REVIT Architecture 2012

Revit 2012 has arrived. What's new? At a glance, it seems pretty similar to the 2011 version. Ten minutes into it, you start noticing the upgrades. One of the very first ones to notice: Filled regions can now give you areas! Check this video for a highlight of the main upgrades:

My top 5 upgrades:

1. Customized detail callouts and dimensions.

2. Continuous section lines in zig-zag cuts.

3. Painting and noting in 3D views.

4. Worksharing in colors.

5. And last but not least... many more linked elements are up for tagging and copy-monitoring.

Revit Architecture 2012 has been available since March 2011. Update Releases 1 and 2 came out this June and October, respectively. For more information about these releases, visit Autodesk. For a more comprehensive list of the 2012 upgrades, click here.

Enjoy!

Revit Window Browsing

A new tip here. Browsing through the many CAD files is the same as browsing through your different Revit windows.

CTRL + TAB to move forward
CTRL + SHIFT + TAB to move backwards

Hope you find it useful!

REVIT Translator

Central File Motherboard of all of your project’s building information, do not erase backups or rename.

Local File Saved in your C drive, file thru which information is transferred to the Central File. Save to local, then Synchronize w Central.

Synchronize w Central Save to Central. Yes, just new fancy word in R2011.

Families Blocks

Family types Subtypes of the same block

Parameters Properties of a family

Model Elements Elements part of the model, w 3d properties, and visible in other similar views. See tab under Visibility Graphics (VG) for whole list.

Annotation Elements Elements that can be part of your view only, w no 3d properties. See tab under Visibility Graphics (VG) for whole list.

Model Line Line that will become part of the model, w 3d properties, and visible in other similar views.

Detail Line Line that will only show on the view you are working

View View of the model, it can be a working view or a sheet view.

Working view View of the model, not assigned to an architectural/engineering sheet.

Sheet view Viewport added to an architectural/engineering sheet

Legend Legend

Schedule Smart Schedule

Keynote Smart directional note linked to a txt file.

Symbol Annotation Element.

Trim Autocad's Fillet command

Revit 2011 - the New by Autodesk

Click here.

Revit 2011 - the New

Some exciting new features that are part of Revit Architecture 2011 that I wanted to share with you:

• Repeat last command – via right-click or enter
• Entering commands – In previous versions, you had to select the object, then the command. In 2011, you can first select the command, then the object.
• Easier modification to the hotkeys/shortcut keys
• Additional structural components
• Customizable elevation tags
• Text improvements
• Auto-numbering
• Lists with bullets
• Text justification
• Leaders off both sides of text
• Easy modification to location of leaders
• Sheet list improvements – don’t need to create dummy sheets to get the consultants’ drawings to show up on the index of drawings
• Easy modification to the look of temporary dimensions
• Realistic texture is a view style so you don’t have to do a rendering
• Can add background images (of beautiful scenery or the surrounding city, etc.) when rendering
• Linked Revit files
• Can tag through linked files – walls, doors, windows, etc. (Must watch for duplicate numbers though)
• Can apply view filters to linked Revit files
• Sunpath – easier modification
• System enhancements
• Faster program startup
• Faster file opening
• Faster save-to-central
• Reporting dimensions in families – do not affect the geometry but can be used in schedules/formulas.

Selecting All

The Select All Instances tool does in fact select all similar elements in your ENTIRE model. If you are modifing model elements (stretchers, lavatories, windows, walls, etc), or annotation elements (dimensions, keynotes, tag, etc) and decide to ‘select all instances’, you will be modifying elements in the entire file, all floors and all sheet views.

Sure it'd be nice to Select All Instances in this view only, but that's not the case... yet.

In AutoCAD terms, Select All Instances is like CAD’s Quick Select tool across the board. Quiet useful... and potentially harmful.

REVIT Surprises 101

So this one happens a lot in Revit: “where is it? I know I drew it in there, but now it’s gone.”

A few troubleshooters:

1, change the scale

2, change the detail level

3, show hidden elements

4, check the view template or visibility graphics (VG) for the view you are in

5, check that you are in the right construction phase

6, are you looking for a model element, or an annotation element? You might be in the wrong view if you are only looking for annotation elements.

7, if possible, use the “show” button in the program

8, change the “model graphic style” of your view to “wireframe”, maybe the element you are looking for is “underneath” something else.

9, zoom out (ZE), it could be far from your building/project.

...But most importantly, whatever your solution is, think about how you can proceed next time, so you don't have to go through these steps again.

Happy 2010.