Troubleshooting Revit MEP

A 20 minute video from Autodesk's Harlan Brumm and Jerry Lee Smith covering:

Overview of the Revit MEP Workflow

• Create new project using MEP template
• Save Arch model as central file on server
• Link in models using origin-to-origin
• setting links to be room bounding
• copy/monitor levels
• Setting up views and apply view templates to views
• create levels to account for plenum spaces

Troubleshooting Spaces and Zones

• space not visible in view
• rooms are "unoccupied"

Troubleshooting Revit MEP Performance

• Not following workflow
• not creating logical systems
• large connected duct networks
• complicated families
• poorly connected elements
• Limit color schemes
• place endcaps on open ducts
• ensure flow direction on connectors is correct

Creating Phases

1. Click Settings menu Phases. By default, each project has phases called Existing and New Construction.
2. Click the number box adjacent to a phase.

   

3. Insert a phase.
4. You cannot rearrange the order of phases after you add them, so be aware of placement.

   To insert a phase before or after the selected phase, click Before or After.

   Revit MEP names the phases sequentially as you add them, for example, Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and so on.

5. If desired, click the Name text box for a phase to rename it. Similarly, click the Description text box to edit the description.
6. Click OK.

Combining Phases

1. Click Settings menu Phases.
2. Click the number box adjacent to the phase you want to combine with another existing phase.
3. Click either Combine With Next or Combine with Previous to combine phases.

When you combine phases, the phase that is selected is deleted; this means that all components that had that phase value for their Phase Created and Phase Demolished properties update to show the new combined phase value.

Phase Filters

A phase filter is a rule you can apply to a view to control the display of components based on their phase status: new, existing, demolished, or temporary.

Default Phase Filters

Each Revit MEP project contains the following default phase filters:

• Show All: Shows new, existing, demolished, and temporary components in that particular phase. Components demolished in earlier phases do not display.
• Show Complete
• Show Demo + New: Shows demolished and new components.
• Show New: Shows new components.
• Show Previous + Demo: Shows existing and demolished components.
• Show Previous + New: Shows existing and new components.
• Show Previous Phase: Shows all elements from the previous phase. Existing conditions are new to the first phase of the project, so using this phase filter may not display your intent.

NOTE:To show all elements from all phases, do not apply a phase filter to the view.

Phase Status

• New: Component was created in the phase of the current view.
• Existing: Component was created in an earlier phase and continues to exist in the current phase.
• Demolished: Component was created in an earlier phase and demolished in the current phase.
• Temporary: Component was created and demolished during the current phase.

Creating Phase Filters

1. Click Settings menu Phases.
2. In the Phasing dialog, click the Phase Filters tab.
3. Click New to insert a new phase filter. The filter is assigned a default name, click in the Filter Name box to edit the name.
4. For each of the phase status columns (New, Existing, Demolished, and Temporary) select how you want components to display by selecting one of the following options from the drop-down menu:
   • By Category: displays components as defined in the Object Styles dialog.
   • Overridden: displays components as specified in the Graphic Overrides tab of the Phasing dialog.
   • Not Displayed: does not display the component.

Applying Phase Filters

1. In the Project Browser, right-click the view to which you want to apply a phase filter, and select Properties.
2. In the Element Properties dialog, select a value for the Phase Filter instance parameter.
3. Click OK.

Defining the Graphic Display for Phase Filters

You define overrides to change the appearance of components in views with phase filters.

1. Click Settings menu Phases.
2. In the Phasing dialog, click the Graphic Overrides tab.
3. Click the appropriate boxes to define the appearance for new, temporary, demolished, and existing elements.

For the phases you want to have use the graphic override settings, select Overridden for the value on the Phase Filters tab.

Infill Element for Phasing

If an insert (such as a window) and its host (a wall) do not have the same values for the Phase Created and Phase Demolished properties, Revit MEP automatically places an infill element in the host to patch the hole created by the insert.

The infill element lets you place inserts from one phase, demolish them, and then place new inserts in the same location. The infill element assumes the same structure as its host. In certain cases you can modify the structure of the infill element by changing its type.

Infill elements for roofs and floors project down from the top face, and infill elements for ceilings project up from the bottom face.

You cannot drag, move, mirror, rotate, copy, or paste an infill element.

Infill Element for Earlier Phases

If you place an insert into a host in a phase later than the host's creation phase, Revit MEP creates an infill element for earlier phases.

For example, you have a roof that was created in Phase 1. You add a skylight to the roof in Phase 2. You look at the roof and skylight in a 3D view. If you set the 3D view's phase to Phase 1, an infill element replaces the skylight. You can view this infill element in a section view.

Infill Element for Demolished Components

When you demolish an insert in a host element, the insert becomes an infill element.

Demolished window becomes infill element

You can then place a new insert near the demolished insert.

New window placed near demolished window

If you apply a phase filter to the view that does not show demolished elements, such as Show Previous + New, you see only the new insert.

New window only