New Web update available for Revit Architecture, Structure and MEP

To download go to this internet page for Revit Structure.

Object Enabler for Civil 3D

I did not test it, but it seems very interesting.

Look at this Autodesk site. There you can download a Civil 3D Object Enabler. This should help you see Object information in other applications different from Civil like NavisWorks, AutoCAD, ....

Great! I will test it

Back from the BIMstorm

It was great. With a number of 50 participants we were able to integrate models from different platforms and disciplines together into one big "Super BIM model" and next to this we were able to add Custom properties to our objects that could be shared with anyone else in the BIMcaseweek (all in Dutch).

It looks like a small step. But I think this is very important!

Import SKP into Revit - units again!

When importing/linking Google Sketchup files into Revit the units can be a problem. Especially when you are working in mm in Revit...

Let's see...

The steps:
- Open Revit
- Create a Mass
- Within the Mass go to File\Import/Link\CAD Formats
- Use for Import units: Auto-detect
- Select SKP for the file type and search your Google Sketchup file
- Finish Mass

You will notice that the linked Sketchup object is too small! Although you have set the units in Google Sketchup to mm. Strange isn't it?!

- Select the Mass
- Hit the Edit button in the Option bar
- Select the Imported Sketchup object
- Go to the Element properties and you will see this.
The import units is set to inch and the scale factor to 1.000

- Change the scale factor to 1000. Do NOT change the units

That's all!

BIMstorm or BIMcaseweek in the Netherlands

From 17 to 21 November 2008 a BIMcaseweek is organised in the Netherlands. It is all about BIM and using different kind of applications (like Revit, NavisWorks), by different parties in one large project (buildings and infrastructure are integrated in this BIMcaseweek).

Unfortunately, the whole site is in Dutch. But keep looking to this site, it will be updated frequently in that week!

Revit and Navisworks - the issue Shared coordinates

I ran into this problem several times. The strange thing is when you link Revit files and use Shared coordinates it all seems to work fine. Even, exporting to AutoCAD gives you the right coordinates if you set the Export options to Shared properly!
However, when exporting to NavisWorks using the NWC exporter the coordinates are handled in a strange way....

How is this possible? I figured this out...

First of all, let's start with a good Shared Coordinate Revit file (see another post of me, click here). So, in this way I am sure that it is a coorect file.

Next to this imagine the following: besides the Shared Coordinate Origin there is also a Revit Origin. And most of the times the latter give the problems!


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To test the whole thing, I created an AutoCAD drawing with an AutoCAD block set on the WCS origin and a block put on the project location.

Next I created a Revit project with an Origin family.
By using an imported AutoCAD DWG (origin-to-origin) that has on the WCS an AutoCAD Block located, I am sure about the origin location in Revit.

I exported this using the NavisWorks exporter to a NWC file. Opened it in NavisWorks and also append the AutoCAD DWG file. They match in NavisWorks. I mean, the WCS from the AutoCAD DWG and the Revit origin from the RVT-project are on the same location. Great!

But now, I will use the method (Shared Coordinates) as descibed in a previous post.
So in Revit, the AutoCAD Project location is placed on top of the Revit origin by moving it. After that by using acquire, the right coordinates are used in Revit. After exporting this to NavisWorks the Revit origin appears on the WCS of the DWG and not on the project location!


So, there it is. When exporting to NavisWorks the export uses the Revit internal origin instead of the Shared coordinates. So, keep that in mind when you are using Revit together with other CAD-applications