The Building Coder: Revit and Dragonfly

Reposted from: http://thebuildingcoder.typepad.com/blog/2009/05/revit-and-dragonfly.html

This is based on a note I received from Emile Kfouri, the Autodesk Senior BIM Platform Manager in the AEC Solutions Division. The Dragonfly team sent an e-mail recently to inform us that Dragonfly has the ability to export a model to Revit using the Revit API.

What is Dragonfly?

Dragonfly is a web-based application for home improvement projects targeting entry level 'designers' like the home owner. Dragonfly's intuitive design tools help you rapidly create and furnish a floor plan, experimenting in real time with your ideas in 2D and 3D before making it real. Dragonfly also enables you to share any saved designs with others by clicking the 'Share' icon in the upper left hand corner of the Designer window. The site has seen very brisk traffic since its launch in March.

For professional designers who use Dragonfly, you can export the floor plan and furnishings as a Revit RVT file.

Dragonfly is the second Autodesk SaaS or 'software as a service' solution that uses Revit technology in the back end. The original trail blazers were the SEEK team.

All you need to do is log on to Dragonfly.

Here is a quick example in three steps:

1. Design your building:

2. Select Export to Revit:

3. Open the model in Revit:

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AIA E202-2008 BIM Protocol Exhibit (9 page PDF)

I'm sure all of you have already seen, read and memorized this document, but for those of you in denial as to the future of the AEC industry, have a look at this PDF.
This is a critical document to answer a lot of your questions on how to share the BIM Database with others.

PDF Link - AIA E202-2008

E202-2008, written by practitioners from across the industry, provides the contractual structure for managing the use of Building Information Modeling (BIM) across a project. It also is the first AIA document written exclusively to advance the use of BIM on building projects.

From the outset of a project, it creates an environment that encourages model authors to share their models with downstream users, designers, contractors, schedulers, cost estimators and fabricators.

This a practical tool, among other things:

• Specifies who is responsible for authoring each element of the model at each project phase, so no major design elements are missed or left unaddressed.
• Defines the extent to which downstream model users can use and rely on the model for scheduling, pricing, fabricating and construction.
• Assigns management of the model to a specific party by project phase, so there's no confusion about who is managing the model at any time.

If you would like more information about the latest AIA Contract Documents update, please visit www.aiacontractdocuments.org.

Thank you.

AIA Contract Documents

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Andekan Revit Plumbing Pack now available - over 700 objects

For those of you who've complained that there's never enough Revit MEP content, I'm proud to announce that Andekan, the world leader in the highest quality Revit content, has just this minute, released the first of their Revit Family Content Packs.

It's really an incredible deal when you figure that it's only $52/family for the 67 main families, or even better, $4.98 per object when you consider the over 700 objects within this fully parametric set of content. The best part is that they're fully functional for use within Revit Architecture, Structure and MEP. That makes them even more valuable because they include all of the parameters necessary to do design and analysis. It would take you hours to recreate each of these objects on your own and that doesn't even factor in the parameters that Andekan's years of research and development provides.


Available Now! $3,999.00 Purchase by June 1st and save $500 ($3495)! Contact me today for details on how to take advantage of this offer.

Fully Parametric

Our US Plumbing Starter Pack contains 67 state-of-the-art, fully parametric, imperial Revit families. Speed up your work and improve the quality of your projects with these geometrically precise and light-weight models.

Manufacturer–Specific

Access over 700 of the most popular piping and fixture products from Tyler, Zurn, American Standard, Nibco, and Smith.

Optimized for Revit

Tested by senior plumbing engineers, these families are designed to get the most out of Revit 2009 and Revit 2010. See objects at the appropriate level of detail in plan views, section views, and 3D views. The Pack also comes with a Revit project file containing all mechanical settings and system families, allowing for easy import via Revit’s “transfer project standards” feature.

67 Piping and Fixture Revit Families (702 products) from Tyler, Zurn, American Standard, Nibco, and Smith.

American Standard

• Selectronic Lynbrook Maybrook FloWise – Elongated ChinaLUX – Two Piece Aqualyn Declyn

NIBCO

• Couplings – 58-48 01 Trap Adapter – 58-48 01 Hub x Hub Bends – 58-48 06 07 08 60 Quarter Bend w-Low Inlet Heel – 58-48 61-LH Spigot x Hub Bends – 58-48 06-2 07-2 08-2 60-2 Double Quarter Bend – 58-48 37 Sanitary and Reducing Sanitary Tee – 58-48 11 Street – Sanitary and Reducing Sanitary Tee – 58-48 11-2 Double Sanitary Tee – 58-48 35 Vent Tee – 58-48 11-V Two Way Cleanout – 58-48 11-C Double Long Turn TY – 58-48 36 Long Radius TY – 58-48 12-LR Wye – 58-48 10 Street Wye – 58-48 10-2 Double Wye – 58-48 34 Return Bend – 58-48 78 P-Trap – 58-48 85 P-Trap w-Cleanout – 58-48 84 P-Trap w-Union Joint – 58 92B 92-C

Smith

• Carrier – 0210DY Carrier – 0210LY 0220LY Carrier – 0210RY 0220RY Carrier – 0240L 0240LY Carrier – 0240R 0270RY Carrier – 0240D 0270D 0240DY Floor Drain – 2010CA Floor Drain – 2010CB
  

Tyler Pipe

• No-Hub – Quarter Bend No-Hub – Tapped Short Quarter Bend No-Hub – Double Quarter Bend No-Hub – Sanitary Short Bends No-Hub – Sanitary Long Bends No-Hub – Long Sweep No-Hub – Wye No-Hub – Double Wye No-Hub – Combination Wye No-Hub – Double Combination No-Hub – Tapped Wye No-Hub – Sanitary Tee No-Hub – Sanitary Cross No-Hub – Sanitary Tapped Cross No-Hub – Concentric Reducer No-Hub – P Trap No-Hub – P Trap w-Half Inch Tap No-Hub – Running Trap w-Double Vent No-Hub – Two Way Cleanout Service Pipe – Bend Service Pipe – Double Quarter Bend Service Pipe – Long Bend Service Pipe – Sanitary Cross Service Pipe – Double Wye Service Pipe – H Branch Service Pipe – P Trap No-Hub

Zurn

• Siphon – Z1204-2ND4 Carrier – Z1214 Waste Water Drains – Z415-B Heavy Duty Drain – Z610 Carrier – Z1204-H

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