Over the next few weeks I shall be showcasing some of the new features within Revit Structure 2014 and some of the platform enhancements of Revit 2014. One of the key new tools is the ability to change the join order of concrete elements.

Link to YouTube Video: http://youtu.be/B190xWO8NvQ

I always found it very annoying when the slab took priority over the columns, the main reason was that when you produce a graphical column schedule the columns appeared broken at each floor! You can now finally choose your intended join order.

Below are two images showing the two possible results based on the Switched Join Order.

You can now also see that the graphical column schedule is displaying correctly, of course, this was only an issue with concrete members.

LawrenceH

In a previous post I outlined a procedure and method of offsetting beams both in the horizontal and vertical planes whilst leaving the analytical model unaffected. In the new Revit 2014 release Autodesk have included some interesting new tools to control these offsets more effectively. Of particular interest is the new behavior of roof bracing.

In Revit 2014 these new tools are grouped under the Geometric Position section on the properties ribbon. You can see that these positions relate to the Y and Z axis. To understand this, refer to the image showing the plan view of a beam.

The key thing to remember is that the Y axis is the offset in plan and the Z is the offset in the vertical direction.

The offsets can either be uniform or independent. For most examples you will likely want to keep a uniform offset but I have found that the independent offset is really useful for offsetting bracing on roof members of differing depths. Notice the below image and the offset of 76mm on the end offset value to maintain a horizontal position for the CHS bracing. At last, a workable solution!

Anyway, have a play with these new tools, I am sure they will help you all.

LawrenceH

Link to YouTube Video: http://youtu.be/J2_iddaJzLg

When transferring models from Revit Structure to structural analysis tools one of the biggest issues is often that the original analytical model within Revit Structure has inconsistencies, these being isolated nodes, beams not connected etc.

Trying to identify these issues can be time consuming and a little tricky but Revit Structure 2014 has some great new tools that can help with these issues. By Default, each node now has a read only property which enables the user to see the connectivity of the node.

Autodesk have also included two filters within the standard template which will enable you to very easily identify issues with a Revit model.

Take a look at my short tutorial video, I think this is a really useful tool for those that are transferring from Revit to Analysis.

Link to YouTube Video: http://youtu.be/J2_iddaJzLg

LawrenceH

Over the last few days I have been testing the transfer of various concrete and steel models from Revit Structure to Tekla Structures. I have been testing this with Tekla Structures 18.1 and Revit 2013 with a dedicated plug in that can be downloaded from Tekla, see link below:

http://www.tekla.com/international/solutions/building-construction/Pages/export-revit-tekla-structures.aspx

I have yet to test the transfer from Tekla to Revit 2013 as I am awaiting an install ‘Export to Software’ to enable this. Below you can see the Add in to Revit 2013 to enable the Import and Export from Tekla.

In general, the procedure seems to work fairly well although I have found an issue with the rotation of foundations when transferring via IFC from Revit to Tekla.

Anyway, as I have said I will test further and keep this page updated as this is an essential workflow between consultants and fabricators.

LawrenceH

Link to YouTube Video : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_X6vuTJYNU

In the past I have written many articles relating to the use of 3D reinforcement within Revit and each time I review the tools Autodesk add a little more functionality. In the Revit Structure 2014 release there are a number of new tools and features to aid the modelling and scheduling or rebar but still very little in the way of real drawing production.

One of the most useful tools is the new Rebar Constraint tool which allows the user to select a bar segment and then constrain it to another target which could be another bar segment or a cover face. This will then remain constrained so that if the section size changes or you increase lengths then the bar will automatically update. Shape codes now have the option not to be influenced by hooks.

Bar diameters can now be quickly visualised with the addition of sub categories for Structural rebar, previously I was using filters to control this so a very welcome addition.

Another improvement is the inclusion of a rebar table which is already formatted for the UK market. However, the same problem still exists with the recognition of bars and the grouping of bar marks.

As usual I have produced a short video outlining some of these improvements and new features. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_X6vuTJYNU

Enjoy,

LawrenceH

One of the many challenges facing collaborative projects is the successful coordination of data and of course making sure that the coordinates and levels are correct in all models and drawings. To make this task a little simpler you can now use a very simple tool that effectively matches the coordinates from AutoCAD Civil 3D 2014 to Revit 2014. This is achieved through shared coordinates.

This tool is available as part of a subscription and is a component of the Civil 3D productivity tools. It is worth considering this workflow if your company uses both AutoCAD Civil 3D and Revit or if you are working with external surveyors that use AutoCAD Civil 3D.

The first step is to launch the Export Shared Reference points from the Toolbox Tab within Civil 3D (please note that you will need to first install this from the Autodesk subscription centre).

Once you have done this then you will be prompted for the ORIGIN point and then a point in the positive Y Axis (Quasi-North). This point should be a point along the intended project north. Another point to note is that the Z coordinate (the Level) will also be transferred to Revit so make sure this is correctly set. Of course you may need to ask the Revit team what they are using for project north.

You should then see the Select Units and Confirm dialog box. Here you can specify the DWG units and check the Easting and Northing data.

You then save an XML file which holds the above information. This can be emailed to the Revit team or uploaded to a shared location.

That’s the AutoCAD Civil3D process completed. Of course, if the site location changes then you would just repeat the process but give the XML file a revised name.

The Process in Revit 2014

The Revit technician can start the model before the survey is undertaken and the BIM coordinator will update the location, rotation and levels once the tool has been executed in Revit 2014.

The first step is to select the Import Shared Coordinates tool from the Add Ins tab (again you will need to make sure that you have this installed from the Autodesk Subscription Centre).

You will then be prompted for the Origin point. It is recommended that you draw a Reference Plane from the Origin point and to an arbitrary point along the project north to aid snapping.

You then specify the XML file and Revit 2014 will report that the Coordinates were successfully shared.

The next step is to set this shared coordinate as the current system. On the Manage Ribbon select the Location command. On the Site tab select the Shared Coordinate and then the Make Current button. The Coordination should now be set.

You can check this by setting the Site Plan to True North, placing a coordinate at the setting out point and also making sure that the Levels are set to read the Survey Point.

Hope this has been useful,

LawrenceH

Just thought I would point you to a free web seminar that we are running on the 31st July where we will be investigating the usage and collaboration between Revit Structure 2014 and Civil 3D 2014. In this particular seminar we will focus on taking data from Civil 3D to Revit Structure for the creation of a half through rail overbridge.

AGENDA

• Realistic workflows between Autodesk  Civil and Structural Software
• Workflow Example: A Rail Overbridge
  • AutoCAD Civil 3D Alignment
  • Extract the corridor
  •  Import in Revit structure
  •  Design of super and sub structures
• Workflow benefits in the real world
• Choosing the correct Autodesk Suite for your discipline based on your project deliverables
• Conclusion
• Q & A

If this is of interest please register at the following webpage.

http://www.excitech.co.uk/news/events/revit-structure-beyond-buildings.asp?cc=rsbbsm

lawrenceH

In this tutorial we will look at the advantages of creating Revit families that utilise shared parameters rather than project parameters. Project parameters are fairly flexible and allow the user to create any information required and attach this information to many Revit objects and categories; however, you cannot tag or schedule this data which can of course be a big limitation. In this simple example we will look at a rectangular pad foundation. We will first modify the family, then create some shared parameters and then use this within a project.

1. Start a new Structural project and then place a few default rectangular footings on Level 1 as shown below.
2. . Select one of the Rectangular Footings and then edit the family from the mode panel as shown below.  

3. On the Manage Ribbon select the shared parameter command as shown below.

4. Create a new shared parameter file and save it to your desktop. Name the Shared Parameter file Foundations. (Note that you would normally save this somewhere safe for future reference but for this exercise the desktops fine.)

5. Create a new Group and Call the group Foundation Dims as shown below. By using groups this keeps our shared parameters neatly organised.

6. Create a new parameter called Foundation Length as shown below. Ensure that the Discipline is set to Common and the Type of Parameter is set to Length as we are going to use this to control the Pad Foundation’s Length. Click OK

7. Repeat these steps and create a further two parameters called Foundation Width and Foundation Thickness. Your Edit Shared Parameters Dialog should now look like the image below. Click OK

8. Next you assign these new Shared Parameters to the dimensions controlling the Pad Foundation. Open the Floor Plans – Ref.Level to display the foundation in Plan as shown below.

9. Select the Length Dimension and then click edit Label from the pull down menu on the Options Bar as shown below.

10. In the Parameter Properties Dialog box select the Shared parameter option, ensure that the Type option is selected and that the Group parameter under option is set to Dimension (this is the default). Click the Select button to choose the Shared Parameter. Pick the Foundation Length Parameter and click OK. Also Click OK on the Parameter Properties Dialog.

11. Repeat steps 9 & 10 for the Foundation Width Parameter by clicking the Width Parameter and replacing this with the Foundation Width.

12. Open the Front View by expanding Elevation on the Project Browser and repeat the above steps for the Foundation Thickness parameter.

13. On the Create Ribbon select the Family Types icon as shown below.

Review the parameters within the Family Types dialog; it should now look like the image below.You will also notice that the Structural Material in the Materials and Finishes group is currently an instance parameter meaning that each pad foundation could have a different grade of concrete. It’s recommended to change this to a Type Parameter for ease of use. Click the Modify Button and swap the parameter from Instance to Type. 

12. Save your new family as Pad Foundation.Rfa in a location of your choice.

13. Click the Load into Project command to load the family into our project as shown_below.

14. You should now be back in your project and have the Pad Foundation at your cursor location. Place a few pads on the Level 1 plan.

15. Next you add tags to the Pad Foundations that you have placed. On the Annotate Ribbon, click the Tag by Category command and place tags on the pad foundations as shown below.

You will notice that the default tag is reading the Type Name. This can be dangerous as the user could change the Foundation size but not update the Type Name. We will now edit the default tag to read the Length, Width and Thickness of our foundations.

16. Select one of your Foundation Tags and click edit family on the ribbon as shown below.

17. You will now be editing the default Foundation Tag. You will see the ‘1t’ which is the sample text for the label. Select the ‘1t’ and click the Edit Label command as shown below.

18. Next you add the Shared Parameters to the Edit Label Dialog Box. You will notice that the list of parameters does not include the three Shared Parameters that you previously created. Click the New Parameter icon in the bottom left of the dialog box to add the Shared Parameters. You now pick the Select Button and add your Shared Parameter ‘Foundation Length’. Click OK twice to return to the Edit Label Dialog.

Repeat the above steps to add the remaining two shared parameters. Your Edit Label dialog should look similar to the below image.

19. You now add the Shared Parameters to the Right hand panel to compose the label. You will notice that the Foundation Thickness parameter has a duplicate entry. (Note that Revit has a bug which allows to Parameters of the same name to exists.) Make sure that you add the parameter that shows the edit icon as shown below, the other label will cause the edit button to grey out as this is the default parameter.

20. Configure the Edit Label dialog with the following settings. This will ensure that our new tag reads <Foundation Length>x<Foundation Width>x<Foundation Thickness>. If you require any data on a new line then select the break option by ticking the relevant box. Click OK when finished.

21. Drag the Labels grip to control the text wrapping as shown below and then Load this family into your active project as shown below. (Note that if you see the Load into Projects Dialog Box then choose your project and not the Pad Foundation)

22. Click over write the existing version and you will notice that your foundation tags now show the Length, Width and Foundation Thickness. Experiment by editing and creating new types of your Pad Foundation and note that the tags always show the correct information.

TIP: If you want to change the Pad Foundation Type then select a Pad Foundation, Click the Tag and then add your required sizes into the dialog as shown below.

Continue the exercise by creating a Structural Foundation Schedule of your choice. Note that your Shared Parameters are in the available fields by default.

I hope that you enjoy this tutorial, If you have any ideas or requests for further topics or subjects then add a comment.

LawrenceH

Link to YouTube Video:  http://youtu.be/z6tOcX2Tzak

I have been asked a number of times during training and project work how you would create an In-situ staircase within Revit Structure. If you use an Architectural Staircase then the object will not join to structural walls. Often you may need to change levels and positions of rises and tread levels to accommodate architects finishes which is also not easy with the standard stair tools.

The answer is to create an In-Place model of the stairs using a category such as Floors. This will allow the user to adjust rises and all geometry of the stair case and join to slabs and walls where necessary.

The first stage is to create an architectural stair as a place holder and a guide for the new geometry. You will also need to create a suitable 3D sectional view to create work planes and project the edge of the existing stair flights.

You then create an in-place family and choose the floor or wall category and then set a work plane on the correct face. The key then is to pick the lines and make sure that you lock the lines to the stair faces (Check the box on the options bar!)

You can then assign a structural material to the new staircase and join it to existing walls and floors.

Anyway, if you haven’t tried this work flow I suggest giving it a go.

Link to YouTube Video:  http://youtu.be/z6tOcX2Tzak

LawrenceH

Since the first batch of tests I ran back in May things have improved with the IFC import and export and this of course affects how we can share models between Tekla Structures and Revit. In previous versions Tekla have supplied a Revit add-in to import and export a Tekla model, this was using IFC. As you will read from my previous post this was not always that successful. All the problems now seem to be fixed with the new Revit 2014 IFC import and export. I have tested the IFC import and export and also the CIM steel import from Tekla Structures 19.1 to Revit Structure 2014. Unfortunately the SDNF import does not seem to work with either V2.0 or V3.0.

I tested the IFC export with the Below Revit Model. This incorporates two pitched roofs and some curved members including steel cuts.

The results are very promising in Tekla Structures 19.1, see the image below. I actually found no discrepancies with between the two models.

The main purpose of the IFC import into Tekla is to allow the fabricator to accurately build a model from the consultants Revit model. However, you can convert certain objects from the IFC file to native Tekla objects such as beams, columns, footings etc. This is clearly useful rather than building a model from scratch. I tried this on a few beams and columns and again found no discrepancies with the original Revit Structure 2014 model, however, as you would expect the stairs translated to a bounding box. See the below image including the report.

I also imported an IFC model from Tekla to Revit with some fairly good results that are fine for coordination purposes. I would imagine that this may be better in a product such as Navisworks but it still could be useful to import the fabrication model into Revit for drawings etc.

The best way to incorporate the analytical model from Tekla to Revit is to transfer the model as CIMsteel (Note that you will need to install the SDNF Import/Export for Autodesk Revit 2014). This gives you the option of transferring the analytical model

I did need to edit the Analytical model in Revit as some of the nodes were not correctly joined.

Anyway, a much more promising workflow between Tekla Structures 18.1 and Revit Structure 2014.

LawrenceH

Sometimes the smaller, less significant features are the best. In Revit 2014 you now have the access to the following selection tools which are located in the bottom right of the interface.

These tools are very simple but can drastically increase productivity while working with linked CAD models, Linked Revit Architecture or MEP models. Below you can see the selection tools and their use.

Selecting elements by face is really useful whilst trying to select and edit a floor in a plan view. When enabled, this simple tool allows you to pick the floor by face.

I tend to pin objects such as grids and levels and the selection of pinned elements is another good one to manage.

As I said, simple but really useful!

Hope this helps,

LawrenceH

Link to YouTube Video:  http://youtu.be/XXRjqQJn3BY

I thought it was about time to produce a post and tutorial on piled wall such as sheet piling, contiguous and secant piled systems. On a recent customer project we had to model some sheet piling and in previous projects I had used curtain systems to produce the layout with mixed results. I have found that the best current system for the modelling of sheet piling is to use adaptive components and then apply this to a divided path.

The first stage is to model your pile family. The Pile family is modelled within a column family template. I downloaded a profile of a sheet pile and then used this to create a simple extrusion with a parameter to control the pile depth. Make sure that you set the pile to always be vertical within the Family Categories & Parameters otherwise you may find that you have horizontal piling!

You then create a Metric Generic Model Adaptive.rfa family and insert the pile family into this. Place a normal Revit point and make this adaptive as shown below.

Start a new Metric Generic Model Adaptive.rft family and then draw your intended path for the pile component. It’s worth remembering that you can of course import a CAD file or an image into his family to help with the layout.

Start a new Metric Generic Model Adaptive.rft family and then draw your intended path for the pile component. It’s worth remembering that you can of course import a CAD file or an image into his family to help with the layout.

You can then configure the divided path within the Properties Palette. Note that I have set the layout to Fixed Distance and the Measurement Type to Chord Length. In this example the width of the sheet pile is 900.

Next you load in your adaptive pile family. On the Create Ribbon use the component tool and insert your pile at the end of your path making sure that you snap it on one of the points. Select the pile and then choose the Repeat command as shown below.

You will now see your piling layout. You can now load this back into your project. The piles can be scheduled if you have set the family to use the Shared property.

Here is another example where the path is travelling through 3D space. Very useful for infrastructure projects. Form more information see my YouTube Video:http://youtu.be/XXRjqQJn3BY

Hope this helps,

LawrenceH

Recently while producing a Revit template for a customer I had noticed that the fonts in Revit may vary in height and in some instances can be vastly different from your intended height. For example, within AutoCAD, if you choose the font Calibri and set a text height of 3mm then this text will print approximatly 3mm high but in Revit this text would be 2.55mm high. This is due to all fonts being designed differently and having differing ascent and decent heights, this is perfectly normal in word processers and desktop publishing tools. AutoCAD will scale the height of a captial letter to be correct, see the example below.

To give some sort of background to this, on a drawing board you may well have used lettering templates for consistent, clear printing or if you were really posh perhaps Letraset! This then became fairly standard and was also expected on Engineering CAD drawings. Before AutoCAD supported True Type Fonts (Pre Release 13) it used Shape Compiled Fonts,(SHX) fonts that closely simulated the lettering templates, see the example below.

To help with this I have created a font height conversion table that you can download here.

Revit text Conversion Heights

The Revit Conversion Factor is a simply multiplied by your intended text height.

For example, you would like to create a text style for 3mm Calibri which has a Revit Conversion factor of 1.1757, so

3*1.1757=3.5271.

Hope this helps,

LawrenceH

This handy Quick Reference Card has now been updated to Revit 2014 paths and includes many new useful file paths to assist you when creating templates or centralising content on your server. We generally hand this out with our Revit 2014 essentials training but this can be useful even for the more seasoned user.

It has been designed to be printed onto an A4 card or sheet and folded down the dotted line.

Revit 2014 Quick Start Reference Card

Link to YouTube Video: http://youtu.be/aaBdlIoS5eI

In this tutorial I will take you through some of the tools you can use to create a mass within Revit and then apply structural elements to the form. I will also outline some other possible workflows with other Autodesk software. Our target will be to produce a similar model to the one shown below. In future tutorials I will also talk about correcting the analytical model and preparing this for analysis.

The first step is to create the conceptual form, on the Application menu select the Conceptual Mass command.

The Conceptual Mass family does look a little different to the normal structural families that you may create. You will see that the Reference Planes are visible in the 3D view which makes them much easier to work with.

In the Project Browser double click the Level 1 Floor plan and create the Reference Planes as shown below.

Once the Reference Planes are created then switch to the 3D view to view the planes in 3D. You will now set one of the Reference Planes as the active Work Plane. As shown below, click the plane command and then select the front Reference Plane. You can also switch on the visibility of this Plane by selecting the Show button on the Work Plane Panel.

Next you create the first profile, Click the Line command as shown below and draw the three required lines. Next choose the Start End radius arc and create an arc for the curved roof, use any radius you want for this. Note that you may need to use the Tab key to select individual lines and arcs within the profile.

Repeat this for the second profile using the image below.

Next you create the 3D form, Select both the profiles and click the Create Form command as shown in the image below.

Next you add an intermediate cross section to create a double-curved roof. Select the solid by using the tab key to cycle to the solid form. On the contextual Ribbon you will see the add profile tool, select this and add a profile roughly in the middle of the solid as shown below. You may also want to enable the X-Ray command which will enable you to visualise the cross sectional profiles.

Select the middle arc and drag this up the Z-Axis to form the geometry as shown below.

You will now divide the top surface into a number of divisions. This is achieved by selecting the top surface and clicking the Divide tool as shown on the ribbon below. Note that you will need to turn the X-Ray model off to see the divided surface.

In the Properties Palette you now set the pattern to a Rhomboid form and then set the Maximum Spacing to 2000 for the U and V Grids.

You have now successfully created the basic mass. Save this as ROOF MASS.rfa

Start a new Structural Project and ensure that you open the Site Structural Plan, this already has the View Range set to unlimited.

Make sure that you have also switched on the Mass Category within Visibility/Graphics overrides dialog box.

On the Structure Ribbon, click the Component Command and then browse for your ROOF MASS.rfa file. You can then place this on the Work Plane.

Create a new 3D view and ensure that the Mass Category is enabled. You should now see your mass within this view. Next you create the structural framing.

Click the Beam Command and select a CHS section of your choice from the Type selector as shown below. Note that you need to ensure that the sections are placed at the centre of the divided lines as shown on the Properties Palette.

You will now set up the Options for the beam placement. On the Contextual Ribbon and Options Bar, set the following as shown below.

You can now start to select the divided lines and Revit will now add the 3D beams to the divided surface lines. Note that you can use the Tab key to select panels to speed this process up a little!

You will notice that the CHS sections appear to ‘spring back’ from the nodes. This is due to the Start and End Extension calculations. You will now edit the CHS family to rectify this.

Select one of the CHS sections on your roof and click Edit Family on the Contextual Ribbon as shown below.

Switch to the Floor Plan – Ref Level and then use the shape handles to drag the extrusion from the inner Reference Plane to the Outer Reference Planes. This will then remove the ;Spring Back’ that occurs in the project. Ensure that you lock the geometry to the outer planes. Load the family into your project and the frame should update.

Hope that this has been useful for you.

LawrenceH

As with all my blog posts about new Autodesk releases I will break down each new feature in separate posts and show the full scope of the new tools and features with a UK focus. Those of you that regularly read my posts will know that I keep a very close eye on the reinforcement tools and any new features or extensions that come to market. This year Autodesk have again focussed on the reinforcement and analytical tools for the specific structural enhancements for 2015. The primary goal with reinforcement is to give the RC detailer a better set of tools for the production of 2D RC drawings and accurate schedules.

In previous releases the RC drawings would show every bar but the user now how the choice of selecting the first and last bar in the set, a middle bar or user selected bars. This feature allows the correct presentation of bars in plan and elevation using a similar system to AutoCAD Structural Detailing.

The Reinforcement descriptions have had a complete overhaul and can now detail bar with a range indicator and the correct terminators and leaders. This has been achieved by combining a dimension style with a rebar tag.

The other issue was with bar marks, Revit 2014 would allow multiple bars with the same dimensions to have the same bar mark! In Revit 2015 the bar mark is automatically generated and can be sequenced with a variety of differing options. Partitions are for setting bar marks for each element, you can also see the feature for removing gaps in bar marks and once this is enabled the process is automatic.

Another interesting concept is that parts can now host rebar, this has some potential but I do really think that families should be authored with parametric rebar, this would make more sense and give a huge amount of flexibility.

All the information and data can now be compiled into a full RC schedule that’s compliant with BS8666-2005.

When the ‘shipping’ version of Revit 2015 is released I will produce a full video showing the capabilities.

Hope this helps,

lawrenceH

This will be a very interesting year with regards to steel detailing, fabrication and Autodesk software. A few months back Autodesk purchased Graitec Advance Steel and Advance Concrete to extend their offering in the steel detailing & fabrication industry. The only other Autodesk product was AutoCAD Structural Detailing which I would imagine will start to disappear from the various Autodesk suites that included this as there have been very few developments with this software for the past couple of years

This year Revit 2015 has seem some great interface improvements with regards to the justification points on steel and precast members and member offsets. We will begin by looking at the justification point tool.

This is essentially an ease of use improvement to an existing set of tools to offset steel, timber or precast member both laterally or vertically from the original position to predefined points. This will only reposition the physical position of the member and leave the analytical model unchanged.  The tool can be used equally well in plan, elevation and sections as well as 3D views.

The offset command will reposition the framing member graphically in the Y and Z axis. This is a much easier way of offsetting the structural framing members.

The change Reference tool is perhaps my favourite new framing tool in Revit 2015, this tool allows the user to select a new reference for the end of a joined beam and then cycle between these references by using the Change Reference command. See the image below.

Another interesting feature is an existing tool from Revit 2013, the humble shape handle. For those of you that didn’t use Revit 2013 or earlier releases the shape handles allowed a steel, precast or timber framing member to have its physical length changed graphically. Revit 2014 omitted this tool and instead relied on the user inputting values into the Properties Palette which was slightly frustrating!

Structural Framing members can now also carry more information about the members physical dimension as well as analysis properties. Each Framing family now has a new category called Section Shape Property.

Once again I will create a detailed tutorial video on these features when I have access to the final shipping release of Revit 2015.

Enjoy,

lawrenceh

In previous releases of Autodesk Revit you have to add your own hidden detail into family files or use Show Hidden lines and these are then shown in the relevant views.

However, there are issues with this method. Consider the image below showing the structural framing on a roof plan. Notice that the raking steels do not show the hidden detail of the web because they are not 90 degrees (Normal) to the view!

A quick fix for this in Revit 2015 is to use the new feature of Show Hidden Lines which is found in the Properties Palette for views such as plans, elevations, sections etc. 

In the below example I have set this feature to all so all hidden detail is shown. Note that you may have to change your View range settings to allow Revit to show hidden detail of objects outside of this range.

The new Show Hidden Lines command has the following options:

LawrenceH

Here is a sneak preview of what will very soon be available as part of our Excitech Revit Toolkit, these familes have been designed to work with our toolkit to facilitate the scheduling of levels and piles.

Optimised for use with our Excitech Revit Toolkit, this extensive library of Pile and Pile Cap families will operate seamlessly within your structural projects and offers many new parameters to facilitate the creation of pile schedules and associated documentation. The range starts from singular piles up to groups of 14, supporting both round and square piles with differing configurations and presented using standard UK pile spacing and edge clearances in conformance to BS8110 and Eurocode 7.

We are also pleased to offer full integration with the Federation of Piling Specialists (FPS) and our schedules can be imported into the FPS Microsoft Excel spread sheet.

Check this location in the next few weeks,

http://www.excitech.co.uk/products/Revit-Toolkit.asp

LawrenceH

A small change has been made to the method of transferring models between Autodesk Revit 2015 and Autodesk Robot 2015 which is a little different from the 2014 products.

This change will only affect users that need to transfer data via a .rtd file, if you have Revit and Robot installed on the same machine then the transfer method is the same.

In the dialog box below you can see that the .rtd file has been removed and you now need to use the intermediate file (.smxx). This has been implemented to improve the data that can be shared between applications.

When importing the .smxx into Autodesk Robot Structural Analysis you will need to use the following method shown below. You cannot directly open the .smxx file.