Ideate Solutions: revit mep 2012

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October 4, 2011

Classroom Training - Open Classes

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:

10.10-12::San Jose
Revit Architecture Fundamentals
10.11-13::San Francisco
Revit MEP Mechanical and Plumbing Fundamentals
10.12-14::San Francisco
Civil 3D Fundamentals
10.14::Portland
Revit Architecture for Project Managers Workshop

Know your software. Sign up now!

June 7, 2011

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

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.

June 3, 2011

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!

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

Get it. Know it. Use it.

April 1, 2011

Now in Revit 2012 – Editing Requests Yield Balloon Notifications to Users

Waiting for someone to grant permission to your editing request in Revit?
As we near the release of Revit 2012, Ideate, Inc. is here to provide you with updated information on getting the most out of the upcoming Revit 2012 products. When editing a workshared project, have you ever placed a request for ownership of an element only to be ignored? In previous versions placing an editing request to an owner of an element literally fell on deaf ears. Actually placing the request actually placed the request but unless the person you were requesting permissions from was on their game checking the Editing Requests every 5 minutes, nobody ever knew you had placed a request.

Now in Revit 2012, placing an editing request will actually yield a balloon notification to the user you are requesting editing permissions from. The notifications include buttons to show the user the elements involved. The person receiving the notification will still need to open the Editing Request dialog in order to grant or deny requests, but the balloon notifications provide the reviewer the information needed before granting permissions.

This is a welcome feature to a function that felt like it was incomplete in previous versions. So now go back and start placing those editing requests to make your editing more efficient.

Don’t forget to look through other great features our Ideate Technical Team has found in the new 2012 releases for AutoCAD, Revit MEP, Revit Structure, Civil 3D, Navisworks and more: ideateinc.com/2012

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.

Get it. Know it. Use it.

Webinar: Autodesk Revit MEP 2012 – New Features and More!

Join this live webinar hosted by Ideate’s Matthew Nelson to see firsthand some of the new features and use cases for Autodesk Revit MEP 2012.

Collaborate More Efficiently
Design More Accurately
Document and Deliver

Who Should Attend
Individuals and firms new to Autodesk Revit MEP solutions and seasoned Ideate clients are encouraged to attend.

When
April 5, 2011 – 11 am - 12 pm PT

March 31, 2011

Revit MEP 2012 – Placeholder Pipes and Ducts and Parallel Pipes and Conduits

Matthew Nelson, Ideate MEP application specialist shows a few new features in Autodesk Revit MEP 2012 – Specifically Placeholder Pipes and Ducts and Parallel Pipes and Conduits.

Don’t forget to look through other great features our Ideate Technical Team has found in the new 2012 releases for AutoCAD, Revit Architecture, Revit Structure, AutoCAD MEP, Civil 3D, Navisworks and more: ideateinc.com/2012

March 29, 2011

Revit MEP 2012 New Features – Buttons!

Buttons, Buttons and More Buttons
Working for Ideate, Inc., as a MEP application specialist, we do a lot of reading and problem solving. I got the opportunity to review Revit MEP 2012, and wanted to jump in with both feet and take a look around. The last thing I wanted to start with would be the help menu. It might be smart to start with the manual if you’re putting together a bookcase from Ikea that came in three boxes, but when it comes to Revit MEP, I wanted to see what was in there. The 2011 release of Revit MEP has some really useful commands and same type of development in Revit MEP 2012 was expected.

When I opened the program and wanted to dig around. At first glance a huge sigh of relief; it still looks like 2011. Then upon closer inspection, there were more buttons, a lot more buttons, many more interesting buttons to explore!

Right off the bat on the HOME Tab you see new features - Parallel Pipes and Conduit, and Placeholders for duct and pipe. For more information about this feature check out our review by Ideate at www.ideateinc.com/2012/

Moving down the Ribbon looking for more things to explore, I found more buttons. The ANNOTATE tab has two new buttons Room Tag and Space Tag. No more ‘space naming’ utility, it has been incorporated into the core functionality of Revit MEP 2012 program.

On to the ANALYZE tab, it doesn’t disappoint. Here we have Show Disconnects (those familiar with AutoCAD MEP know this feature) and a whole new panel called Energy Analysis. Analyze Mass Model is for subscription only but the other two tools activate with the program and internet connection.

Personally, I didn’t find anything new from the MODIFY tab, until I started using other commands. Then the Modify command became extremely intuitive with the options I need while designing. Now, it’s my favorite tab.

Here’s an example, after placing a Water Closet and you proceed to make a system the Create Systems is now only one button that expands into another dialog box. This saves screen real estate, allowing you to name the system immediately and you can affect the Ribbon even more by clicking Open in System Editor.

Another great feature from the MODIFY tab is the ability to edit a system right from the MODIFY tab and not in the systems tab.

If you continue to generate a system, with piping, you can apply a slope, as needed designing from the Ribbon.

After the pipe has been placed the MODIFY tab continues to be adaptive. There are so many new features here to expedite your design work, you’ll love coming to work just to use 2012 Revit MEP.

That was what I found on my look around. Now, take your own arm chair adventure and take a tour of the new Revit MEP 2012.

Don’t forget to look through other great features our Ideate Technical Team has found in the new 2012 releases for AutoCAD, Revit Architecture, Revit Structure, Civil 3D, Navisworks and more: ideateinc.com/2012

Lana Gochenauer, LEED AP,
MEP Solutions Application Specialist
Lana has a wealth of real world experience, having used Autodesk products on projects from hospitals to universities, restaurants to corporate office headquarters, from strip malls to tenant fit-up. Most recently she focused on coordination drawings/models with MEP contractors, and fabrication from the model. Lana successfully ran her CAD business and worked as the CAD manager for an international MEP engineering firm in Seattle. Lana is a Certified Autodesk Trainer and NECA certified electrical estimator. Currently pursuing her MBA in Sustainability and based in the Ideate ATC in Seattle, Lana provides training and services for AutoCAD MEP, Autodesk Revit MEP and Autodesk Navisworks.

Get it. Know it. Use it.

March 24, 2011

Revit MEP 2012 – Create-System/System Enhancements

Hear from LEED AP certified Ideate expert Lana Gochenauer on what she likes about Autodesk Revit MEP 2012 – looking first at some Create-System/System enhancements.

Don’t forget to look through other great features our Ideate Technical Team has found in the new 2012 releases for AutoCAD, Revit Architecture, Revit MEP, Revit Structure, Civil 3D, Navisworks and more: ideateinc.com/2012

March 22, 2011

Revit MEP 2012 New Duct/Pipe/Conduit Features

The new iteration of Autodesk Revit MEP 2012 comes packed with new features that will streamline production of Mechancial and Electrical systems. My name is Matthew Nelson, MEP Application Specialist at Ideate, Inc. Ideate has spent time reviewing these new features and in this post, I will be covering a few of the best new features that I have found to be quite useful.

The first new feature that I would like to introduce is Placeholder Pipes/Ducts.

This tool was designed to simplify the early design process. It functions as a single line duct or pipe system that can later be converted to actual geometry. This is a fantastic tool that was developed to reduce the time spent creating/coordinating layouts during the schematic design phase of a project.

The first time I tried this new feature, I have to be honest, It didn’t present the results I was expecting. I tried to create a placeholder duct system using (4) ceiling hosted supply diffusers and a fan powered VAV. I had the diffusers at 8' and the VAV at 9'6"… which I thought. No Problem! Tons of room for elbows and duct transitions. Well, I was mistaken. It wouldn’t work. It gave me this warning:

So I looked a little further into the issue. Then it dawned on me! I had not looked at the options bar!

I took a look there… and my elevation was off. I had not set my elevation to meet up properly with my main duct. Once I fixed my user error, it worked like a charm.

Here is a sample of the results of the Place Holder Duct layout that I created.

What you should also notice in the image is the new Disconnect warning that has been introduced in Revit MEP 2012. This new option will show any open connection of Duct/Pipe/Cable Tray/Conduit/or Electrical circuits. Personally, I find this to be an invaluable tool. I don’t have to chase down minuscule open connections that are causing flow errors in my ducts anymore! This should definitely cut down on time spent troubleshooting MEP systems in Revit.

Once the layout has been generally agreed upon, it can be converted in one shot to actual geometry.

When placing placeholder piping, you are given the option to add the slope values as well. As seen below:

Revit MEP 2012 has rewritten the way that it handles sloped piping, and if you would like to know more about it, please watch this blog for Lana Gochenauer’s upcoming post.

The second layout feature that has been developed for Revit MEP 2012 is Parallel Pipes/Conduit.

I know that since I have been using Revit, I have been hoping that I could cleanly layout conduit and pipes next to each other without manually manipulating the bend radius of each pipe. My dream has now become reality. Revit MEP 2012 has two new functions that can quickly produce parallel pipes and conduits. This is surely going to speed up the production end of designing complicated piping layouts!

This tool is essential for pipe/conduit gangs. The tool takes uses the initial conduit/pipe size and settings to arrays it parallel to the vertical/horizontal offset that you select. It also allows you to select a concentric radius or array the same radius. The concentric radius is based upon the initial bend radius and the offset that has been selected.

The tool is extremely easy to use and can create complex conduit/pipe runs quickly. If there is an condition in which the minimum bend radius of a conduit is not met, Revit MEP will prompt you to either use the minimum radius or cancel the creation of the parallel part.

Below are a few examples of some parallel conduits, and pipes. Please note the use of the minimum bend radius on one segment of conduit.

These new features add usability and efficiency into the already powerful Revit MEP platform. Along with these features there have been many other enhancements to the Revit Platform. Some of these platform changes directly effect the way that MEP firms will use Revit in their workflow.

Don’t forget to look through other great features our Ideate Technical Team has found in the new 2012 releases for Revit Architecture, AutoCAD, Revit Structure, Civil 3D, Navisworks and more: ideateinc.com/2012