Virtual Memory Management

A critical factor in the speed and performance of your computer is the amount of Random Access Memory (RAM) that is installed. Even a computer with a fast CPU can run slowly without the proper amount of RAM.

When it comes to evaluating the amount of computer memory needed for you to work effectively, you must balance cost and speed. As a result, different types of computer memory are used for different purposes. For example, a hard drive is a slow but inexpensive type of memory. So hard drive memory is ideal for storing massive amounts of program data and information that is not frequently accessed. RAM is a fast and expensive type of memory used to store program information for applications (or processes) that are being run.

In some cases, it is possible that the RAM on your system could be completely utilized. When this happens, the lower priority information stored in RAM is moved to the slower hard drive space (page file space) to create more space in RAM for higher priority information. This process of shuffling data back and forth in order to free up RAM is called paging and this method of managing RAM is referred to as Virtual Memory (VM). VM is measured by combining RAM and page file space.

Using VM is faster than storing information on a hard drive, but it is slower than using physical RAM. The more RAM that is installed on a computer, the less likely it is that VM will be used.

Verify Page File Space Settings

To verify page file space settings

1. On the Start menu, click Settings > Control Panel.
2. In Control Panel, double-click System.
3. In the System Properties dialog box, click the Advanced tab.
   
   
   
   
4. On the Advanced tab, under Performance, click Settings.
5. In the Performance Options dialog box, click the Advanced tab.
6. On the Advanced tab, under Virtual Memory, click Change.
7. In the Virtual Memory dialog box, change the Initial and Max values to 4092.
   
   
   
   
8. Click Set.
9. Click OK to close each dialog box.

Will Your Computer Benefit from Additional RAM?

1. While working in Revit, right-click on the Windows Task Bar at the bottom of the screen. Click Task Manager.
2. On the Performance tab, under Commit Charge, look at the Peak Number.
   
   

This represents the peak amount of RAM that was used since last rebooting your machine (in kilobytes). If this number is higher than the total physical RAM on your system, then your system is using all of the installed RAM as well as the page file space. So if you install more RAM, your system will run faster.

Performance checks should be repeated periodically.

Does Revit need more RAM?

1. Open your Revit project and minimize the Revit session.
2. Right-click on the Windows Task Bar at the bottom of the screen. Click Task Manager.
3. In the Windows Task Manager, click on the Processes tab.
4. If the VM Size column is not displayed on the Processes tab, click Select Columns on the View menu.
5. In the Select Columns dialog box, select the Virtual Memory Size check box. Click OK.
   
   
   
   
6. Sort the processes by clicking on the VM Size column header. Locate the Revit process.
   
   

Compare the Revit VM Size to the amount of physical RAM on the computer. If the Revit VM Size is less than the amount of physical RAM on the computer, adding more RAM may (or may not) be beneficial. However, if the Revit VM Size is 1.5GB or it exceeds the amount of physical RAM on the computer, then adding more memory will improve Revit performance.

Conclusion

Installing additional RAM might help some users increase their productivity while using Revit, but in most cases the Revit system requirements are sufficient.

For more information on installing additional RAM, contact your IT person or hardware distributor.

Revit MEP Content Changes: What You Need to Know

With the release of the Web Update #2 for the Revit MEP 2008 software application, there has been a re-structuring of the Imperial Content Library that is installed with the application. There are two main components to the re-structuring.

• Re-Organization of the Folder Structure
• New Naming Conventions

These changes have been made to allow Families to be more easily located, and also to provide a more consistent naming convention to apply to similar types of Families.

In order to manage these changes, there are recommendations for the installation process that are outlined in the What to Do section of this document.

What to Do
There are two recommended ways to handle the installation of content from the Web Update #2 build, depending on the customization you have applied to the standard catalog.

If You Have Modified Your Content Catalog
The recommended way to manage this change is to manually move your existing Content Catalog, usually found at C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Autodesk\RME 2008, before installation of the Web Update #2 build. During installation, download and install the new content to your desired location. This will allow for the new folder structure and content naming to be installed cleanly, avoiding the confusing situation of having both old and new families contained in your Content Catalog. After installation is complete, you need to move your customized Families into the newly installed Folder Structure, or move the installed Families into your customized Content Catalog.

If You Have Not Modified Your Content Catalog
The recommended way to manage this change is to manually delete your existing Content Catalog, usually found at C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Autodesk\RME 2008, before installation of the Web Update #2 build. This will allow for the new folder structure and content naming to be installed cleanly, avoiding the confusing situation of having both old and new Families contained in your Content Catalog.

Folder Structure Changes

Electrical Folder
The Electrical folder has been renamed Electrical Components. There have been three changes made to the contents of the Electrical folder, as highlighted below in Figure 1.

1. The Devices folder has been broken into a Data Devices and Power Devices folder.
2. The Annotation folders have been moved to the Electrical folder found in the top-level Annotations folder.
3. The Equipment folder has been broken into three sub-folders; Panelboard,
   Switchboard, and Transformer.

FIGURE 1 - ELECTRICAL FOLDER CHANGES

Fire Protection Folder
There have been no changes to the Fire Protection folder.

Mechanical Folder
The Mechanical folder has been renamed to Mechanical Components. There have been a number of changes made to the Mechanical folder, as highlighted below in Figure 2.

FIGURE 2 - MECHANICAL FOLDER CHANGES

1. The Air Handling Equipment folder has been removed, and its families distributed to new folders depending on the type of Family.
2. The Duct Fittings folder has been moved to the new top-level folder named Duct. The Duct folder contains Fittings as well as Accessories that can be placed directly on Ducts.
3. The General Components folder has been removed, and the Families it contained distributed according to their type. The Connector Families were moved to the Air-Side
   Components\Air Terminals folder, and the remaining Families were moved to the Duct\Accessories folder.
4. The Heating Equipment folder has been removed, and the Families it contained distributed according to their type.
5. The Unitary Equipment folder has been removed, and the Families it contained were moved to the Air-Side Components\Air Conditioners folder.
6. The Air-Side Components folder has been created to assist in understanding the purpose of the Families found in the Mechanical Components folder. All Families in these folders produce air, although they may consume things like electricity, hot water, steam, chilled water, etc.
7. The General Components folder has been created for Families that do not fall under Air-Side or Water-Side classifications. Examples of these are Condensing Units or Heat Pumps, which produce refrigerant.
8. The Water-Side Components folder has been created to assist in understanding the purpose of the Families found in the Mechanical Components folder. All Families in these folders produce liquids, typically water, although they may consume other things like gas or electricity.

Pipe Folder
There have been no changes to the Pipe folder.

Plumbing Folder
The Plumbing folder has been renamed to Plumbing Components. There has been a restructuring of the Plumbing folder, as highlighted in Error! Reference source not found. below.

FIGURE 3 - PLUMBING FOLDER CHANGES

1. The Bathroom & Kitchen Fixtures folder has been removed, and the Families it contained distributed to new folders in the Fixtures folder depending on their type.
2. The Drainage Equipment folder has been removed, at the Families it contained distributed to the Fixtures\Drains folder.
3. The Emergency Fixtures folder has been moved to the Fixtures folder.
4. The Pumps folder has been moved to Mechanical Components\Water-Side Components\Pumps folder, as these Families produce water.
5. The Water Supply Equipment folder has been removed, and the Families it contained distributed to new folders according to the Family type.

Naming Conventions
As there are situations where there are multiple Families of the same type, we have established a more uniform naming convention across Family names. The first section of a Family name is the type of Family, for example Supply Diffuser, Floor Drain, or Sink. This allows for Families of the same type to be more logically grouped together when viewed in list form. The remaining sections of the Family name further define the characteristics of that Family.

Second New Build for Revit MEP 2008

This update is made available to registered users of Revit MEP 2008, and is subject to the terms and conditions of the end-user license agreement that appears during installation. The install will look to see if there is a previous installation of Revit MEP 2008 on the computer, and if there is, it will uninstall it before it installs the new build.

What you might want to do is copy the individual Revit.ini files in case any additional paths have been created per user. The Revit.ini file is located in - C:\Program Files\Revit MEP 2008\Program. Use this method for new builds, not new versions…i.e. 2008 to 2009 (or 2008.1 if that comes out).

Improvements made in the current Web Update #2 build (20070829_2300):

• Room Tags on Copy/Monitored Rooms no longer return question marks in certain situations.
• Improves stability when using the Split Tool on Pipes or Ducts.
• Multiple Sprinkler Systems can now be copied more consistently.
• Improves stability when modifying the shape of an Elbow with an open end.
• The length override for Duct Transitions remains consistent after changes to the connected layout.
• Improves stability when generating ductwork from a mirrored air system.
• Improves stability when demolishing a duct with two connected takeoffs.
• Improves stability after receiving a corrupt element warning when opening a project.
• Publish to DWF™functions when Rooms are present and are clipped by the viewport.
• Improves stability when saving a Project with a linked DWG™file that contains an image.
• Improves stability when applying a view template to a sheet view.
• Working on Windows Vista™operating system, allows the ability to write to revit.ini, licpath.lic, KeyboardShortcuts.txt, and the Journals folder.
• Line-based families contained in a group are no longer flipped when the group is mirrored.
• Improves stability when importing group into Titleblock family.
• Allows the ability to export renderings to TIFF format.
• When temporary dimension text too small to read, user can adjust the size of the font through Revit.ini.
• Linked DWG file added by another user will now show up in Manage Links after reload latest.
• "Relative" spot elevation updates automatically with the change in Level elevation.
• When exporting to DWG file, overlapping lines that share a point are no longer missing in the resulting DWG.