Chapter 4

Project Collaboration

Since engineers and architects started working together on building projects, an integrated project delivery has been the ultimate goal. The goal of consultants working together as seamlessly as possible is made more achievable by using a building information modeling (BIM) solution such as Autodesk® Revit® MEP 2013. Many are quick to believe that using a BIM solution automatically means coordination and integration, but the truth is that developing a building information model is only part of the process. You can build a 3D model and even put information into it, but it is how this information is shared and coordinated that defines an integrated project.

Revit MEP enables you to interact with the project model in a way that you can conceptualize the design as a whole, even if you are working only on pieces or parts. You do not have to work for a full-service design firm to participate in a project that results in a complete model. Architectural, structural, and MEP engineering systems can all come together regardless of company size, staff, or location. It is the sharing of computable data that makes for an integrated project delivery. Owners and contractors can also participate in the process. In fact, anyone who has any input into the design decisions should be included in and considered part of the project team.

Zooming in from the big picture a bit, you need to focus on your role as a project team member. You can be an effective player in the process by ensuring that the data you are sharing is usable, accurate, and timely. With a good understanding of how Revit manages your information, you can develop some good practices and standards for collaborating with your project team.

In this chapter, you will learn to do the following:

• Prepare your project file for sharing with consultants
• Work with linked Revit files
• Coordinate elements within shared models
• Work with files from other applications
• Set up a system for quality control

Preparing Your Files for Sharing

In Chapter 3, “Worksets and Worksharing,” you looked at ways to set up your project file to allow members of your design team to work collaboratively within their specific design disciplines. Although one goal is to make yourself more efficient and accurate, you must also recognize the importance of setting up and developing the project file in a way that you can easily share the design with your consultants. It is a good idea to consider whether the workflow or process you are setting up will have an adverse effect on other project team members.

A Revit project file does not have to be set up as a central file in order to share it with others. If there is no need to establish worksets in your project, you can simply save your file as the design develops and share it when necessary. This is the simplest type of Revit project file to share, because there is no concern for receiving a local file by mistake or a file that is not updated with the most current design changes. As with all files that will be shared among team members, it is a good practice to name the Revit project file in a manner that clearly indicates the systems that it contains, such as MEP Model.rvt or HVAC.rvt. This makes linked files easy to manage and reload when updates occur.

If your Revit file has been set up with worksets, there are other considerations for sharing the file with your consultants. You should take care to realize that the decisions you make when setting up your worksets can affect those team members who need to visualize and coordinate with your design elements.

The first decision comes when you create your worksets. In the New Workset dialog box, you have the option of naming your workset, as shown in Figure 4.1. The name you choose should be descriptive, so that others will know the types of items included in the workset. Using a descriptive name is also helpful to your consultants who have the ability to see what worksets are in your file. The other part of this dialog box offers you the option to make the newly-created workset visible in all your model views. If you choose not to make the workset visible in all views, you will have to make it visible in each view that you want to see it in via Visibility/Graphic Overrides settings.

Figure 4.1 New Workset dialog box

When you are creating your worksets, you may want to consider the Revit files that you will be linking into your project. It can be very useful to create a workset for each linked Revit file so that you can control not only each file's visibility, but also whether a file is loaded into the project. Because you have the ability to choose which worksets to open when you open your file, you can determine which linked files will be present and visible when your file is opened. This can increase your productivity by improving file-opening and model-regeneration times. It also helps by not having to load and unload the links, which can cause problems with hosted elements. When you do not open a workset of which a linked file is a part, the file is still part of your file; it's just not visible or “present” in your session.

Loaded Links

When you do not open the workset of a linked file, the link will show as Loaded in the Manage Links dialog box. However, it will not show as loaded in the Project Browser.

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The makeup of your Revit project template file has a lot to do with the preparation for sharing your file with others. Consider carefully the content that you put into your template. It is tempting to dump your whole family library into the template in order to have everything right at your fingertips, but this makes for large files that are not as easily shared. Once you have worked on a few projects, you will be able to determine what is really necessary to have in your template file.

There is no denying that Revit files can get to be very large. Purging any unused items from your file prior to sharing it is helpful in keeping file sizes to a minimum, but you should use this feature with caution.

Because of the size of the files, sharing them among consultants via email is not a recommended practice. Most people do not have the capacity to receive large files via email. Using an FTP site is the most common practice for file sharing. Also, certain third-party applications are designed specifically for project collaboration.

It is usually the primary design team that establishes the site and gives all teams access to upload and download files. Each consultant should have at least one designated person to manage the transfer of files for their team. This person should be responsible for making sure that the most current files have been shared. The frequency of updated files being posted to the site should be determined early on during a project kickoff meeting (you are having those, right?), and can be changed depending on the needs of the project. At a minimum, you should prepare to post your files once a week during active development. This will keep your consultants up to date with the progress of your design.

If you have enabled worksharing on your project, it is important that you send your central file to your consultants, not a local file. This ensures that they are receiving a file with updated information from all your team members. Consider a workflow that includes having all team members synchronize with the central file and then creating a new project file by using the Detach From Central option.

You also have the option in Revit MEP 2013 to remove worksets. Your consultants will, of course, be able to do this for themselves. But remember, if you have used worksets to control object visibility, the settings will be destroyed if worksets are removed. Of course, you gave the consultants that information at the project kickoff meeting, didn't you?

Working with Linked Revit Files

Revit MEP not only gives you the power to model and document your design but also enables you to coordinate with the designs of your consultants directly in your project file. This concept is not new to the world of digital documentation. It is the same workflow that occurs in the world of 2D CAD: you receive a file from your consultant, overlay it into your file, and watch as it updates during the changes to the design.

The difference with Revit is in how much more you are able to coordinate by receiving a model that is not only a graphical representation, but also a database with computable information. Some of the terminology is different when working with Revit. Instead of external references (X-refs), we call the files that are loaded into our project linked files. This section covers some best practices for loading, managing, and viewing links that are Revit RVT files. Later in this chapter, and again in Chapter 5, “Multiplatform Interoperability: Working with 2D and 3D Data,” you will learn about files of other CAD formats.

Linking Revit Files

When you are ready to bring a Revit file from a consultant into your file, you may want to first do some maintenance on that file. Copy the file you have received to your network. If the file you are receiving is a central file, you should open the file by using the Detach From Central option, as shown in Figure 4.2.

Figure 4.2 Using the Detach From Central option

As mentioned earlier, you have the ability to remove worksharing from a project file when using the Detach From Central option. The dialog box shown in Figure 4.3 provides options for preserving worksets or removing them from the file.

Figure 4.3 Detach Model From Central dialog box

Use caution when removing worksets from a file, because this action affects the visibility and display of many types of objects. When you are using a consultant's model, this may be less important if you are concerned only with having that model linked into yours. Preserving the worksets, however, may make it easier for you to control the visibility of systems or specific components within the linked file. You may consider purging unused content and deleting views from a linked file to reduce file size; however, you will have to repeat the process each time you receive an updated version of the file.

When you open a file with the Detach From Central option selected, the file becomes a new, unnamed project, and you are the owner of all the worksets in the file if you have chosen the option to preserve worksets. Once the file is open, you can save it to the location from which you will load it by using the Save As command. Using the same location as your project file will make it easier to manage all your linked files. If the filename does not suit your standards, you can give it any name you want. However, the location and the filename that you choose should remain the same throughout the life of the project. It is best to avoid overwriting a file with the same name by using Save As, so when you download the file and put it on your network, you may want to rename it prior to opening it. You should also avoid downloading it directly to the directory in which the working linked file resides, especially if you are not changing the filename. You do not want to overwrite the linked file before you get a chance to clean it up.

You then need to relinquish your ownership of all the worksets and save the file again. This ensures that the file you have received from your consultant is not attempting to access other files or coordinate with local files from another network. If the file you are linking is not a central file, you do not need to open it because there will be no worksets or local files associated with it.

There is no need to keep an archive of all the files being sent to you. Revit files can be very large, so keeping an archive will quickly use up storage space. When worksharing has been enabled in a file, Revit keeps a backup log of the file. The Restore Backup button on the Collaborate tab allows you to roll back changes to the file. So if you require a previous version of your consultant's model, you could ask that consultant to save a rolled-back version of the file and send it to you. If you would like to keep archived versions of the project, it is best to use media such as a CD or DVD to save storage space on your network or hard drive.

Once the maintenance has been done on your consultant's file, you are ready to link it into your file. Let's first take a look at linking in the architectural model. Here are the steps:

Auto - Center To Center

This option links the file from its center point to the center point of your file. The center point is determined by the location of the model objects within the file. This option should be avoided unless you have a coordinated center point with your consultants and the make-up of the model will prevent that point from changing.

Auto - Origin To Origin

This is the best option to use unless a shared coordinate system is required. The origin of the linked file will not change if the model changes size or shape, or even if building geometry is moved or rotated, so you will be able to stay coordinated with the building when major position changes occur.

Auto - By Shared Coordinates

This option should be used when a project requires that common location coordinates be used. This is most commonly used on projects that have multiple buildings, because it enables you to keep the relationship between buildings coordinated. If you link in a file that is using shared coordinates, you can set the coordinates of your file to use the same coordinates.

Be careful when linking in a Revit file because the Auto - Center To Center option is the default. Forgetting to change the option could result in a serious headache further along in the project, because we know that architects never relocate the building, right? Make it a habit to use the Auto - Origin To Origin option, unless shared coordinates are required.

Figure 4.4 Positioning options for linked Revit files

Using Shared Coordinates

Using shared coordinates is a useful way to keep several linked files in the proper location and orientation within your project file. The key to using shared coordinates is establishing which file will determine the coordinate system. Every Revit project has two coordinate systems. One determines the project coordinates, while the other defines the real-world coordinates.

The Project Base Point of a project can be viewed by turning on its visibility, which is located under Site in the Model Categories tab of the Visibility/Graphic Overrides dialog box, as shown in Figure 4.5. Site is an architectural category so you must set the Filter List to Architectural.

Figure 4.5 Project Base Point visibility settings

It is important to note that the Project Base Point may not be visible in a view depending on what workset it is a part of.

When you select the Project Base Point indicator in a view, you see the coordinates established for the Revit project. The N/S, E/W, and Elevation coordinates can all be set by selecting and editing the value along with the angle of the project relative to True North, as shown in Figure 4.6.

Figure 4.6 Editing a Project Base Point

The paper clip icon allows you to move the entire project or to move only the Project Base Point location. When the Project Base Point is “clipped,” moving it is the same as using the Relocate Project tool. This does not affect the model as it relates to the project coordinates, but if you are using shared coordinates to align with linked files, it will cause you to be out of alignment.

Moving the Project Base Point when it is “unclipped” causes the project coordinate system to move in relation to the model. This changes the shared coordinates of the Project Base Point. However, the shared coordinates of the model components do not change.

One way to use this tool for effective project coordination is to set the Project Base Point in your template to 0,0,0. If all consultants utilize these settings, it will be easier to keep the models in alignment.

You also have the option to acquire the coordinates of a linked file. Use the Coordinates tool on the Project Location panel of the Manage tab, and select the Acquire Coordinates option. This allows you to select a linked file in the drawing area and sets your project coordinates to match those of the linked file. Figure 4.7 shows (a) the settings for a project prior to acquiring coordinates and (b) the settings after the coordinates of the linked model are acquired. This ensures that both files are working off of the same coordinate system. Notice that the Project Base Point is in the same location in relation to the building geometry.

Figure 4.7 (a) Settings before acquiring coordinates and (b) after acquiring coordinates

The survey point of a project defines the real-world coordinates of a project. The survey point can be made visible by using the Visibility/Graphic Overrides dialog box, as shown in Figure 4.8.

Figure 4.8 Survey Point visibility settings

The survey point shows as a triangle in the view. Moving a “clipped” survey point changes the position of the shared coordinate system in relation to the model and the project coordinate system. So, for example, if you have your survey point set to 0,0,0 and you move it, you are changing where 0,0,0 is located in your project. This will affect the location of your model components in relation to a linked file with which you are sharing coordinates.

Moving an “unclipped” survey point moves the point in relation to the shared coordinate and project coordinate systems. This does not change the shared or project coordinates of the model. It simply changes the location of the survey point. This allows you to move it to a location established by a linked file without changing the shared coordinates.

Managing Revit Links

Throughout the design process, you will want to keep up with the many changes occurring in the files you have linked into your project. Revit does not always automatically update your file with changes made in the linked files. The only time updates occur automatically is when you open your project file after the linked files have been updated. If you are in a working session of Revit and one of your linked files is updated, you will have to reload the link manually to see the update.

Updating files from your consultants requires the same process you used when you first received the files, except you do not have to place them into your file again. Download the new file from your consultant, and apply the maintenance procedures discussed in the previous section. Be sure that you overwrite the existing file with the new one and avoid changing the name.

After you have updated the files in your project folder, you can open your project file. If you are working in a local file, you should synchronize it with the central file as soon as it is finished opening. This will ensure that the central file contains the updated linked file information.

Sometimes new versions of the files you are linking become available while you are working in your project file. If another user has updated the linked files and synchronized them with the central file, you will not see the updated links even when you synchronize with the central file. You will need to reload the links.

To reload a linked Revit file, click the Manage Links button on the Manage tab. This opens the Manage Links dialog box, which enables you to manage the files you have loaded into your project (see Figure 4.9).

Figure 4.9 Manage Links dialog box

If your file is not synchronized with the central file, you will get a dialog box with options for syncing prior to managing links. The Revit tab of the Manage Links dialog box lists all the Revit files linked into your file. Here you can determine whether the file is an attachment or an overlay. This is the same behavior found in external references in the Autodesk® AutoCAD® platform. An attachment will need to travel with the file, while an overlay is only for the file to which it is linked. If a file you are linking in has other Revit files linked to it as overlays, you will see a dialog box indicating that the overlaid files will not link into your file. This allows you to have the architectural file linked into your file, and your file linked into the architectural file, without duplicating either model. In other words, your file does not come back to you when you link in the architectural file. The default setting for linking files is Overlay, because this is the best choice.

The Save Positions button in the lower-left corner of the dialog box is used when your project is using shared coordinates. If you move a link within your project, you will receive a warning dialog box with options for saving the new location, or you can use the Save Positions button.

Other buttons allow you to unload, reload, and remove links from your file. Once a link is removed, you cannot get it back by using the Undo feature; you will have to load the link back into your project. The Reload From button allows you to reload a link that may have moved to a new location on your network. You can even reload a different file altogether.

You can also use the Project Browser to manage the files linked into your project. All linked Revit files are listed at the bottom of the Project Browser. Right-clicking a link in the Project Browser provides a menu with quick access to link-management tools, as shown in Figure 4.10.

Figure 4.10 Quick access to link-management tools from the Project Browser

Notice that one option is Select All Instances. You can have multiple instances of a linked file in your project by selecting the link in the drawing area and copying it.

Controlling Visibility of Revit Links

When a Revit file is linked into your project, it is treated as one element—a linked model. Linking in the architectural model does not mean that you now have hundreds of walls, doors, and windows in your project. The model is seen as a single linked file. You do, however, have control over the visibility of the individual components that make up the linked model as well as the entire link itself.

When you link in a Revit file, a new tab appears in the Visibility/Graphic Overrides dialog box. This tab lists the linked Revit files and allows you to turn them on or off. If you have multiple copies of a link, they are listed beneath the name of the link, as seen when you click the + next to the link name. Each copy can be given a unique name for easy management. There is also a check box for setting the link to halftone. (This is not necessary for views set to mechanical or electrical disciplines, because Revit automatically applies halftone to the architectural and structural elements in these discipline views.) This tab is useful for turning links on or off in views as needed during design, and the settings can even be applied to view templates. The Underlay column allows you to display the linked file as defined by the Halftone/Underlay settings established for the project.

You also have the ability to control the visibility of components within the linked Revit file. By default, the components in the Revit link will react to the settings for visibility that you apply to your view. So, if you were to turn off the Doors category in your view, the doors in the Revit link will also turn off in that view. The same is true for any overrides you may apply for line weight or color. Figure 4.11 shows that this behavior is indicated in the Visibility/Graphic Overrides dialog box as By Host View.

Figure 4.11 Linked Revit file Display Settings options

Clicking the By Host View button for a link opens the RVT Link Display Settings dialog box. This is similar to the Visibility/Graphic Overrides dialog box, but it is specific to the selected Revit link. The first tab of this dialog box allows you to set the behavior of the visibility of the link. You can set the link to behave By Host View, By Linked View, or Custom.

If you choose the By Linked View option, the option to select a view from the Revit link becomes active. Choosing a view from the link will set the link to display in your view with all the settings from the view that resides in the linked file. You do not have access to the views contained in a linked file, but you can set the link to display in your file the same way as it appears in those views. This means that the link will display as set in that view despite any visibility settings in the host view. For example, in Figure 4.12, you see a view with the grids turned off in the host view, yet they are displayed because the linked file is set to display from a linked view.

Figure 4.12 Example of linked file view settings showing (a) the Grids category turned off in the host view and (b) By Linked View selected for the structural link

It is not likely that your consultants will have set all of their views in a manner that matches your preferences for seeing the link, so you also have the Custom option for visibility. Selecting Custom activates all the setting options on the Basics tab of the RVT Link Display Settings dialog box. With this option, not only can you choose a linked view, but you can also determine other behaviors for the display of the link. You do not have to choose a linked view if you want to control the visibility of only certain components. The Custom option is the same as accessing the Visibility/Graphic Overrides dialog box, but for the link only. Once you have selected Custom, you can use the other tabs in the dialog box to set the visibility of the components within the link. When you select a tab, the items are grayed out. You must set that specific category to Custom, as well, by using the pull-down at the top of the tab, as shown in Figure 4.13.

Figure 4.13 Setting a model category within a linked file to Custom

After setting a category to Custom, you can control the visibility of any Revit model category within the linked file. You can control elements in the Model categories as well as the Annotation categories and any Import items such as linked CAD files. Figure 4.14a shows that the Grids category is displayed because the linked structural file is set to display by a linked view, even though the Grids category is turned off for the host view. A better solution might be to set the structural link to a Custom display and turn off all annotation categories except for Grids, as demonstrated in Figure 4.14. Doing this will automatically keep the structural link as a halftone, and will display only the items you want to see in your view.

Figure 4.14 (a) Grids turned off in the view; (b) the Structural link set to Custom and displaying only the Grids category

Notice that none of the other annotations, such as Dimensions, are showing from the structural link.

You can also control the visibility of worksets within a linked Revit file. If you choose not to make your worksets visible in all views within your project, your consultants will have to turn on the visibility of the workset when your file is linked into their project file. A workset can be turned on or off by accessing the linked Revit file in the Visibility/Graphic Overrides dialog box. Clicking the button in the Display Settings column for the linked file opens the RVT Link Display Settings dialog box. This dialog box has a tab for controlling the visibility of worksets, as shown in Figure 4.15. Setting the display to Custom allows you to turn on or off the visibility of any worksets within the linked file.

Figure 4.15 Visibility control of worksets within a linked file

Linked Files for Project Templates

Mike has been tasked with creating his company project template. He works for an HVAC design firm, and has to link the architectural and structural models whenever the company does a project. His various consultants do things differently, but there are some common settings he would like to add to his template to improve efficiency. Because every project is different, he cannot have linked models in his template file. Or can he?

Mick decides to link some “dummy” files into his template to act as placeholders for the actual models he will receive from his consultants. He creates a file called Arch.rvt and one called Struct.rvt and links them into his template. The files are empty, so they do not add a lot of bulk to his template, but they do give him the ability to create visibility settings for linked files in his view templates.

When Mike uses his template to start a project, he can overwrite his placeholder links with the actual models received from his consultants by using the Reload From option, and all of his view settings will remain.

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The output of Revit documents can vary depending on the type of printer you use. The most common issue is that the automatically halftone linked files do not print darkly enough. Revit provides you with the ability to control how dark the linked files appear and print. You can find the Halftone/Underlay settings on the Additional Settings menu located on the Manage tab, as shown in Figure 4.16.

Figure 4.16 Halftone/Underlay

In the Halftone/Underlay dialog box, you can turn off the automatic halftone of linked architectural and structural files by deselecting the Apply Halftone check box. You can also override the line weight of a background Revit link. If you are using an underlay in your view, you can change the line pattern to any of the patterns you have loaded in your project. Figure 4.17 shows the Halftone/Underlay dialog box with sample settings applied.

Figure 4.17 Halftone/Underlay settings

The Brightness slider on the bottom half of the dialog box lets you manually adjust the percentage of halftone applied to all halftone items in the view, both linked items and those in your model. Notice that only the elements within the link that are halftone are affected. The plumbing fixtures are part of the linked architectural model, but because they are not an architectural or structural category, they are not affected by the adjustment. The settings that you use apply to the entire project, so you need to set them only once. This is a helpful tool for getting your documents to print properly.

Coordinating Elements within Shared Models

One of the key benefits of using a BIM solution such as Revit MEP is that you can see changes in the design more readily because you see more of the other disciplines' work than you would in a traditional workflow. The ease of cutting section views and inspecting the model in 3D allows you to notice what is going on, not only with your design but with the project as a whole. You may not have time to look over the model inch by inch, though, so there are some items that you can monitor to see whether the design changes in a way that affects your systems.

Monitoring Elements

Revit gives you the capability to monitor certain elements within a linked file in order to be made aware of any changes. This functionality is limited to a few categories because, after all, you wouldn't want to know every time the architect moved a chair or changed the color of a door. The types of components that can be monitored are items that, if changed, could have a major effect on your design, especially late in the game. The architectural categories that can be monitored for coordination are Levels, Grids, Columns, Walls, and Floors. These items are often hosts for components in your model, so being aware of changes to them provides you with a higher level of coordination.

The Copy/Monitor function in Revit not only lets you monitor an element of a linked file, but also allows you to create a copy of that element within your file. The use of face-hosted elements eliminates the need to copy items just so that you can have something as a host. There are items, however, that are important to coordinate, such as levels and grids.

Your template file may contain levels in order to have preset views, but your levels will not likely be the same on every project. After pinning a linked file in place, the next thing you should get into the habit of doing is monitoring the levels. This mainly applies to the architectural link, because architects are the ones who will determine floor-to-floor heights. If your file has fewer levels than the linked file, you can copy the additional levels, and they will then be monitored automatically.

To coordinate with the levels in the linked file, follow these steps:

Figure 4.18 Project levels and linked file levels

Figure 4.19 Level copied from linked file

You also have the ability to copy/monitor certain MEP elements within a linked file. Clicking the Coordination Settings button on the Coordinate panel of the Collaborate tab opens the dialog box for establishing how MEP elements will be copied from a linked file into your project. Figure 4.20 shows the dialog box. These settings are specific to the current project.

Figure 4.20 Coordination Settings dialog box

You can apply the settings to any of the linked files within your project by using the drop-down at the top of the dialog box shown in Figure 4.21.

Figure 4.21 Apply Copy/Monitor settings

There are three choices for the Copy Behavior setting of each category, as shown in Figure 4.22. Items can be batch copied, which will allow for multiple elements of the category to be copied. Items can be copied individually, or you can choose to ignore a category.

Figure 4.22 Copy/Monitor behavior settings

If you are applying settings for new links, the Mapping Behavior setting, shown in Figure 4.23, is set to copy the original components by default. If you have selected a specific linked file, you can set the mapping behavior for a category as long as the category is not set to be ignored.

Figure 4.23 Copy/Monitor mapping options

When you choose the Specify Type Mapping option, the Type Mapping settings appear beneath the category in the list at the left of the dialog box. When you click the Type Mapping option below the category, the dialog box changes to show the items in that category that are in the linked file and a column for defining what family within your project to use, as shown in Figure 4.24. Be sure to map to a family that has the same insertion point and hosting option. Families with different insertion points will cause undesired results when mapped. You cannot map a ceiling-hosted family to a face-hosted family.

Figure 4.24 Type mapping options

The Linked Type and Host Type buttons allow you to view the Type Properties dialog box for the selected families. You cannot make changes to the properties, but you can see them in order to determine the right families to use, as shown in Figure 4.25.

Figure 4.25 Type Properties shown in the Coordination Settings dialog box

The main purpose for monitoring items is to be alerted when a change has been made to them. This is done by the Coordination Review feature within Revit. When you update your linked files, if there is a change to an item that you are monitoring, a warning will appear during the loading of the link. This warning lets you know that a Coordination Review needs to be executed. You can ignore this message, but because you can, should you? Who will do the Coordination Review? This should be part of one team member's role in the project.

Responding to Change Alerts

To perform a Coordination Review, you can click the Coordination Review button on the Collaborate tab. The command is also on the Modify RVT Link tab that appears when you select a link that has monitored elements in the view window. The dialog box that appears contains a list of the issues that require coordination, as shown in Figure 4.26. Expanding each issue will reveal the specific elements involved.

Figure 4.26 Coordination Review dialog box

The Action column on the left provides four options for dealing with the coordination issue:

Figure 4.27 Level adjusted by Coordination Review

If the change made has too great of an effect on your model, you can simply undo the action and revisit the Coordination Review dialog box to select another action.

Reconciling Hosting

The use of face-hosted families allows you to attach your components to the 3D faces within a linked file. When the host of one of these types of families is deleted, the family will remain in the model, but it will no longer be associated with the linked file. This behavior can cause objects within your model to be floating in space when they should be attached to a surface. The most common reason for an element losing its host is that the host was deleted and redrawn instead of just being moved. For example, if you have some air terminals hosted by the face of a ceiling and the ceiling needs to move up, the architect may delete the ceiling and create a new one at the new elevation. This would cause your air terminals to be floating below the new ceiling.

Revit MEP has a feature that allows you to identify and reconcile any families that have lost their host. Clicking the Reconcile Hosting button on the Coordinate panel of the Collaborate tab turns on the Reconcile Hosting palette, as shown in Figure 4.28.

Figure 4.28 Reconcile Hosting palette

You can dock this palette to the interface or have it float. When the palette is active, any objects that are listed will be green in the model view. You can click the Graphics button on the palette to change the visual display of orphaned elements when the palette is active.

The Show button allows you to locate an item selected from the list if it is not readily visible in the current view. The Sort button lets you sort the list by either the linked file and then the categories, or by the categories and then the linked file.

You can right-click an item listed in the palette and choose the option to delete it or choose the Pick Host option, which allows you to place the element on a new host. Be aware that when you use the Pick Host option from the palette, the only hosting option will be to a vertical face. So if you have an orphaned element that requires a horizontal host, the best option for reconciling would be to select the object in the model view and use the Pick New button on the contextual tab.

Maintaining Project Coordination

Proper setup of your project file is essential for maintaining coordination throughout the life of the project. You can find an example of how to do this on the companion website. Create a project file by following these steps:

Working with Files from Other Applications

Revit files are not the only type of files that you can link into your project. The Revit platform is compatible with many types of CAD formats as well. As you move into using a BIM solution for your projects, try to use CAD files as little as possible. A large number of linked CAD files in your project can cause the project file to perform poorly. Choose the files that will save you time overall on the project. CAD file formats that can be linked into Revit include the following:

• DWG
• DXF
• DGN
• ACIS SAT
• SketchUp

You can also link image files and DWF markups. There are two options for bringing non-Revit file types into your project: You can link them or import them. Linking is the preferred method, because a linked file will update as the file changes without having to repeat the process of inserting the link. Linked CAD files will show up in the Manage Links dialog box with options for the pathing of files, reloading, and unloading. If you share your project that contains CAD links with a consultant and you do not give the consultant the CAD files, Revit will display the CAD link as it last appeared in your file.

Linking CAD Files

Because there is no Revit platform for civil engineering, it is likely that you will receive the files from your civil engineering consultant in some type of CAD format. The process for linking these types of files is similar to linking a Revit file:

1. On the Insert tab, click the Link CAD button. The dialog box for linking a CAD file, shown in Figure 4.29, contains more options than the one for linking a Revit file.

Figure 4.29 Link CAD Formats dialog box

The check box in the lower-left corner provides the option for linking the file to the Current View Only. This will keep you from having to turn off the CAD link in any other view.

The Colors drop-down list allows you to invert the colors of the CAD file, preserve them as they exist, or turn all the line work to black and white, as shown in Figure 4.30.

Figure 4.30 Color options for a linked CAD file

2. Determine which layers of the CAD file you want to load. This is similar to loading specific worksets of a linked Revit file. You can load all the layers within the file, you can load only those that are visible within the drawing (layers that are on and thawed), or you can specify which layers you would like to load, as shown in Figure 4.31.

Choosing the Specify option will open a dialog box from which you can select the desired layers within the CAD file to load.

Figure 4.31 Layer options for a linked CAD file

Layers within the linked CAD file can be removed after the file is in your project by clicking the link in the view window and clicking the Delete Layers button in the Import Instance panel.

3. Define the units for the file to be linked in. The Auto-Detect option, shown in Figure 4.32, means that Revit will use the unit setting that the CAD file is using. This can cause inaccuracy if the units in the CAD file are not defined.

Figure 4.32 Import Units options for a linked CAD file

4. Position the CAD file. The positioning options for a linked CAD file are the same as for a linked Revit file. If you are using shared coordinates for your project, these coordinates need to be communicated to the civil engineering consultant in order for the site plan to align properly. If not, you can place the CAD file manually to line up the graphics.

Typically, the architect will provide a building outline to the civil engineering consultant that will appear in the linked site plan. Whatever method is chosen, be sure to pin the link in place to prevent accidental movement. The Orient To View check box in the lower-right corner will position the file appropriately, based on your view orientation, either Plan North or True North.

If you choose to use the Import option instead of linking, the options for placing the file are the same except for the automatic orientation to your view. For the sake of good file hygiene, it is best to link CAD files instead of importing them, especially if you are bringing in the file only for temporary use.

The Correct Lines That Are Slightly Off Axis option is new to Revit MEP 2013. This feature helps reduce that pesky warning that informs you that a line is not completely straight by altering it automatically. This may not be a wise choice when linking a site plan due to the nature of the linework representing grading and other site features.

You can link any other type of CAD file needed in your project such as details or diagrams. These types of drawings can be linked to a drafting view that can be placed on a sheet, or they can be linked directly onto a sheet. To remove a linked CAD file, you can simply select it in the view window and press the Delete key. This will remove it from the project completely.

You can view the properties of elements within a linked CAD file by selecting the link and clicking the Query button in the Import Instance panel that appears when the link is selected. When you click this, each element within the linked file can be selected, as shown in Figure 4.33.

Figure 4.33 Selected item within a linked CAD file

Clicking an item will open the Import Instance Query dialog box, shown in Figure 4.34, with information about the selected item. The Delete and Hide In View buttons in this dialog box apply to the entire category of the selected item.

Figure 4.34 Import Instance Query dialog box

You can control the visibility of items in the linked CAD file from the Visibility/Graphic Overrides dialog box. The Imported Categories tab in this dialog box contains a list of all linked and imported CAD graphics. The layers within the linked files are listed and can be turned on or off, and their color, line weight, and line pattern can be overridden.

Exporting Your Revit File to a CAD Format

Sharing your project file with consultants who are not using Revit is equally as important as receiving their files. You can export your file to several different CAD formats to be used by your consultants. The most important thing to do in order to export your file is to establish the translation of model elements to CAD layers or levels. This is set up in the export options found on the Application menu under the Export tool (see Figure 4.35).

Figure 4.35 Export options

When you select one of the file format export settings, the dialog box that appears contains a list of all the Revit model categories and their subcategories. You can assign a CAD layer or level and a color to each category and subcategory depending on whether the elements are displayed as cut or in projection. See Figure 4.36 for an example.

Figure 4.36 Layer export settings

Once you have provided a layer and color for the elements that you need to translate to CAD along with the other export options, you can save the settings for future use. See Chapter 2, “Creating an Effective Project Template,” for more information on establishing export settings.

With your export settings established, choose the appropriate CAD format from the Export tool on the Application menu. The Export CAD Formats dialog box provides you with options for selecting multiple sheets or views to export and the properties of the exported files.

Click the Next button after you have chosen the views or sheets to export, and a dialog box will appear that will let you browse to the file export location. At this point, you can determine the software version to use for the export. If you are exporting a sheet view, you have the option to turn each view on the sheet into an external reference. If you are exporting a model view, selecting this option will cause any linked files in the view to be exported as separate CAD files to be used as external references. This option is the default if you choose the Manual option for file naming.

Figure 4.37 shows the resulting files from an export of a sheet that contains one model view and a schedule. The highlighted file is the complete sheet. The other files are external references that make up the sheet. The titleblock is a block entity in the DWG, and the schedule is linework and text in the sheet file.

Figure 4.37 Files created from Revit export

Notice also that the logo in the titleblock was exported as an image file and a PCP file was created. This allows anyone you are sharing your files with to print them the same way you would.

Using Image Files in a Revit Project

Image files may be necessary for your Revit project to convey design information. They can also be used for presentation documents to add a more realistic look to the model and for logos on sheet borders. Sometimes, renovation projects require information from older documents that are not in Revit or a CAD format. You can save the time required to re-create this information by inserting scanned images of the documents. As with linking CAD files, be careful not to use too many images in your project for the sake of model performance.

You can insert an image file directly into any type of view except for 3D views. Click the Image button on the Insert tab, and browse to the location of the image. Images are imported into your project, not linked, and they will travel with the file when shared. Figure 4.38 shows placing an image into a sheet border. An outline of the image appears at your cursor for placement.

Figure 4.38 Placing an image into a view

Once the image has been placed, the grips at the corners of the image allow you to resize it by clicking and dragging them. The aspect ratio of the image will be maintained when dragging a corner point. To access these grips after placement, just click the image. You can place text and line work on top of the image as necessary.

If you need to show an image in a 3D view for rendering, you can bring the image into your file by creating a decal. The Decal button is located on the Insert tab. Clicking the bottom half of this button allows you to place a loaded decal or access the Decal Types dialog box shown in Figure 4.39. You will first need to create a decal type within your project by clicking the Create New Decal button in the lower-left corner.

Figure 4.39 Decal Types dialog box

After naming your decal type, you can browse to the location of an image you want to use. The dialog box offers other settings for the rendering appearance of the image. Once the decal type is created, you can use the Place Decal option on the Decal button to insert the image into a 3D view. Settings for the decal size appear on the Options Bar during placement. You can place the decal on any one-directional planar 3D face, such as a wall, curved or straight. It will appear in the view as a box that defines the size of the image, as shown in Figure 4.40.

Figure 4.40 Placing a decal in a 3D view

The decal will display its associated image only in rendered views. This allows you to show things such as signs or logos without having to model them. See Figure 4.41 for an example. Valid image file types for decals are BMP, JPG, JPEG, PNG, and TIF.

Figure 4.41 Decal shown in a rendered view

Image files brought into your project will not appear in the Manage Links dialog box. You can use the Manage Images button on the Insert tab to see what images are used in your project. Decals will not appear in the Manage Images list. The Decal Types button also appears on the Manage Project panel of the Manage tab.

If you are working with a client or consultant who is not using Revit, you can still share your model by using the Drawing Web Format (DWF) export capabilities within Revit. You can export your model in either 2D or 3D format depending on your client's needs. DWF files are similar to PDF files in that they are meant to be viewed and commented on. The graphics and model geometry cannot be edited in a way that modifies the actual design model, but they contain more than just graphical information. This will help you include your clients or consultants in the BIM process of your project by providing them the I in BIM—information.

To create a DWF file for sharing, click the Application menu and select the Export tool. There you will see the DWF/DWFx option (see Figure 4.42).

Figure 4.42 DWF/DWFx Export tool

In the DWF Export Settings dialog box, you will see a preview of the current view and options for the output. If you want to create a 3D DWF, you need to be in a 3D view when you select the Export function. If your view discipline is set to Coordination, only the elements within your file will be exported; linked files will not be included in the DWF.

Setting Options for Quality Control

The topics in this chapter address how you can work with all the files in your project to better coordinate your design with your consultants. One of the best things you can do is to make sure that the file you are sharing is as complete and accurate as possible.

You can use some of the core functionality of Revit MEP to set up a system for quality control and project review. During visual inspection of the project, you may notice issues that require coordination. Unless you are the person responsible for modeling, there needs to be a workflow in place to document and manage the issues.

Consider creating an annotation family that acts as a comment tag for whoever may be reviewing the project. This tag can contain as little or as much information as you want. The sample shown in Figure 4.43 has parameters to assign a number, date, status, and owner of a comment along with space for a brief description. The project reviewer can place these tags throughout the project to point out areas that require modification or coordination. Comments can be made regarding issues within your file or issues about your consultant's files. When you share your file, your consultant can view the comments without sending additional information or files.

Figure 4.43 Sample review comment tag

These tags can be scheduled, and the schedule can be used as a means of tracking the comments. The schedule also allows users to easily locate the comment tags by using the Show feature within native Revit schedules, as shown in Figure 4.44.

Figure 4.44 Revit schedule Show feature

As comments are addressed by users, the tags can be deleted from the views. An empty schedule would indicate that all comments have been addressed. Another option would be to add a parameter, such as a check box, to the comment tag to indicate when a comment has been addressed. Using this workflow can be an efficient and productive method for dealing with coordination issues during the design process.

Another option to consider for quality control is using DWF markups in lieu of the traditional “red line on paper” method. The benefit of using DWFs is not only in the reduction of printing but also that your markups, and how they are handled, can be documented and archived. You can generate a DWF file of multiple sheets, which can be digitally marked up using the free Autodesk Design Review software that can be installed with Revit or is available for download from www.autodesk.com. The marked-up DWF sheets can then be brought into Revit and overlaid on their corresponding sheet views by using the DWF Markup command on the Insert tab, as shown in Figure 4.45.

Figure 4.45 Revit sheet with DWF markup

As changes are made to your Revit file, you can edit the properties of the marks from the DWF, categorizing them as complete. The Revit file can then be exported to DWF again, and the new DWF file will show the marks as complete by highlighting them in yellow. The username and time of completion of the mark are also stored in the DWF file. This workflow enables you to keep track of who made changes and when those changes were made.

Using Autodesk® Revit® Server

Revit Server is an extension that you can use to work collaboratively on projects across a wide area network (WAN). This is a very useful application for projects that are being done by offices in different locations.

With Revit Server, you establish a project central model file on a central server. This server must be accessible by all project team members.

Local servers house a local model copy of the central file. These servers must be accessible by all users in each location of the project team. The local copy is an up-to-date version of the central file located on the central server.

Users work as they would normally, creating a local copy of the project on their workstation. As changes are made and the Synchronize With Central command is used, the local and central models are updated. The local model on the local server is first updated, and then those changes are written to the file on the central server. This allows team members to be anywhere in the world and work on the same project file, as long as they have a local server that has access to the central server.

The Revit Server Administrator application is browser-based and can be accessed remotely. This application is used for managing the project files.

For more information on Revit Server, visit:

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/ps/dl/item?siteID=123112&id=15731389&linkID=9243099

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