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Revit Assembly Code Basics

Revit families have a built-in parameter called Assembly Code. By default, this feature references the UniFormat, created by the US-based Construction Specification Institute (CSI) of which I am a member. From their website, Unifromat is defined as...

"a method of arranging construction information based on functional elements, or parts of a facility characterized by their functions, without regard to the materials and methods used to accomplish them. These elements are often referred to as systems or assemblies." Click here for more information.

Read on to learn more...

Revit's Hardwired Subcategories - Titleblocks

Some Autodesk Revit families have hardwired subcategories which cannot be modified or deleted. In the case of the Titleblock family, there are three subcategories based on the line styles used in the Out Of The Box (OOTB) Revit content that would be nice if we could delete or modify.

Read on to learn more...

Microsoft HoloLens 2 is Coming - This Will be Awesome for the AEC Industry!

Coming soon... a more powerful HoloLens with a "greatly increased" field of view! Including more natural use of hands to interact with holograms and eye tracking.

I have written a number of posts about our professional, on real-world projects, use of the HoloLens in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry; see a list of links below. We have two Microsoft HoloLens devices with the Trimble hardhat (original versions for both, of course).

I am super excited to get my hands on the new Microsoft HoloLens 2 and test it out! And, not that this was too hard to predict, but I did in this Enscape blog post:)

Keep reading to learn more...

New ArchSmarter Course - Revit MEP Remodels and Alternates

I am excited to announce my new ArchSmater Course titled Revit MEP Remodels and Alternates. This easy to follow multi-media set will quickly help any MEP designer, engineer or contractor understand the ins-and-outs of important concepts such as phasing and design options, which are often required on sustainable, remodel, addition and bid option projects.

"This course was developed by an accomplished author who has presented on this topic all over the world and co-developed the popular Revit MEP Productivity Pack (MEPPP) managed by CTC Software."

This post will provide a few highlights, but be sure to head over to the ArchSmarter site for the full rundown and to access a free sample video segment.

ArchSmarter course link: Revit MEP Remodels and Alternates

Additionally...

Controlling Workset Visibility in Linked Models - Structural Example

A quick post an controlling Workset visibility through linked models.

I am still not a fan of using worksets to control visibility, in general, as I previously wrote here: Avoid Using Worksets to Control Visibility. But there is always an exception to the rule, and in that case... here are a few tips.

Keep reading to learn more...

Revit Basics: Wall Joins

In Autodesk Revit, walls clean up regardless of phase. For example, in the example below, the new wall cleans up (i.e. joins) with the existing wall. This is often not desirable as we want the contractor to clearly see the transition between new and existing in the printed drawings; there is a construction joint here that needs to be considered.

Read on to learn more...

Enscape Blog Post: Save Time and Money with Renderings Done Right

I wrote another blog post for Enscape titled Save Time and Money with Renderings Done Right. This post is now live!

Additionally...

Easy Metric Conversion in Revit

If you work in Imperial units, i.e. feet and inches, here is a quick tip metric conversion tip for you.

The inspiration for this post can from the amazing Lynn Allen, who recently posted this video on Easy Metric Conversions with the AutoCAD Quick Calculator.

Here is how its done in Revit...

Autodesk Customer Success Learning Hub

I recently discovered something new offered by Autodesk called: Autodesk Customer Success Learning Hub. A collection of interesting videos commissioned by Autodesk to promote the success of their customers using their tools.

One of the video series is by Michael Kilkelly, of ArchSmarter, and it is titled The Effective Architect Series. I watched Part 1, which consists of seven short videos, and found a lot of valuable tips... from using check lists to prioritizing your tasks.

Link to Part 1: The Effective Architect: 25 Ways to Work Smarter, Not Harder - Part 1

Share your thoughts in the comments below...

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Revit 2019 Uncropped Perspective Tips

I wrote about this before, but wanted to present the information again in a slightly different way to emphasize the features of the new Revit 2019 uncropped perspective. A significant difference between cropped and uncropped is the fact that the camera moves when you scroll the wheel in an uncropped perspective view.

Continue reading...

Structural Precast Extension for Revit 2019 Update 1

Two structural related items to share today...

A few days ago I posted Revit 2019 Beam Annotation Elevation Error. I wanted to mention this again as that post has been updated with a workaround. There still appears to be an issue when using y-offset for concrete beams, but getting closer to a workable solution.

Along with the recent Revit 2019.2 update, the Autodesk Structural Precast Extension for Revit 2019 was updated. I touched on that here: Revit Structural Enhancements in the 2019.2 Update.

Additionally...

Restoring Duluth’s Lincoln Park – Designing Site Features with Enscape

I have been looking forward to writing this post for several months now. Often, when working on a project and doing exciting things in terms of design or use of technology, we cannot publicly talk about it. Now that this work effort is well known locally, I have the opportunity to share an interesting use of cutting-edge technology LHB's Landscape Architecture and Planning group evaluated on a large park restoration project.

Keep reading to learn more...

Revit 2019 Beam Annotation Elevation Error

When modeling structural framing in Revit, use caution if you use the Z-Offset and Beam Annotation workflow together... as the noted elevation will not be correct! This is an issue Autodesk (now) knows about.

Read on to learn more...