3.31.10 5:40-6:35pm 57mins
Introducing Revit Architecture 2010, BIM for Beginners
Chapter 2 ■ Getting Acquainted with the
Revit Interface and File Types
- Revit file formats
"Revit File Formats
There are five Revit-specific file formats:
RVT
RFA
RVG
RFT
RTE"
"RVT: Revit File
Each Revit project is saved with the file extension .rvt. When you save a project using the .rvt extension, all project information is saved in that one file. This file includes all library components used in the project and imported DWG, DGN, or image files. ...It isn’t unusual for file sizes to exceed 50MB or even 100MB. If you want to share your project with another person or office, you won’t need to send them
any files other than your project *.rvt file.
Note that all flavors of Revit (Revit Architecture, Revit MEP, and Revit Structure) use the same file format (.rvt).
If you have linked files to a project, regardless of whether they are DWG or RVT files, you will need to send them along with the project if you are sending files."
"RFA: Revit Family
The RFA file format is used for Revit library elements that can be loaded into a project. ...also referred to as families in the Project Browser. A small subset of loaded families is already available in the templates that come with Revit...bigger library of loadable content...provided...is accessible from the Insert tab, Load Family button. These libraries are starting points, and represent only a small sampling of what is possible to create in Revit.
...library elements have been created in a designated content-creation environment known as the Family Editor. ...Once created, Revit families are loaded into a project, where you can edit and make modifications to them from within the project environment at any time, thus minimizing workflow interruptions."
"Unless you changed the default installation, Revit installs all library objects in the folder C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Autodesk\Revit Architecture 2010. This is the location of the default content that ships with Revit, and where the Load Family dialog box will take you."
"You can also...download content from, the Autodesk Seek website. Type in a search term in the Search field in the main toolbar and click the magnifying glass icon. You will be taken to a website where you can search for a wide range of content in various formats, including RFA files."
"RVG: Revit Group
The Revit Group file format was made obsolete with the Revit 2008 release. ...It’s somewhat similar to the Block concept in AutoCAD, but with a higher level of intelligent behavior. ...When a group is saved in Revit 2008 and later, it’s saved as an RVT file. However, groups created in previous versions of Revit that are still in the RVG file format can be used and loaded in a project."
"RFT: Family Template
...used to create custom families. The family templates are hardcoded in Revit. To see the full selection of available templates, from the Application Menu
choose New, Family. ...These templates have embedded behavior and intelligent parameters relevant to the type of object you’re creating. For example, a template for creating a window has a different set of available parameters and behaviors than a template for creating a door. ...If you cannot find an appropriate template for a new object you wish to create (a fireplace, for example), you should use the generic family or a more appropriate hosted family."
"RTE: Revit Template
...preconfigured empty drawings in which standard settings and content can
be predefined so that each time you start a new project using that template, you have a predictable starting point that incorporates your office standards."
"Here’s what you can preset in a template:
Default title blocks used for your sheets
- Loaded families
- Line styles
- Line weights
- Line patterns
- Fill patterns
- Materials
- Units
- Snaps
- Dimension styles
- Temporary dimensions
- Object styles"
"To create and save your own template, open any of the existing template files and save it as a new name. Next, modify the settings, units, fonts, and load library objects that you want to see each time you open a new project using that template."
"Starting a new project in Revit is easy. From the Application Menu, choose New, Project, and Revit will open a dialog box with the following options:
Browse - From here, you can change the default template predefined in the Settings
options and select another template.
Project - This option is selected by default. It means you’re starting a new project using one of the templates selected.
Project Template - Choose this option if you want to create your own template. Under
Create New, select Project Template, and under Template File, select the template that is most similar to what you want to create so that it serves as a basis for the new template. Make additional changes to that template, change settings, add or remove content, and save it under another name."
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Introducing Revit Architecture 2010, BIM for Beginners: Chapter 2 - Getting Acquainted with the Revit Interface and File Types
3.31.10 5:40-6:08 pm 28mins
Introducing Revit Architecture 2010, BIM for Beginners
Chapter 2 ■ Getting Acquainted with the
Revit Interface and File Types
- Setting up your project environment
"Project Units
...From the Manage tab in the
Project Settings panel, choose Project Units to open the dialog box s...where you can
set the measurement units, rounding convention (number of decimals), and suffixes for length, area, volume, and angle. You can also define the way you measure slopes — in rise or angle degrees — as well as the symbol used for the decimal division (point or comma)."
"Snaps
...define snaps by choosing the Manage tab, Project Settings panel and expand the Settings button to find the Snaps settings. In the resulting dialog box, you can turn the snaps on or off globally, set a variety of snap types, and specify the angular and length increments at which the system will snap.
...Snap Overrides ...during creation of elements. Right-click when drawing a wall, and you can override any of the project definitions for Snap by choosing Snap Overrides and selecting the option you need."
"Close
If an element you’re drawing is part of a chain (connected lines or walls) and is a valid open loop, you can close it by selecting the Close command from the context menu: Snap Shortcuts, Close.
You can access the same function with the keyboard shortcut SZ."
NOTE
"the system is preset to straighten out lines or walls drawn in small angles. This is helpful when creating new projects, but it can be an issue when you’re working with existing projects, especially surveyed properties or old buildings. If you import a .dwg from such a project, Revit will automatically make something like a 0.00005-degree angle into a 0- or 90-degree angle, and this might affect the final precision of your outcome."
NOTE
"Snap is on by default. If you are creating a project of an existing building and are drawing it directly in Revit, turning off Snap will be helpful; otherwise, Revit will force you to round angles to the first minimum snap angle defined."
"Line Weights
Revit has a global setting for displaying line thicknesses on the screen and the printed page. Revit provides independent control over cut and projected line weights on a per-category basis, giving you a great deal of flexibility. For example, cut lines for walls are often represented with thicker lines than walls in elevation. You can choose from 16 preset line weights that range from very thin to very thick.
Revit does an excellent job of presetting these line weights to produce a good graphical display of your model on the printed page. We don’t recommend manipulating the dialog box shown in Figure 2.82; however, if you’re unhappy with the print quality of the line weights, you can access the values in this dialog box and make changes by selecting the Manage tab and in the Project Settings panel, click Settings and then click Line Weights."
"Object Styles
Line colors and styles are defined in the Object Styles dialog box.
To access this dialog box, select the Manage tab, and in the Project Settings panel click Settings and then click Object Styles.
...each Revit element has an assigned line weight number that corresponds to what is defined in the Line Weights dialog box. The line weights chosen for Projection (elevation) and Cut can vary depending on your requirements. You can also define line color and line pattern for each category here."
"Options
The Options button in previous versions of Revit was also located under Settings, but in the new Revit 2010 UI it has been moved to the Application Menu.
...you will find a variety of other options for using Revit.
The tabs for this function include the following:
General - ...set your save-reminder intervals and your username. By default, your username is the same as your Windows login name.
Graphics - ...you can change some of the settings for your graphics card and the screen colors in Revit. ...by default has a white screen with black lines (the inverse of AutoCAD). ...specify selection and highlight colors, and
enable anti-aliasing for 3D views.
File Locations - ...stores the location of your default paths for templates, user files, and most important, paths to your family libraries. The path you defined for your Revit families is the one that you will be linked to when you choose the Load Family option, which becomes available upon selection or creation of any of the Revit elements (try Window as an example). You can add new links to personal library folders as well.
Rendering - ...shows you the default installation path to the new rendering library,
used when you render views. ...also where you can add additional material libraries,
as well as licensed ArchVision (photorealistic rendering entourage) content.
Spelling - ...allows you to specify various settings for automated spelling and indicate the dictionary that you want to be used. You can leave the default Revit dictionary or switch to a Microsoft Office dictionary, change the language settings, and add other dictionaries.
SteeringWheels - ...offers various controls over the visibility of the SteeringWheel,
its size and opacity on the screen, and some additional settings, such as the Zoom and Orbit settings. You can also access these settings by clicking Options in the Wheel context menu (the Options dialog box opens with the SteeringWheels tab selected).
ViewCube - ...allows you to set the appearance of the ViewCube as well as some
behavioral and scene settings..."
Introducing Revit Architecture 2010, BIM for Beginners
Chapter 2 ■ Getting Acquainted with the
Revit Interface and File Types
- Setting up your project environment
"Project Units
...From the Manage tab in the
Project Settings panel, choose Project Units to open the dialog box s...where you can
set the measurement units, rounding convention (number of decimals), and suffixes for length, area, volume, and angle. You can also define the way you measure slopes — in rise or angle degrees — as well as the symbol used for the decimal division (point or comma)."
"Snaps
...define snaps by choosing the Manage tab, Project Settings panel and expand the Settings button to find the Snaps settings. In the resulting dialog box, you can turn the snaps on or off globally, set a variety of snap types, and specify the angular and length increments at which the system will snap.
...Snap Overrides ...during creation of elements. Right-click when drawing a wall, and you can override any of the project definitions for Snap by choosing Snap Overrides and selecting the option you need."
"Close
If an element you’re drawing is part of a chain (connected lines or walls) and is a valid open loop, you can close it by selecting the Close command from the context menu: Snap Shortcuts, Close.
You can access the same function with the keyboard shortcut SZ."
NOTE
"the system is preset to straighten out lines or walls drawn in small angles. This is helpful when creating new projects, but it can be an issue when you’re working with existing projects, especially surveyed properties or old buildings. If you import a .dwg from such a project, Revit will automatically make something like a 0.00005-degree angle into a 0- or 90-degree angle, and this might affect the final precision of your outcome."
NOTE
"Snap is on by default. If you are creating a project of an existing building and are drawing it directly in Revit, turning off Snap will be helpful; otherwise, Revit will force you to round angles to the first minimum snap angle defined."
"Line Weights
Revit has a global setting for displaying line thicknesses on the screen and the printed page. Revit provides independent control over cut and projected line weights on a per-category basis, giving you a great deal of flexibility. For example, cut lines for walls are often represented with thicker lines than walls in elevation. You can choose from 16 preset line weights that range from very thin to very thick.
Revit does an excellent job of presetting these line weights to produce a good graphical display of your model on the printed page. We don’t recommend manipulating the dialog box shown in Figure 2.82; however, if you’re unhappy with the print quality of the line weights, you can access the values in this dialog box and make changes by selecting the Manage tab and in the Project Settings panel, click Settings and then click Line Weights."
"Object Styles
Line colors and styles are defined in the Object Styles dialog box.
To access this dialog box, select the Manage tab, and in the Project Settings panel click Settings and then click Object Styles.
...each Revit element has an assigned line weight number that corresponds to what is defined in the Line Weights dialog box. The line weights chosen for Projection (elevation) and Cut can vary depending on your requirements. You can also define line color and line pattern for each category here."
"Options
The Options button in previous versions of Revit was also located under Settings, but in the new Revit 2010 UI it has been moved to the Application Menu.
...you will find a variety of other options for using Revit.
The tabs for this function include the following:
General - ...set your save-reminder intervals and your username. By default, your username is the same as your Windows login name.
Graphics - ...you can change some of the settings for your graphics card and the screen colors in Revit. ...by default has a white screen with black lines (the inverse of AutoCAD). ...specify selection and highlight colors, and
enable anti-aliasing for 3D views.
File Locations - ...stores the location of your default paths for templates, user files, and most important, paths to your family libraries. The path you defined for your Revit families is the one that you will be linked to when you choose the Load Family option, which becomes available upon selection or creation of any of the Revit elements (try Window as an example). You can add new links to personal library folders as well.
Rendering - ...shows you the default installation path to the new rendering library,
used when you render views. ...also where you can add additional material libraries,
as well as licensed ArchVision (photorealistic rendering entourage) content.
Spelling - ...allows you to specify various settings for automated spelling and indicate the dictionary that you want to be used. You can leave the default Revit dictionary or switch to a Microsoft Office dictionary, change the language settings, and add other dictionaries.
SteeringWheels - ...offers various controls over the visibility of the SteeringWheel,
its size and opacity on the screen, and some additional settings, such as the Zoom and Orbit settings. You can also access these settings by clicking Options in the Wheel context menu (the Options dialog box opens with the SteeringWheels tab selected).
ViewCube - ...allows you to set the appearance of the ViewCube as well as some
behavioral and scene settings..."
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Introducing Revit Architecture 2010, BIM for Beginners: Chapter 2 - Getting Acquainted with the Revit Interface and File Types
3.31.10 5:05-5:38pm 33mins
Introducing Revit Architecture 2010, BIM for Beginners
Chapter 2 ■ Getting Acquainted with the
Revit Interface and File Types
- Overview of the Revit user interface
- Modifying and personalizing the interface
- Selecting objects and navigating views
- Using keyboard shortcuts
"...user interface (UI) of Revit 2010 is dramatically different from that of its previous version. ...entire family of Autodesk products, has moved to the “ribbon” paradigm..."
"The ribbon UI in Revit can be changed and customized per your needs. This feature is
new in Revit 2010. A full customization of the UI is still not possible; however, you can make certain changes to it, such as modifying the panel order or moving a panel off the Ribbon to your desktop. Revit 2010 supports working across multiple monitors."
"change the order of the panels within the tabs and also undock them from the
Ribbon so they float in the workspace and are visible at all times. With multiple monitors, you can move these panels from screen to screen."
"Revit, you can undock the Project Browser and make it float over the drawing area."
"Keyboard Shortcuts
Keyboard shortcuts are the fastest way to work with Revit. The shortcuts assigned to the existing Revit commands are unfortunately not as obvious in the new UI as they were previously. You have to hover over a tool and wait for the tooltip to appear in order to see the assigned shortcut, which is described with two uppercase letters. To change the automatically assigned shortcuts, edit the Keyboard Shortcuts.txt file located in \Program Files\Autodesk Revit Architecture 2010\. This location is unchanged from previous releases of Revit. You will have to restart Revit after changing the keyboard shortcuts in the .txt file."
"Tab - ...similar to the Cycle command you may know from AutoCAD. It allows you to cycle through various elements near the cursor when more than one is present. ...useful when you’re dimensioning because it allows you to cycle through various references of the elements dimensioned (dimension to wall center instead of wall face; opening of a door
instead of outer frame; and so on). The Tab key is also used to select chains of connected
lines and walls."
"Shift+Tab - ...reverses the default order in which the Tab command cycles."
"Ctrl - ...used to add multiple objects to a selection at the same time."
"Ctrl+Tab - ...will cycle through open views. Use this to quickly move from view to view."
"Shift - ...some elements in Revit are constrained to move horizontally or vertically only. Revit gives you visual clues indicating which way a selected element can move. You can remove this constraint by holding the Shift key while repositioning the element. ...some elements can move in any direction by default, but holding the Shift key while moving them constrains their direction."
"Delete - ...used to delete selected elements from the model. ...also use the Backspace key to delete elements."
"Ctrl+Z - undo"
"Ctrl+Y - redo"
"Multiple undo operations can also be performed from the quick-access toolbar using the list of recent commands. Dragging the mouse down this list undoes all selected commands in one step."
"Spacebar - ...mostly used to cycle through rotation of an element during or after placement."
Introducing Revit Architecture 2010, BIM for Beginners
Chapter 2 ■ Getting Acquainted with the
Revit Interface and File Types
- Overview of the Revit user interface
- Modifying and personalizing the interface
- Selecting objects and navigating views
- Using keyboard shortcuts
"...user interface (UI) of Revit 2010 is dramatically different from that of its previous version. ...entire family of Autodesk products, has moved to the “ribbon” paradigm..."
"The ribbon UI in Revit can be changed and customized per your needs. This feature is
new in Revit 2010. A full customization of the UI is still not possible; however, you can make certain changes to it, such as modifying the panel order or moving a panel off the Ribbon to your desktop. Revit 2010 supports working across multiple monitors."
"change the order of the panels within the tabs and also undock them from the
Ribbon so they float in the workspace and are visible at all times. With multiple monitors, you can move these panels from screen to screen."
"Revit, you can undock the Project Browser and make it float over the drawing area."
"Keyboard Shortcuts
Keyboard shortcuts are the fastest way to work with Revit. The shortcuts assigned to the existing Revit commands are unfortunately not as obvious in the new UI as they were previously. You have to hover over a tool and wait for the tooltip to appear in order to see the assigned shortcut, which is described with two uppercase letters. To change the automatically assigned shortcuts, edit the Keyboard Shortcuts.txt file located in \Program Files\Autodesk Revit Architecture 2010\. This location is unchanged from previous releases of Revit. You will have to restart Revit after changing the keyboard shortcuts in the .txt file."
"Tab - ...similar to the Cycle command you may know from AutoCAD. It allows you to cycle through various elements near the cursor when more than one is present. ...useful when you’re dimensioning because it allows you to cycle through various references of the elements dimensioned (dimension to wall center instead of wall face; opening of a door
instead of outer frame; and so on). The Tab key is also used to select chains of connected
lines and walls."
"Shift+Tab - ...reverses the default order in which the Tab command cycles."
"Ctrl - ...used to add multiple objects to a selection at the same time."
"Ctrl+Tab - ...will cycle through open views. Use this to quickly move from view to view."
"Shift - ...some elements in Revit are constrained to move horizontally or vertically only. Revit gives you visual clues indicating which way a selected element can move. You can remove this constraint by holding the Shift key while repositioning the element. ...some elements can move in any direction by default, but holding the Shift key while moving them constrains their direction."
"Delete - ...used to delete selected elements from the model. ...also use the Backspace key to delete elements."
"Ctrl+Z - undo"
"Ctrl+Y - redo"
"Multiple undo operations can also be performed from the quick-access toolbar using the list of recent commands. Dragging the mouse down this list undoes all selected commands in one step."
"Spacebar - ...mostly used to cycle through rotation of an element during or after placement."
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