Revit Architecture 2009
Revit Architecture 2009 Brochure
Revit Architecture Questions and Answers
Revit MEP 2009
Revit MEP 2009 Brochure
Revit MEP Questions and Answers
3ds Max Design 2009
Brochure
What is 3ds Max Design 2009
Features and Benefits
Autodesk Impression 2
Features
Questions and Answers
Read more...
From reading the original Autodesk press release, it seemed a little fuzzy as to whether impression would be available to Revit users.
We're having a class offered nationally via webcast on Friday 2/29 9am - 5pm est.
We have a few spaces left for this month's class.
Cost is $395. Click here for a copy of the proposal and return it by Thursday evening.
Even if you're purchasing Broutek content, this class will help you manipulate existing content.
Learn how to add M/E/P connectors and parameters.
This course is designed for Revit users in MEP firms who have been using the Revit platform on projects. It is recommended that participants be familiar with the Revit platform, interface and use.
The course will cover the creation of Revit family content (.rfa) for any of the Revit Platform products presently being used in the A/E, BIM world. It is available to anyone through attendance at our Fort Lauderdale training center or via our Web based “live” training programs.
Creating Family content for Revit products is in high demand and as a result of your participation in this training you will be able to create any family content for your business and as a result be able to complete Revit projects in a timely manner with robust content that can be extracted to schedules, and any data base which accepts ODBC (Open Database Connectivity).
Hands-on exercises throughout the course demonstrate the techniques that are taught. The exercises are provided with both printed materials and databases in hard copy and electronic format for screen viewing. The material content of the course is partially provided by the Autodesk Corporation and includes custom content developed by the technical staff of CADD Centers of Florida.
#Broutek
Read more...Well, you and Autodesk have done it again. Despite our turbulent times in the AEC industry, Autodesk still managed to sell another 21,000 seats of Revit last quarter. We're up to 263,000 seats sold of Revit.
Every month 7,000 more people get the luxury of becoming BIMwits.
We're getting closer to the EndOfTheLine.CC (my special little reference to Revit replacing AutoCAD)
I'd like to thank all of you visiting me, die hard Revit users and curious newbies alike.
I'm proud to be a part of the Revitlution and am looking forward to 25,000 seats sold per month.
It's kind of funny because in talking to various Revit users, there's two distinct camps.
The liberals who want to tell everyone about Revit and get the whole world to switch today and
the conservatives who don't want anyone to know they're using Revit so they have a competitive
advantage over their competition.
One of our oldest customer's email me to after trying Revit was "Oh my God, this is amazing. I'll never draft again".
During our conversation when I asked him to tell other architects about Revit, he replied,
"No way, let them keep using AutoCAD."
Now, stop playing on the internet and go generate some billable time!
Gregory
Read more...
| I know you didn't come here to do math, but I think I've made it pretty simple in the charts below. | |||||||||
| Bottom line is: It's more economical and efficient to have BIMparts.us make your content than it is to hire a full time family creator. We're the US Distributor and the prices below reflect the 5% Revit3d.com discount if you purchase Broutek content through us. Please contact me for purchasing information. | |||||||||
| Just look at yesterday's posting as an example. It took BIMparts.us 3 days to create the Zee equipment and the customer paid $240 US. It would have taken any Revit user a week (40 * $60/hour = $2400). That's quite a significant savings on time and money. | |||||||||
| Here's the link to this spreadsheet | |||||||||
| BIMparts.us Pricing versus creating your own family objects | |||||||||
| Below is a variety of spreadsheets for you to see how much more beneficial it would be to outsource your content create to BIMparts.us. | |||||||||
| Salary / Cost/Family Object | |||||||||
| Hours /Object | Objects /Year | Objects /Week | Objects /Day | $ 20,000 | $ 30,000 | $ 40,000 | $ 50,000 | $ 60,000 | $ 70,000 |
| 1 | 2,080 | 40.0 | 8 | 10 | 14 | 19 | 24 | 29 | 34 |
| 2 | 1,040 | 20.0 | 4 | 19 | 29 | 38 | 48 | 58 | 67 |
| 3 | 693 | 13.3 | 2.7 | 29 | 43 | 58 | 72 | 87 | 101 |
| 4 | 520 | 10.0 | 2 | 38 | 58 | 77 | 96 | 115 | 135 |
| 5 | 416 | 8.0 | 1.6 | 48 | 72 | 96 | 120 | 144 | 168 |
| 6 | 347 | 6.7 | 1.3 | 58 | 87 | 115 | 144 | 173 | 202 |
| 7 | 297 | 5.7 | 1.1 | 67 | 101 | 135 | 168 | 202 | 236 |
| 8 | 260 | 5.0 | 1 | 77 | 115 | 154 | 192 | 231 | 269 |
| Architect Employee Example | |||||||||
| 4 Hours/Object = 2 Objects/Day = 10 Objects/Week = 520 Objects/Year | |||||||||
| $40,000 Salary 520 Objects = $77/Object | |||||||||
| None of this includes the cost of another computer, Revit, subscription and overhead | |||||||||
| BIMparts.us Pricing | |||||||||
| Package Price | Package Qty | Cost/ Family | Number of Family Objects Created by BIMparts.us using the above salary as a budget | ||||||
| $ 20,000 | $ 30,000 | $ 40,000 | $ 50,000 | $ 60,000 | $ 70,000 | ||||
| 285 | 5 | 57.00 | 351 | 526 | 702 | 877 | 1,053 | 1,228 | |
| 532 | 10 | 53.20 | 376 | 564 | 752 | 940 | 1,128 | 1,316 | |
| 988 | 20 | 49.40 | 405 | 607 | 810 | 1,012 | 1,215 | 1,417 | |
| 2,280 | 50 | 45.60 | 439 | 658 | 877 | 1,096 | 1,316 | 1,535 | |
| 4,180 | 100 | 41.80 | 478 | 718 | 957 | 1,196 | 1,435 | 1,675 | |
| 7,600 | 200 | 38.00 | 526 | 789 | 1,053 | 1,316 | 1,579 | 1,842 | |
| 15,200 | 500 | 30.40 | 658 | 987 | 1,316 | 1,645 | 1,974 | 2,303 | |
| BIMparts.us Example @ $40,000 Budget | |||||||||
| 0.63/Object = 5 Objects/Day = 25 Objects/Week = 1316 Objects/Year | |||||||||
| $40,000 Budget 1316 Objects = $30.4/Object | |||||||||
| BIMparts.us Package Quantity and Cost/Family | |||||||||
| # Objects Needed/ Year | 5 | 10 | 20 | 50 | 100 | 200 | 500 | = Qty | |
| 57.00 | 53.20 | 49.40 | 45.60 | 41.80 | 38.00 | 30.40 | = Rate | ||
| 2,080 | 118,560 | 110,656 | 102,752 | 94,848 | 86,944 | 79,040 | 63,232 | ||
| 1,040 | 59,280 | 55,328 | 51,376 | 47,424 | 43,472 | 39,520 | 31,616 | ||
| 693 | 39,520 | 36,885 | 34,251 | 31,616 | 28,981 | 26,347 | 21,077 | ||
| 520 | 29,640 | 27,664 | 25,688 | 23,712 | 21,736 | 19,760 | 15,808 | ||
| 416 | 23,712 | 22,131 | 20,550 | 18,970 | 17,389 | 15,808 | 12,646 | ||
| 347 | 19,760 | 18,443 | 17,125 | 15,808 | 14,491 | 13,173 | 10,539 | ||
| 297 | 16,937 | 15,808 | 14,679 | 13,550 | 12,421 | 11,291 | 9,033 | ||
| 260 | 14,820 | 13,832 | 12,844 | 11,856 | 10,868 | 9,880 | 7,904 | ||
| BIMparts.us Package | |||||||||
| You need 520 Objects based on the 500 package price of $30.4/object | |||||||||
| Your cost is $15808 | |||||||||
| If you billed at $60/hour and work 2080 hours/year - that's a $124,800 budget, | |||||||||
| if you could make an object every 4 hours totalling 520 objects/year | |||||||||
| That's $240/object = $124800 / 520 | |||||||||
| BIMparts.us - at the 500 pack rate of $30.4/object, you would pay $15808 | |||||||||
| You need 500 objects and it takes you 4 hours @ $60/hour billable rate | |||||||||
| 500 objects x 4 hours = 2000 hours * $60/hour = $120,000 | |||||||||
| You need 500 objects and it takes 1 phone call to BIMparts.us. | |||||||||
| 500 @ 30.4/object = $15808 | |||||||||
| 86.8% savings + the cost of the phone call, of course. | |||||||||
Seeing this sort of work makes me so proud to be the US Broutek Distributor...
how many hours do you think it would take you to create this?
If you figured 8 hours a day and bill at $60/hour for 5 days, it would have cost you $2400.
If you have a Broutek 500 pack, it would have cost you $240.
Make the best use of your Revit time, use Broutek.com for your content creation.
We recently received a request to model the Artis Zee Biplane System, and quickly discovered this was not your run of the mill Revit family. Made by Siemens, the Artis Zee Biplane is a cutting-edge, robotic, medical diagnostic device consisting of a bed, a display arm, a ceiling mounted C-arm, and a base C-arm. The arms, or Zees, as Siemens calls them, are each made up of multiple pieces that rotate or spin along different axes, which allows for tremendous freedom of movement. The bed can also rotate around three axes. And of course our client wanted the ability to freely arrange each element’s position. So we’re talking parameters, parameters, and…more parameters.
“Congrats to you and your team for making such a complex model. The manual is also incredibly helpful for understanding how the parameters have been set up.”
Luckily for us, we have an outstanding team of modelers that more than rose to the occasion. They built the system as one family with four nested files. Since the requirements were to make the Zee system fully movable while still looking great rendered, small file size wasn’t a priority for the client. We first modeled the reference lines laced with their appropriate parameters to act as an “armature” for the geometric model.
The main obstacle during the modeling process proved to be the Zees’ electrical conduits, which were supposed to hang freely depending on the movement of the arms. Making smooth curved geometries that change shape through parameters does tend to be difficult in Revit. More so when those changes are angular rather than linear. After some brainstorming, followed by some trial and error, it was decided that to ensure problem-free movement, the cables should have limited movement; they would stay beside their corresponding arms to avoid parameter errors.
Once the separate families were ready (Zee arms and display arm), they were nested inside the bed family. Their parameters were then linked and materials assigned, completing the family for delivery to the client.
The process of building a complex family like the Zee reinforces some basic principles of successful modeling:
1. Make sure you create families on the right plane
2. Name the reference planes explicitly
3. Flex, flex, and flex again
With its multiple free-moving parts, the Artis Zee Biplane was certainly a family more challenging than most. But in the end our modelers really shined and we came away quite happy with the results. This request gave us the chance to experiment with some new techniques, and to create what we feel is a truly beautiful Revit family.
Cristobal Bernal
Project Manager
Two of our employees were working on a little project linking Revit and Max. Mark created a model in Revit Architecture and exported it to 3ds Max (hold on everyone...it's just 2008, not 2009, but we'll get to that soon enough). Richard took the model and created 6 renderings.
It took Richard 30 hours to create all 6 renderings. That may seem like a long time, but he says it would have taken over 60 hours if he had to do it from an AutoCAD drawing.
Richard's work is exquisite and if you're looking for a an outsourced renderer to give life to your Revit models, visit Richard's site at www.cubestudiosinc.com and let him know I referred you to him.
Now that Mental Ray will be the rendering engine, we'll see how much more time it saves architects to create high quality renderings from their Revit models.
Click here for the link to the actual Revit model so you can play around with it.
Links: All Revit Samples Web Page / Sample File Download Directory
Here are some links to the Revit MEP 2009 Brochure and Customer Questions and Answers
Revit MEP 2009 Brochure
Revit MEP 2008 Questions and Answers
Read more...
Here's a great article forwarded to me by my Director of Implemenation Services and a former CAD Manager
BIM is a disruptive technology. Revit is a disruptive tool.
According to Wikipedia ” A disruptive technology or disruptive innovation is a technological innovation, product, or service that uses a “disruptive” strategy, rather than a “sustaining” strategy, to overturn the existing dominant technologies or status quo products in a market. Disruptive innovations can be broadly classified into low-end and new-market disruptive innovations. A new-market disruptive innovation is often aimed at non-consumption, whereas a lower-end disruptive innovation is aimed at mainstream customers who were ignored by established companies. Sometimes, a disruptive technology comes to dominate an existing market by either filling a role in a new market that the older technology could not fill (as more expensive, lower capacity but smaller-sized hard disks did for newly developed notebook computers in the 1980s) or by successively moving up-market through performance improvements until finally displacing the market incumbents (as digital photography has begun to replace film photography).”
BIM is displacing CAD in some arenas. Or at the very least it is attempting to fulfill the promise of CAD.
As such, BIM requires a new way of thinking and challenges the status quo. Here are a few areas that I see as being disrupted by Revit.
Workflow - just the way we get things done is impacted by BIM. BIM demands that we change the way we work. No longer can we use the tried and true. We must create a “new true”. Approaching BIM from a CAD mindset may get you into trouble. It may prevent you from seeing any benefit from Revit. Trying to fit Revit into your CAD world is like Ross trying to get back into his leather pants.
Old Habits - Toss them out. We need to create new habits. The old ones don’t work anymore. Working in Revit will force changes on the old way of doing things.
Project Teams - they are smaller than on CAD projects. Two or three people can do the work of 5-6. Because Revit does so much with so few software demands, there is no need for multiple people doing the same thing.
Coordination - With Revit and tools like NavisWorks and IFC’s and links to other Revit models and SketchUp, coordinating between disciplines and others becomes easier.
Levels of Design Detail - Where do you draw the line? Since we are no longer drawing lines, we need to define what is enough, not enough and too much detail in a model.
Financial Flow - changes to when the labor hours are spent and billing the client earlier in the process have to be rethought. If 25% more of your hours are going into SD and DD phases, you will be chasing the dollars unless you bill the client sooner.
Many more areas need to be investigated again as we move deeper into the tools for BIM and change the workflow of our design teams.
CAD Manager - get with it. There is a lot of change happening in the design world. None of it can just be ignored like the spare change on your dresser or the bottom of your purse.
If you are in an industry that is embracing a tool like Revit, then you need to get with the program and start changing for the new times.
CAD Managers must not get stuck in a 2D world.
I know many CAD Managers that have been doing 3D for years. They have taken their firms and themselves to the next level already. They are at the forefront of the technology push and are actually leading the way. The title CAD Manager does not mean that the only tool you use and promote is 2D CAD. There are some new titles that are popping up, like BIM Manager and BIM Model Coordinator, but they are redefinitions of CAD Manager roles. It is a manager that is needed.
This kind of dramatic change has happened before.
While it may be true that the current advancement in software functionality is dynamic, there have been many such transitional phases that we have migrated through. Board drafting to CAD, the introduction of reference files, the use of Paper Space and now the move to 3D/BIM. Transitions happen all the time. Some may be small steps and others wholesale overturning of the status quo. Revit use demands that we stop thinking in terms of linear CAD processes and think spatially. Start thinking in 3D.
Change must be managed.
And who better to do that than someone who has “been there, done that”. CAD Managers are use to focusing and managing change. They do it all the time. Changing to a 3D tool may require you to think outside the 2D box. Don’t get stuck in a Layer List. Move into Property Management. Become “Family” friendly.
CADDManager Blog Practical, proven insight into CADD Management from Mark W. Kiker
http://www.caddmanager.com/CMB/journals/cmj-feb-2008/revit-demands-pt1-think-again/
In Revit MEP 2009, spaces will populate automatically from architectural spaces, and slivers (unoccupied spaces) can more easily be dealt with. Revit MEP will also now be able to deal with mechanical zones. The heating and cooling dialog has been updated to show spaces and zones, and the resulting report enhanced to include check sum values. Users will also be able to export light fixture data to IES to do lighting calculations.
For plumbing, flow values are now converted from fixture units and a slope tool shows which way pipe is sloping. According to the product specialist I spoke with, the new release includes much more 3D content, although I did not get a chance to see how extensive this new collection of components really is. Users can also bring 3D AutoCAD blocks into the Family Editor.
Users will now be able to model in elevation and section views. There's also a tag on placement option and the ability to add MEP detail lines as separate objects from architectural detail lines. And of course, all three versions of Revit 2009 will use Autodesk's mental ray rendering engine."
http://revit-up.blogspot.com/2008/02/more-revit-2009-news.html
Read more...
Autodesk also showed off a new technology under development, codenamed 'Newport.' Autodesk representatives prefaced the demonstration by asking 'What if visualization could be easy? What if it could be learned over lunch?' Newport was initially talked about at Autodesk University, but today we got a chance to actually see Newport in action.
Running on a system with multiple quad-core CPUs, Newport is a 'sandbox' for visualization that eliminates many existing limitations. This R&D application was able to render a Revit-based model placed into its real-world environment, with photorealistic materials and lighting and interactive motion and animation in real-time. It understands the Revit model. Users can dial in a stylistic scheme and then replace it later with a more realistic scheme. It can handle real-time presentations and HD-quality output.
I'll finish off this posting with a video of the Newport technology demonstration.
[Disclaimer: Remember that this is a technology demonstration only. This is not a product and may never actually be available as a product. Also please note that this video was shot from an LCD display using a handheld camera.]
Posted by David Cohn at 2:41 PM RevitUp: More Revit 2009 News:
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Click here for information and to sign up
Well, I personally couldn't have asked for anything more than this.
Autodesk is launching the 2009 World Tour in my home town Miami Beach where it's currently 20 below.
Well, it's 20 below 100, but who's counting.
Agenda:
7:00 – 8:30 AM Registration jpiety
7:00 – 9:00 AM Autodesk Expo and Continental Breakfast
9:00 – 10:30 AM Autodesk Industry Sessions
10:30 –11:00 AM Autodesk Expo and Break
11:00 – 12:30 PM Autodesk Industry Sessions
12:30 – 2:00 PM Lunch and Learn‖ hosted by Autodesk Authorized VAR
2:00 – 3:30 PM Autodesk Industry Sessions, including AutoCAD Tips and Tricks
April
4/22 Miami Beach
4/24 Washington DC
4/29 Philadelphia
May
5/1 Dallas
5/13 Detroit
5/14 Toronto
5/28 Denver
5/30 Houston
June
6/5 Montreal
6/10 Anaheim
6/12 San Francisco
6/17 Chicago
6/19 Vancouver
6/24 Calgary
6/26 Edmonton
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Last night we were a participant of the AIA West Palm Beach Design Build Show. I had some great conversations from principals to Pella windows (who I recommended contact my friends at Broutek.com to create their whole library of windows as Revit RFA family objects with parameters to help you calculate LEED certification. Please call your local Pella rep and lobby them to do this. In fact, call all of your reps and ask them to do this).
This year's show seemed different than previous shows. Although Florida's architectural pipeline is way down, there was a great turnout for this event. I hope it wasn't just for the CEU credits. People actually knew what Revit is. No longer were they calling it Rabbit, , Ravit, Rivet or Rabid. Finally, the masses are becoming BIMwits. Anyone else in the channel reading this, I'm sure you're amused and cringe when people mispronounce Revit. Do you correct them or just let them call it whatever they want. At least it's less painful then a customer telling you they're running Autodesk 2005. Uh, Autodesk is the company, do you mean Architectural Desktop? Oh, uh yeah, we're running AutoCAD.
Well, things finally seem different now. Everyone wanted to see Revit. The resistance is less pronounced. We've finally made progress. Wait, what's that? We're not moving to Revit because our engineers aren't using it?
One of my favorite lines of the night was an architect telling me he had to upgrade to AutoCAD 2008 because his engineer did and was forcing him to upgrade. What has this world come to? An engineer telling the architect what software to use? That's just crazy talk. Here' comes the all caps commentary.
START TELLING YOUR ENGINEERS TO DOWNLOAD THE TRIAL OF REVIT STRUCTURE AND REVIT MEP. AFTER 30 DAYS, THE FULLY FUNCTIONAL TRIALS BECOME INFINITE DEMOS/VIEWERS. YOU CAN PRACTICE ON ALL OF THE REVIT PRODUCTS FOREVER. (YOU JUST CAN'T SAVE OR EXPORT). HAVE YOUR ENGINEERS PRACTICE WITH REVIT AND GET COMFORTABLE WITH IT. YOU JUST MAY BE SURPRISED THAT THEY ACTUALLY LIKE IT AND WILL SWITCH TO IT. SWITCH? OOPS. ALL REVIT PRODUCTS COME BUNDLED WITH AUTOCAD. YOU DON'T HAVE TO SWITCH. YOU WILL ALWAYS HAVE BOTH. WHAT'S THE DOWNSIDE TO HAVING FREE TRIAL SOFTWARE TO GET COMFORTABLE WITH OVER THE NEXT YEAR OR TWENTY? NONE WHATSOEVER!
Now, please stop waiting for your engineers to get Revit before you do. They're not going to. They're sitting there waiting for you to tell them to get it. When you have it, they will get it, got it? Tell them to go to bimbuilder.com/start.
I also got a "but Revit can't do construction documents. You can only use it for conceptual design.
- Did you actually try Revit?
No, my friend's brother in law's cousin's uncle's stepbrother's teenager read something on MySpace.com.
- Oh, well, take a look at this set of blueprints I brought to the show and you tell me.
Wow, Revit did all this?
- Yes, and the door schedules and all section, detail, elevation and call outs were created automatically.
Oh, do you have a brochure or trial.....
OK, this has become a full Revit rant, so I'll get back on track. Green Building. Many of the conversations last night were about LEED design. What if the State of Florida gave property tax breaks for green building designs? Would that motivate developers to offset construction costs with green initiatives? Give green and get green. Let's hope so.
We ran out of Revit trials and resorted to telling people to come here to Revit3D.com to download the trials. I think we're making real progress with Revit and with the new 2009 release, this could be the year.
So, If you're in the AIA, you can take your ADT DWG, export it to IFC, you can import it into RVT and use IES ASAP and add an RFA and face it SE and upload it as a GBXML for the USGBC especially if you're a LEED AP and we'll all live happily ever after with BIM and don't forget to buy 100 shares of ADSK and make lots of USD. C U L8TR
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Tonight, I attended a lecture by the President, CEO & Founding Chairman of U.S. Green Building Council, Richard Fedrizzi. It was compelling, passionate and wonderful. The progress the Council has made in terms of environmentally, motivationally, politically and emotionally is phenomenal. Emotionally may not be the right word, but the numbers are staggering as to the amount of energy consumed by our residential and commercial buildings.
Don't become LEED accredited because you're trying to get additional business or because a client wants a green building. Do it because it's the right thing to do. Make your building use less water, electricity and make the occupants happier.
One of the most fascinating statistics Richard talked about, was how green hospitals discharged patients faster, green schools had students with better grades, green office buildings had higher productivity and green retail facilities had higher sales. Happy buildings make for happy people. Natural light, well circulated air, toxic free materials all make our world a better place.
Please join the chapter closest to you. Learn about green. Promote it. Incorporate it into your life and your work. Green buildings have become the new Class A buildings of the 21st century. Building owners can get higher rents and the Return on Investment is greater than the cost to get LEED certification.
Richard inspired me tonight to do more to promote LEED. We've actively been working with LEED and BIM and I'm going to see what our company can do to create classes to help you deliver LEED certified buildings faster and easier with Revit's tools and associated programs. Joe, if you're reading this, here's another piece of the puzzle for you to add to your skill set. Mark, this means you too!!!
For the rest of you, go to the US Green Building Council website http://www.usgbc.org/.
Join a chapter, get the Member benefits, and get your accreditation.
Thank you.
Gregory
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Revit Rants: Join Geometry Secrets: "This is an interesting little trick that I've taken for granted for some time now and didn't realise a lot of people weren't aware of it.
If two adjacent walls are within say 25mm of each other and you use join geometry between the two walls (they don't even need to touch) the two walls inherit the openings of the other.
This is very handy when you are forced to model finish layers separately in some situations. Saves you doing the unthinkable and using the evil 'edit profile' option...
HTH.
Posted by Chris at 5:56 PM"
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The BIM Manager is not just a nice to have but rather a fundamental member of a model-based design process. The BIM Manager’s multi-faceted skills have a direct effect on the quality of projects and the reduction of overall project execution time. This streamlined workflow provides architects more time for design, more value for clients, and more profit.
From CAD to BIM
Medium and large sized firms that have or are about to implement Building Information Modeling (BIM) are quickly realizing that there is one position that must be in place in order to achieve success—the BIM Manager. Since the advent of CAD systems, a position that has made the difference in the effective utilization and dramatic productivity gains has been the CAD Manager. The better a firm is organized, the more success can be achieved. It has always been amazing to see how much the CAD Manager is a key to lubricating the machinery of a firm. Unless a firm has clearly defined standards and process, they are bound to get into trouble.
But for some firms, there seems to be a belief that BIM tools do not require as much dedicated management and that teams can rely on the software to self-manage the movement to and automation of the process. For projects of any size, this is not sound logic and will likely lead to trouble!
Continue Reading, especially if you're an AutoCAD CAD Manager The New “Must Have”—The BIM Manager: AECbytes Viewpoint #34:
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"Recently I have been commissioned to tap into the Autodesk Revit API, and create external commands for Revit Structure (Applies for Revit Architecture as well).
Documentation is limited, and there are few experts in Australia at present. I have used the AUGI Forum community, the API SDK Samples, and this API Webcast to get me going."
If you plan on writing a lot of different external commands, then chances are, you're going to be best served with a Visual Studio template. I'm still using Visual Studio 2005 with .Net 2.0, but I wouldn't imagine it would be much different in visual studio 2008. I am also using C#, rather than visual basic, as most of the examples are in C#, and it is my choice of language.
To get you started, reading the introduction material in the API SDK is going to get you started, there is a word document there, then you will have a good idea of what I am doing.
Continue Reading - Rod Dot Net: Setting up a template for Revit API External Commands:
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Look, I'm all I'm saying is that I found these on the web randomly, even though somebody posted them in what I thought was violation of the embargo. I'm not saying anything, I'm not distributing anything, I've just copied and pasted two links for no apparent reason. I didn't even do anything, it's that new action recorder feature.
My channel partner at Autodesk told me it was OK, and I'm doing this in no officially business related capacity, just randomly cutting and pasting items on the internet...I'm not even suggesting you click on the pretty blue lines below. I suggest you just turn away from the monitor and don't let those sexy blue lines below need your loving attention and draw your mouse cursor closer and closer. My wife says I'm doing the best I can under the circumstances. She's a bona fide attorney, but hasn't slept in 3 weeks because of our new baby, but who can ignore anything their lovingly wonderful maternal wife says.
I'm not saying what it is, maybe it's BREW, SURE it is....Mystery Link One-Revit Architecture 2009 Brochure
The second relates to Infrequently Responded to Answers...Mystery Link Two-Revit Architecture 2009 Q&A
They're just PDF file links in case you're wondering.
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This posting is from http://autodesk-revit.blogspot.com/
Following on from my recent post about the new navigation tools in the Revit 2009 products, Kyle Bernhardt, one of the product managers for Revit MEP, kindly dropped me a link to his "Insider the System" Revit MEP blog where he has details on the navigation tools along with a video. Check it out at....
http://inside-the-system.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/02/a-new-way-to-vi.html
****************************************
Officially, your not supposed to see this because there's still an embargo on 2009 products, but it's from an Autodesk employee, so it must be OK. I'm trying to get clarification from Autodesk on what I can and cannot show you before official release dates. From the traffic on my site, I know you all want to know everything you can.
Presenting, live video of Revit 2009. It's a video of the new view cube feature.
Personally, I've been playing around with it and I think it's awesome. Why? Because when you're rotating the model, sometimes you lose track of what direction the model is facing. Clicking on the viewcube is a fast and easy way to orient the model exactly where you want it. Factor in sunshade studies and placing your building to maximize exposure efficiency is pretty cool stuff.
-
On another note, I always try to give credit for the sources any of my blog postings that relate to other blogs.
We're all in this together and I will do my best to work with all of the other Revit bloggers together for your benefit.
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3ds Max Design 2009 Features Benefits (pdf - 393Kb) 3ds Max 2009 & 3ds Max Design 2009 FAQ (pdf - 243Kb) 3ds Max 2009 Features & Benefits (pdf - 389Kb) 3ds Max Design 2009 press release (pdf - 40Kb) AEC 2009 BIM Product Release (pdf - 36Kb) AutoCAD Press Release (pdf - 33Kb) Geospatial AWPD press release (pdf - 35Kb) MSD 2009 Press Release (pdf - 41Kb) Autodesk Education Increases Commitment (pdf - 71Kb)
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Two features that Autodesk first created for Design Review will be showing up in Revit 2009 as well as AutoCAD 2009. According to images posted by resellers the View Cube and Steering Wheel (both Autodesk Trademark features) are clearly visible in the Revit interface.
The View Cube is a tool that permits the user to quickly change the viewing position by clicking on a portion of the cube as well as rotating the view by clicking and dragging the mouse around the cube.
The Steering Wheel is meant to provide basic view changes as well as a means to walk around and through a model. You simply click on the portion of the wheel you want to use and drag the mouse to perform the task. You can reposition the center of a view's rotation by choosing the center option and moving the little green "football" to the new location. Then the other features will observe that location as the center of activity. The Rewind feature permits you to go back to a previous viewing condition, like a little slide presentation.
They take a little getting used to. If you haven't seen them in action, take a look at Design Review if you have it, if not get a copy since it is readily available and get used to them now while you have a bit of time.
Tip Radial Dimensions and Annotation Crop Boundary - hokcadsolutions.blogspot.com
Tutorial Curved Wall with a Curved (Arc'd) Top - revit-archcenter.blogspot.com
Tutorial How do I create ceilings in Revit - hokcadsolutions.blogspot.com
Tip Increase the Size of Temporary Dimensions - bimarchitect.blogspot.com
Tip Revit: Hidden Constraints - hokcadsolutions.blogspot.com
Tutorial Creating matchlines in Revit - hokcadsolutions.blogspot.com
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BIM and Digital Fabrication (1-2-3 Revit Tutorial) - Cadalyst AEC: "BIM enables a digital design-to-fabrication workflow.
Feb 1, 2008
By:Rick Rundell, AIA
According to data compiled by Stanford University's Center for Integrated Facility Engineering (CIFE) from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and Department of Commerce, the building construction industry continues to experience falling productivity rates that seem to be getting worse -- not better (Paul Teicholz, 'Labor Productivity Declines in the Construction Industry: Causes and Remedies,' AECbytes.com, April 14, 2004). This data points to fundamental productivity problems facing the building industry and is one of the major causes of unpredictable building outcomes.
Using building information modeling (BIM) to describe the design of a building can facilitate a variety of related building activities, including building construction and digital fabrication of building components. BIM is enabling digital design-to-fabrication workflows for all the building disciplines. This month's column examines this trend by focusing on how structural BIM is being used for the digital fabrication of structural steel and the role of BIM in that digital supply
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I've recently been forced to work on an Autocad project out of necessity (lack of staff). I have to say that after spending 12 hours attempting to somehow remember what I'm doing in Autocad, it just plain sucks. I really truly believe that moving to a non object based Computer Tool like 2D CAD was one of the worst things our industry ever did. We should've stuck with pen & paper until a tool like Revit or Archicad or Tri-Forma came along. At least when we were drafting on paper (or whatever) a person really thought about what it was they were going to represent when that line was drawn, because no one wanted to redraw. With 2D CAD we got the notion of "oh its easy to change". Well yes, its easier to change, but working in 2D CAD has I think also fostered a notion of "we don't really think about what is going on" Now, this is not to say that people don't think when working in CAD, but I think you also can't deny that these ideas do potentially pervade our profession in some form or another, at different levels of intensity. I simply cannot believe how painful it is to manipulate "stuff" in 2D CAD versus an object modeler like Revit. I am so frustrated by this, I simply want to run from my office screaming....
Sorry this isn't much of an informational post, but I'm somewhat frustrated..
Tuesday February 19th 9:00 AM to noon
Sheraton Fort Lauderdale Airport Hotel
1825 Griffin Road • Dania, Florida 33004
There is no cost to attend but seating is limited, so please register now.
A sought-after public speaker with a unique comedic style, Lynn is always one of the highest-rated speakers at Autodesk University. Register quickly to reserve your seat for this exciting, free morning with Lynn Allen.
| Date/Time | Location | |
|---|---|---|
| February 19, 2008 9:00AM - 12:00PM | Fort Lauderdale - Sheraton Fort Lauderdale Airport Hotel |  |
Enjoy it while it lasts....probably one of the last tutorials you'll ever see about accurender before Mental Ray for Revit 2009 comes out... (note: this is an accurender tutorial...stay tuned for Mental Ray tutorials)
This portion of the subject is going to be dealing with lighting. Adding a light source is as easy as adding any component. Actually, a light is a component. How convenient. There are two light sources as well. That ball of fire that warms us called the sun and any window or curtain wall that allows the sun to shine through.
Adding lights
For this example, I am going to render an exterior perspective view. I want to have two wall sconces on the exterior of my building accenting a sweeping window wall. There is also a light source emanating from inside the building as well.
Go to a plan where the lights are going to be placed. The items I am placing are wall sconces. They are in a family that is dependent on a wall to be its host.
* Go to the Rendering tab on the design toolbar.
* Click on the Component button.
* On the Options toolbar click on the Load� button.
* In the Imperial Library, go to Lighting Fixtures, and grab Sconce.rfa
* Place it on an exterior wall.
* Place another if so desired."
....read the rest of this tutorial Autodesk User Group International: "Rendering in Revit Architecture, Part 2
Here's part 1 in case you missed it... Rendering in Revit Architecture, Part 1
Subject: Announcement concerning Autodesk VIZ customers
Purchase Autodesk® 3ds Max® 2008 with Autodesk® Subscription between February 12, 2008 and March 31, 2008, and save instantly. With this purchase customers will also receive an upgrade to either 3ds Max 2009 or 3ds Max Design 2009 at no additional cost when they become available.
Plus, customers will also receive exclusive access to product extensions, e-learning tools, and they will be eligible for all software updates for the duration of their Autodesk Subscription. There’s never been a better time to buy!
Pricing and Availability
Autodesk anticipates that 3ds Max 2009 and 3ds Max Design 2009 will be available in English during spring 2008. The Autodesk suggested retail price for 3ds Max 2009 or 3ds Max Design 2009 software is US$3,495*. The Autodesk suggested retail price to upgrade from 3ds Max 2008 to either 3ds Max 2009 or 3ds Max Design 2009 is US$895*.
From March 31, 2008 to July 17, 2008, existing Autodesk VIZ 2008 software Subscription customers will be able to cross-grade to 3ds Max Design 2009 for US$249**. During this same timeframe, Autodesk VIZ 2006, 2007, and 2008 customers who are not on Autodesk Subscription will be able to cross-grade to 3ds Max Design 2009 for US$895**, if they purchase Autodesk Subscription for 3ds Max Design 2009.
Autodesk Subscription will be available for purchase simultaneously with the product purchase or upgrade. The Autodesk suggested retail pricefor Autodesk Subscription for 3ds Max or 3ds Max Design will be US $495* per year.
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| February 13, 2008 Dear valued Autodesk® VIZ Customer: We continuously work to deliver high-quality solutions and award-winning technologies that exceed your expectations. Integrating visualization into your workflow is about more than just buying software – it is also about investing in the right people with the right skills. With the increasing demands for trained staff and richer toolsets, we noticed a significant movement of Autodesk® VIZ software customers to Autodesk® 3ds Max® software. We also learned that approximately 90% of VIZ customers would prefer to use 3ds Max. In surveying our customers, we learned they want:
To satisfy these desires, we intend to introduce ® 3ds Max® Design 2009 software, a new and uncompromised version of 3ds Max tailored to the needs of architects, designers, engineers, and visualization specialists. In the coming months, we will be working to manage the transition of VIZ customers to 3ds Max Design. As part of this transition, all Autodesk VIZ development efforts are being transferred to 3ds Max Design, and there is no plan for further development of Autodesk VIZ software. To continue to support the immediate needs of our valued VIZ customers, new commercial licenses of VIZ will be available for purchase until August 1, 2008. However, as of March 22, 2008, VIZ subscription will no longer be able to be renewed or be available for purchase. Standard technical support services will continue to be available until March 31, 2009. For customers wishing to make a quicker transition to Autodesk 3ds Max Design, special one-time promotions and learning resources will be available beginning March 31, 2008. Be on the look-out for more information coming your way over the next few weeks regarding the promotions and learning resources. Autodesk® VIZ Subscription customers are invited to take advantage of the upcoming VIZ Pro Booleans Extension, which is planned for release on March 31, 2008. Autodesk values you as a customer and is grateful for your continued loyalty as we grow together in an evolving marketplace. Sincerely,
Autodesk is a registered trademark of Autodesk, Inc., in the USA and/or other countries. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders. Autodesk reserves the right to alter product offerings and specifications at any time without notice, and is not responsible for typographical or graphical errors that may appear in this document. © 2008 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved. |
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