Introduction

Welcome to Mastering Autodesk® Revit® MEP 2016. I have worked diligently to bring you a book that takes you through the core features and functionality of Revit MEP 2016 from both the design and documentation perspectives.

I first started using Revit MEP in 2006 when it was known as Revit Systems. Since then the software has been on a fast-track development pace to bring it up to speed with the Autodesk® Revit® Architecture and Autodesk® Revit® Structure programs. This 2016 release of Revit MEP provides platform improvements (that is, of features shared among the three discipline-focused versions) along with MEP-specific features that make this a very exciting edition.

When Revit Systems was first released, it was intended primarily to allow MEP engineers to join the move toward building information modeling (BIM) that was being adopted by architects and structural engineers. The features and functionality were, in the opinion of most, limited to provide a complete MEP project. The development team has been listening to the needs of users and has now delivered tools and features that many of us have desired from the beginning. The focus has been on performance in this release, improving performance by managing when calculations are performed and how elements are processed in views, resulting in more efficiency while users navigate views. With the introduction of fabrication parts, Revit can now go the full distance in a project, from concept to handover.

The primary focus of this book is on the MEP disciplines, but there is plenty of information that applies to Revit in general. My goal is to take you through the major points of the design process and requirements for completing a building design and project submittal. This book focuses on building engineering, but it may also be helpful for other types of engineering projects, such as process piping design or any others that require a combination of data and model components.

The book consists of five parts, the first of which covers general functionality that is useful for all disciplines. You will find suggestions throughout the book for including features and components in your project templates. The first part does not cover every pick and click available in the software; it approaches the use of Revit from a best-practices standpoint, which I hope will inspire you to think about ways to make Revit work best for you. Any specifics not covered were not omitted to imply that they are unimportant but simply because you can find information about these features in the documentation provided by Autodesk and in Revit MEP 2016 Help.

The next three parts of the book are MEP specific and have been written to cover the key design areas of each individual discipline (mechanical, electrical, and plumbing). Again, I'm focusing on best practices by relating my professional experience with not only the software but also the design industry. In an effort to tie it all together, the fifth part of the book contains information to help you optimize your Revit experience by learning the tools and features available for creating the various components that make up an MEP model.

Computer Maintenance

In my experience, some of the most common problems associated with any type of computer use are directly related to the user not maintaining their hardware. Now, I'm certainly not trying to antagonize anyone, but having been a user, manager, and implementation specialist for a number of years, poor maintenance is the number one reason for problems. Let's take a look at some of these issues and what can be done to rectify them.

Hardware

If you don't get this right, you are going to struggle from the outset. The majority of BIM- and CAD-related programs—and, let's face it, the operating systems they run on—are memory intensive and will require a good spec machine to run on. Check out www.autodesk.com/certified-hardware to make sure that at the very least, your hardware matches the specifications shown there.

RAM

I can't repeat this enough: the more RAM the better. In the scheme of things, RAM is cheap. Don't skimp on it, and although system requirements are adequate, my laptop is configured with 32 GB of RAM and my workstation has 64 GB. How much RAM you buy largely depends on your budget and the type of projects you are likely to work on. System requirements can be found here: http://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/revit-products/troubleshooting/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/System-requirements-for-Autodesk-Revit-2016-products.html.

Graphics Card

One of the best options when choosing a graphics card is to visit the Autodesk website: www.autodesk.com/certified-hardware. The search function allows you to explore certified and recommended graphics cards. It's worth bearing in mind that those same manufacturers also build cards that are incompatible with Revit, and more expensive. Don't buy an expensive card just because you can. Some are designed for gaming and they may not work at all for Revit applications.

Graphics Driver

Unless you install the graphics card and a driver that was used during testing, Revit will return an error in the options dialog box. The best advice is to install the latest graphics driver for your card and, if you experience problems, turn off hardware acceleration.

Graphics Driver Settings

Be extremely careful of changing settings and make a note of all defaults. If you are experiencing really slow graphic performance, take a look at your graphic driver settings, especially if you have a nice shiny new laptop. Many corporate environments have one, maybe two, images for deploying their standard environment. The majority of the time this cannot cater to every graphics card, even if they regularly keep the same setup. It is common for laptops to have a built-in graphics card, so if the settings point to the default card, take a look and make sure you are using the right card and driver combination for the job.

Computer Performance

There is a performance setting in Windows: Control Panel ⇨ System and Security ⇨ System ⇨ Advanced System Settings. Click the Advanced tab (if necessary) and then click the Settings button under Performance. You will notice there are four settings; the default is Let Windows Choose What's Best For My Computer. At the risk of sounding like a control freak, I either opt for Adjust For Best Performance or a custom version of the best performance option. Windows is not an expert in BIM. There are instances where some Autodesk software actually requires an Aero-based theme, so it is a good idea to have one or two saved, customized desktop themes that incorporate these visual settings.

Additional Settings

Here are a few more settings you should check before you install Revit and get to work on your MEP project.

Virtual Memory

With the Performance Options dialog box open, select the Advanced tab and click Change For Virtual Memory. If you are having performance issues, this is almost the last stop before you buy or upgrade your machine. Managing the paging file can give you good returns—but test it. If you have two physical hard drives (not a single hard drive partitioned into two), then consider having two managed pagefiles also. Set the initial size to the same as your RAM and the maximum to double that size.

Defrag

If you have a traditional hard disk drive, then do this regularly (weekly). If however, you have a solid-state drive (SSD), then don't defrag at all. In fact, defragging an SSD can harm performance and reduce its life!

Temporary Files

Type %temp% in your Windows Explorer address bar. This takes you to your temporary files folder. Select all files in this folder and delete them—any files in use will prompt you to skip that action.

Recycle Bin

Once again, in the Windows Explorer address bar, type Recycle Bin and hit Enter. Delete everything in here too.

Revit Backup Files and Folders

Here, I am making the assumption that you are using worksharing and you know the path to your local project files (refer to Chapter 3, “Worksets and Worksharing,” for more details). There is nothing wrong, when using worksharing, in appending a date and time stamp automatically to your local file when creating a new local file. Make a regular practice of deleting anything you don't need—like last month's files, which will also include the associated backup folders. In addition to this, if you are working on library content locally before integrating it with a centralized one, perform a search in your local directories for *.0???.r?? This will find any Revit-related backup file—it's okay to delete historical versions of these too.

What's New in Revit 2016

You've asked for it, and I'm very pleased to be able to provide a relevant list of new features with this version of the book. As with the rest of this book, there may be some omissions because I have selected those new tools that have an impact on the MEP disciplines. You will see some architectural updates, but no structural. That's because some architectural or platform enhancements also affect the MEP fields. Also with this release, there are some updates that you may or may not have already seen in 2015. Confused? If you are a subscription customer, then you will have probably had some of these updates as Revit 2015 Release 2, which was the midyear subscription update. In order to make this clearer, for each update that was included in that release, I've appended 2015 R2.

MEP Enhancements

Here are the MEP enhancements that have been included in this version of Revit MEP.

  1. Circuit Sequencing In the Electrical Settings dialog box, you can now specify the sequence in which power circuits are created. 2015 R2
  2. Most Recently Used Panel Circuiting When creating a circuit, Revit automatically connects to the most recently used panel in the current session. You can also search the Panel drop-down list. 2015 R2
  3. Move Circuits You can now move a circuit directly to a target destination without disrupting other circuits by using the Move To tool. 2015 R2
  4. ASHRAE Tables The ASHRAE Table Settings dialog box displays the graphical representations that are associated with duct fitting tables. 2015 R2
  5. Piping Flow Units When you define project units for piping, you can now specify values for flow in liters per minute (L/min).
  6. Performance and Volume Only Settings for Calculations For most duct and piping systems, Performance has been added to the Calculations drop-down. With this set, no system-level calculations are processed. It is a complete “off switch” for calculations.

    Volume Only has been added to the Calculations drop-down while you're working with Fire Protection, Vent, and Other classification system types. Upgraded projects will have the Calculations parameter set to Volume Only for systems in which the Calculations parameter was set to None.

  7. Improved Snapping While working with large models, you should observe an improvement in snapping. Snap filters are now based on the zoom level, and when Snap to Remote Objects is disabled, snapping to connectors in linked files is excluded.
  8. MEP Fabrication Detailing You can now place fabrication parts, available through Fabrication Part configurations (Imperial and Metric), which are based on the LOD 400 content that is part of the Autodesk® Fabrication products CADmep™, ESTmep™, and CAMduct™.
  9. Revit Extension for Autodesk Fabrication You can import and export fabrication jobs between Revit and the Autodesk Fabrication products.

Platform and Architectural Enhancements

Here are the platform enhancements that apply to all the Revit 2016 family.

  1. Allow Navigation During Redraw Enabled by default, this option allows you to pan and zoom while the view is redrawing.
  2. Dynamo A visual scripting tool that leverages the Revit API to enhance and extend model behavior. 2015 R2
  3. Edit/Load a Family When editing a family, you now have the option Load Into Project And Close. 2015 R2
  4. Energy Analysis for Autodesk Revit (for Subscription Customers) Use Conceptual Mass Mode and Use Building Element Mode have been integrated within the Energy Settings dialog box.
  5. New Analysis Mode Use Conceptual Masses and Building Elements allow you to perform energy analysis on a model that includes both types of design.
  6. File Upgrades This is a new dialog box that shows the release of the file when opening, loading, or importing. In most cases, you can cancel before completion of the upgrade. 2015 R2
  7. IFC You can use geometry in a linked IFC model as references for dimensions, alignment, and snapping. Some face-based families can be hosted in the Revit model. Linked IFC elements are assigned to a default phase. 2015 R2
  8. IFC Links and Rooms When creating rooms in the host model, you can use many IFC-based elements to define room boundaries.
  9. Import/Link Position Default positioning option is now Auto - Origin to Origin. If you change the default, the option you select for Positioning becomes the default for the current session. There is one default for Revit models and another for CAD files. 2015 R2
  10. Open Sheet View Right-click a view in the Project Browser and click Open Sheet. This option is disabled when the view is not placed on a sheet, or if the view is a schedule or a legend.
  11. Perspective Views You can now perform the following commands in a perspective view: Move, Align, Pin, and Unpin. 2015 R2
  12. Reset Target Tool Restores the camera target position to the center of the field of view. You can toggle between perspective and parallel representations of the view. 2015 R2
  13. Pin/Unpin Icons These icons have been changed subtly to indicate whether an element has a relationship with a host system such as a curtain wall panel. 2015 R2
  14. Properties Palette When comparing properties of different family instances, you can scroll in the Properties palette, click outside the palette, and retain the context you were looking at. 2015 R2
  15. Rendering When rendering a static 3D view, you can now choose between two rendering engines: NVIDIA mental ray® and Autodesk Raytracer. This is part of a multiyear project to replace mental ray with Autodesk's own rendering engine.
  16. Reveal Constraints Use the toggle on the View Control Bar to see all dimensional and alignment constraints in a view. 2015 R2
  17. Revisions Select multiple rows in the Revision dialog box to delete multiple revisions at once. The starting number for a numeric sequence can be 0 or any positive number. The alphabetic sequence type is now called alphanumeric, and it will accept any sequence of characters. Each value in the sequence can consist of more than one character. You can add a prefix and/or a suffix to display with values in a sequence.
  18. Revit Link in a Closed Workset If a Revit link is not visible in a model view, you can check its status in the Manage Links dialog box. 2015 R2
  19. Rotate Project North Improvements have been made to the reliability of this existing feature, with view-specific annotation elements that should be rotated along with the model when it is used.
  20. Schedules You can use the Insert Data Row tool, available directly on the Rows panel, to add a data row to a schedule. 2015 R2
  21. Search There is a new search feature in the Type Selector and in drop-down lists. You can enter keywords to search for. 2015 R2
  22. Selection Boxes You can select Elements from the Modify tab, and then select View ⇨ Selection Box to isolate the elements in a 3D view.
  23. Solon Integration Originally available through Autodesk Labs, Solon has been incorporated into the Autodesk® Green Building Studio® application so you can personalize the building performance analysis in Revit. 2015 R2
  24. Thin Lines If you like working in Thin Line mode, the Thin Lines state is remembered between sessions, based on its setting when you close Revit. 2015 R2
  25. View State When you save and exit Revit, the zoom and pan states for each view are remembered for the next time the model is opened. The views have to remain open when you close the project, however.

Who Should Buy This Book

This book is intended for readers who are at least somewhat familiar with Revit MEP. It is not intended to be a “how-to” book by simply explaining picks and clicks; it is for readers who are looking to find ideas on how to make the software work for them. Engineers, designers, modelers, and CAD technicians will all find useful information related to their workflows. If you are hoping to move further with your Revit MEP implementation, you should find this book to be a useful resource. Even if you are familiar with the topics discussed in this book, we hope you will be inspired to think of new ways to improve your Revit MEP experience.

What's Inside

Here is a glance at what's in each chapter:

  1. Part 1: General Project Setup
    1. Chapter 1: Exploring the User Interface The ribbon interface is designed for optimal workflow. In this chapter, you will discover the features of the user interface that allow you to work efficiently. Some new features in Revit MEP 2016 improve the user interface dramatically.
    2. Chapter 2: View Filters and View Templates This chapter takes you through the major areas for creating and applying view filters and view templates that help you deliver consistent-looking documentation for all your projects.
    3. Chapter 3: Worksets and Worksharing This chapter guides you through the process of setting up a project file in a multiuser environment. The features of a worksharing-enabled file are explained in a manner that promotes ideas for project workflow efficiency.
    4. Chapter 4: Project Collaboration Revit has many features that make project collaboration easy to manage. In this chapter, you will learn about ways to use the power of Revit MEP to coordinate your design and documents with other members of the project team.
    5. Chapter 5: Multiplatform Interoperability: Working with 2D and 3D Data This chapter provides best-use techniques for importing non-Revit data into your projects. You will learn about the data types available and how to use them effectively in your Revit project files.
    6. Chapter 6: Parameters Parameters are the intelligence within a BIM project. This chapter explores how parameters can be used in both projects and families for applying computable data to your Revit models. The creation of shared parameters and their use is also covered.
    7. Chapter 7: Schedules The best way to extract the data contained in your Revit project model is to use the power of schedules. In this chapter, you will learn about the tools available for scheduling model components and how to use schedules to manage data within your projects. The panel schedule template feature is also covered in this chapter.
  2. Part 2: Mechanical Design
    1. Chapter 8: HVAC Cooling and Heating Load Analysis Mechanical design must start with understanding how your building will perform in different weather conditions and climates. In Chapter 8, you will learn that properly produced building loads can ensure that the mechanical design has been sized for maximum efficiency, saving energy and money while reducing the impact on the environment.
    2. Chapter 9: Creating Logical Systems In this chapter, you will learn how to set up logical systems and how each system is affected by the type you assign it. From mechanical systems to fire-protection systems, all have a certain role to play in BIM.
    3. Chapter 10: Mechanical Systems and Ductwork Understanding how to route ductwork successfully can lead to error reduction and better coordination. In Chapter 10, you will learn how to locate mechanical equipment and how to use the proper routing methods for ductwork.
    4. Chapter 11: Mechanical Piping Routing mechanical piping can be a daunting task. In this chapter, you will learn how to route and coordinate your piping and how, through these techniques, you can speed up production and take full advantage of what Revit MEP 2016 has to offer.
  3. Part 3: Electrical Design
    1. Chapter 12: Lighting In this chapter, you will learn how to place lighting fixtures, including site lighting, into your projects. The use of lighting switches is also discussed, along with the relationship between lighting fixtures and the spaces they occupy. This chapter also covers the basics for using Revit MEP for lighting analysis.
    2. Chapter 13: Power and Communications In this chapter, the basics for placing power and communication devices into a model are covered. You will also learn how to place electrical equipment and connections for use in distribution systems. Conduit and cable tray modeling tools are also explored in this chapter.
    3. Chapter 14: Circuiting and Panels Creating systems for your electrical components is just as important as it is for mechanical components. In this chapter, you will learn how to set up your projects to your standards for wiring, create circuits within your model, and create panel schedules to report the loads. The tools for load classification and demand factors are also covered in this chapter.
  4. Part 4: Plumbing
    1. Chapter 15: Plumbing (Domestic, Sanitary, and Other) In this chapter, you will learn how to modify plumbing fixture families and create custom systems to speed up plumbing design. You will also learn how to use the Copy/Monitor feature in ways never discussed before.
    2. Chapter 16: Fire Protection Fire-protection systems protect buildings and lives. You will learn how to lay out a fire pump system and assemble components to help in your design process. You will learn how to coordinate with other disciplines and how to enter into the BIM arena effectively through the use of Revit MEP.
  5. Part 5: Managing Content
    1. Chapter 17: Solid Modeling The foundation for custom content creation is having the ability to create the forms required to build component families. In this chapter, you will learn how to use the tools available in Revit MEP to create model geometry. You will also learn how to make geometry parametric, increasing its usability.
    2. Chapter 18: Creating Symbols and Annotations Because so much of MEP design information is conveyed with schematic symbols, it is important to have the symbols and annotative objects commonly used for projects. Revit MEP has the tools needed to create schematic symbols for use in component families or directly in projects. In this chapter, you will learn how to use these tools and how to create constraints within families for display of the symbols in your projects.
    3. Chapter 19: Creating Equipment Equipment families are an important component of a Revit model because of the space they occupy within a building. In this chapter, you will learn how to use solid modeling tools to create equipment. You will also learn how to add connectors for systems and how to create clearance spaces for coordination with other model elements.
    4. Chapter 20: Creating Light Fixtures Lighting fixture families are special because they can hold photometric data that allows for lighting analysis directly in your Revit model. This chapter covers how to create lighting fixture families and add the data needed for analysis. You will also learn how lighting fixture families can be represented in project model views using detail components, linework, and annotation within the family file.
    5. Chapter 21: Creating Devices This chapter examines the process for creating MEP system devices and how to use annotations to represent them on construction documents. In this chapter, you will also learn how parameters can be used to control and manage symbol visibility.
    6. Chapter 22: Details Although creating a model with computable data is the primary reason for using Revit MEP, you do not want to model every minute detail of the design. The tools for creating detail drawings of your design are examined in this chapter. You will also learn how to use existing CAD details along with strategies for creating a library of Revit details.
    7. Chapter 23: Sheets When it comes time to submit a project, you need to have a set of coordinated construction documents. In this chapter, you will learn the ways you can create and manage your project sheets. You will also learn how you can print and export your project sheets for submittal or coordination with clients.
    8. Chapter 24: Fabrication This is a totally new workflow for Revit MEP 2016. Fabrication tools are a step in the direction of a fully life-cycle building project, from conceptual design to construction.
    9. Chapter 25: Creating a Project Template The key to success with Revit projects is to have a good template file. Chapter 25 takes you through the major areas of a template file, offering ideas for settings that will make starting a project as simple and efficient as possible.

The Mastering Series

The Mastering series from Sybex provides outstanding instruction for readers with intermediate and advanced skills in the form of top-notch training and development for those already working in their field and clear, serious education for those aspiring to become pros. Every Mastering book includes the following:

  • Real-World Scenarios, ranging from case studies to interviews, that show how the tool, technique, or knowledge presented is applied in actual practice
  • Skill-based instruction with chapters organized around real tasks rather than abstract concepts or subjects
  • Self-review test questions so you can be certain you're equipped to do the job right

How to Contact the Author

I welcome feedback from you about this book or about books you'd like to see from me in the future. You can write to me at the following email address: [email protected].

For more information about my work, please visit https://uk.linkedin.com/in/simonwhitbread.

For More Information

Sybex strives to keep you supplied with the latest tools and information you need for your work. Please check the website at www.sybex.com/go/masteringrevitmep2016, where we'll post additional content and updates that supplement this book if the need arises.

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