Revit OpEd: Tip - Control Visibility of Image via Size Paramet...

Revit OpEd: Tip - Control Visibility of Image via Size Paramet...: "You can't control the visibility of an image file like you can other elements in a Revit family, such as mapping a parameter to the 'Visible..."

a [BIM] New World - Repost

Teresa Martin of a [BIM] New World blog has a good post on Search and Selection sets for Navisworks.

 Thursday, April 14, 2011

Search and Selection Sets Part II

Alas! It has been a month or two since Part I. Here is part II, of the long awaited sequel!

As I mentioned in Search and Selection Sets Part I (Post Dated 1-31-2011), Search Sets are the gold in Navisworks. This is where you get to drive. This is where you have all the control. Search Sets, as mentioned are based upon common data properties such as size, name, type, file, units, etc. This is why they are so powerful! If you know the common property to search for, you work here is done! And most importantly, you can re-use searches in different projects if they search for similar properties.

As an example, imagine a file imported from Revit (via *NWC Export). Revit, being the wonderful property based BIM format that it is, contains loads of property data (both instance and type). Now, envision some of the common properties in every Revit file, such as walls, ducts, beams or windows. You can set up a search in Navisworks to find all the walls or windows in the file (see image below).



In the data set shown above, I created a Search Set based upon the Revit Type Property: Wall. When I change this data set in Revit by adding a few additional interior walls, you can see that the Search Set automatically updates. Notice how there are now 9 walls, as opposed to 7 in the previous search.

Thinking outside the box, once you have these searches saved, they can be exported and imported into any other project. To export the Search Sets from a project, simply go to the application menu and choose Export>Search Sets The file will export your searches as an *XML file. You can then import the searches into another project using the import option from the application menu.


From a project perspective, Search Sets can be taken a step farther if you consider file and folder conventions as well. For instance, I can load data from a folder on my desktop named "Demo Files".

As I add additional data sets to this folder and append the *NWF file, the Search Set updates. For those of you seeing the big picture here, your job of updating the project from week to week just became a whole lot simpler if you took the time at the beginning of the project to create a tidy file and folder structure. If your current filing system looks anything like the storage system in my basement, you might need to do a little spring cleaning here to smite your errant file/folder conventions to alleviate the issue.

The image below shows how I set up my search to find a particular folder on my desktop. Of course for your office, you will want to path this to a server location and not your desktop for company wide use.


As a final thought, for those using Revit, you could put some custom shared parameters in the file to easily track in Navisworks, such as a FM parameter for items that need to be tracked for Facilities Management, etc.

Next month, I will be discussing the Appearance Profiler. Stay tuned!

Apr 14 - Autodesk Offers Europe BIM Survey Report

Apr 14 - Autodesk Offers Europe BIM Survey Report

Happy Birthday Steve

If you use Revit, there are are probably a few names that come to mind like Steve Stafford of RevitOpEd. Well, today is his Birthday! Happy Birthday.

Help Steve celebrate by attending the Revit Technology Conference and making him buy you a drink.

Revit OpEd: Keynote Application Update

Revit OpEd: Keynote Application Update: "Steve Faust is getting the word out that he has updated the application he created to improve our interaction with Revit Keynoting feature. ..."

Navisworks Add-on Applications

Publisher Add-on - Automated publishing of NavisWorks project files

DatalinkTools - Interface between NavisWorks models and the design data and documentation

Reporter Add-on - Report generating functionality for Navisworks models

Surveyor can be used with or without DataTools to view Property Value attrributes associated with objects in Search and Selection sets and then to report on any of these Property values in Excel. So anyone using Excel can view project data for MTO and analysis.

DocuLink+ enables any external document to be viewed simply by linking it to a Property value attribute associated with one or several objects. This broadens the value of NavisWorks® by making available a much wider range of data which is of interest to many more people than just design engineers or project managers.

Navistools DataManager - unique interface between Navisworks models and the design data


Navistools Reporter – generate material take-off / components reports directly from Navisworks model

Revit OpEd: Dept. of Echo - Installing 2012 Products

Revit OpEd: Dept. of Echo - Installing 2012 Products: "David Harrington mentions this morning that it is easy to overlook the option to customize your installation. See that little 'down-arrow'..."

Revit 2012 Product Keys - Autodesk Support

2012: Where to find your Autodesk Revit 2012 Product key

You want to know the product key for your Autodesk® Revit® 2012-based product. 

Autodesk's 2012-based software requires both a serial number and product key to successfully activate.
Product keys are used to differentiate software sold on its own from those sold as part of a suite. Ensure that you select the correct product key in order to successfully activate your software.
The product key is provided along with your serial number in the following places:

• If you received physical media, the product key is on the reverse of the package along with the serial number.
• Emails from Electronic Fulfillment notifying you of your new serial number also include the product key.
• Contract administrators can log on to Subscription Center to check for their serial number and product key.
• The Autodesk Business Center (ABC) can provide this information. Their toll-free number is 800-538-6401.

Revit 2012 - based product keys:

• 240D1 - Revit Architecture 2012
• 255D1 - Revit Structure 2012
• 297D1 - Revit MEP 2012
• 241D1 - AutoCAD Revit Architecture Suite 2012
• 256D1 - AutoCAD Revit Structure Suite 2012
• 257D1 - AutoCAD Revit MEP Suite 2012
• 765D1 - Autodesk Building Design Suite Premium 2012
• 766D1 - Autodesk Building Design Suite Ultimate 2012 Autodesk Support

Revit OpEd: KarelCAD Revit Release Comparison via PDF

Revit OpEd: KarelCAD Revit Release Comparison via PDF: "The gang at KarelCAD have shared some pdf documents that provide an overview of what features set each release apart, for Revit 2010, 2011 &..."

Cloud rendering for Revit

Since the original posts, Limitless Computing has released the add-on for Revit 2012. 

Add-in Enables One-Click Rendering to the Cloud While Simultaneously Modeling in Revit

Boulder, CO – Feb. 24, 2011 – Limitless Computing, Inc., a leader in providing rendering cloud services, today announced the release of CloudRender for Autodesk Revit Architecture 2011.

The CloudRender add-in enables faster Revit rendering by off-loading the computer intensive process to LCI’s high performance systems. Instead of tying up local computers, users continue to work in Revit Architecture while the cloud renders their selected views.

“CloudRender is a timesaving tool,” said Dr. Errin Weller, Principal of LCI. “Now Revit users can utilize the power of the cloud as easily as using their local machine and continue working without being interrupted by the rendering process.”

As a member of the Autodesk Developer Network, LCI helps AEC firms increase efficiency and productivity by harnessing innovative and powerful cloud rendering services. LCI is releasing the CloudRender add-in to bring the power of their Limitless Rendering solution to the convenience of the AEC workstation. CloudRender can be downloaded at http://bit.ly/dH2uzJ

About Limitless Computing Inc.:

Limitless Computing, Inc., a high-performance computing company based in Boulder, CO, has been offering cloud computing services to numerous industries since 2006. Originally offering private clouds hosted in their data center, in 2009 LCI expanded by launching the online Limitless Rendering service for Autodesk Revit Architecture. LCI continues to use cloud computing to improve rendering time and efficiency with the release of the CloudRender add-in for Revit Architecture. For more information about LCI, please visit http://LimitlessComputing.com

###

Autodesk and Revit are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries.

Contact:
Limitless Computing, Inc.
877.663.3797
solutions@limitlesscomputing.com
LimitlessComputing.com

Showcase - Autodesk Real-Time Rendering for Revit

Received this email from Autodesk

We would like to thank you for your interest in Project Newport, and we are thrilled to announce that Project Newport efforts have been factored into Autodesk® Showcase® 2012 real-time 3D presentation and rendering software, which is now available!


Try it now and see how quickly and easily you can turn your Autodesk® Revit® Architecture and AutoCAD® designs into compelling imagery, movies, and immersive presentations for interactive design reviews, stunning marketing materials, and convincing sales pitches.

Watch our demo video.

Try it now for free!

"Showcase is a true game-changer when we present architecture designs to our clients. It brings 3D rendering to a higher level of interactivity, and provides the ability to explore materials and environments on-the-fly. I don’t have to come back to the office and press ’render’ every time I want to show my client another material alternative. With Showcase, the time savings are incredible."

- Gedeon Trias, Associate Director of Design, Larson & Darby Group

For more information about Showcase, visit http://www.autodesk.com/showcase.

Showcase 2012 can be purchased as a stand-alone product or as part of one of our suites, such as Autodesk® Design Suite or Autodesk® Building Design Suite.

Learn more at www.autodesk.com/suites.