Model Review - What's in the Model

During a visit with a client this morning, I was reminded on a common task we perform to review models. One of the first things I like to do when reviewing models is see how the Revit sheets were put together. Is the geometry from model elements, Revit's 2D elements or CAD.

Our process is very simple. We simply compare the original sheets provided by the designer to sheets we create out of Revit after we get rid of any linked CAD files, CAD imports and Revit's 2D linework. We then use the power of Bluebeam to compare the two sets of PDFs. Bluebeam will highlight the differences between the two sets of PDF's.

Why is the beneficial? It really depends on how you intend to use the model.

I have seen a lot of "BIM jobs" that have sheets that have been exported out of Revit and "embellished" in AutoCAD. The embellishments are very interesting as this can be anything from adding new callouts to altering the geometry. Using this PDF compare method will quickly allow you to see what is from the model and what is from elsewhere.

This process can be done very quickly. In 15 minutes you can determine how deep you need to dive into your Revit model review.

Model Review Add-In for Autodesk Revit 2014

Model Review Overview

Model Review for Revit is an Add-in that allows you to automate the process of reviewing and auditing projects in Revit. It is somewhat like Solibri in that it allows you to create rules/checks to run against the model. For example, you can check the models against pre-determined standards to ensure that model naming conventions, file sizes, etc are being followed. The list of pre-defined checks that can be customized is lengthy so I won't list them all in this post, but some additional examples are:

• Duplicate Elements
• Find imported files (.dgn, .dwg. skp)
• Elements Have Omniclass Number
• Text Find & Replace (allows to to find and replace text)
• Find Unenclosed Rooms
• Views with Hidden Elements  

Figure 1 and 2 show partial examples of the report that is generated when Model Review runs. Figure 1 shows the header of the report, which lists a summary of the check results. Figure 2 shows the specific detail for a specific check.

Figure 1

Figure 2

Using Model Review, you can quickly and easily locate model issues.

In the next post, we will walk thru the process of running pre-defined checks against your model. Later, we will dicuss customizing the pre-defined checks and developing new checks.