Can't Stop Talking About Project Neon

Ask anyone here in the Ideate Portland office what my favorite Autodesk Labs project is right now and hands down they’ll reply, “Project Neon!” Before we get into why Project Neon is one of the best Labs projects out there, let me first explain Autodesk Labs.

Autodesk Labs relies on user feedback to develop innovative product ideas and technologies at a conceptual level. Although they specifically state they are not a beta community, it is a community, where you can explore potential commercially relevant technologies, whether you’re in architecture, engineering, manufacturing, or media and entertainment. Some of my other favorites include:

• Project Photofly Create 3D models from photographs taken by a digital camera
• Project Galileo Conceptual design tool for infrastructure projects
• Shape Extraction for AutoCAD Convert point clouds to geometry

These are only several from a long list of interesting technologies available. Take a look here.

On to Project Neon
Project Neon is a cloud rendering service for Revit. Rendering has always been a time and hardware intensive process, and required a pretty “beefy” machine and hours (if not days) to render out detailed scenes, but not anymore. Project Neon leverages cloud computing and an “outside” render farm to quickly produce high quality renders of your Revit 3D views. This frees up your machine from having to push out the render and production work can continue.

Once installed an configured Project Neon will show up under the Web Services tab on the ribbon in Revit 2012.

Open a project with a 3D View and click Render Online. Next choose which view should be rendered, the quality level, image size, and file format (jpeg, png, tiff, etc.). I recommend keeping the “Notify me by email when complete” box checked. When finished click Start Rendering.

In the Autodesk Online Services field in the upper right hand corner you’ll see a little indicator showing the render in progress.

Now you’re free to continue working within Revit and not lose valuable time. You can see how Project Neon would be extremely helpful for presentation renders like accurate material representations, lighting analysis, etc. where you can send scene after scene for comparisons.

Depending on the quality of render and image size; within minutes you’ll be notified by an email when the render job is complete. I highly recommend checking Project Neon out. As long as this project is available I’ll never use my machine to render out scenes it takes too much time.

Take advantage of Project Neon, as of right now the project will be around until late September 2011. Let’s hope they keep it up longer.

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Derek Wielkopolski
Technical Support Manager/Application Specialist
Derek holds a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Roger Williams University, Rhode Island. He is experienced working within the AEC industry from concept design through construction administration for both small and large scale projects. As Ideate’s Support Manager he ensures a timely and quality response to support requests and questions. Follow Derek on Twitter: @dwielk

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Ballad of the Note Block

Keynotes, as defined by Revit, can be a wonderful tool. The premise behind Revit keynotes is that you have a database of notes (text) that correspond to a key (number) and that you can place the keynote via a Tag onto your views and then have a Keynote Legend display both the keynote and the related text. This simple concept makes it easy for the Specifier or Project Manager to easily control the contractual language within your construction documents.

While many of our customers have implemented Revit Keynotes with a high degree of success we also hear many complaints about the rigidness of this tool (it’s difficult to edit the text values - which is also why it’s so valuable!).  In some cases the use of Generic Annotation objects (a.k.a. the “dumb” tag) along with a Note Block is a more appropriate solution for the task at hand. Yes, the Note Block is blog-worthy, and it’s time it had its due!

A Revit Note Block is similar to a Schedule entity though it reports on Generic Annotation objects, which are often referred to as Symbols. The most common usage of this would be for Demolition Notes. Other diverse uses include Signage Plans, Piping and Electrical Control diagrams, Renovation Notes, and requirement lists such as the CalGreen Mandatory Requirements Checklist. As many of our California-area customers have experienced the requirement to document the location within the sheetset of each CalGreen requirement presents an interesting Revit conundrum. The Note Block is a perfect way to manage this type of task.  Learn how to make a Note Block and see how Ideate BIMLink can support this kind of checklist requirement.

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Glynnis Patterson,
N.C.A.R.B. – Director of Services
Glynnis is a Registered Architect and has worked within the BIM industry since 1998. A graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, she has worked as an architect, educator and construction site manager. Glynnis is currently the Director of Development Services at Ideate, Inc. and continues to work with AEC clients across the nation, developing, and implementing best practices solutions. In her spare time Glynnis is a member of the Morristown Environmental Commission and builds Lego projects. @GVPinNJ

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AutoCAD Fundamentals
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Revit Architecture Fundamentals
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Revit Architecture Beyond the Basics
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AutoCAD Beyond the Basics

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eLearning – Upcoming Classes

Join the Ideate Tech Experts for eLearning - live online classes that provide your entire organization with easy access to premium education.

Upcoming classes include: 

6.28.11::Civil 3D 201: Data Short Cuts

Each class is designed to give you specific, improved results in a particular topic. You can interact with the instructor right from your own office, while eliminating travel time. Because the class schedule rotates, you can easily select your topics of interest and choose the day which best meets your schedule.

Click here for class descriptions, times and registration link. Questions? Contact education@ideateinc.com

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Revit Patterns: Defined

Patterns. I have a love/hate relationship with patterns. I am a recovering AutoCAD addict and have been working with AutoCAD *.pat files for as long as I can remember. I thought once I moved on from AutoCAD into Revit, I would be saying goodbye to programmatically creating patterns. Well, for better or worse, I still have to create them.

What I can say, is that Revit does a better job of handling them. Working on the MEP side of things, my exposure to patterns is rather limited in comparison to the Revit Architecture folks out there. I think because of that, I look at things a bit differently and it may work to my advantage.

Lets start with the basics.

Where are these magical pattern files? Well, that’s an easy one.

..\Program files\Autodesk\\Data\

What are the file names?

Well here is what is in my Revit 2011 Architecture Data folder:

Revit.PAT	Default Imperial pattern definition file
Revit metric.PAT	Default Metric pattern definition file
Revit metric custom.PAT	Ported Metric autocad pattern definition file

Great. Now how do they work?

Here is the rub.

They are very similar to AutoCAD patterns. If you are familiar with them, you may start to doze off here in a moment, but for those uninitiated pay close attention.

The *.PAT files contain a list of patterns that are broken down into the math of each repeating line.  These patterns can consist of a single repeating line or dozens of line segments of different angles to produce wood-grain effects. (What fascinates me... is imagine your boss asked "what did you do today?"  your response: "Coded 50 lines of text to create a wood-grain pattern, it took 4 hours!")

Examples: (Click Image for Full Size)

Kind of Intense right?! I promise, It's not that bad. We can tackle this topic together.

The default pattern file (Revit.PAT) has a great header portion that describes the entire process of creating patterns.  However, I have taken the liberty of breaking the pattern definitions down for you graphically to help ease you into it. To illustrate the definitions, I have selected the  "Block 8x16" pattern because of it's relative simplicity.

Pattern File Format

Unit Structure	%UNITS=INCH	Defines the default unit structure of the pattern. This helps to define scale.  Units are set to Inches in the above pattern
Version	%VERSION=3.0	This identifies the file as a Revit Fill Pater for the specified version. (include this for future compatibility)

Pattern Definition Format

Name, Comment	*Bock 8x16, 8 x 16 blocks Running Bond	This defines the name of the Pattern and the Description separated by a comma
Type Directives	%=MODEL	This defines the Type of Pattern. This can either be "Model" or "Drafting" If this line is omitted, it will default to Drafting

Each pattern line is defined by the following criteria and needs to be in the following order:

Angle	Value	This is the angle based off the origin points below. "0" Represents a Horizontal line and "90" represents vertical. The value of this angle can be any radial angle you many need
X-Origin	Value	This is the origin point for the "x" direction. Most commonly, this will have a 'null' value.
Y-Origin	Value	This is the origin point for the "y" direction. Most commonly, this will have a 'null' value.
Shift	Value	Shift moves the pattern of dashes and spaces along the length of each new parallel line. Shift is ignored if the line is solid.
Offset	Value	Offset defines the distance between parallel lines.  Zero Offset is not allowed.
		The dash-space sequence defines a repeating pattern of dashes and spaces for a line. If it is omitted, the line is solid.
Dash	Value	Positive numbers define dashes
Space	Value	Negative numbers define spaces.

  

Each line of the definition represents a new pattern line.  So for the block 8x16 pattern,  the first line defines the horizontals and the second line defines the verticals. The images below should illustrate the process.

0	0	0	0	8
Angle	X-Origin	Y-Origin	Shift	Offset

90	0	0	0	8	8	-8
Angle	X-Origin	Y-Origin	Shift	Offset	Dash	Space

Hint:

If you begin a pattern with a space, do not alternate dashes and spaces, or do not end with a space, Revit will introduce tiny dashes or spaces to compensate. Revit expands dots and very short dashes into dashes of a minimum size.

For those coming from AutoCAD and think they have the pattern mastered, here are the changes in Revit.

Differences from AutoCAD:

• AutoCAD has an 80-character line size limit, Revit's is 4096. 
• AutoCAD allows arbitrary sequences of dashes, spaces and dots, Revit coerces them into dash-space format by inserting zero spaces and dashes. 
• AutoCAD has a notion of dots, Revit expands them (including the zero dashes it inserted) into short dashes. 
• AutoCAD has a maximum of 6 components to a line pattern, Revit has no limit. 
• AutoCAD does not allow spaces in a pattern name, Revit does. 
• AutoCAD allows only one pattern per a custom file, with pattern name matching file name, and with the file residing in a known location. Revit has none of these restrictions. 
• AutoCAD and Revit utilize different logic to decide whether a pattern is acceptable.

Note: that when Revit exports its models into AutoCAD formats, such as DWG, it makes sure to comply with the more stringent AutoCAD requirements.

'Til next time. Happy Reviting.

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Matthew Nelson
MEP Solutions Application Specialist
Matthew has a deep understanding of Autodesk products. He studied Mechanical Engineering at SUNY Stony Brook. He has been a BIM manager and CAD manager for a leading international consulting services firm utilizing AutoCAD MEP, Civil 3D and Revit MEP. During that time, he focused his skills on understanding the dynamics of inter-discipline coordination on large scale civil and building engineering projects. At Ideate, Matthew provides training and support for Revit MEP, Navisworks and AutoCAD MEP. @MNelsonIdeate

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Classroom Training - Open Classes + $200 Off Training with Ideate

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Position yourself to land dream projects. Tap the full potential of your software solutions. Increase your facility, fluidity and capability to maximize the value of your precision software tools.

Here are a few of the training opportunities Ideate has to offer in the coming days:

6.27-29::Seattle
Revit MEP: Electrical Fundamentals
7.6-8::San Jose
AutoCAD Fundamentals

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Surveyors’ Companion from @eagle_point

Ideate, Inc. is proud to offer Eagle Point Surveyors’ Companion:

Simple, yet powerful surveying tools embedded directly inside of AutoCAD® Civil 3D®

A set of tools that streamlines the survey workflow, Surveyors’ Companion leverages proven surveying technology to enable organizations to comfortably and productively move to Civil 3D.

Visit ideateinc.com/products/eaglepoint to learn more.

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eLearning – Upcoming Classes

Join the Ideate Tech Experts for eLearning - live online classes that provide your entire organization with easy access to premium education.

Upcoming classes include:

6.21.11::Navisworks 101: Introduction to Navisworks Manage 2012
6.28.11::Civil 3D 201: Data Short Cuts

Each class is designed to give you specific, improved results in a particular topic. You can interact with the instructor right from your own office, while eliminating travel time. Because the class schedule rotates, you can easily select your topics of interest and choose the day which best meets your schedule.

Click here for class descriptions, times and registration link. Questions? Contact education@ideateinc.com

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The Essential Revit Data Management Tool: Ideate BIMLink 2012 Ships

Ideate BIMLink 2012 is hot off the presses – thanks to all who helped us with feedback and ideas on our first release of Ideate BIMLink 2012.

One of our biggest user-interface related requests was, thankfully, fairly easy to pull-off. So, by popular request, Ideate BIMLink (as well as Ideate Explorer) now installs directly to the Add-Ins tab within an Ideate Software Tab. The Extensions Manager, free with Autodesk Subscription, is no longer a requirement for Ideate BIMLink installation.

In addition to many minor improvements, our single biggest addition in this release is the support of Key Schedules. This was our top user request so we’re pleased to provide support for both editing Key Schedules and the assignment of Keys within Instance Links. Lana Gochenauer, one of our Revit MEP Specialists helped us put together a great example of how Key Schedules can be used to take control over manufacturer provided content and delivers the schedule output you need. Check out this Smoke Damper Schedule example.

For our architectural customers, access to the Key Schedule data means it’s never been easier to hand off that Equipment, Fixture, Room or Hardware Schedule to a consultant or any non-Revit users to be filled out in Excel. Did you know that Key Schedules have their own workset, allowing easy modification to volumes of data without interrupting Worksharing? Here’s another video showing how Ideate BIMLink 2012 supports this powerful workflow with Door Hardware.

Lastly, we’re providing even more great content in this release to help get you started including:

• Occupancy Sample File with custom occupancy tag
• Lighting Fixture Types Link
• Plumbing Fixture Types Link
• Duct Accessory Types Link
• Mechanical Equipment Types Link
• Mechanical Equipment Link
• Materials - Rename Link

You can get the detailed list of improvements and fixes within our Online Help. Keep those wishlist ideas coming for upcoming point releases! If you’d like to give Ideate BIMLink 2012 a try, download our free Trial version.

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Glynnis Patterson,
N.C.A.R.B. – Director of Services
Glynnis is a Registered Architect and has worked within the BIM industry since 1998. A graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, she has worked as an architect, educator and construction site manager. Glynnis is currently the Director of Development Services at Ideate, Inc. and continues to work with AEC clients across the nation, developing, and implementing best practices solutions. In her spare time Glynnis is a member of the Morristown Environmental Commission and builds Lego projects. @GVPinNJ

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Classroom Training - Open Classes + $200 Off Training with Ideate

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Position yourself to land dream projects. Tap the full potential of your software solutions. Increase your facility, fluidity and capability to maximize the value of your precision software tools.

Here are a few of the training opportunities Ideate has to offer in the coming days:

6.15-17::San Jose
Revit Architecture Fundamentals
6.21-23::San Francisco
Civil 3D Fundamentals
6.21-23::Seattle
Revit Architecture Fundamentals

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Know It. Savings.

Ideate subscription clients who have or renew their Autodesk software subscriptions are eligible to save $200 on training on one Fundamentals or Advanced class. Training must be purchased by 7.31.2011. Course must be completed by 12.16.2011. Read all the details here.

Insertion Point: Revit Families

Question: How do you define/change the insertion point of a Revit Family?

Answer: From the properties of the reference planes in the Revit Family!

In a Revit Family when you click on a reference plane and go to its properties you will see a property called ‘Defines Origin’ – the point at which two origin defining reference planes intersect becomes the insertion point of the Revit Family.

Learn more about Revit Families in Ideate’s one day Revit Family creation class.

Or get an introduction to Revit Families in Ideate’s Revit Family Creation online classes.

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Shruti Harve,

LEED AP, AEC Solutions Application Specialist
Shruti holds a Master of Science degree in Architectural Computing from University of Strathclyde, United Kingdom and is LEED accredited. Her experience includes working in Architecture and Construction firms in India and the United Kingdom as well as Structural Engineering firms in the Bay Area providing design, 3D modeling and drafting services. At Ideate, Shruti provides training and support for Revit Architecture, Revit Structure, 3ds Max, Ecotect and AutoCAD Architecture.

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I'm Using AutoCAD WS, Are My Files Safe?

Thanks to everyone who joined me for Wednesday’s AutoCAD 2012 What’s New webinar. I hope you enjoyed it.

During the presentation I went over the new 2012 AutoCAD WS feature. AutoCAD WS is a free web based CAD drawing editing and collaboration tool. Users don’t even have to own a seat of AutoCAD to use it; they just need to create a WS account and have access to the internet. AutoCAD WS even goes a step farther and can access dwg files with mobile devices through Autodesk developed apps for the iPhone, iPad, and Android devices. So how does this all work?

An AutoCAD 2012 user will upload a dwg file to a central server over the internet. Once the file has been uploaded, the dwg originator can specify users and permissions. Now all users can collaborate and edit the drawing simultaneously or individually then save their work and download the file if need be.

A common question I get after showing AutoCAD WS is, “How secure are my files once I’ve uploaded them to Autodesk?”

This is a completely valid question. Especially since we’ve entered this new shift in computing; from saving and working with files local to our computer or private network to files stored in the “cloud” hosted at another location to be accessed by multiple users through multiple devices.

Once a drawing is uploaded using AutoCAD WS the file is stored on Amazon S3 servers (SAS70) Type II certified. These are the same servers Amazon.com uses. The drawings you upload can only be accessed by your username and password. All communication between the server and your internet browser uses 128bit SSL encryption. Just for reference this is the same encryption type my bank uses when I do my online banking.

So, in short, yes AutoCAD WS is very secure. Feel free to take a look for yourself.

Curious about how AutoCAD WS works? Take a look at a this quick demo.

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Derek Wielkopolski
Technical Support Manager/Application Specialist
Derek holds a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Roger Williams University, Rhode Island. He is experienced working within the AEC industry from concept design through construction administration for both small and large scale projects. As Ideate’s Support Manager he ensures a timely and quality response to support requests and questions. Follow Derek on Twitter: @dwielk

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eLearning – Upcoming Classes

Join the Ideate Tech Experts for eLearning - live online classes that provide your entire organization with easy access to premium education.

Upcoming classes include:

6.14.11::Revit 201: Revit Architecture 2012 Update
6.21.11::Navisworks 101: Introduction to Navisworks Manage 2012

Each class is designed to give you specific, improved results in a particular topic. You can interact with the instructor right from your own office, while eliminating travel time. Because the class schedule rotates, you can easily select your topics of interest and choose the day which best meets your schedule.

Click here for class descriptions, times and registration link. Questions? Contact education@ideateinc.com

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More Revit Architecture 2012 Q & A

In my last Revit Architecture 2012 update webinar we had a few additional questions regarding some of the new features within the product so I wanted to share them with the rest of you:

Q: When working with Assemblies, can they be copied from one to another?

A: Assemblies are unique to a project. The views within an Assembly cannot be copied between other Assemblies within the project. A Sheet View within the Assembly cannot be inserted into another project as a standard Sheet view can using the Insert from File tool. Assembly elements can be Copy/Pasted to other projects. The key here is that you need to select the Assembly, Parts, and Elements in order to Copy to the Clipboard. Use Ideate Explorer to make your selections. Assemblies are not available in the Transfer Project Standards.

Q: Can custom identity data parameters be added to Materials?

A:You can add custom parameters to Materials within Revit. In the Manage tab select the Project Parameters tool. Here you can add custom parameters for Materials. These values will be displayed in the Materials dialog box in the Identity tab under a heading called Custom Parameters for a selected material.

Q: Will the Revit Architecture 2012 Update presentation be available online for further review?

A: Yes, Ideate will be posting all of our recent Autodesk 2012 presentations to our web site soon. Additional 2012 videos are available on YouTube.

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Ron Palma
AEC Solutions Application Specialist
Ron has 23+ years of experience in the AEC industry as a designer, lead project designer, trainer and CAD manager. His instructional background includes Autodesk Certified Instructor, trainer, support technician, educator at Portland Community College and Clackamas Community College, and a U.S. Army certified instructor. Follow Ron @RonPalmaAEC.

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Classroom Training - Open Classes + $200 Off Training with Ideate

Know It. Ideate Training.

Position yourself to land dream projects. Tap the full potential of your software solutions. Increase your facility, fluidity and capability to maximize the value of your precision software tools.

Here are a few of the training opportunities Ideate has to offer in the coming days:

6.8-10::Portland
Revit Architecture Fundamentals
6.13-15::Portland
Revit MEP: Mechanical and Plumbing Fundamentals
6.15-17::San Jose
Revit Architecture Fundamentals

Know your software. Sign up now!

Know It. Savings.

Ideate subscription clients who have or renew their Autodesk software subscriptions are eligible to save $200 on training on one Fundamentals or Advanced class. Training must be purchased by 7.31.2011. Course must be completed by 12.16.2011. Read all the details here.

Can't NWCOUT or Export to Navisworks?

This is a common call we get here in support. It happens when users can’t export from Revit or AutoCAD even though they have the Navisworks Exporters installed. Typically this is caused from the Exporters installed prior to the CAD or BIM application and therefore doesn’t know to “hook” into that program.

Here’s how you fix the problem:

1. Go to Control Panel, Uninstall a Program

2. From the list select Autodesk Navisworks 64 bit Exporters or Autodesk Navisworks 32 bit Exporters. This will depend on what bit version your CAD or BIM application has been installed as.

3. Click Uninstall/ Change

4. Once the Navisworks splash screen appears click Repair or Reinstall

  5. Select Reinstall, and click the Reinstall button

Once the Exporters have finished reinstalling you’ll now be able to export out of your CAD or BIM software. For example to export out of AutoCAD you will use the command NWCOUT. *Note prior to 2012 you could use the command NWDOUT but this command no longer exists.

To export a Revit model click the Add-Ins tab on the Ribbon, External Tools.

Are you being asked to provide .nwc files, but don’t own a copy of Navisworks?

No problem- For users that don’t own a seat of Navisworks, Autodesk provides the Navisworks Export Utility.

It’s a free download which allows you to export your CAD or BIM model to an .nwc file so you can fully collaborate with your Navisworks users.

Still not quite sure what Navisworks is or does?

Autodesk Navisworks is an extremely powerful BIM tool, which allows you to bring building information models together from multiple sources including Revit, AutoCAD, Civil 3D, 3ds Max, Microstation, Bentley, and others. Once all models are merged together you can perform clash detections, construction communication, construction time-lining and sequencing. We’re seeing an increased interest in Navisworks and its abilities to highlight potential construction conflicts before they happen in the field. Naturally construction management firms and general contractors are most interested in this product, but it’s becoming increasingly important for the architect and engineers to utilize Navisworks as well.

For more information take a look here.

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Derek Wielkopolski
Technical Support Manager/Application Specialist
Derek holds a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Roger Williams University, Rhode Island. He is experienced working within the AEC industry from concept design through construction administration for both small and large scale projects. As Ideate’s Support Manager he ensures a timely and quality response to support requests and questions. Follow Derek on Twitter: @dwielk

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WARNING! Disconnected - Revit MEP 2012

A few days ago, I received a tweet about one of Ideate's videos on YouTube. He was interested in the new Disconnect Warnings that were introduced in Revit MEP 2012.

"@MNelsonIdeate: I saw ur placeholers vid. I don't have the triangle warnings that you have. I'm using rmep 2012. is there a setting? Thanks"

His request struck me as odd at first but then I realized, I never mentioned in the video how to turn them on! So I promptly responded to him.

"@TwitterUser: Yes. The new disconnect warnings are toggled on the analyze tab>check systems panel. You can trigger the warnings there."

I wanted to take the opportunity to dig a little deeper and show you all where the setting is, and what elements in RMEP are affected by this new feature.

Disconnect Warnings:

First off, Lets see what this feature actually controls.

Almost every MEP element can have a disconnect warning. Any component or system family that contains a Duct, Pipe, or electrical connectors will display a disconnect warning when the connector is left open. This is fantastic! In previous releases of Revit, I have always had the unfortunate task of skimming through an entire project looking for minute open connections on ducts and pipes to ensure that the systems were connected properly. Not anymore, it is quickly visible in any Plan or 3D View! Big time saver!

So how do we enable this great enhancement?

It's easy. Within any open project follow the following steps:

1. Click on the Analyze Tab:

2. Click on the Show Disconnects command.

3. A dialog will appear allowing you to enable disconnects for any of the MEP elements:

4. Take a look in any 3D or Plan views to see any open connections.

Additionally, if you select the disconnect warning, an error box will explain what connector is open and what where it should be connected. As you can see in the example below, I had selected an electrical device that is looking to be placed on a circuit.  I find this very helpful for families that have multiple connectors(I.E. a VAV box with a powered fan).

Thank you for the question!

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Matthew Nelson
MEP Solutions Application Specialist
Matthew has a deep understanding of Autodesk products. He studied Mechanical Engineering at SUNY Stony Brook. He has been a BIM manager and CAD manager for a leading international consulting services firm utilizing AutoCAD MEP, Civil 3D and Revit MEP. During that time, he focused his skills on understanding the dynamics of inter-discipline coordination on large scale civil and building engineering projects. At Ideate, Matthew provides training and support for Revit MEP, Navisworks and AutoCAD MEP. @MNelsonIdeate

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