Exit Path Line Type

Here’s an idea I had for clearly showing exit travel path. We want the path to show clearly but we don’t want to use heavy lines as it can sometimes be confusing with wall fire rating line types.

What I've done here is use a repeating detail, this way it’ll only show on the view we want (it’s not a model component), it can be any style you choose. In this case I've used a simple grey arrow, you could use a person running, or better yet a person running who is on fire…

Start by using the family template “Detail Component line based” Imperial or Metric, it’s up to you.

Sketch your desired symbol, save detail component, load into project.

 After you've loaded it into your project you now need to create a repeating detail using this “Detail Component”.

Duplicate and rename an existing repeating detail and specify the Detail, Layout, Spacing and Rotation (I seem to have to rotate mine 90* Counter clockwise!)

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Then trace or place your path using your repeating detail…

Should look something like this.

No confusion here with FRR’s….

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Or this:

 ;-)

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Project Bluestreak...Ideal for use with Revit Server

Lately we've been testing out Project Bluestreak from Autodesk Labs.

Basically Buestreak is like Instant Messenger for your project team, Bluestreak allows you to create work groups based on your your team members for each project.

Bluestreak is a Cloud based application that you can access from the web as well as your desktop.

Bluestreak has been around for ages!!! But since we've started using it in collaboration with Revit Server it's really come into it's own now. It's a lot faster communicating with team members letting them know if you need a sync or a workset. Bluestreak automatically informs you when team members have saved to the project which can be handy when to sync from central. You can connect different Revit files to different groups so that if you switch projects only those that need to see the Save to Central info get it. So your not spaming everyone.

I also found out that Bluestreak is also a Transformer who had to change his name to Silverstreak in 2003 for Trademark reasons... I wonder if it was Autodesk??

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Opening Project and Specifying Worksets

Did you know you can specify worksets when opening a project?

This is particularly handy when opening up those large projects that take a long time to create a new local…which you do every morning right!

When opening the project under the “Open” drop down selection you can select the options:

All: Opens all worksets in the central file. This will significantly reduce performance.

Editable: Opens all editable worksets. This too can significantly reduce performance.

Last Viewed: Opens worksets according to your last saved session. If you are opening the file for the first time it will open all worksets. Typically this setting is used.

Specify: Here it will open another dialog box (the Opening Worksets dialog box) where you can then specify which worksets you want to open. By default it will open the last worksets based on your last saved session.

  

Opening Worksets Dialog Box

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Callout Far Clipping

When you create a call out in section or elevation view you can independently control the “Far Clipping” of the Callout Independent from the Parent View. 

Callout on Section View with Wall in Background (Parent View)

In the View Properties of the callout (the Callout View) you have the option to manipulate the Callout Clipping range Independent from the Parent View (Section depth).

 This is what it looks like by default, the view Far Clipping is set to “same as parent view”. Changing the “Far Clip Offset”  wont affect your view here…

 Set the Far Clip Setting to Independent and you can then set the Far Clip Offset to a different value from the parent view.

Here I've set it to 5’-0” deep.

  

Now you can see the change in the Callout View….The wall in the background in now gone making the detail callout clearer and easier to annotate and read.

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BIM Manager Vs CAD Manager

I read today's Blog by David Light (Revit) which really resounded with me.

Here he speaks about the difference between BIM Manager and CAD Managers which I can fully relate too having being a CAD Manager and now a BIM Manager.

The differences are huge! As a CAD Manager you managed the day to day operation of CAD, the CAD standards, set-up, file management, deployment, etc. This was a full time job.... however I was rarely involved with managing the projects side of things.

What I have found as BIM Manager is I now have more to do with collaboration with consultants and clients rather than the set up and operation of Revit. My Revit users know what they're doing, I'm more involved with  the managing of the project rather than the management of the software.

Dont get me wrong, I still set up BIM standards, educate, and develop processes as well as evaluate BIM related software, but my role and duties are no longer confined to the operation and maintenance of the software as it once was as a CAD Manager. As a BIM Manager it's now more project related as well as managing and informing the company as a whole on BIM related issues.

The CAD Manager is Dead... Long live the BIM Manager.

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Inches to the forth power error message

Received another weird error message from Revit.

Not quite sure what prompted this error message....
I did some research on this message and this is basically what I found was that in some cases it is caused by insufficient disc space. 

I found some information regarding this error on Jeremy Tammik's blog "The Building Coder" where he talks about when Revit  was first developed in the US it was based upon Imperial units. When Metric and other units were introduced into Revit the basic existing database (based upon Imperial) remained.
Jeremy mentions "When Revit's API was introduced, the simplest method of introduction was to expose the database values directly. Thus feet for length, metric for everything else".

Thus I believe the reason for the verbiage of the error message. 

In my case it wasn't a large file and running a audit on the file seemed to have resolved any issues.

Just got this reply from Autodesk Technical Support...

The error is incorrect and should read "end of file".

From the description, the file on the server is not a full version of the file, but a full version does get written when you try the command again.

If you have not already, I would purge the file to reduce the file size. I would also make sure that no one else is accessing the central file when others are saving or syncing.

It was quite a quick response from Autodesk.

I'm starting to collect a variety of "Weird" Revit error messages!

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Not your Fathers Autodesk !!

Not your Fathers Autodesk, That's for Bl@@%y sure!

Autodesk is going through some "Re-Branding" and have released their new logo. 
Their logo fits in well with how they are promoting themselves as an evolving business.

Chris Bradshaw, the Senior Vice President and Cheif Marketing Officer for Autodesk recently wrote in "In the Fold" about Autodesks new logo and the direction the company is taking in the not only in the AEC industry but also in the Animation industry and the Cloud, etc...

"This is just the beginning of the new Autodesk, and we’re excited to have you along for the ride" Chris Bradshaw.

It's certainly an exciting time to be involved in the AEC industry and using Autodesk software...

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