Check Your Fire Ratings with Ideate BIMLink

Did you know that Ideate BIMLink provides an abundance of additional Revit ‘related’ data that can enhance quality control processes? You may be familiar with this concept of related data, because it aligns with how Revit schedules work. Within a Revit schedule, for example, it is possible to create a schedule of Generic Model elements and also include related data about the Rooms or Spaces in which these elements are located. Within the Ideate BIMLink environment, however, a far richer list of related data is available. This opens up a wealth of possibilities for sophisticated data management. 

Look for “Select available properties from:” option found at the bottom of the “Available Properties” list within the Properties tab. For example, when editing a “Door” link you will see the drop-down option as shown in the image. 

The Door Type link with additional available properties shown

Note that Type-based links, such as a Door Type link, will have different options for the available properties. While instance data includes spatial data lists such as Level, Coordinates, Rooms, Spaces, etc., Type data will only include these (non-spatial) related data lists: Project Information and RVT Link.

The Door “instance” link with additional available properties shown

Many BIM Managers have shared with us the significance of this data to their quality control tasks and as they do so, we capture each of these workflows as a sample link definition. One such example can be found within the sample link called “Doors-Check_Rating”. This link, found in the \Architectural subfolder and shown below, highlights the use of one of these extra parameters: Host Wall: Fire Rating.

Finding “Doors-Check_Rating”

The inclusion of the fire rating property means that you will be able to view the list of all door instances alongside with the wall fire rating data. Now you can ensure that 2-hour walls have doors that are adequately rated.

View all door instances alongside wall fire rating data

This sample link is one of over 140 samples that ship with Ideate BIMLink. Be sure to look through this sample content to master your BIM data and build your own quality control processes.

---

About the Author

Glynnis Patterson, NCARB – Director of Software Development
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 Software Development Services at Ideate, Inc. and continues to work with AEC clients across the nation, developing, and consulting on solutions to Building Information Modeling challenges. In her spare time Glynnis does volunteer work for eclcofnj.org and growitgreenmorristown.org. @GVPinNJ

This article was originally posted on the Ideate Software blog.

Ideate, Inc. Publishes Ideate Software Presents: Spotlight on ZGF

SAN FRANCISCO, California, 03/17/2015–Ideate, Inc., a multi-decade veteran Autodesk Developer Network member and Autodesk Platinum Value Added Reseller today announced the publication of its latest “Spotlight on” customer success profile featuring ZGF Architects LLP and its use of Ideate Software including Ideate BIMLink and Ideate Explorer for Revit.

Ideate Software is a set of far-reaching Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) data management tools that help the Revit community clean up models, delete problem items, analyze files quickly, enhance data flow speed and accuracy, increase collaboration, minimize workflow interruptions, improve project deliverables, and elevate design.

Trevor Taylor, BIM Director, ZGF Portland, Oregon, acknowledges the place Autodesk Revit holds in helping the firm meet contemporary challenges and compete in a changing world of design, and the importance of Ideate Software as projects grow more complex. As Taylor explains, “We used to share drawings; now we share data. And that data doesn’t sit still. Ideate BIMLink improves on Revit’s ability to constantly review and adjust project information.”

Taylor uses Ideate Explorer for model auditing, power selection and model maintenance. He says, “A Revit model can be a bit of a Black Box, thus making forensics and problem-solving difficult. With Ideate Explorer for Revit, we can quickly locate, modify and even remove items that would be otherwise invisible to even the most persistent Revit expert.”

Bob Palioca, President, Ideate Inc., says about the trend within the AEC community toward increasing complexity and demands for shared data, “Our customers depend on our Revit-based solutions to enhance, improve and streamline their Revit workflows. It is our delight to fulfill and consistently exceed these customer expectations.”

Ideate has published “Ideate Software Presents: Spotlight on ZGF” online. Download the Customer Spotlight Success Study.

Ideate BIMLink and Ideate Explorer for Revit each carry a five star rating on the Autodesk Exchange Apps Store, and are available with a non-commercial free trial. For more information, call 888.662.7238, or contact sales@ideatesoftware.com.

About Ideate, Inc.
Ideate, Inc. is a leading Autodesk Authorized Developer with 25+ years’ experience in software development and specific focus on Building Information Modeling (BIM). As an Autodesk solutions provider, Ideate has offered quality software, training, support and custom consulting services to the architectural, engineering and construction (AEC) industries since 1992. Headquartered in San Francisco, California and operating Autodesk Authorized Training Centers (ATCs) in California, Oregon and Washington, Ideate is recognized as an Autodesk Platinum Partner for Architecture, Engineering and Construction, Autodesk’s highest level of authorization.

About Ideate Software
Ideate Software allows Revit users to have unprecedented control over their data. Ideate BIMLink, Ideate Explorer for Revit, and Ideate Sticky were all developed to solve persistent problems in Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) workflows. Ideate Software solutions enable Revit users to save time, increase accuracy, improve project deliverables, and elevate design.

Autodesk and ATC are registered trademarks of Autodesk, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates, in the USA and/or other countries. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders.

# # #

Ideate, Inc. Publishes Ideate Software Presents: Spotlight on Aperte Design

San Francisco, CA, 11/25/2014–Ideate, Inc., a multi-decade veteran Autodesk Developer Network member and Autodesk Gold Value Added Reseller today announced the publication of its latest “Spotlight on” customer success profile featuring Aperte Design and its use of Ideate Software. Of specific focus is the firm’s use of Ideate BIMLink. 

Ideate Software is a set of far-reaching Building Information Modeling (BIM) data management tools that help the Revit community clean up models, delete problem items, analyze files quickly, improve speed and accuracy in data flow, increase collaboration and overcome repeated workflow interruptions. 

San Francisco, California-based Aperte Design, headed by Revit Specialist BIM consultant Nancy McClure, CSBA, LEED AP, works with multiple design teams to define workflow processes that leverage software tools to streamline tasks, which in turn allows teams to spend more time focusing on their designs. On projects ranging from government research labs to grand scale transit-oriented housing developments, McClure integrates Ideate BIMLink into many workflow processes, from early stage Programming through to documentation data management. 

McClure notes that with the help of Ideate BIMLink, she is shifting teams away from isolated design tasks to workflow methods that leverage data more globally. She explains, “Ideate BIMLink breaks down key category barriers in Revit, allowing project data to be broadly referenced without duplication and risk of error.” 

Bob Palioca, President, Ideate Inc., says about the shift away from tedious, error-prone data entry toward higher value design tasks, “It is a source of great delight to know our Revit-based solutions are helping our customers continually improve and enhance their Revit workflows. “ 

Ideate has published “Ideate Software Presents: Spotlight on Aperte Design” online. Download the Customer Spotlight Success Study.

Ideate BIMLink carries a five star rating on the Autodesk Exchange Apps Store, and is available with a non-commercial free trial. For more information, call 888.662.7238, or contact sales@ideatesoftware.com.

About Ideate, Inc.
Ideate, Inc. is a leading Autodesk Authorized Developer with 25+ years’ experience in software development and specific focus on Building Information Modeling (BIM). As an Autodesk solutions provider, Ideate has offered quality software, training, support and custom consulting services to the architectural, engineering and construction (AEC) industries since 1992. Headquartered in San Francisco, California and operating Autodesk Authorized Training Centers (ATCs) in California, Oregon and Washington, Ideate is recognized as an Autodesk Gold Partner for Architecture, Engineering and Construction, one of Autodesk’s highest levels of authorization. 

Ideate Software is a comprehensive set of far-reaching BIM data management tools. Ideate BIMLink powers the “I” in BIM, allowing users to pull data from an Autodesk Revit file into Microsoft Excel for fast and precise editing, and push the data back into Revit with equal ease. Ideate Explorer for Revit lets users search, filter, quantify and select to easily manage the 100,000+ elements in a Revit model. Both solutions help Autodesk Revit users solve problems in AEC workflows and help the Revit community leverage BIM to its fullest advantage.

Autodesk, Autodesk Revit and ATC are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries. Microsoft Excel is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other countries. All other brand names, product names or trademarks belong to their respective holders.

This post was originally published on the Ideate Software Blog.

# # #

Ideate Software Reception at Autodesk University 2014

Register For the Reception Here! 

Customer Appreciation Reception:
As an Ideate customer, you are invited to attend our Ideate Software user group meeting and customer appreciation event during AU 2014.

Please join us for a wine and hors d’oeuvres reception the evening of Tuesday December 2nd, at the beautiful Aureole Las Vegas in the Mandalay Bay Resort. We look forward to spending the evening celebrating a great and productive 2014, with plenty of BIM chat as well. 

Tuesday, December 2nd 2014 
8:00pm-10:00pm 

Aureole Las Vegas (map) 
Mandalay Bay Resort 
3950 Las Vegas Blvd South 
Las Vegas, NV 89119 

Come See Ideate Software Booth at Autodesk University 2014: 
Thank you for your continued support of Ideate Software. We look forward to seeing you at AU in December. Join us at booth 164 to check out the new developments with Ideate Software and how it can enhance your Revit workflow. 

Event: Autodesk University (AU) 2014 
Where: Booth 164, Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, Nevada 
When: December 2–4, 2014 

For more information: View the full invitation. Register here. 

Ideate Software keeps you on the leading edge of BIM.

This post was originally published on the Ideate Software Blog.

Added Features and Performance Improvements in Ideate BIMLink for Revit 2015 & 2014

Ideate, Inc. is pleased to announce the availability of Ideate BIMLink 2015.1 and Ideate BIMLink 2014.4. These Ideate Software solutions bring an array of enhanced features (video) customers have requested and are designed to work with Autodesk Revit 2015 and 2014 respectively. 

• Get going with Ideate BIMLink 2015 today. Download the 30-day trial. 

RECENT ENHANCEMENTS: 
Customers have asked and we have listened. This version contains often-requested enhancements: 

• Get only the data you need with extensive filtering 
• Make light work of comprehensive take-offs with support for linked Revit files
• Enhance QC with newly editable properties. Just a sampling: Workset, Scope Box, and Phase 
• Go BIM»field or field»BIM with XYZ editing and publishing 
• Create NEW Areas and Masses to facilitate space and code calculation tasks
• Make collaboration easier by creating Schedule Keys for Door Hardware, Rooms Style, and other Key Schedule work. 

Ready to adopt BIMLink? Check out the newly updated prices and bundles. 

For additional questions email: sales@ideatesoftware.com.

This post was originally published on the Ideate Software Blog.

Ideate, Inc. Announces New Ideate BIMLink for Revit Improvements

San Francisco, CA, 11/05/2014–Ideate, Inc., a multi-decade veteran Autodesk Developer Network member and Autodesk Gold Value Added Reseller today announced the availability of Ideate BIMLink 2015.1 and Ideate BIMLink 2014.4. These Ideate Software solutions bring an array of enhanced features [video] customers have requested and are designed to work with Autodesk Revit 2015 and 2014 respectively.

Ideate Software is a set of far-reaching Building Information Modeling (BIM) data management tools that help the Revit community clean up models, delete problem items, analyze files quickly, improve speed and accuracy in data flow, increase collaboration and overcome repeated workflow interruptions.

This recent Ideate BIMLink update lets BIM and Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) managers, project leaders, facility managers and other users access, analyze, extract and edit BIM data with speed, ease and accuracy. Users can quickly pull volumes of information from a Revit file into user-friendly Microsoft Excel and round-trip the data with equal ease.

Ideate Director of Software Development Glynnis Patterson says, “These new releases encompass the performance improvements industry professionals have requested. We make sure our BIM data management solutions are robust and our updates meaningful and frequent.”

Bob Palioca, President, Ideate Inc. says of the new Ideate BIMLink release, “As our AEC customers encounter heightened needs for collaboration across disciplines and greater client demands, we respond. This point release is evidence of our ongoing commitment to our customers’ success.”

Customers who tested the new features offered comments on the most valuable aspect of Ideate BIMLink to their workflows. Tay Othman, Job Captain for Gensler, noted greatest value in “Automation and extending Revit capabilities.” Erica Spicer, Project Coordinator at PDR said, “Having the model be the central up-to-date single point of truth for all schedule-related information.” And Dan Morrison, VDC Engineer for BPi - BGC POS International acknowledged, “Being able to manipulate data in ways that can’t be done within Revit.”

Ideate BIMLink carries a five star rating on the Autodesk Exchange Apps Store, and is available with a non-commercial free trial. For more information, call 888.662.7238, contact sales@ideatesoftware.com, and for support, contact support@ideatesoftware.com.

About Ideate, Inc.
Ideate, Inc. is a leading Autodesk Authorized Developer with 25+ years’ experience in software development and specific focus on Building Information Modeling (BIM).  As an Autodesk solutions provider, Ideate has offered quality software, training, support and custom consulting services to the architectural, engineering and construction (AEC) industries since 1992. Headquartered in San Francisco, California and operating Autodesk Authorized Training Centers (ATCs) in California, Oregon and Washington, Ideate is recognized as an Autodesk Gold Partner for Architecture, Engineering and Construction, one of Autodesk’s highest levels of authorization. 

Ideate Software is a comprehensive set of far-reaching BIM data management tools. Ideate BIMLink powers the “I” in BIM, allowing users to pull data from an Autodesk Revit file into Microsoft Excel for fast and precise editing, and push the data back into Revit with equal ease. Ideate Explorer for Revit lets users search, filter, quantify and select to easily manage the 100,000+ elements in a Revit model. Both solutions help Autodesk Revit users solve problems in AEC workflows and help the Revit community leverage BIM to its fullest advantage.

Autodesk, Autodesk Revit and ATC are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries. Microsoft Excel is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other countries. All other brand names, product names or trademarks belong to their respective holders.

This post was originally published on the Ideate Software Blog.

# # #

Re-examining Revit Based Plumbing Fixture Calculations – Part II

In Part I we discussed the benefits and challenges of the various ways of calculating plumbing fixtures in Revit, including using Ideate BIMLink in recruiting the help of Excel for updating schedules. Now, I will discuss the various formulas required in schedules or family parameters to facilitate the calculation. The formulas are based on the 2012 International Plumbing Code (IPC).

Formula Construction Types

1. Multiple Codes: The widespread adoption of the IBC/IPC codes in the US provides a baseline for the plumbing fixture calculations, but every jurisdiction chooses to amend or adopt portions of it. To clarify which code is in use for the analysis, build a parameter that identifies the Applicable Code.

2. Gender split: The general rule is to split the total occupancy in half to determine the number of males and females. The IPC does provide an exception that allows and adjustment of male and female distribution given statistical data on the space usage. The code is silent on how to handle an odd distribution of people. To prevent over-designing the fixture count, it is best to use fractional numbers. The 1’^2 is used to maintain consistency of the units.
   
   The Male_ratio value is a decimal number from 0 thru 1, requiring user manual input. Build it as a Project parameter of the Area category for visual validation in the Area plan.
   
   Not all occupancies are required to be segregated by sex. Residential (Group R), Institutional (Group I), and Mercantile (Group M) occupancies with an occupancy less than 50 do not require separated restrooms. In these cases, build a schedule based on the single occupancy load.

3. Simple Ratios: Most occupancies use simple ratio factor per IPC Table 2902.1, and simple ratios are easy to do in Revit using calculated values. For example, the ratio for calculating drinking fountains in the B occupancy is 1 per 100.
   
   Code factors can be retrieved in formulas if you build them via Schedule Key Values, see Fig. 1 below.
   
   

4. Occupancies with graduated ratios: Graduated ratios calculate fixture counts using a ratio for an initial number of occupants and another ratio for the remainder number of occupants. IBC applies a graduated ratio for calculating water closets and lavatories for the B, A-4, and A-5 assemblies. In Revit we can build such a requirement by using conditional formulas. For example, the IPC calculation of Water Closets reads: “1 per 25 for the first 50 occupants and 1 per 50 for remainder exceeding 50”. You can build graduated ratios in Revit using conditional formulas in calculated values:
   

5. Calculations based on actual counts: The IPC prescribes for certain occupancies the use of actual counts instead of occupancy factors for fixture calculations, such as Groups I-2, I-3, R-1, R-2 & R-3 which are based on the actual number of rooms, cells, sleeping or dwelling units. For these occupancies, build a project parameter requiring user input. The advantage of a Project Parameter over a calculated value is that the value can be validated visually in the plan via instance parameter of the Area object.
   

6. Fixture Substitutions: Urinals and Family/Assisted-Use toilets are typically calculated as substitutions by the IPC. The code allows up to 67% of the male water closets in Assembly and Educational groups to be substituted for Urinals, and up to 50% in all other occupancies. In Revit, the substitutions for each occupancy can be allocated as simple factors.
   
   Family or assisted-use “Unisex” toilets are a requirement for Assembly and Mercantile occupancy groups. The IPC permits the substitution of one toilet and one lavatory of the fixtures required by males and females but not both. In Revit, the total count of water closets and lavatories would be adjusted by subtracting 1 to either the male or female grand total.
   
   The problem here is that the plan displays fractional occupancies of the same group because the substitution must be applied to the aggregated fractional sum, making the calculated value invalid.
   
   For example, two B occupancies areas with required lavatories of 0.9, and 1.1 will need:
   
   (0.9+1.1)-1=2.0 fixtures
   and not:
   (0.9-1)+(1.1-1)=-0.1+0.1=0 fixtures.
   
   The same logic applies to Service Sinks, it is typically one unit per occupancy. The calculation of Unisex and Service Sinks cannot be constructed as calculated values when more than one area of the same occupancy are part of the schedule.

Conclusion Use the formulas discussed here to estimate code required Plumbing Fixtures. However, be aware of the limitations. Some formulas like Unisex Fixtures, Service Sinks, and Urinals, must be applied to aggregate fractional sums, and therefore cannot be used in calculated values where the occupancies are fractions. Also note that the construction of summary tables requires manual transcription and cannot be made parametric yet. We will continue searching for innovative ways to overcome these challenges. Questions or Comments? Send me an email, share your experiences with code calculations, and stay tuned to our blog for new solutions.
 

---

Cesar Escalante, AIA, LEED AP, CCCA
AEC Solutions Application Specialist
Cesar has a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Central America in El Salvador, a Master of Architecture from the University of Texas, and is a CCCA (Certified Construction Contract Administrator). His experience includes roles as Project Manager and Project Captain at architecture firms in Oakland, California. As a member of the Ideate Tech Expert team, Cesar teaches Revit Architecture Fundamentals and provides client support and consulting. Cesar’s interest in the built environment includes his work as a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity.

Get it. Know it. Use it.

Re-examining Revit Based Plumbing Fixture Calculations – Part I

Fig 1: Schedule-based calculation of minimum plumbing fixtures for the Business Group

It may be reasonable to think that Revit could automate the calculation of plumbing fixtures from a given schedule of areas and occupancy loads. Well, think twice. A comprehensive calculation of fixtures in Revit that automates the required number of all types of fixtures (Water Closets, Lavatories, Urinals, Drinking Fountains, Showers, Service Sink, Unisex fixtures) still remains a somewhat elusive exercise. The underlying problem is that the Schedules are meant to quantify the parameter values of Revit project families, and are not really suitable to be used as worksheet for things that are not in the model. This hasn’t stopped us from searching for a way to push Revit to that point, or getting close to a parametric solution.
 
For someone starting to build this type of calculation in Revit, I will review the advantages and limitations of the different approaches used.
 
Before you start building your calculations, keep a few things in mind. First, make sure to keep the units for each calculated value consistent. I recommend building all the parameters of the ‘Number’ type and override the field format to ‘Fixed’ with a 2 decimal rounding increment. This will make the schedule values readable and clean. 

Second, consider recapturing the load data from the Revit occupancy calculations. These calculations are typically based on Revit Area Plans instead of Rooms because Area plans are more suitable to define the boundary limits of both Gross and Net areas as required by code factors. (See Fig. 2.) To maintain consistency of the of the occupancy load, duplicate the schedule of the building load calculation and use those calculated values to get started with your plumbing fixture calculation. More on Occupancy Load Calculations.

Fig 2: IBC Table 1004.12 Maximum Floor Area Allowances per Occupant, built in Revit as Schedule Key of the Area Category

The third consideration is regarding the rounding of values in mixed occupancies. Most codes are silent or generally vague about the rounding rules for aggregated data. In the absence of a clear cut direction, code specialist agree that the best approach is round to the upper integer the aggregated totals of every occupancy instead of the partial subtotals. Rounding up both the occupancy and fixture load in partial subtotals would increase the total count somewhere between 2%-5%, depending of the building size, increasing unnecessarily the building cost. The rounding, they agree, should occur after summing the fractional fixture counts for each occupancy group, keeping the total fixture count as low as permissible. Since Revit cannot round schedule grand totals, the task remains an outstanding feature request. Workarounds require manually rounding up the total and transcribing the result in a dummy key schedule, a process that would be repeated at every program change. 

Fig. 3: The rounding of fixture grand totals remains a long standing feature request.

Current Solutions 

Different solutions have been proposed to tackle the minimum plumbing calculation requirements. Regardless of the method, the actual difficulties become evident when applying different rules for mixed occupancy loads.

1. Single Schedule: While it is possible to conceive of a single schedule for all of the plumbing calculations, this would be inaccurate and extremely complex to achieve. Since the formulas of calculated values apply to every instance, there is no choice but to build each assembly requirement as a separate schedule column, creating a lot of redundant calculations. For example, each calculation of the Assembly, Business, and Mercantile occupancies will require a separate calculated value for every fixture type. Excluding the values belonging to other occupancies is hard to do using Conditional Formulas. One cannot mix the text-formatted values of the Occupancies (ie B, or M) with any Numerical formulas, unless you assign a numerical value for each group. And even if the conditional formulas end up working, the totals of fixtures per type will be dispersed, turning the effort somewhat futile.
2. Multiple Schedules by Occupancy Group: Because each occupancy utilizes different plumbing factors and/or load formulas, it may be more reasonable to build a single schedule for every occupancy. Formulas used in calculated values will respond to each occupancy requirement, and the major advantage is that all calculations get updated if the area boundaries change. Still, there will be no way to build a parametric summary of fixture totals. One workaround is to manually add the data into a Summary schedule key. The other alternate is to export each of the schedules as a .TXT file that are opened in Excel and pasted into a single worksheet to calculate totals. The data would require exporting to the schedules at every plan update, and the total need to be manually transposed into a summary schedule.
3. Excel Calculations: This solution takes all the fixture calculations outside of the Revit environment. Excel certainly provides a wider flexibility to create the fixture count by occupancy group and a summary table. Areas and fixed counts would need to be exported or manually transcribed into an Excel Spreadsheet. The twofold problem is that there is not a way to push the totals back into Revit out of the box, and secondly any change in the area calculation would need to be manually transcribed every time the plan changes. Ideate BIMLink, a Revit add-on that pull and push Revit data with Excel, can certainly facilitate the process of re-importing the data into an existing area schedule or key schedule.

An Excel based script available for free is the Plumbing Fixture calculator posted by Ara Sargsyan. The calculator uses a built-in script in Excel and complies with 2012 IBC & IPC. 

Fig 4: Excel script generated plumbing fixture calculator.

4. Annotation Family: This is a very elegant solution posted in AUGI forums by user cberteaux371801. Instead of using schedule with calculation values, the plumbing fixture calculations are shifted away from the project and managed as formulas embedded in family instance parameters. The benefit is a visually consistent schedule-like table for every occupancy groups. The user would load in the project an annotation symbol family for each of the occupancies in the building, and the calculation will run based on the occupancy load for the group. This method is almost perfect except that it will not read the occupancy load automatically. Any change in the occupancy loads would need to be transcribed at every change of the program and a summary table with the aggregated totals would still be required. See the original post for more information.

Fig. 5: Annotation Symbol family for the A-1 Occupancy Group. The calculations are driven by the Occupant Load and the Male Ratio which need manual input.

Fig 6: Annotation Symbol family parameter with the formulas for the Assembly Group A-1, complying with IBC & IBC 2012.

5. API / Scripts?: Can some experimentation with API or Dynamo Scripting provide a better solution? With scripting, it is conceivable to develop a way to extract the occupancy totals and plug them as values into an Annotation Family. In a forthcoming post, I will explore in greater detail the potential of this approach.

Bottom Line: There is not a perfect automated solution yet that provides a parametric calculation of plumbing fixtures, nor a single solution that is universal. While it is possible to push the calculation into schedules and families, every solution requires some level of manual transcription.

If you decide to build your calculation using Families or Schedules in Revit, the code requirement would need to be translated into formulas compatible with Revit. In Part II of this blog post, I will discuss in greater detail the typical formulas used to construct these calculations.

---

Cesar Escalante, AIA, LEED AP, CCCA
AEC Solutions Application Specialist
Cesar has a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Central America in El Salvador, a Master of Architecture from the University of Texas, and is a CCCA (Certified Construction Contract Administrator). His experience includes roles as Project Manager and Project Captain at architecture firms in Oakland, California. As a member of the Ideate Tech Expert team, Cesar teaches Revit Architecture Fundamentals and provides client support and consulting. Cesar’s interest in the built environment includes his work as a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity.

Get it. Know it. Use it.

Ideate, Inc. Publishes Spotlight Success Study Featuring CSI Global Services and Ideate Software

SAN FRANCISCO, California – 03/12/2014 – Ideate, Inc., a leading Autodesk Authorized Developer and Autodesk solutions provider offering quality software, training, support and custom consulting services to the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry with a special focus on Building Information Modeling (BIM), today announced the publication of its latest “Spotlight on” customer success profile featuring CSI Global Services and its use of Ideate Software.

CSI Global Services Building Information Modeling (BIM) consultants, with main offices in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia and Republic of Singapore, are available across multiple locations throughout the world for clients seeking best practice systems and processes for their AEC projects. Client services include Facility Management (FM) or Lifecycle BIM, BIM Management, Modeling Services, BIM Audit, Clash Detection Services and BIM Training. 

CSI Global Services teams incorporate Ideate Software, a far-reaching set of Autodesk Revit tools including Ideate BIMLink and Ideate Explorer for Revit, as integral components in the firm’s consulting practice. 

The CSI Global Services team has been using Ideate BIMLink to export multiple parameters into a Microsoft Excel format, and that in turn allows the entire project team to access model data for more efficient project management. The shared parameters enabled by Ideate BIMLink effectively ensure that the Revit model can become the focal point for the resolution of design and construction issues, and they also assist in aligning the project’s deliverables so that they may be used for facilities management. 

The team uses Ideate Explorer for Revit so they can diminish the need to manually select items in the model, and for filtering as well. 

Greg Gudgeon, Chief Executive Officer, CSI Global Services, sums up the relationship when he says, “Working with the Ideate Software team and their superior BIM tools has been essential to the success the CSI Global Services BIM subject matter experts have achieved as we drive the adoption of BIM across the world in our major hospital projects, road and rail infrastructure projects, and large resource projects. Without the support and solutions provided by the Ideate Software team, our projects would not be the success they are today.” 

Bob Palioca, President, Ideate Inc., says, “We delight in knowing that our robust, resilient Revit tools are helping global BIM leaders such as CSI Global Services power through projects of vast scope and consequence. We are proud to contribute to their notable and well-deserved success.” 

Ideate has published “Ideate Software Presents: Spotlight on CSI Global Services” online. Download the Customer Spotlight Success Study at http://ideatesoftware.com/ideatebimlink/success/


About Ideate, Inc.
Ideate, Inc. is a leading Autodesk Authorized Developer with 25+ years’ experience in software development and specific focus on Building Information Modeling (BIM). As an Autodesk solutions provider, Ideate has offered quality software, training, support and custom consulting services to the architectural, engineering and construction (AEC) industries since 1992. Headquartered in San Francisco, California and operating Autodesk Authorized Training Centers (ATCs) in California, Oregon and Washington, Ideate is recognized as an Autodesk Gold Partner for Architecture, Engineering and Construction, one of Autodesk’s highest levels of authorization. 

Ideate Software is a comprehensive set of far-reaching BIM data management tools. Ideate BIMLink powers the “I” in BIM, allowing users to pull data from an Autodesk Revit file into Microsoft Excel for fast and precise editing, and push the data back into Revit with equal ease. Ideate Explorer for Revit lets users search, filter, quantify and select to easily manage the 100,000+ elements in a Revit model. Both solutions help Autodesk Revit users solve problems in AEC workflows and help the Revit community leverage BIM to its fullest advantage.


Autodesk, Autodesk Revit and ATC are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries. Microsoft Excel is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other countries.   

# # #

Your Ideas, Writ in Code – Annual Ideate BIMLink Survey

A big thanks to everyone who graciously gave us their input last month for the third annual Ideate BIMLink survey. Our winner from this year’s Ideate BIMLink survey is Trent Best of Rosendin Electric. Enjoy that iPad mini Trent! 

When you purchase Ideate BIMLink you’re buying not only a piece of software, but also the email support, online classes, and development efforts that are on-going. For example, your past input has resulted in the following “point” releases:

2013.0 :: March 2012, Revit 2013 ships, and so do we, with new and improved workflows!

2013.1 :: August 2012 – improvements for ease of network deployments

2013.2 :: December 2012 – Top 3 user requests added plus many improvements.

2014.0 :: March 2013 – Revit 2014 ships and so does Ideate BIMLink 2014.0

2013.4/2014.1 :: July 2013 – We provide improvements for both 2014 and 2013 users. What’s New Video

2013.5/2014.1 :: Give us a bit of time, we just got your feedback!

In addition to some great ideas about how to make Ideate BIMLink even more useful, users are reporting an average of ***23.7 hours saved per project***, meaning that for most customers they re-coup their initial investment within the first project. Sign-up for online training to learn how you can make the most of Ideate BIMLink.

Missed the survey? You can always provide your input from within the Help menu.

---

Glynnis Patterson is a registered architect and the Director of Software Development at Ideate, Inc.

Ideate BIMLink and Facilities Management 101

1. Your engineer/architect has modeled your new facility in Revit and the building is done
2. Get your hands on the Building model, you own it, right?
3. Open up Revit (trial version works fine – get it here).
4. You launch Ideate BIMLink and you export the COBie_Type and COBie_Components to an Excel file. Whether you intend to do COBie or not these links are a great way to quickly get all of the asset list that you need to get started.

 

5. If your budget permitted, you required the model to be updated to reflect as-built conditions. Congratulations, you get to skip ahead to Step 7.
6. If the model does not reflect the as-built conditions then you should pay your architect and engineers to fill out the Excel files from step 4 above or have your own staff fill out any missing info. This can be done with a tablet as outlined in this earlier post.
7. Congratulations, you now you have a complete list of all the building assets for use in managing the building’s maintenance and operations. That was easy!

---

Glynnis Patterson is a registered architect and the Director of Software Development at Ideate, Inc.

Ideate, Inc. Publishes New Study in Success Featuring Kasian and Ideate BIMLink

SAN FRANCISCO, California – 5/28/2013 – Ideate, Inc., a leading Autodesk® Authorized Developer and Autodesk solutions provider offering quality software, training, support and custom consulting services to the AEC industry, today announced the publication of its latest Study in Success, “Kasian Sets a New Facilities Planning Standard using Ideate BIMLink.” 

The study reveals how Kasian Architecture, Interior Design and Planning, with offices in Canada, China and the Middle East, is eliminating information bottlenecks and easing workflows by using Ideate BIMLink for Autodesk Revit®. The Kasian office in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, developed and spearheaded the use of Room Data Sheets (RDS) which enable the firm to harness all relevant BIM data for project stakeholders. The practice is fast becoming facilities planning policy for the firm worldwide.

The Ideate BIMLink-facilitated approach came out of a need to overcome escalating costs in time and prospective software purchases. To formulate and verify a single large project’s program/spatial requirements via traditional methods, Kasian estimated a cost of $400,000 Canadian (CA$). By revising workflows with Ideate BIMLink, those anticipated expenditures were reduced to $5,000 CA$. 

Kasian BIM Support Specialist Laura Kay Smith says, “In the past, we did all the Room data and qualifications by hand, which cost us expensive time. With our new standard that brings in Ideate BIMLink at the beginning of every Integrated Project with Strategic Facilities Planning, we save an immeasurable amount of time and money. And designers are apt to have less re-design.”

Brigid Barriscale, Kasian Associate, adds, “When the Strategic Facilities Planning Department used to check data sheets by hand, it took two to three weeks. With Ideate BIMLink, it takes more like two to three hours.” 

Along with examples of savings, the Study in Success also details several Kasian projects and the role Ideate BIMLink had in the project’s success.

Bob Palioca, President, Ideate Inc. says of this latest Study in Success, “When we see our Ideate-developed software become integral to a firm’s standards, we are especially gratified. We consider changed workflows a demonstration of the value of our solutions.”

Ideate has published “Kasian Sets a New Facilities Planning Standard using Ideate BIMLink” online. Download the Study in Success at http://www.ideateinc.com/ideas/case.html.

About Ideate, Inc.
Ideate, Inc. is a leading Autodesk Authorized Developer with 25+ years’ experience in software development and specific focus on Building Information Modeling (BIM) and is an Autodesk solutions provider offering quality software, training, support and custom consulting services to the AEC industry since 1992. Headquartered in San Francisco, California and operating five Autodesk Authorized Training Centers (ATCs) in the northwestern U.S., Ideate is recognized as an Autodesk Gold Partner for Architecture, Engineering and Construction, one of Autodesk’s highest levels of authorization.

Ideate BIMLink lets users pull data from an Autodesk Revit file into user-friendly Microsoft Excel and push Excel data into Revit with equal ease. www.ideatebimlink.com

Ideate Explorer for Revit is a simple, powerful Autodesk Revit add-on to explore, quantify and manage the 100,000+ building elements in a Revit model. www.ideateexplorer.com

Autodesk, ATC, and Revit are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries. All other brand names, product names or trademarks belong to their respective holders.

### 

Ideate, Inc. Announces 2014 Release of Ideate-Developed Software Concurrent with Autodesk Launch

SAN FRANCISCO, California – 04/23/2013 – Ideate, Inc. announced today the delivery of Ideate BIMLink and Ideate Explorer for Revit 2014. The release of both Ideate-developed solutions takes place as it traditionally does within 30 days of the Autodesk Revit product launch. Ideate BIMLink 2014.0 and Ideate Explorer for Revit 2014.0 have been ported to the 2014 Revit platform so that Ideate customers can begin their own software migration and testing processes for the Autodesk Revit 2014 platforms. 

This year Revit 2014 has several improvements that relate to the information, the “I,” in Building Information Modeling (BIM). See Ideate’s blog post on this topic: Revit 2014 Feature Review: More Data Liberated! Ideate has ensured that both Ideate Explorer for Revit and Ideate BIMLink support any changes to the data structures within the Revit file format. Further support of new workflows for Architecture, Engineering, Construction and Operations (A/E/C/O) customers is currently in development for Ideate 2014.1 releases. Both Ideate BIMLink and Ideate Explorer for Revit have five star ratings on the Autodesk Exchange Apps Store. 

Ideate BIMLink is being released with new improvements including multi-category Area, Length, and Volume data for all Revit model categories, including system families. This improvement, along with other customer requests, is available for both the Revit 2013 and Revit 2014 version of Ideate BIMLink. A 30 day non-commercial trial is available: http://www.ideatebimlink.com/index.php/free-trial/

Ideate Explorer for Revit enables users to catalog or “index” all the elements within a project, including elements not found within the Project Browser and elements that are invisible. A 30 day non-commercial trial is available: http://ideateexplorer.com/free-trial/

Bob Palioca, President, Ideate Inc. says of Ideate BIMLink and Ideate Explorer for Revit 2014, “We are seeing our Ideate-developed software become integral to the standards of firms large and small. Changed workflows are an indicator of the value of our solutions to our customers. Being concurrent each and every year with the Autodesk launch is an important commitment. It is one of the ways we make sure our customers get maximum productivity from their software solutions.” 

About Ideate, Inc.
Ideate, Inc. is a leading Autodesk Authorized Developer with 25+ years’ experience in software development and specific focus on Building Information Modeling (BIM) and is an Autodesk solutions provider offering quality software, training, support and custom consulting services to the AEC industry since 1992. Headquartered in San Francisco, California and operating five Autodesk Authorized Training Centers (ATCs) in the northwestern U.S., Ideate is recognized as an Autodesk Gold Partner for Architecture, Engineering and Construction, one of Autodesk’s highest levels of authorization.

Ideate BIMLink lets users pull data from an Autodesk Revit file into user-friendly Microsoft Excel and push Excel data into Revit with equal ease. ideatebimlink.com

Ideate Explorer for Revit is a simple, powerful Autodesk Revit add-on to explore, quantify and manage the 100,000+ building elements in a Revit model. ideateexplorer.com

Autodesk, ATC, and Revit are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries. All other brand names, product names or trademarks belong to their respective holders. 

###

Renaming and Renumbering in Revit, Simplified with Ideate BIMLink

One of the more tedious and labor-intensive BIM tasks confronting architects and engineers is the act of renumbering or renaming elements. We’ve had customers who require that all of the system families, for example, are prefixed with their company name. So instead of “Wall: 1-HR” we need “Wall: ABC_1-HR.” Likewise, even simple design changes can set off a chain reaction that requires significant renumbering of details, views, or equipment. Many times furnishings, fixtures, and equipment need to be renumbered in the middle of a project because new rooms or floors have been added, and the equipment numbering needs to align with the room and floor numbering schemas. 

Naming and numbering tasks can also be driven by an owner requirement for external database compatibility. The COBie specification, which is now mandated for federal government projects in the US, is a prime example of this. For those of you not familiar with COBie you can learn more at the Whole Building Design Guide website. The COBie Guide* makes it clear that “During design, the Architect shall be responsible to resolve all conflicts in duplicative naming by their own staff and all consulting engineers.” This sounds like a very daunting task but with Ideate BIMLink you can turn a day-long project into a (5) minute task.

This video demonstrates how Ideate BIMLink can be used to create and manage the unique type, component, and space naming requirements mandated by this COBie specification.



(View video on YouTube)

For information on other kinds of renumber tasks, refer also to our Door Numbering blog post.

A typical COBie project will require at least (4) iterations: 

• one for 35% Design Development, 
• another at 100% Construction Documentation, 
• another at the Beneficial Occupancy stage, 
• and lastly within the As-Built documents

That’s a lot of data entry! 

Whether your renaming/renumbering task is driven by COBie or any other reason let Ideate BIMLink + Excel do the heavy lifting and put your architects and engineers onto higher order tasks.

---

Glynnis Patterson is a registered architect and the Director of Software Development at Ideate, Inc. In a previous life Glynnis spent many hours looking at blueprints with a scale, highlighters, and a scratch pad to develop detailed cost estimates.

COBie + Revit – The Skinny from Ideate

I enjoyed making the rounds to the COBie + Revit community in the Bay Area this week; taking the opportunity to share my recent research into this topic with design and construction professionals at the Sacramento, East Bay, and San Francisco Revit user groups. My presentation focused on where COBie requirements intersect with BIM and then specifically how the Autodesk Revit Toolkit and Ideate BIMLink support managing this information.

If you are interested in learning more about this topic, here are some the links I shared during my presentation.

What is COBie?

Sample Revit Files and COBie Output

COBie Toolkit for Revit
 
Renaming and Renumbering, Simplified –
an Ideate BIMLink+COBie Example

---

Glynnis Patterson is a registered architect and the Director of Software Development at Ideate, Inc. In a previous life Glynnis spent many hours looking at blueprints with a scale, highlighters, and a scratch pad to develop detailed cost estimates.

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: 

3.18.13::Ideate Software 101:
Revit Project Management with Ideate BIMLink
3.26.13::Revit 201:
Worksharing Best Practices
4.15.13::Civil 101:
Civil 3D for Beginners

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

Get It. Know It. Use It.