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).
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 NelsonMEP 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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