gbxml to Trane Trace

[UpNorth]

We are trying to import a gbxml file, created by Revit, into Trace. We are only able to get the room numbers - but would like the room number and name. The folks at Trane said that the gbxml file created by Revit only lists the room number in the "name" section of the file and provides the name in the "description" section. Trane only looks at the "name" section of the xml file.

Anybody come up with a work around to this?

Thanks

[luigi]

I am sorry I don't have an answer, but a question for you and/or for anyone reading this...

"Can data be imported and exported to Trace 700 like ABS?"

This is a question from our MEP Leader....

TIA

[rrubert]

I have not found a way around this (ie, the adding both the room numbers and names), even after talking with both Trane Technical Support and someone from Autodesk.

To answer luigi's question, I have never used ABS so I don't know how that imported and exported to Trace. Both Trace and Revit have help files that discuss how and what information is exported and imported between the programs. Trane Technical Support does not seem to know any more about this than their help files, so asking them may not help. However, people at Autodesk that specialize in Revit are much more helpful.

One thing to note is that once you export a Revit model to Trace, you must export the Trace gbxml back to the exact same Revit model file from which the gbxml file originally came, or else it won't work. For example, I exported gbxml from our architect's Revit model, but I could not import it correctly into our MEP model, even though it was created from the architect's model, because it was a different file.

[kyle.bernhardt]

We are trying to import a gbxml file, created by Revit, into Trace. We are only able to get the room numbers - but would like the room number and name. The folks at Trane said that the gbxml file created by Revit only lists the room number in the "name" section of the file and provides the name in the "description" section. Trane only looks at the "name" section of the xml file.

Anybody come up with a work around to this?

ThanksThis is indeed the way that Revit works with gbXML. I wrote about this in a previous thread (http://forums.augi.com/showthread.php?t=54009).

If you want to have a longer name passed over to Trace, there's nothing stopping you from writing a room name in the Room Number parameter.

HTH,
Kyle B

[UpNorth]

Thanks for the reply.

BTW, (answer to question from referenced thread) we would like to see the room name and number in Trace so we can track changes made by the architects. For example: 134 Toilet Room is now 128 Toilet Room. We could not chatch this change if we only see the room numbers.

I hope Trane adds this functionality...

[kyle.bernhardt]

I am sorry I don't have an answer, but a question for you and/or for anyone reading this...

"Can data be imported and exported to Trace 700 like ABS?"

This is a question from our MEP Leader....

TIACertainly can. The Room geometry in Revit, like the Space geometry in AutoCAD MEP/AutoCAD Architecture, drives the gbXML output. Works nicely too, including things like Shading Surfaces and automaticall detects Windows, Doors, Skylights, Curtain Walls, etc. A Building Model from Revit Architecture lends itself nicely to gbXML.

I have spoken directly with Trane on the issue of the Room data. I believe they are exploring combining the Room Number and Room Description parameters during import of a Revit gbXML file.

Kyle B

[Tyveka]

Trane isn't the only company not reading name data. HAP (Hourly Analysis Program), when importing the gbXML file, also does not read name data, only room number. The explanation for this was because name data is not always going to be a unique identifier. For example, you can have Classroom 127, Classroom 128, Classroom 129. The only way to uniquely identify each room is by number, since all are named Classroom.

As stated before, the workaround we used was putting the room number and name in the room number field on the tag and then creating separate tags for the printed sheets. Kludgy but it worked. Kyle, I don't know if you are talking to HAP as well, but it sure would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Jer

[kyle.bernhardt]

I am indeed. I used to be a Sales Engineer for Carrier, so I still have many connections there. Ask your SE for Carrier content every chance you get! I don't want to sidetrack this thread on that subject, but I never pass up an opportunity to remind all of you to ask.

Cheers,
Kyle B

[mishfradkin]

I'm doing this for the first time on RS (we'll be getting MEP 2008 soon...) and I'm pretty certain it will be a long time before we can fully utilize the feature. The room number / name issue is just the beginning. Has that been changed in the new release? I can't use the workaround of mentioned above, because the architect already set up the room numbers and names. Maybe I could copy/monitor the room tags and change them myself, but that seems like a big time investment just to have the room name show up in Trace. I see the point that just having "Classroom" or "Office" show up would be a problem, but would it be so difficult to program either Revit or Trace to combine the number and name, i.e. "103 Classroom" ?

Anyway, since I'm still in the old version, I can't export load information for the rooms because I have a linked file. So I'm just trying to get the physical information and enter the loads myself. The architect's windows are not "windows" in their model, instead they are "curtain walls", so Trace doesn't recognize the building as having any glass at all. Also, the roof isn't showing up in any of the spaces. Any ideas what I'm doing wrong?

Thanks

[kyle.bernhardt]

I recommend that you read our Green Paper on using Revit for Building Performance Analysis. You can find it at http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/index?siteID=123112&id=9587284. This should help you to understand the strategies that are required for success in this realm.

Hope that Helps,
Kyle B

[mishfradkin]

Thanks, I've read this paper before, but didn't pay too much attention since I don't design the building model. I imagined the architect, who's been using Revit much longer than us, would set up a building model that would be gbXML-ready, and we would then export it to Trace for our loads. Wishful thinking...it looks I'll need to learn more about Revit Building and educate the architect early in project as to what they need to do for gbXML to work for us down the line.

The paper did give me an idea of what's wrong in the architect's model...we'll see how quickly I can work with them to resolve it...

Thanks again

[buzz]

Here is what I did to fix this problem...

I export as gbxml from Revit... For whatever reason, it decides to put the Room Number under "Name" and the Room Name under "Description"...

...so, I open up the .xml file with wordpad (or other editing program)

Menu > Edit > Replace

Find what: "</Name><Description>"
Replace with: " - "
click Replace All

then...

Find what: "</Description>"
Replace with: "</Name><Description>Dang Revit, this is a description, not a roomname</Description>"
click Replace All

Then save the xml file and import it into HAP or Trace - It should bring in the spaces with the space names in the format of "101 - Office"

-Buzz