Rendering and Revit MEP

I received an email the other day from a Revit MEP user that would like to render some equipment rooms. The wrinkle is that when systems are assigned to pipe and duct and their related equipment the relatively new feature called Pipe Systems (and Duct Systems) override the appearance of connected equipment.

If the equipment you use has material parameters to define what the equipment should look like then it is possible to show both the materials assigned to pipe and duct systems AND what the equipment should look like. Not all equipment has either materials or material parameters though. You like my 4" blue tile covered boiler??

Then you run into equipment that "Breaks Into", like a valve into pipe. The pump and valve in the image above look different but it's really just because I assigned a solid color override to the material. That works for shaded views but you end up with the system imposing the material on the equipment and accessories when you render.

Ideally it would be nice to have an option to tell Pipe and Duct Systems to respect the material assignments of connected equipment. Guess it's a candidate for future wish granting.

Watch for Web Update 2

Looks like an update is out, at least for Revit Structure at the moment, the blog BIM and Beam mentioned it.

Why Does My File Name Include the Word Central

The practice of adding the word "central" to a project file name came about in the early days of Revit to help users see the difference between any stand alone project file, their own local file and the actual central file for their project. Unless you notice a folder with a matching name plus "_backup" there isn't anything obvious to tell us that a file is "special" (central or local file). We used to copy the central file to our own computer and change the name to include our username to identify our local file as different from the central file. With the extra "-central" in the project file name it was easier to see its "specialness".

Since Autodesk changed how to make a local file it is less desirable to add the "-central" to the name. This is because when Revit creates the local file it adds our username to the resulting local file. If we use "-central" in the name we get something like this:

1234 BigProject-central.rvt (the central file)
1234 BigProject-central_Username.rvt (local file, including the -central part)

What made sense then doesn't now.

There are firms that still use a customized process to generate local files (there are other threads about that). For them it may still be advisable or desirable (even required) to continue including the "-central" in the project file name. If you just use the Open and check the "Create New Local" option it isn't as desirable or necessary.

Load Classifications and Worksets

The early releases of Revit MEP didn't have a method to manage load classifications, they were hard wired (pun intended). It does now.

One downside of various sources of content is the way the family editor (person) assigns the load classification. It can be hard coded into the family (not nice), it can be assigned to a parameter instead (nice) and it can also be assigned a value in advance too (nice or not nice depending on who you are).

Load classifications are part of the project standards workset.

If you choose to be the "owner" of the electrical related project standards and not relinquish them there is still a back door that lets a new family introduce a load classification you may not approve of. Revit only seems to acknowledge ownership if you attempt to alter the existing settings, and that's only true if someone else has decided to make themselves the owner of the workset (Electrical Load Classifications). Loading a new family that has a classification like "Steve's Favorite Motors" will bring it along and add it to the load classifications.

This means trying to keep a handle on your load classifications can be a little troublesome has the project progresses. The electrical design team might behave but all it takes is a rogue HVAC user to load a new single duct VAV, that has its own notion of load classification, into the model (assuming multiple trades in one file).

Further, I think its odd that when I create a new Load Classification (like Steve's Favorite Motors) none of the electrical setting worksets show me as the borrower, especially the one called Electrical Load Classifications! If I change the load classifications I still am not considered a borrower, odd. What is odder still is that the worksets for Cable Tray Settings, Cable Tray Sizes, Conduit Settings, Wire Settings and Wire Sizes DO show me as borrower.

I understand that it might be better to let a family load completely and "sneak" in a new load classification than confront the user with a message about not being able to make a workset editable and refusing to load the family.

Best bet is to require content to be vetted for load classifications before they are added to the project model(s). Provide a list of classifications that the project electrical engineer wants to document. Also provide a set of "in this case, use this classification" examples to make it easier to tow the line.

Backup File Numbering

We are familiar with Revit's standalone backup file process. Each time we save it creates a new backup file, based on either the stock setting of 3 backup files or as many as we've chosen instead.

I've never run into a file that used more than the four digits that appears in the file name of a backup file. The other day someone asked what happens at MyProject.9999.rvt. As it happens Revit keeps on numbering and adds a new digit; MyProject.10000.rvt.

Interface Inequity - Modify Size

Revit MEP features Duct, Pipe, Conduit and Cable Tray all have a dialog that permits us to edit their information, chief among them is their sizes. Unfortunately the younger brothers, Conduit and Cable Trays, have a extra button, the Modify button that lets us easily change a setting for a size. The older brothers Duct and Pipe don't, pity! It's just like parents to let our younger siblings stay up later and easily modify their size!

In the must be nice category, the Cable Tray size portion of the dialog.

In the wishful thinking category, the Duct sizes.

Also in the wishful thinking category, the Pipe Sizes.

I wish it was as easy to add this sort of functionality into Revit as it was to copy and paste the modify button into these images!! I vote for component size equity!! Let us modify them, let us modify them!

Linked Files with Linked Files

Ran across a recent situation where a good number of units were modelled as linked project files and combined into a "master" file. This master file was then linked into another model. As attached links that meant they would automatically show up as long as the source file was "found" (in a folder it could find).

It may have seemed like a good idea when they started, but the down side is nearly zero control over the nested linked units. About the only way to control what they look like is if every (and I mean every) sort of view configuration you might need in other files that host the combined file are preset in the "master file". The display of nested links can be configured to use the Linked File settings. Unfortunately, this is hard to really accomplish because we might not be able to imagine everything that will need to be done. That means an awful lot of back and forth to get it all to work.

My recommendation? Don't go there...