DPR Slicer v5

The free add-in from DPR Construction helps automate the creation of 3D Views with appropriate content for tasks that are best performed in Navisworks, such as clash detection. The add-in lets a user easily define projects, based on floor levels, where section boxes will enclose the model, say level by level. It also lets you associate view setting with the section box view that is to be produced, for example by discipline or by building system – and subsequently you can export all required views as Navisworks cache files. This is the process that is repeated as the Revit Models are developed – and so it aids with interoperability by making it easier to produce the latest iteration of the assembled building.

Download DPR Model Slicer for Revit!

View Instructional Video in DPR Model Slicer!

For more information on training and consulting for the various products Ideate services, visit our website at www.ideateinc.com

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Jim Cowan
Ideate AEC Senior Application Specialist
Jim Cowan’s extensive AEC design industry experience, Autodesk design solutions expertise and status as an Autodesk Certified Instructor have made him a sought after university curriculum developer, instructor and presenter. Jim’s areas of expertise include eLearning, interoperability between solutions and overcoming barriers to the adoption of Building Information Modeling (BIM). Educated in Architecture at Edinburgh College of Art/Heriot–Watt University and in Landscape Architecture at University of Manitoba, Jim has special focus on sustainability issues: daylight analysis, sun studies, lighting analysis, modeling buildings and conceptual energy modeling (models with shading devices). YouTube Channel: MrJimCowan

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Light Analysis

Lighting Analysis can be added to Revit 2014 and 2015. It lets you produce graphic output showing light levels and it evaluates the results (pass/fail) with regard to LEED accreditation. A floor plan view, a 3D view and schedules are produced automatically to assist in managing and presenting the light analysis.

The pricing structure includes a free level and a fee level for high and low resolution analyses based on the area of floor objects visible in the LEED 3D view at the following rates:

• Low Resolution (6 ft. grid)-Free up to -25,000 sq. ft., then 1 CC per 12,500 sq. ft.
• High Resolution (1 foot grid)-Free up to -6,000 sq. ft., then 1 CC per 3,000 sq.

You can control your analysis costs in 2 ways:

• By hiding floor objects in the LEED 3d view that you are not interested in.
• By selecting in the analysis dialog one or more levels to analyze rather than the whole building.

Download Lighting Analysis for Revit!

View Instructional Video in Lighting Analysis!


For more information on training and consulting for the various products Ideate services, visit our website at www.ideateinc.com

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Jim Cowan
Ideate AEC Senior Application Specialist
Jim Cowan’s extensive AEC design industry experience, Autodesk design solutions expertise and status as an Autodesk Certified Instructor have made him a sought after university curriculum developer, instructor and presenter. Jim’s areas of expertise include eLearning, interoperability between solutions and overcoming barriers to the adoption of Building Information Modeling (BIM). Educated in Architecture at Edinburgh College of Art/Heriot–Watt University and in Landscape Architecture at University of Manitoba, Jim has special focus on sustainability issues: daylight analysis, sun studies, lighting analysis, modeling buildings and conceptual energy modeling (models with shading devices). YouTube Channel: MrJimCowan

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Autodesk InfraWorks R2 – .RVT Import

Here at Ideate, Inc. we are always trying to stay one step ahead of the game in order to provide the best information to our customers. With that in mind, whenever we hear about a new product or update from Autodesk, we do our best to test the new features and let you know what we think.

If you haven’t already heard, Autodesk has released a Subscription based Product Enhancement for Autodesk InfraWorks called Autodesk InfraWorks R2, and Autodesk InfraWorks +Ultimate R2. These are available via the Autodesk Subscription Center for customers who have Building Design Suite (BDS) Ultimate, or Infrastructure Design Suite (IDS) Premium or Ultimate (+Ultimate R2 is for IDS Ultimate subscription owners). You can download the R2 installation package by logging in to Subscription Center and downloading it from the Product Enhancements section (not part of the standard program downloads). Expand downloads to find Product Enhancements, as shown below.

One of the new features included in the R2 versions is the ability to import Revit .RVT files directly into the InfraWorks model without having Revit installed on the same workstation. Up until now, only IDS Ultimate customers who installed InfraWorks along with Revit were able to use Revit .RVT files as a data source. With the R2 product enhancement, all Revit file processing is handled via the cloud when the .RVT file is added so we no longer need the side by side installation. This also adds the .RVT file option as a data source for BDS Ultimate customers, who did not have it as part of their original installs.

Keep in mind, this new feature does come with some requirements.

First, you will need to have and be signed-in to your Autodesk 360 account in order to use the cloud-based processing capabilities. When you launch Autodesk InfraWorks, make sure you’re signed in to Autodesk 360, and you’ll be all set. If you are not signed-in, the application will prompt you to login before you can proceed with the .RVT import.

Second, we are currently limited to the “Local Origin” option when using Interactive Placing in the Data Source Configuration window. Although there are four different placement options, Local Origin is the only one that is currently working in Autodesk InfraWorks R2 and +Ultimate R2. Ideate has tested, submitted, and confirmed with Autodesk that this is a bug in the application and it is being escalated to the Autodesk Development Team for further research.

Here are some screenshots of the options and the error that you’ll run into if you choose something other than Local Origin.

Select LOCAL ORIGIN as the Position option for model placement

Selecting Center 2D, Center 3D, or Lower Left Front all produce this error when the model tries to refresh with the new data source.

Refresh Failed error (Center 2D, Center 3D, or Lower Left Front options)

As mentioned earlier, we have confirmed this as a bug with Autodesk. But don’t worry; as long as you keep using the Local Origin option, you’ll be fine importing .RVT files into your InfraWorks models.
 
On a side note, the pre-R2 version of Autodesk InfraWorks installed from the Infrastructure Design Suite Ultimate along with Revit works with all position options when importing .RVT files.
 
If you’re interested in finding out more about the different features and flavors of Autodesk InfraWorks (there are currently four!) check out the post from Kate Ming, one of our ISD Techs in the San Francisco office. 
 

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Matt Miyamoto, P.E.
Ideate AEC Application Specialist
Matt is a licensed Civil Engineer in the state of Hawaii. Matt obtained a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and has 7 years of private sector design experience which he applies in his role as an application specialist with Ideate, Inc. His project experience includes residential and commercial site development, private and public sewer, water and drainage systems, harbors improvements, and roadway improvements. While in Hawaii, Matt was involved in multidisciplinary projects for City and County agencies, State Departments, the Army COE and private developers. @MattM_PE

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New Alternate Dimension Functionality in Revit 2014

In coordination with the Ideate, Inc. YouTube video on Autodesk Revit 2014 - Alternate Dimensions, this post describes how the Revit 2014 dimensions styles now include the ability to incorporate Alternate dimensions within the same dimension string.
 
One of the long standing requests for Revit was the inclusion of alternate dimensioning. This improvement allows firms to create dimension strings with alternate dimensions in a variety of dimensional unit formats. Figure 1. This new ability, eliminates time-consuming workarounds of including multiple dimension formats within construction documents.

Figure 1

Alternate dimensions can be included within all dimension types including: Aligned, Linear, Radial, Diameter, Arc Length, Spot Elevations, Spot Coordinates, and Spot Slopes. In order to take advantage of the alternate dimensions, dimension types now include parameters to set where alternate dimensions reside, the unit format, and if there will be a prefix and/or suffix within the alternate dimension. Figure 2.

Figure 2

Don’t forget to look through other great features our Ideate Technical Team has found in the new 2014 releases for Revit MEP, Revit Structure, Civil 3D, AutoCAD, Navisworks and more: ideateinc.com/2014

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Ron Palma
Ideate AEC Application Specialist
Ron has over 24 years of experience in the architectural industry as a drafter, designer, lead project designer, trainer, and a CAD manager implementing Autodesk Architectural Solutions for a residential design firm. His instructional background includes being an Autodesk Certified Instructor, trainer, support technician, educator at Portland and Clackamas Community Colleges, as well as a U.S. Army certified instructor where he was a senior instructor at Ft Lewis Washington. Ron is a member of the Oregon Army National Guard and platoon sergeant, training and mentoring soldiers in their careers. Ron is a published writer and continues to author professional technical training manuals and shorts for AutoCAD, AutoCAD Architecture, and Revit. As an Autodesk Certified Instructor, Ron provides Revit Architecture training and support for AEC firms. Follow Ron @RonPalmaAEC.

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Revit 2014: New Enhancements to Stairs and Railings

Ideate, Inc. is pleased to show a continuation of development for stairs and railings that began in Revit 2013 and continues in Revit 2014. New in 2013 was the assembly of stairs as common components (run, landing, support) with associated handles that allowed them to be resized outside of the sketch mode. There was the addition of placement justifications (left and right) there was new behavior where stairs runs could overlap in the same stair. Railings had a new added handrail and top rail elements with options to extend top rails and handrails, which allowed designers to address ADA standards.
 
In Revit 2014 there are new justification options – Exterior Support Left and Right for placement of stairs so you can now be pacing the stringer face and not the inside width of the stair.

Revit 2013

Revit 2014

There is also a new control on the stair landing which allows you to easily adjust the connection between run and landing.

Revit 2013

Revit 2014

Revit 2014

There is also the restored ability to edit temporary dimension for the components which was not possible in the 2013 release.

 

Stairs got a lot easier in the 2013 product and that development has continued in this 2014 release.

Separate components with their own properties makes it possible to customize each component and the new enhancements let you continue to work on the components – with less need to resort to the embedded sketch, although that option remains and allows for custom shapes for stringers, treads, railings and handrails.
 

Don’t forget to look through the great features our Ideate Technical Team has found in the new 2014 releases for Revit Architecture, Revit MEP, Revit Structure, Civil 3D, AutoCAD and more: ideateinc.com/2014

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Jim Cowan
Ideate AEC Application Specialist
Jim Cowan’s extensive AEC design industry experience and Autodesk design solutions expertise have made him a sought after university curriculum developer, instructor and presenter. Jim’s areas of expertise include interoperability between solutions and overcoming barriers to the adoption of Building Information Modeling (BIM). Educated in Architecture at Edinburgh College of Art/Heriot-Watt University and in Landscape Architecture at University of Manitoba, Jim has special focus on sustainability issues: daylight analysis, sun studies, lighting analysis, modeling buildings and conceptual energy modeling (models with shading devices). YouTube Channel: MrJimCowan

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Material Editor Enhancements in Revit 2014

Thank you for visiting Ideate’s blog to check out the new features added to Autodesk Revit 2014. My name is Shruti Harve and I work as a Senior Application Specialist at Ideate, Inc.
 
There have been several improvements to the material editor and material browser in Revit 2014 that makes it easier and faster to work with materials.
 
These improvements are:

• The Material Editor and Material Browser are now consolidated into a Single dialog box making it much cleaner  and easier to navigate through
• You can now sort, assign and organize materials by class
• There are tabs on the right pane that allow for easy editing of materials
• A little hand symbol on the right pane displays  on the ‘Appearance Tab’ shows how many materials share the same ‘Appearance asset’
• There is now a Show/Hide Library button in the project material pane. This lets you collapse the library panel if you need to display more items in the project materials list

Don’t forget to look through the great features our Ideate Technical Team has found in the new 2014 releases for Revit Architecture, Revit MEP, Revit Structure, Navisworks, Civil 3D, AutoCAD and more: ideateinc.com/2014

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Shruti Harve, LEED AP

Ideate Senior AEC 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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New Schedule Functionality in Revit 2014

In coordination with the Ideate Inc. YouTube video on Autodesk Revit 2014 – Schedule Improvements, this blog describes how the Revit 2014 schedules have undergone changes for a more fluid experience.
 
Schedules in Revit 2014 have undergone a facelift of sorts to improve their functionality and ease of use. When working in a schedule view a new and improved Ribbon interface is the first thing users see. Depending upon the schedule cells you are working with different Ribbon panels and tools become available. Figure 1

Figure 1

Within the schedule view the schedule title has been included and supports text input and formatting such as shading, cell border control, and font control. Additionally Images can be placed within the title to represent tag symbols and content previews. Note that these must be in an image format such as .png, .bmp or .jpg. Figure 2. Additionally Title and Header cells can be merged and unmerged for greater flexibility in configuring the appearance of the schedules.

Figure 2

Conditional formatting introduced in Revit 2010 was limited to visibility within the schedule view only. With Revit 2014, conditional formatting within a schedule can be applied to the schedule when placed on a sheet for visual clarity. Figure 3

Figure 3

In addition to the formatting improvements, new element categories can now be scheduled. Elements such as Architectural Columns, Detail Items, Entourage, Generic Models, Grids, Levels, Pads, Roof Soffits, Structural Beam Systems, Structural Area Reinforcement, Structural Path Reinforcement, and Structural Fabric Ares can now be scheduled. Additionally, two new parameters are available for scheduling: Phase Created and Phase Demolished.
 

One final improvement related to scheduling is a new parameter made to “room aware” families such as furniture, doors, casework, specialty equipment, and generic models. This new parameter within these families allows the element to recognize the room number that these types of elements are created in so that scheduling the “To Room” and “From Room” parameters will display the proper number information.

Don’t forget to look through other great features our Ideate Technical Team has found in the new 2014 releases for Revit MEP, Revit Structure, Civil 3D, AutoCAD, Navisworks and more: ideateinc.com/2014

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Ron Palma
Ideate AEC Application Specialist
Ron has over 24 years of experience in the architectural industry as a drafter, designer, lead project designer, trainer, and a CAD manager implementing Autodesk Architectural Solutions for a residential design firm. His instructional background includes being an Autodesk Certified Instructor, trainer, support technician, educator at Portland and Clackamas Community Colleges, as well as a U.S. Army certified instructor where he was a senior instructor at Ft Lewis Washington. Ron is a member of the Oregon Army National Guard and platoon sergeant, training and mentoring soldiers in their careers. Ron is a published writer and continues to author professional technical training manuals and shorts for AutoCAD, AutoCAD Architecture, and Revit. As an Autodesk Certified Instructor, Ron provides Revit Architecture training and support for AEC firms. Follow Ron @RonPalmaAEC.

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New Elevation Line Functionality in Revit 2014

In coordination with the Ideate Inc. YouTube video on Autodesk Revit 2014 – Elevation Improvements, this post describes how the Revit 2014 elevation tag lines include a new improvement. 

For many releases, users have had the ability to create jogged sections to adjust a section line around different features of their design. However, this functionality has been lost to elevation lines until the introduction of Revit 2014. Previously when adding an elevation tag, the elevation line was limited to being linear. In design conditions such as in Figure 1, the addition of an elevation line would cause the elevation line to cross through other building elements obscuring the elevation view.

Figure 1

New to Revit 2014, elevation lines can be split into segments similar to the way a section is split to create a jogged section. Figure 2 represents the ability of splitting the elevation line to jog around Building B to create a desired elevation view. To do this, select the elevation line, in the Ribbon select the Split Segments tool and pick the elevation line where you would like to split the line, then move the split segment to the desired location.

Figure 2

Don’t forget to look through other great features our Ideate Technical Team has found in the new 2014 releases for Revit MEP, Revit Structure, Civil 3D, AutoCAD, Navisworks and more: ideateinc.com/2014

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Ron Palma
Ideate AEC Application Specialist
Ron has over 24 years of experience in the architectural industry as a drafter, designer, lead project designer, trainer, and a CAD manager implementing Autodesk Architectural Solutions for a residential design firm. His instructional background includes being an Autodesk Certified Instructor, trainer, support technician, educator at Portland and Clackamas Community Colleges, as well as a U.S. Army certified instructor where he was a senior instructor at Ft Lewis Washington. Ron is a member of the Oregon Army National Guard and platoon sergeant, training and mentoring soldiers in their careers. Ron is a published writer and continues to author professional technical training manuals and shorts for AutoCAD, AutoCAD Architecture, and Revit. As an Autodesk Certified Instructor, Ron provides Revit Architecture training and support for AEC firms. Follow Ron @RonPalmaAEC.

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Revit Server 2014 – What’s New

Since Revit Server was released a couple of years ago I’ve been seeing more and more customers implementing it across their offices. I provide Ideate’s Revit Server consulting and implementation services; and I was glad to see Revit Server is being further developed. But before we get into the latest 2014 release let’s briefly go over what Revit Server does and how it benefits users.

Revit Server allows multiple users across multiple locations within a single organization to collaborate on workshared projects. In normal file based worksharing users are working from the central model in a local area network (LAN). But when users outside the LAN within the organization’s wide area network (WAN) start working from the central model they’ll typically encounter file access errors, slow sync to central times, and in rare cases model corruption. To resolve these issues Autodesk developed Revit Server and server based worksharing. In server based worksharing Revit server silently manages the data going back and forth between users, accelerators, and hosts; to deliver a normal file based worksharing experience. For more information check out the Wiki: Revit Server – What It Is and What It Does.

So let’s take a look at what’s new with Revit Server 2014.

Windows Server 2012 Support
Revit Server is now fully supported on Windows Server 2012 which includes support for Internet Information Services (IIS) 8 and .NET 4.5. I actually like Server 2012, it took a little bit of getting used to, but overall I think it’s pretty good. Just like previous versions of Revit Server; 2014 needs specific Application and Web server prerequisite roles to be enabled. Here’s a good video I found going through this process in the new Server 2012 interface.

GUID Preservation
GUIDs (pronounced “goo-id”) are unique identifiers assigned to pieces of data.  In Revit Server GUIDs are assigned to each model hosted within the Revit Server network. Users see a file name but Revit Server sees the GUID. Now in 2014 when a user performs a Save As for a central model it will retain it’s original GUID.

Low Disk Space Warning
Revit Server 2014 now detects when disk space on the server is running low and will display a warning dialog.

Check out my quick video on these new features for Revit Server 2014.

For more information I recommend taking a look at the Revit and Revit Server 2014 Wiki site. Enjoy!

Don’t forget to look through other great features our Ideate Technical Team has found in the new 2014 releases for Revit Architecture, Revit MEP, Revit Structure, Civil 3D, AutoCAD, Navisworks and more: ideateinc.com/2014

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Derek Wielkopolski
Ideate 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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Revit 2014 Feature Review: More Data Liberated!

As the developers of Ideate BIMLink we’ve been very focused on the data that our customers are embedding within their Revit Building Information Models, so as always when a new version of Revit ships, we carefully scrutinize all the new features and how they relate specifically to information management. Here’s a brief synopsis of what to look for and why you should care.

Revit 2014 Supports New Schedules Types
On the View tab, under the Schedule tool, find these new kinds of schedules. 

New Schedule Category	Value 1-5 (5=Best)
(Arch) Columns	1
Feature: These are the architectural columns; the structural columns are already being scheduled. Benefit: Questionable value unless you are using the column family in some atypical way. Structural columns are generally the ones to schedule for takeoff work.
Detail Items	5
Feature: 2D detail components, including fill patterns, are included in this new schedule type. Benefit: This has been a user request for some time, which is why it’s been in Ideate BIMLink since version 2011. Oddly, the repeating details and filled region elements appear to be lumped in with the more conventional items, so you may need to filter them out. Editing the keynote assignment will be the most practical use of this new functionality. Take Detail Items farther with Ideate BIMLink.
Entourage	1
Feature: These are the 2D stick people that when rendered look slightly less 2D. YinYin – where are you?! Benefit: I see no practical use of this feature, so email me if you can figure it out. I guess if you had 100+ Entourage components and you wanted to use this schedule as a way of knowing which Rooms they were in, that might be useful, but that seems like a bad use of a schedule.
Generic Models	4
Feature: All those items that otherwise defy categorization can now be scheduled. Benefit: This was another early Ideate BIMLink request that was implemented in 2011, so no doubt this will prove useful to some who are managing uniquely modeled elements. The absence of level and host information is why this is not marked as a 5.
Grids and Levels	5
Feature: The name says it all. Benefit: Why not schedule these? While this hasn’t been a strong user request, having a summary of this information is a great way for a project manager to understand the project at a glance. I particularly like the fact that you can see and modify the Scope Box assignment for these items. Auditing Grids and Levels are part of Ideate’s Revit Audit Tips.
Pads	1
Feature: The building pad object that is used to create a topography “cut” and place a slab-like object at the same time. Benefit: If used at all (it has an issue, still, with being properly managed by phases) the pad is unlikely to be needed as a scheduled object.
Roof Soffits	3
Feature: Roofs, Roof Fascia, and Roof Gutters have always been able to be scheduled; now Roof Soffits join the mix. Benefit: This is a long-standing Revit request related to the delivering a more complete quantity takeoff. Glad to see that it’s been included.
Structural: Beam Systems, Area Reinforcements, Path Reinforcements, and Fabric Areas	2
Feature: As with Roof Soffits, the addition of this data rounds out the Structural elements that can be modeled. Benefit: Unclear to me whether this has value. I think this information may be a bit ahead of the curve for most structural/construction firms, but it’s nice to see Autodesk expose this information to be leveraged as customers see fit.

Revit 2014 Schedules Include New Properties
In addition to the new schedule categories several bits of data have been exposed for your use. What will you leverage?
 

New Property Added To Schedules	Value 1-5 (5=Best)
Phase Created/Phase Demolished	5
Feature: Now your takeoff schedules can include the name of the Phase in which the element was created. I’m assuming that the Demolished field has negligible value when it comes to schedules. These two fields can also be used as a Filter within the schedule. Benefit: As we have documented in this blog called “Avoid Takeoff Blunders,” not having the phase info could cause significant issues within a quantity takeoff. In a multi-phase project these fields should be required as part of a QC process.
Analytical and Physical Element Data Merged	3
Feature: When you schedule the structural framing category (or any other category with associated structural analytical model categories) you can now find both the physical and analytical properties available within the same schedule. Benefit: Being able to edit some of the analytical structural properties, in-line with its physical properties is part of a larger improvement related to the analytical model which will help solve round-tripping issues between Revit and structural analysis software.

It’s great to see all this newly liberated data – it will be fun to see the new and creative ways in which Revit users put this data to work.  

Don’t forget to look through other great features our Ideate Technical Team has found in the new 2014 releases for Revit Architecture, Revit MEP, Revit Structure, Civil 3D, AutoCAD, Navisworks and more: ideateinc.com/2014

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Glynnis Patterson is a registered architect and the Director of Software Development at Ideate, Inc. Glynnis is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon and has worked in the commercial, residential, and healthcare markets as an architect and has also worked in the construction industry as a construction estimator and project manager. Follow Glynnis on Twitter: @GVPinNJ

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Revit 2014 Feature Review: Allow Parameters to Vary Across Groups

This new feature in Revit 2014 is very timely as we had an Ideate support case just last week regarding this issue! 

This feature is for all of us who have ever been editing a schedule and received this error:  

You want to edit that door or plumbing fixture that is part of a group, but Revit 2013 (and earlier) would not permit an instance-based change except while editing the group. This has meant that you could not, for example, assign a unique paint color to a door, or assign a barcode value to a toilet or light fixture, if it belonged to a group. Now, with some caveats, this is possible in Revit 2014.

If you’re interested in giving this a spin, this video covers the basic of how to implement this new feature.



The limitations of this feature are:

1. It works for project and shared parameters only. It does not work within the Family Editor
2. It works only for text-based parameters. It does not work for yes/no or dimensional parameters
3. It does not apply to most built-in parameters such as “Comment” though it does work for “Mark”

This is a nice feature that will definitely support those who are managing lots of group-based data, such as apartment unit plans, hospitals, or office furniture layouts.  
 
Don’t forget to look through other great features our Ideate Technical Team has found in the new 2014 releases for Revit MEP, Revit Structure, Civil 3D, AutoCAD, Navisworks and more: ideateinc.com/2014

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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.

Autodesk 2014 Products and Hardware – Recommendations from Ideate Technical Support

It’s that time of year again, rollout! This is Derek Wielkopolski, Technical Support Manager and Application Specialist here at Ideate. As we’re getting all the latest info on the new Autodesk 2014 products I’ve been re-working our hardware recommendations. It’s one of those things – as software changes so does the hardware that’s required to run them. 

When it comes to running Autodesk products what hardware components are key? I look at processor, memory (RAM), video card, storage (hard drive), and operating system. 

Let’s start off with OS, because we get a lot of calls on this in support; especially with the release of Windows 8 a couple months back. 2014 products are now supported on Windows 8. But heads up, there are some Autodesk products that are supported only on certain versions of Windows 8. For example Revit 2014 isn’t supported on Windows 8 32-bit, just 64-bit. Want to know more about 2014 products and Windows 8? Take a look at the post by David Haynes. Personally, I’m still recommending Windows 7 64-bit, unless you absolutely must have those tiles!

Processor – Remember the days when faster was better? Well that still applies but you also have to factor in multi-processor and multi-core capable machines. Generally speaking, an Intel i5/ i7 or Xeon multi-core processor will suffice. If you’re an AMD fan take a look at their Athlon series

Memory – Always a hot topic especially with some of the more memory hungry applications like Revit. I’m recommending nothing lower than 8GB on production machines, 16GB preferable. Now here’s the important part – make sure you have available slots to add more memory down the road. For example our application specialists’ machines have 16GB installed but with 2 extra slots expandable to 32GB. Memory is cheap these days, no need to skimp.

Video Card – In the last few years or so we’ve been seeing a lot more importance in selecting the right graphics card. First things first, you need a dedicated card; not an integrated card that utilizes CPU resources to power the GPU output. Next make sure you’re looking at a workstation grade video card as opposed to a “gaming” card. In our experience gaming cards can be more problematic. The card also needs to have a good amount of dedicated memory.  What’s good? No less than 512MB on the card, 1-2GB is preferred. I strongly encourage our customers to take a look at the Autodesk Certified Hardware page. This is where you can check whether or not your card has been tested and certified and where to download the recommended driver.

Storage – I have to tell you, since switching to a Solid State Drive (SSD) I don’t think I’ll ever go back to a spindle drive. They’re more expensive and typically come in smaller sizes but they are blazingly fast. Computer boot times and application launch is almost “instant on.” But if you are looking into a spindle drive shoot for 7200 RPM drives or faster if possible. For network storage typical server grade hard drives will be faster and usually will have some type of RAID redundancy fail over in place.

Well, I hope that helps. Be sure to take a look at our 2014 Migration Recommendations document for even more information.

Don’t forget to look through other great features our Ideate Technical Team has found in the new 2014 releases for Revit MEP, Revit Structure, Civil 3D, AutoCAD and more: ideateinc.com/2014

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Derek Wielkopolski
Ideate 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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New Crop Region Functionality in Revit 2014

In coordination with the Ideate, Inc. YouTube video on Autodesk Revit 2014 – Non-Rectangular Crop Regions, this blog describes how the Revit 2014 Crop Region and callout tools have undergone a few improvements. 

One of the new features within Revit 2014 is the ability to create non-rectangular Crop Regions within 2D views. This has been a long standing request since the year 2000. This feature eliminates the time-consuming task of creating Masking Regions with a hole to represent an irregular shaped viewport. 

This new functionality allows for a more efficient sheet layout process. Common to many other Revit user interface behaviors, the ability to edit the Crop Region through the use of sketch lines in a sketch mode make this tool very intuitive. Figure 1. 

Figure 1

Additionally as the Callout tool is an extension of the Crop Boundary tool, it would only be natural to also have the ability of creating non-rectangular callouts. In Revit 2014, the Callout tool now includes the ability of using one of two tools to create the callout. A the standard Rectangle tool and a new Sketch tool. The Sketch tool enters you into a sketch mode where linear closed shapes can be used to create non-rectangular callouts. Figure 2.

Figure 2

Upon completion of the sketch, the non rectangular callout is created. This new view’s crop region takes on the shape of the sketch. Direct manipulation of the shape can be accomplished by using intuitive grips directly on the callout and crop region.
 
Any callout and/or crop region can also be reset to its default rectangular shape by selecting the Reset button in the context sensitive menu.

Don’t forget to look through other great features our Ideate Technical Team has found in the new 2014 releases for Revit MEP, Revit Structure, Civil 3D, AutoCAD and more: ideateinc.com/2014

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Ron Palma
Ideate AEC Application Specialist
Ron has over 24 years of experience in the architectural industry as a drafter, designer, lead project designer, trainer, and a CAD manager implementing Autodesk Architectural Solutions for a residential design firm. His instructional background includes being an Autodesk Certified Instructor, trainer, support technician, educator at Portland and Clackamas Community Colleges, as well as a U.S. Army certified instructor where he was a senior instructor at Ft Lewis Washington. Ron is a member of the Oregon Army National Guard and platoon sergeant, training and mentoring soldiers in their careers. Ron is a published writer and continues to author professional technical training manuals and shorts for AutoCAD, AutoCAD Architecture, and Revit. As an Autodesk Certified Instructor, Ron provides Revit Architecture training and support for AEC firms. Follow Ron @RonPalmaAEC.

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