Thursday, May 22, 2014

Starting my Project after Receiving a Model

From a Revit MEP or Structure perspective getting a project started, without delving into subtlety, should look something like this.
  • Link the architecture model - Auto - Origin to Origin
  • Examine an elevation - Make sure your levels match theirs (it's also helpful to get a better sense of the scope vertically)
  • Use Copy/Monitor to create (levels you don't have) and watch the levels for coordination (optional but a good idea)
  • Room Bounding (MEP) - The arch link has a Type Parameter called Room Bounding, this should be checked if/when you are using Spaces
  • Create views for each level after you've made sure yours match theirs
  • Repeat this for each discipline, HVAC, Plumbing etc...
  • Phases between files should be mapped (same place as Room Bounding, and to truly work they need the same names too)
  • If you need your own grids to adjust how your documents look - use Copy/Monitor to get a watched set of your own grids

As I alluded to in the beginning, there are other subtle things like worksets that can factor in as well, but assuming the above is all done, you're ready to start adding your own work.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Steve,
After you have link the Architecture model, why you does'nt use the properties of shared site and the "coming together" of its coordinates ?
When the Architectural model is "géo-référenced" it's compulsory, not ?
Dominique

Steve said...

I'd include Shared Coordinates as subtle, not less important but for the basic list, too subtle.

If "my" HVAC model is not going to be linked directly into a civil project file then I don't "need" shared coordinates to line up properly with the architect's model, Auto-Orgin to Origin is sufficient.

When my model and others must be combined into another software agnostic product like Solibri or Navisworks for excample then it is much more important to make sure "my" model understands the real world position too.

It's simple though (can be), as long as the architect's model has established shared coordinates, between the civil engineer and themselves, I can use Acquire Coordinates at any time, after having imported their file using Auto-Orign to Origin first.

Good luck!

Larry Summerfield said...

Thanks for mentioning that having a team use shared coordinates is not necessary. When team leaders insist on consultants using their shared coordinates and then repeatedly moving their model it causes no end of headaches to their consultants and lost quality. Isn't their a way for an architect to plan a site without dragging their consultants into it?

Steve said...

Consultants eventually care or need to be involved in the site conditions, for transformers, lighting, cooling towers, condensers, drainage, conduit, solar panels, etc. Those all need to be coordinated with civil engineering.

Eventually real world coordinates creep back into relevance even if we can ignore them for awhile.