Revit Journeyman: A New App for the iPad

Revit Journeyman: A New App for the iPad: "Well it was new about 2 weeks ago when I meant to first post this. Autodesk has released an app for Buzzsaw that we can use on our iPads an..."

Revit OpEd: Revit Conferences Draw Near

Revit OpEd: Revit Conferences Draw Near: "Are you attending one, the other, or both conferences this year? Planning to attend but haven't registered yet? Time is 'running out'! R..."

Revit OpEd: Dept. of Subtle - Click in Empty Space

Revit OpEd: Dept. of Subtle - Click in Empty Space: "A quick video to demonstrate to concepts that are so foreign to the other applications we use at work. The first is to finish a dimension ..."

Revit OpEd: Revit Technology Conference - USA 2012 - City Poll...

Revit OpEd: Revit Technology Conference - USA 2012 - City Poll...: "We haven't finished the first RTC in the USA yet but we are already considering where the next one should go. The poll you'll see at the to..."

Revit OpEd: Importing DWG and Exporting to DWG

Revit OpEd: Importing DWG and Exporting to DWG: "Here's a few things that have come up lately regarding importing dwg data: Revit imports from Model Space unless there is nothing in Model ..."

Revit OpEd: Navisworks Exporter Utility

Revit OpEd: Navisworks Exporter Utility: "Need to Export from Revit to Navisworks? Don't own Navisworks though? You can download the Exporter you need for free, well free in $..."

Family Abuse - Curtain Panel By Patterns Edition - Repost

This post is from the BIM Troublemaker that one of my co-workers shared with me.

Family Abuse - Curtain Panel By Patterns Edition

I cut my teeth in this BIM thing using Architectural Desktop (ADT).  I loved that program a lot.  I still have a real fondess for it, but that's a moot point for this column.  At my first AU conference, i saw a presentation about using RAIL objects to model any type of repetitive, linear element.  I loved the concept and quickly started playing around.  But all that is old news now...

I struggled for a while trying to figure out how i could use the same "RAIL" logic of modeling repeating linear elements in Revit.  It seemed to me that the rail tool in Revit is a bit more rigid in what type of objects it accepts....maybe i am not looking close enough...and then one day POW! It hit me like a bolt from the blue.  CURTAIN PANEL PATTERNS could be the way!

First thing I did to test out this theory was to create a reference line CURVE BY POINTS and then hit the CREATE FORM button to give myself a surface.  I divided the surface and it looks like this:

Because i made sure to use a Reference Line, I can grab any of the driving points and adjust the curve manually later.  These points could also be parameter driven if you want that kind of control.

The next step involves creating a Curtain Panel Pattern based upon the RECTANGLE template.  Zach and Robert Manna did a great presentation at AU last year that involved a good discussion on how to control the behavior of the reference points.  You will need to understand this behavior in order to make this type of model work.  Go download the handout here:

Au Bon Panel: Baking Your Own Adaptive Components and Panels with Revit

The bit I am concerned with starts on page 6.  Have you looked it over?  Good.

In this case I am making a linear canopy.  I like using nested objects so I went ahead and made a generic mass to act as the repeating vertical element.  2 things to notice in the image below:

1) The object is being built in plan.  This is because of how i planned to mount it on the reference planes in the curtain panel.  The lesson is that in this exercise UNDERSTANDING YOUR HOST PLANES, HOST POINTS AND ORIENTATIONS ARE CRUCIAL!!!

2) The top mass is transparent so you can see the line work I drew.  These lines will control the shape and location of my glazing panels and horizontal mullions.  Its easier to set up any desired sectional parametric relationships here.  Trust me!

Now if you have read Zach and Robert's Handout, you will be very clear of about whats going on in the picture below.

1) I set up the offsets for the reference points as they describe.

2) Then i connect the offset point to the adaptive point upon which it is hosted with a reference line.

3) Host a point on that reference line

4) Host my generic mass on that point, in proper alignment.

5) Create reference lines on any section guidelines and create desired horizontal forms.

6) Try again because I did it wrong the first time (repeat as needed)

Load that into the curved surface family, apply it to the divided surface and once you have done it all properly... you'll get this:

When I did mine, i noticed that the end pieces looked funny.  That condition went away when i adjusted the border tile settings:

And once you get it sorted in 2d, you can pull the curve's driving points vertically....

Download the family here:

Curtain Panel Canopy Model.rfa

And the stage is now set for The REVIT ROLLER COASTER Plug-in...I hear its in the works for the 2013 release...

Revit OpEd: Dept. of Echo - Printing Problems with Revit 2012

Revit OpEd: Dept. of Echo - Printing Problems with Revit 2012: "Alan posted this tonight, ' Printer and Plotter Bugs with Revit 2012 '. He's having issues with their KIP plotter and he reports that anothe..."

Revit OpEd: Dept. of Subtle - Text Output to DWG

Revit OpEd: Dept. of Subtle - Text Output to DWG: "With 2012 we can now map Revit fonts to fonts in AutoCAD. I can export Arial to Romans for example. I got a request to check something ou..."

Revit OpEd: Revit Server - Heading Off Road

Revit OpEd: Revit Server - Heading Off Road: "If you are curious about Revit Server and using less server like hardware/software, David just posted the results of his experience doing e..."

Inserting Word documents into Revit - Repost

Another great post from Revitit.com

There’s multiple way to do that, one is the free text Generator from the extensions that can be downloaded from the subscription site.

See the video here