Displaying Revit MEP Systems by Color

If you look at your Revit MEP model, and you see the confusing winding of piping and duct running through your model, and wonder what system that pipe or duct belongs to? There are ways to show your systems in various colors to make it easier to understand and view your model at a quick glance. You can set up a filter to apply colors by System Type, or by System Name, whatever you want. Check out the Filters applied to the default template in RME 2008 as a guide.



Line Styles by Pipe Type
You need to use View Filters to accomplish this task.


















1. Settings -> Filters... Here you define the Filters that will exist in the project.












2. Select a view in the Project Browser that you want to apply these filters on, go to Properties -> Visibility Graphics Overrides... -> Filters tab. Here you will select a filter you defined in step 1 and define visual overrides for elements that are returned by the filter.











3. Go to that view, note that your Filters have been applied and there is a visual difference between your systems.


















Keep in mind that Filters can be part of a View Template, so you don't need to define these for each individual view.

Building Information Modeling in Practice

A White Paper from Autodesk

Introduction to Building Information Modeling

Building information modeling—an innovative new approach to building design, construction, has changed the way industry professionals worldwide think about how technology can be applied to building design, construction, and management.

Building information modeling supports the continuous and immediate availability of project design scope, schedule, and cost information that is high quality, reliable, integrated, and fully coordinated. Among the many competitive advantages it confers are:

• Increased speed of delivery (time saved)
• Better coordination (fewer errors)
• Decreased costs (money saved)
• Greater productivity
• Higher-quality work
• New revenue and business opportunities
  

For each of the three major phases in the building lifecycle—design, construction, and management—building information modeling offers access to the following critical information:

• In the design phase—design, schedule, and budget information
• In the construction phase—quality, schedule, and cost information
• In the management phase—performance, utilization, and financial information
  

The ability to keep this information up to date and accessible in an integrated digital environment gives architects, engineers, builders, and owners a clear overall vision of their projects, as well as the ability to make better decisions faster—raising the quality and increasing the profitability of projects.

Although building information modeling is an approach and not a technology, it does require suitable technology to be implemented effectively. Examples of some of these technologies, in increasing order of effectiveness, include:

• CAD
• Object CAD
• Parametric Building Modeling
  

This paper will describe what building information modeling is, how it confers competitive advantages, and how it can be achieved using a flexible range of technologies.

What Is Building Information Modeling, and What Are Its Key Benefits?
Building information modeling is an approach to building design, construction, and management. It supports the continuous and immediate availability of project design scope, schedule, and cost information that is high quality, reliable, integrated, and fully coordinated. Though it is not itself a technology, it is supported to varying degrees by different technologies.

Building information modeling is, essentially, the intersection of two critical ideas:

• Keeping critical design information in digital form makes it easier to update and share and more valuable to the firms creating and using it.
• Creating real-time, consistent relationships between digital design data—with innovative parametric building modeling technology—can save significant amounts of time and money and increase project productivity and quality.
  

What follows is a more detailed look at how building information modeling works, as well as the benefits it offers in the design, construction, and management phases of the building lifecycle.

Building Information Modeling Benefits in the Design Phase
During the course of a building project, an architect must balance the project scope, schedule, and cost. Using building information modeling techniques, all of this critical information is immediately available, so that project-related decisions can be made more quickly and effectively.

Building information modeling allows a project team to make changes to the project at any time during the design or documentation process without laborious, low-value recoordination and manual checking work. This gives the team more time to work on design and other high-value architectural problems. In addition, all of the building design and documentation work can be done concurrently instead of serially, because design thinking is captured at the point of creation and embedded in the documentation as the work proceeds.

Whenever a change is made to a project, all the consequences of that change are automatically coordinated throughout the project. The automatic coordination of changes offered by building information modeling eliminates coordination mistakes, improves the overall quality of the work, and helps companies win more repeat business.

Building Information Modeling Benefits in the Construction Phase
In the construction phase of the building lifecycle, building information modeling makes available concurrent information on building quality, schedule, and cost. The builder can accelerate the quantification of the building for estimating and value-engineering purposes and for the production of updated estimates and construction planning. The end result is that more of the owner’s construction dollar goes into the building than into administrative and overhead costs.

Building Information Modeling Benefits in the Management Phase
In the management phase of the building lifecycle, building information modeling makes available concurrent information on the use or performance of the building; its occupants and contents; the life of the building over time; and the financial aspects of the building. Building information modeling provides a digital record of renovations and improves move planning and management. Physical information about the building, such as finishes, tenant or department assignments, furniture and equipment inventory, and financially important data about leasable areas and rental income or departmental cost allocations are all more easily managed and available. Consistent access to these types of information improves both revenue and cost management in the operation of the building.

Potential for New Services and Revenue Sources
When building information modeling is used effectively, architects can make use of a project's digital design data to provide new services and gain new sources of income. Owners are increasingly demanding digital models, and paying for them. Architects can also offer new and expanded services—such as move management, energy analysis, digitally integrated cost estimating, and renovation phase planning—for additional fees.

What Technologies Can Be Used to Implement Building Information Modeling?
Although building information modeling is an approach and not a technology, it does require suitable technology to be implemented effectively. Examples of some of these technologies, in increasing order of effectiveness, include

• CAD
• Object CAD
• Parametric building modeling

CAD Technology
The gray line in the chart represents CAD-based software; that is, software that is based on the familiar geometry-based CAD technology used in the industry for several decades. This technology supports drafting automation very effectively and with little effort. However, to achieve increasing levels of efficiency, this technology requires greater and greater levels of effort. Higher levels of administrative and management overhead are introduced, layer and naming standards must be maintained and enforced, and the quality of the information coming from the CAD-based files depends heavily on the discipline and reliability of the users entering the data. Very high levels of effort, including programming and partner product development, can achieve effectiveness in the building information modeling range. However, the level of effort required is so high that CAD-based technology is rarely used at this level.

Object CAD Technology
Object CAD seeks to simulate building components in a CAD-based environment, focusing on the 3D geometry of the building, the generation of 2D documentation from that 3D geometry, and the extraction of object data from the building components to provide information about quantities and object properties. This technology can be applied very effectively to help coordinate the various representations of the building in documentation, and because it carries rich data about the building in the object structure, it can also be extended into building information modeling.

Object CAD technology also allows for great variety in levels of use, and because it is based on CAD, it can be particularly easy to implement—and often yields immediate benefits—with little or no process change. However its effectiveness remains contingent on user discipline and reliability, and it cannot ensure the presence of the high-quality, reliable, integrated, and fully coordinated information required for the highest levels of building information modeling benefits.

Parametric Building Modeling Technology
Parametric building modeling combine a data model (geometry and data) with a behavioral model (change management) that gives meaning to the data through relationships. This provides an integrated system that can be used to simulate the behavior of a real-world system—in this case, a building. Examples of the most advanced features of this kind of system are real-time self-coordination of the information in every view, and the assurance of the quality of the information coming from the system.

Some other important characteristics of software based on parametric building modeling technology include:

• Information about the entire building and a complete set of design documents are stored in an integrated database. All of the information is parametric and therefore completely interconnected.
• Any change to the relationships among objects is always instantly reflected throughout the rest of the project—in all representations of the project.
• All relationships within the model are available for user definition—not just relationships (such as a window hosted by a wall) that have been preprogrammed by the developers. This includes graphical definition by the end user of parametric objects.
  

Just as a spreadsheet is a tool for thinking about numbers, software built on parametric building modeling technology is a tool for thinking about buildings. And just as a change made anywhere in a spreadsheet is expected to update everywhere with no further intervention from the user, so a change made anywhere in a parametric building modeler is immediately reflected everywhere.

Only a purpose-built integrated data architecture built around a parametric building model can provide the immediate and fully coordinated representation of a project across all views, drawing sheets and schedules that is necessary to eliminate errors and provide clarity and confidence in decision making.

Autodesk offers products based on all three building design and documentation technologies, and fully understands the pros and cons of each. Parametric building modeling technology is uniquely suited to supporting the highest level of building information modeling effectiveness at the lowest level of effort. Parametric building modeling uniquely offers the concurrent and immediate availability of all of the important information about the building that results in higher quality work, greater speed and productivity, and decreased costs. However, this technology requires the wholesale adoption of building information modeling to put it to use. There is no way to use this technology in a traditional, non-building information modeling environment. Using this technology can deliver tremendous business benefits, but doing so requires a departure from traditional ways of working. Moving from CAD-based technology to object CAD technology can be an incremental or evolutionary change, but moving to parametric building modeling technology for building information modeling requires a new way of working.

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.