774F1 Autodesk 3ds Max Entertainment Creation Suite Standard 2014 661F1 Autodesk Alias Automotive 2014 710F1 Autodesk Alias Design 2014 712F1

Revit OpEd: Revit MEP 2014 - Reapply Type : This button snuck past me in my reading about what's new. I don't see anything at all about it in the What's New documentation a...

Regardless what you think about Revit, you’ll probably agree that Revit is disruptive technology. You can push rope and try to adapt CAD functionality to Revit or you can adapt/change your workflow to accommodate Revit’s workflow. This process change, good or bad is disruptive. The choices you make can mean the difference between profit and lose on a project. One area that Revit provides that opportunity for process change is with Redlines. With Revit and Design Review we have an opportunity to create and manage redlines differently than what has been done in the past. This does not mean that the   Revit/Design Review process is better or worse, it’s just different. Pen & Paper / Redlined PDF Traditionally redlines have been created using red pen on paper and that gets passed off to someone to get picked up. Those redlines can be scanned and a PDF created or electronic documents can be marked up electronically and passed onto someone to get picked up. As the person picks up

Revit OpEd: Five Minutes Working with Rotated Views : A common question from people with experience using AutoCAD is, "Does Revit have a UCS too?". There isn't a literal equal tool...

Saw this post on CloudsCarsCameras.com that I thought I would share with you. Great idea. Posted on July 7, 2013 Using Bluebeam Revu to assist in upgrading a Revit Project With a new release of Revit every year, it makes it increasingly difficult not upgrade an active Revit project.  What makes it even more difficult is the uncertainty when Revit upgrades your project.  Are all my objects there?  Is everything in the right place?  In this post and video we are going to go thought the steps to upgrade your Revit project from 2013 to 2014. Then we will use Bluebeam’s Revu to help us find any items that may have changed or gone missing after the upgrade process. If you want more information regarding Bluebeam please drop me a note at  bill@bim9.com Here are the steps I use in the video: Step 1  Backup You should always create a backup of your or your companies work when ever you make a change that will impact the entire project, this would be one of those times.  Here are

I am a real fan of the CAD apps. They offer some unique tools that can really save you a lot of time and frustration. Even better, many of them are FREE. If you read RevitOpEd (and who doesn't) then you have heard Steve discuss the CASE apps as well. Check them out here

Revit OpEd: Revision Numbering : A month or so ago I received an email from a friend asking about dealing with revision numbering in Revit. Apparently the project team is ex...

Wish upon a Revit Our friends over with the Autodesk Developer Network have recently launched the Revit API wishlist survey.  This is a great chance to provide feedback on the future of the Revit API and let your voice be heard. The survey is open till June 15th 2013 .  Head on over the the AEC DevBlog for more info here .

One of the things I like about my job is that is the clients I get to interact with. Their needs and challenges are different which makes the job very interesting. Today one of my clients needed to connect database information with their Navisworks models. This is essentially a FM exercise as the data about the equipment is stored in the database and the geometry is in Navisworks. Fortunately, Navisworks provides the means and method to do this, if you can make heads or tails of the process. So lets go thru the process. For this demo, I am going to use the Gatehouse sample file that ships with Navisworks 2014. You can find the files C:\Program Files\Autodesk\Navisworks Manage 2014\Samples\gatehouse\ The Process In order to connect an external data source such as an Excel spreadsheet to a Navisworks model, we need to configure a DataTools within Navisworks. We will then be configuring the database connection. When working with the DataTools in Navisworks, there are a few very important

One of the questions I get somewhat frequently is about re-arranging the Ribbon tabs. Yes, you can re-arrange the tabs on the ribbon by holding down the CTRL key and then dragging the desired Tab to a new location.