Shared Details on a multiple model campus project

[ron.sanpedro]

We are working on a large 8 building campus project, which has been divided into 5 models for programmatic and Revit performance & team size reasons. But a good chunk of the detailing will be the same across most/all buildings, so we are trying to figure out the best way to do real Revit details, ie not AutoCAD details or Drafting Views, and still share details, rather than repeating them in each model where they occur. We have a lot of data in our families, are using keynotes to maintain consistent language, etc. Thus we really want to make live details of model elements, note em up, add 2D embellishments, etc. AutoCAD detailing is verbotten, and we are seeking to minimize Drafting Views to those conditions that truly are generic, such as finish transitions, t-bar ceiling supports, FEC installation, Fixture Mounting Heights, etc. The approach I imagine looks something like this...

1: Develop the 'shared' details in a separate 'Shared Sheets' model, with small vignettes of the 'common' shared families (walls, roofs, windows, etc). Note & embellish as needed.
2: All 'shared' details have their own sheets so they get sheeted up and printed in the 'Shared Sheets' model as well.
3: In individual models, the sheet numbers from the 'Shared Sheets' model are made as well, but the sheets are named such that we know they are mockups. Only the sheet number is unadulterated, so callouts read properly.
4: Details are cut in the appropriate locations, and placed properly on the mocked up 'shared' sheets. No annotation is done in these details, and they are named in such a way that everyone knows they are shared.
5: Manually coordinate details & locations on the sheets between mocked up sheets in each model and actual sheets in the 'shared sheets' model.

6: When changes are made in the families, they are loaded into the building models, and also the 'Shared Sheets' model, so notes are consistent. Consistency in execution of the building models is an Architectural problem, not a technical problem.

7: When a building specific condition occurs, a 'local' detail is created, sheeted up on the building specific detail sheet that resides in the building model and is printed from there. The dims and notes from the similar 'shared' detail, if there is one, can be copied into the building model from the 'shared sheets' model. Development proceeds from there, knowing that changes in keynote language will be applied across all notes in all models, etc.

So, anyone tried something like this? How has it worked for you? What where the major problem points? Or did you use a different approach that you would like to put forward?

Any experience is greatly appreciated.

best,
Gordon

[Duncan Lithgow]

Shame you didn't get a reply. This is still an issue for campus type projects as there are many way s to solve the problem - the first probelm is chooseing the right solution.

This blog post may help some readers: http://revitoped.blogspot.com/2011/0...d-details.html

[mile18man]

Gordon,

Saw your post; have a follow up (hopefully related) question.

We are making use of a central Revit model, and looking to access this not only from our main office, but remotely from employees' homes. Long term goal may make use of a cloud, or upgraded server capability to afford this access (which at this point, is drudgingly slow, to the point of being non-functional, when remote access is needed).

The short-term fix has been to work with local copies of the central model (as accessed by individual employee laptops) when working remotely, and intermittently syncing back up with the central model. Work has been split such that remote access and drawing has focused upon wall section and plan detail develpment (i.e. mainly 2D work).

While this generally works, there are problems once the remote work is synced up with and relinquished to the central model - at which time this 2D work can no longer be edited remotedly because it becomes physically tied to (and property of) the central model (make sense?). The sections and details cannot even be "duplicated" to create similar, new sections for editing purposes.

Are you aware of a way in which 2D detailing work can be done, without attaching this to the central model, so that remote editing can take place?

Also, are you aware of any ways in which one, central model can be broken down into two or more models that can be independently edited, and then recombined (similar to a cut-and-paste approach in AutoCAD)?

Any insights you can offer will be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

[Duncan Lithgow]

I've described my proposed solution here: http://forums.augi.com/showthread.ph...62#post1170962